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MSP-EXP430G2ET: Use Energia 1.8.11E23 version to do Serial.print NOT WORKING !!!

Part Number: MSP-EXP430G2ET
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: ENERGIA,

I found this problem happened for a long time before but seems not being solved at all.

I just download Energia 1.8.11E23 version and also install ti_msp430driver_setup_1.0.1.2.exe on windows 10.

When I start Energia IDE and start to do sample code with couple lines, but don't work with Serial.print(). This bug seems being introduced for a long time before.

I check following thread with no solution and was closed. Very strange !

>>> MSP-EXP430G2ET: Serial.print() not working. Nothing is being printed on Serial Monitor  <<<

https://e2e.ti.com/support/microcontrollers/msp-low-power-microcontrollers-group/msp430/f/msp-low-power-microcontroller-forum/757445/msp-exp430g2et-serial-print-not-working-nothing-is-being-printed-on-serial-monitor

My setting as follow:

OS: Windows 10 Pro 
IDE: Energia 1.8.11E23
USB driver: msp430 1.0.1.2
Board: MSP430G2ET launchpad

There will be two serial com port found on system after installed into PC.

1. MSP Application UART1 (COM15)
2. MSP Debug interface (COM14)

I also follow instruction from the post to switch pin TXD, RXD from vertical to horezontal, nothing working so far. Is that a bug that was not taken care for 3 years ??
this post seems to be asked on 2018 ....

That's ridiculous for such a BIG COMPANY line TI    ??  Or you just simply don't care ?

-tommy

  • Hi Tommy,

    We care, but keep in mind Energia is not TI software.  If this is a software issue you will have to check with the Energia team.  I suspect they have a forum for such questions.

    But let's see what I can do for you.

    When the LaunchPad is connected there will be 2 COMx ports opened up.  Both are used by the on-board debugger.  The debug interface is used to communicate debug information with Code Composer Studio.  The application interface allows the MSP430 to send data to the PC.

    Alright, first, can you connect an oscilloscope or logic probe on the TXD pin shown in this drawing.  If you have trouble connecting with the jumper in place, remove it, but connect to the pin that is closest to the silkscreen 'TXD>>'.  Try your software again.  Do you see any data being transmitted on this pin?

  • Hi Tommy,

    I did some digging into the PCB files and it appears the layout on the MSP-EXP430G2ET is not correct.  For some reason the MSP430 TX signal connects to the EZFET TXD, and the MSP RX signal connects to the EZFET RXD.  So you have both transmits connected to each other and both receives connected to each other. This would explain when the MSP430 transmits on its TX pin, the EZFET never sees the data and nothing is sent to the PC.

    The work around would be to cross jumper the pins as described in the other posting.

    Now, you said you tried this, so connect an oscilloscope or probe as shown in either of these two locations and let me know if you see any data transmitted when you run your code.

  • I follow your instruction to connect NORTH RXD, TXD with a jumper, and hook up oscilloscope and do the probe on SOUTH TXD pin, but actually, nothing change on the wave !! As you can see with following picture wave did not change in the background.

    That should be the defect on MSP430G2ET board design. That means TXD, RXD cannot connect via PC for debug print.

    -tommy

  • Ok, let's skip the debug print for the moment and try to see if the GPIO PIN is working properly.  Can you program the MSP430 to only toggle P1.2 and probe with your scope?

  • I just finished P1.2 pin on/off test with scope. Please check code sample and video below. P1.2 GPIO working normally !

    My question is that how can we use this board to do debug ? There is no print message function to debug console at all ~

    Can your team fix driver issue and/or board issue first instead of asking me to test this and that ? You have board in your hand also, I guess. Also you can download usb driver from your web site too. Am I right ?

    I know why you ask me to try your suggestion. You want to make sure this board on my hand is functionally ok, right ? Now, it was proved that board on my hand is functionally working for GPIOs, but not for TXD, RXD to PC. That's 100% sure.

    We spent a lot of money to order this board and man hour to debug your board, but that doesn't make sense to ask your customer to debug your board already released with known issue for 3 years !! 

    1. you have lots of testing board of this model inside your company

    2. you can download driver from your own website

    3. you have your own wave scope

    All you wants me to do can do by yourself, isn't it ? Apparently, this is board level defect, you don't want to admit. You move this question to IDE (Energia 1.8.11E23). For I know, this is board issue. By the way, I also use other com port software, like putty.exe. That also does not work, too. Should I also need to report them on their forum ?

    If your cannot handle this, please escalate this defect to your manager. If he also cannot handle this. Then I don't know what else TI can handle or not ???

    Maybe your company need to stop selling out this board, post a message, and announce to everyone in forum to say that this board has defect and stop selling. Wrong design on circuit. Seriously, it is not acceptable.

    All I can say is that this is how TI deal with defect of their product. .......

    Is this TI so call "quality" ?? I seriously doubt !! 

    -tommy

  • For Energia debug, easiest way is to use Mailbox system, because there is no software setup and for data transfer is used existing SBW interface without extra wires. Unfortunately it is implemented only in (CPUvX2) 5xx/6xx and FRAM devices, not in F2xx/G2xx. Also, till today, unfortunately it is not supported by TI FET's. At the link you can see it in action (with full source code).

    e2e.ti.com/.../2758842

    If your target device is G2553, I can send you binary file (without Energia) with LED blinking and ON OFF log on 115200 UART, so you can check your hardware connection (between target device UART TX pin and master FET UART RX USB bridge).

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