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MSP430FR5994: BSL MSP430

CC C
Prodigy 80 points
Part Number: MSP430FR5994

Dear TI support team,

How should I program the MSP430 without using any programmer/ debugger?

I saw the BSL is able to program the MSP430 through the UART but needs to connect the TEST and RST pins with a debugger/programmer. Is there any method to change the TEST and RST pins internally without a debugger or programmer?

Thank you.

Regards,

Gan

  • 0
    TI__Mastermind 28070 points

    Hi Gan,

    If this is just any old MSP430 running arbitrary firmware in the field the answer is probably no. If you are in control of the firmware that is going to be on the device then the answer is yes, you could write your application code such that a special command, sent over UART, is recognized and causes a software invocation of BSL. 

    See section 3.3.1.1 from our MSP430 FRAM Bootloader (BSL) User's Guide (SLAU550) for details on software invocation of BSL:

    From there you could interact with the BSL of the MSP430 as described in that document, and program your application code to the device. 

    Just to be clear, any condition your MSP430 could read and act on could be used to trigger BSL mode, it doesn't necessarily have to be a UART command that triggers the invocation, but that's probably simplest since you are going to use UART to program the device anyway. 

    Best Regards,
    Brandon Fisher

  • 0 in reply to Brandon Fisher94
    Prodigy 80 points

    Dear Brandon,

    Thanks a lot for your explanation.

    I am trying this example. But it seems like I don't get any reply from MCU.

    My current connection is PC > RS422 > MCU.

    Thank you.

  • 0 in reply to CC C
    TI__Mastermind 28070 points

    Hi Gan,

    The test and reset pins do need to be connected for the BSL_Scripter tool to properly invoke BSL. The hardware it is connected to is also important. You are using a generic USB-to-UART/RS422 type connector, and not MSP-BSL Rocket I assume? 

    If BSL is not properly invoked by the test/reset pins you could see no response, and get that Unknown ACK Value message. Under normal operation we expect to see it after the mass erase, but not after the password. 

    Best Regards,
    Brandon Fisher

  • 0 in reply to Brandon Fisher94
    Prodigy 80 points

    Dear Brandon,

    My current connection is below.

           PC >> USB-to-RS422 type connector >> RS422-to-UART chip >> MCU

    Should I check with you that the software BSL invocation also requires connecting the test and reset pins?

     

    Thank you.

  • 0 in reply to CC C
    TI__Mastermind 28070 points

    Hi Gan,

    If you are using software BSL invocation then being in BSL mode should not be the issue. 

    The BSL-Scripter tool was not designed or tested with a generic USB->UART or with any hardware tools other than those described the Bootloader (BSL) Scripter User's Guide (SLAU655). 

    These are third party tools so we can't speak to the reliability of such a connection. 

    When invoking BSL for TI tools, BSL-Scripter changes baud rate temporarily to 9601, which signals the BSL invocation. I'm not sure how your generic USB-UART adapter would react to a change to that non-standard baud rate.

    There was a version of BSL scripter created by the community for generic USB-UART adapters that you may try: https://e2e.ti.com/support/microcontrollers/msp-low-power-microcontrollers-group/msp430/f/msp-low-power-microcontroller-forum/785580/modified-bsl-scripter-for-windows-now-works-with-ftdi-and-other-usb-to-uart-adapters

    That version has not been updated in some time, so I'd caution that it may or may not work, and is not supported directly by TI. 

    Best Regards,
    Brandon Fisher

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