MSP430F5234: TPS23881

Hi William, 

Is your goal to output the MSP430's 32kHz clock and measure this with an oscilloscope? If this is the case, I ask what clock you are outputting from the device. If you have selected XT1 for the clock output, and then you have no crystal connected, then I would not expect you to see anything on the clock out as there is not clock. You don't necessarily need a 32kHz crystal to use the device in general.

If you could elaborate on what you are trying to use as your clock source, how you are using it inside of the device, and what you'd like to get out of the device, I could give you a more detailed answer. I am unclear if you want a 32kHz clock out signal, or to test a 32kHz crystal, or something else.

Okay, so you are using the crystal as the clock source from the microcontroller, then outputting this clock to the pins and cant see the waveform, correct?

We have a software example to do this published in MSP430Ware, please see it in the TI Resource Explorer. You should be able to run this example on your device. If you are then still getting an error, I would think there is a problem with your crystal.

Are you using a TI Launchpad, or custom hardware? You may want to review our MSP430 Crystal Design Guide as well.

I wouldn't say it is special software, the code I refer you to is simply an example application code that you can run on your device.

If you want to remove the crystal, and you have observed in your testing that the design works as expected without the crystal, then it seems to me that you could remove the crystal.