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EVM430-FR6043: Connection Issue: Custom MSP430FR6043 PCB unable to handshake with USS GUI via EVM ezFET

Nilotpal Baruah
Prodigy 95 points

Part Number: EVM430-FR6043
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: MSP430FR6043, UNIFLASH, MSP430F5528

Hello TI Team,

I am currently developing an ultrasonic flowmeter solution using the EVM430-FR6043 evaluation kit and the Ultrasonic Sensing Design Center (USS) GUI. I have developed a custom PCB based on the MSP430FR6043, which has been hardware-optimized (removal of headers, LCD, etc.) for size reduction.

I am encountering an issue where the USS GUI fails to detect my custom board, despite successful firmware flashing and verified hardware connections. Below are the specific details of my setup, the issue, and my troubleshooting findings.

The Issue

I have flashed the standard USS Gas demo firmware (downloaded from TI.com) onto both the EVM board and my custom PCB using Uniflash.

EVM Board: Connects to the USS GUI without issue.

Custom PCB: The USS GUI displays "HID Bridge Connected -- waiting for device" and fails to proceed.

I have attached the schematic of my custom PCB for your reference.

Hardware Configuration & Wiring

To program and communicate with the custom board, I am using the ezFET section of the EVM430-FR6043. I have removed jumpers J1, J2, and J3 to isolate the EVM MCU and established the following connections between the EVM ezFET headers and my custom board:

Comms: EVM (RXD/TXD on J3) → Custom Board (TP18 RXD / TP19 TXD)

I2C: EVM (SCL/SDA on J1) → Custom Board (SCL/SDA on J1)

Control: EVM (RST/TEST on J3) → Custom Board (TP1 Reset / TP20 Test)

Interrupt: EVM (IRQ on J1) → Custom Board (IRQ on J1)

Power: EVM (VCC/GND) → Custom Board (TP21 VCC / Pin 6 GND)

Key Observations & Anomalies

During troubleshooting, I observed a discrepancy regarding I2C addressing that may be the root cause:

I2C Address Mismatch: Despite flashing the exact same firmware image to both boards, an I2C scan reveals different addresses:

EVM Board: Detects at address 0x48.

Custom PCB: Detects at address 0x0A.

Question: How can the identical firmware result in different I2C slave addresses on the same MCU model?

Logic Analyzer Analysis:

I intercepted communication between the working EVM and the GUI. The GUI appears to perform Read/Write operations on address 0x0A.

When attempting the same with the Custom PCB, the bus shows 0xAA + NAK.

Verification Steps Taken

To ensure the custom hardware is functional, I performed the following standalone tests:

Basic Functionality: Flashed a simple LED blink code to both the EVM and Custom PCB. Both worked successfully.

I2C Hardware Check: Verified the physical I2C lines on the Custom PCB by communicating with an Arduino Uno. The hardware lines are functional.

Could you please assist in troubleshooting why the Custom PCB is rejecting the GUI connection or explain the I2C address discrepancy observed between the EVM and the custom hardware?

Best regards,

Sasanka

Sch_Ultrasonic_Flow_Meter_Controller_20250922.pdf 

Screenshot 2026-02-07 105310.png

  • 0
    Prodigy 30 points

    Aren’t there two auxiliary MSP430 chips on the EVM? Their part number is MSP430F5528. Which firmware/program did you use to program these two chips?

  • 0 in reply to xinghui cao
    Prodigy 95 points

    Yes, there are two auxiliary MSP430F5528 chips, and I have used the default firmware available in the official TI website, 

    Windows Installer for USS Gas Demo for FR604x  — 23920 K

    And there is no issue connecting the EVM and the USS GUI. The problem occurs with the custom board.

  • 0 in reply to Nilotpal Baruah
    Prodigy 30 points

    I see that these two chips have been removed in your schematic. One of them, the HID-BRIDGE, should be responsible for the communication/connection between the FR6043 and the PC, right?

  • 0 in reply to xinghui cao
    Prodigy 95 points

    To clarify: Yes, the custom board intentionally omits the HID bridge/ezFET chips to reduce size.

    That is exactly why I am using the *EVM's* on-board ezFET/HID bridge to communicate with the custom board. As detailed in my "Hardware Configuration" section, I have physically wired the EVM's bridge headers (J1/J3) directly to the corresponding UART, I2C, and Control pins on my custom target board.

    Regarding the issue: My custom board is actually detected at address 0x0A, which matches the standard USS_userConfig.h definition for the USS library. 

    Since the firmware is identical and the target is responding at the correct address (0x0A) but NAKing the GUI's handshake, I suspect this is a signal integrity or wake-up signaling issue over the jumper wires.

    Could you confirm if the "HID Bridge Connected -- waiting for device" state implies a failure in the I2C ACK or a failure in the GPIO wake-up handshake (IRQ line)?

  • 0 in reply to Nilotpal Baruah
    TI__Expert 6495 points

    Hi,

    We can discuss in another thread you posted, will close this thread, thanks.

    Best Regards,
    Peter

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