• State Resolved
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 2 replies
  • Subscribers 79 subscribers
  • Views 1009 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Support feedback
Options
Options
Related

This thread has been locked.

If you have a related question, please click the "Ask a related question" button in the top right corner. The newly created question will be automatically linked to this question.

Using USB to communicate with MSP430 (Bidirectional)

DAC CAD
Prodigy 60 points
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: TRF7970A

Hi all,

I am newbie and I want to communicate with my device MSP 430 F16xx via the USB virtual COM port. The windows 7 displays the virtual COM port in the device manager. When executing the code on the device, the hyper terminal like putty displays the content out from the device, which indicates a communication with the device. Is it possible to write on the device (MSP 430) using this virtual COM port. XBEE provides bidirectional serial comm (as far as I know) to virtual ports. Does MSP 430 F16xx have this capability? I was reading on the forum about data transfer to the PC using back channel UART. I presume this is through launchpad. Is it possible to do this without any other device by directly communicating through the USB (virtual com port). Is it possible to code and get this connectivity? I wrote a small program listening on this COM port and the outputs displayed on the console was same as the putty output. These outputs were print statements from the code.

What is the other alternative that can be done to communicate with the device?

Thanks

DAC

  • 0
    Expert 1480 points

    Hello DAC CAD,

    I am not 100% sure if I understood what you really need.

    I assume you want to connect the TX and RX pin of the MSP430s UART to the TX/RX of the virtual COM port (which does not exist yet)  somehow.

    You will need a USB to UART Bridge for that. I am currently using the TI TRF7970A EVM (an RFID/NFC Evaluation board). This board uses following chip to interconnect MSP430s UART with the PC over USB.

    http://www.silabs.com/pages/DownloadDoc.aspx?FILEURL=Support%20Documents/TechnicalDocs/cp2102.pdf

    You can find the Schematic of the TRF7970A EVM at

    http://www.ti.com/tool/trf7970aevm&DCMP=nfc&HQS=trf7970a-b

    The Schematics can give  you some hints on how to connect the UART to the CP2102.

    A more flexible way for rapid prototyping  would be following Module:

    http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/DataSheets/Modules/DS_FT2232H_Mini_Module.pdf

    Regards Marco

  • 0 in reply to Marco
    Prodigy 60 points

    Hi Marco,

    Thanks for the reply. I was waiting to buy the USB-RS232 Converter cable from "ftdi" before confirming your answer. I connected the same to the USB port, installed the driver and I am able to access the device without any problems. Thanks once again.

    I have another question not related to the problem mentioned but with regards to the Timer output (PWM) to control an external dimmer circuit. I am using CC 2530 ZNP kit. I have a fair understanding of the ports on MSP 430. I am confused with this guide http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/HW_Users_Guide which mentions the "P2 Interface options" with few pins of MSP 430 for external connections.  If I have to get the PWM output from the board to control the dimmer (input to the dimmer ckt), which pin of P2 Interface, on the board, should be used as an output of the kit to the dimmer circuit. The MSP430F22x4 Demo - Timer_A, toggles P1.0 (meaning Port 1 pin 0) and I don't see any corresponding P2 connector pins associated with MSP430 (according to the diagram in the HW user guide). 

    I am new to this kit and have been searching documents but with little success. Probably, I might be looking at the wrong document. I would appreciate, if someone could point me in the right direction.

    Regards

    DAC

**Attention** This is a public forum