Can't link MSP430 Assembly code

Do you include any library? Teh runtime lib may add something to the reset 'vector' (which is actually a 2-byte segment for the linker),so you got two addresses put wher eonly one fits.

The FR series requires some specific setup for the access control (what's program memory, what's data memory). Maybe this code is automatically linked and occupies the reset vector. In this case, you don't need to fill-in your own reset vector and main is automatically called by this startup code.
I agree, normally, ASM programs shouldn't have startup code, but then, the FR57xx is special with its memory handling.

Doi you get a map file that perhaps shows you the failed placement?

I didn't add any libraries myself- it's a stand-alone assembly language file; BUT; I think that's the problem.  CCS doesn't have a 'assembly only' style projct; so I think it tries to add some RTS libary when it creates the project.  I can't see it directly in the project options; but there are admittedly about 30 options and I know of what about 6 of them actually do.

And I never got a .map file because it never linked correctly.  I eventually worked around this by just trying some stuff; and the 'bullet' was to actually just delete the .reset section from the SOURCE code.  I wasn't 100% comfortable with this since it would seem I'm now relying on some magic in the linker to get the address of main into the reset vector; but it did seem to:

1) stop the linker from complaining, and

2) when I launched CCS; it did load up to main and the program ran; plus

3) it seems to work withou the debugger attached

So I think my generic comment comes to this- maybe our example code from msp430.com, whewre I pulled this; should have a readme or something explaining what needs to happen to build assembly projects.  he code examples are really just source (whic his fine by the way- these ARE a FANTASTIC resource); it's just in this case there's not really an option to have CCS create an 'assembly' type project- even when I did this I had to delete main.c and copy in the .asm file; and there is obvsiouly some extra step involved that I don't quite get yet.  I think there should probably be a more correct way of getting thr linker to be happy than to hav to delete the .reset section from the source.  I know in the C6000-type parts we used to have a command line option to specify the code entry point- I culdn't find that digging through the options I saw in the CCS command line; but in any case; a simple readme.txt for the assembly directory in the code examples might help here.

I do not know how to use (nor care to use) CCS.

I think in your case, the "project" automatically assumes that you are using c. As a consequence it automatically generated a reset vector to automatically point to the c-start-up-code (which you do not need).

I do drive an automobile with "automatic" transmission. But I still have manual control to put it in "P, R, N, or D". If that manual control were also automated, I would be afraid to drive it least it would automatically back me to a wall.

When making a new project, you should choose "Empty Assembly-only project". In addition, if you are using CCSv5.2, you probably need to change the format of the output file from ELF to COFF. Go to Properties > General > Advanced Settings set the Output format to "legacy COFF" if it is already set to eabi(ELF). Does this fix your issue? I think CCS 5.2 changed the default to ELF instead of COFF. Alternately, you can leave the output format as ELF and use .retain - see this forum post; http://e2e.ti.com/support/development_tools/code_composer_studio/f/81/p/176351/637520.aspx#637520

Regards,

Katie