Port code from Launchpad MSP430G2 to Launchpad MSP430F5

Sounds like you wrote the code in straight C under CCSv5, in that case it's probably a matter of porting I/O port names over for everything... e.g. SPI, chip select, UART, etc.

The MSP430F5529 launchpad has native USB capability but it also has a "backchannel UART" like the G2 -- only this one can run very fast, up to 1Mbps I think.  It's loaded up on USCI_A0 I believe, so you just need to configure your serial port the same way but be sure to set the PxSEL bits for the correct pins (which are different from the G2 chips).

Product page for the MSP430F5529 has the datasheet and a link to the MSP430F5xxx User's Guide which has enormous detail: http://www.ti.com/product/msp430f5529

Configuring the clock system on the F5xxx series chips is very different from the G2 though, involving increasing Vcore voltage settings in an orderly manner and configuring an FLL to act as a reference for the DCO.  That could be tricky.  In a pinch, I have a library to make it quick & dirty: https://github.com/spirilis/ucs_clockinit

Also, the SPI pins on the launchpad should correspond to USCI_B0 (like the G2 launchpad) so that should work similarly, you just need to make sure to set the correct PxSEL bits.  Also F5 series chips don't have a PxSEL2 like the G2's do, so you just have to worry about setting PxSEL (think P3SEL since P3.x has the UART/SPI pins).

All good advice.

For a general overview of key differences between 2xx and 5xx parts, you might want to try this app note: www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slaa396 .

Also, as mentioned above, the PMM module and Clocking system (particularly DCO + FLL) are very different on 5xx. I would recommend that you use MSP430ware DriverLib functions to configure the UCS + PMM modules (even if you don't want to use driverlib anywhere else in your code) as it will make it simpler to set up your system clock. You can find a good example called ucs_ex1_DCO12MHz in the DriverLib examples for 5xx (In CCSv5, go to View > TI Resource Explorer, then go to MSP430ware > Libraries > Driver Library > MSP430F5xx_6xx > Example Projects > UCS and you will find this example).

Regards,

Katie

Thanks! All of this advice will save me a lot of time. 

One more thing: while the G2553 and trhe 5x family booth have an USCI module that basically works the same way, there are more differences than just the missing PxSEL2: The interrupt vectors are used differently (USCI_A and USCI_B each now have a separate vector that is called for all interrupts). Also, at least for USCIA0, the IFG and IE bits are different.