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MSP-EXP430G2: MSP-FET430UIF firmware update and addons.

Vicente Sendra
Prodigy 20 points

Part Number: MSP-EXP430G2

Hello.

I have been playing with microcontrollers for years, some time ago I bought a MSP-EXP430G2, and i am doing some projects using this board.

I use Elprotronics FetPro-430 lite to program de target microcontroller, and everything is working ok, but i have two questions about  the embedded MSP-FET430UIF on the board:

  1. The firmware repported by FetPro-430 software and MSP430Flasher is 3.03.94.216, but FetPro-430 says that there is firmware with version 3.07.01.000 available, is it safe to upgrade this board with this firmware?.
  2. Could TI modify the current firmware to allow one of the easy solderable Test points (TP4,TP5,TP6,TP7) to be used as a target voltage switch signal?
    1. I know the firmware handles the messages, because i've seen the data sent by the host at the UTXD and URXD pins (When i press the POWER ON/OFF button in FetPro-430 software).
    2. It could just toggle one of the free outputs available as tests points.
    3. As far as i know the current MSP-FET430UIF firmware is closed source, so i can't do the changes myself.

  • 0
    TI__Genius 15370 points

    Hi Vicente,

    Vicente Sendra said:
    The firmware repported by FetPro-430 software and MSP430Flasher is 3.03.94.216, but FetPro-430 says that there is firmware with version 3.07.01.000 available, is it safe to upgrade this board with this firmware?.

    The FetPro-430 is a third party product so I can't comment with certainty that it is safe to upgrade the firmware. However, I don't know of any issues between that firmware version and the MSP430Flasher tool. 

    Vicente Sendra said:
    Could TI modify the current firmware to allow one of the easy solderable Test points (TP4,TP5,TP6,TP7) to be used as a target voltage switch signal?
    1. I know the firmware handles the messages, because i've seen the data sent by the host at the UTXD and URXD pins (When i press the POWER ON/OFF button in FetPro-430 software).
    2. It could just toggle one of the free outputs available as tests points.
    3. As far as i know the current MSP-FET430UIF firmware is closed source, so i can't do the changes myself.

    This is not possible because those test points are the JTAG programming signals to the MSP430F16x device on the MSP-EXP430G2 device. Can I ask what the need for this kind of functionality is and why you can't use GPIO on the G2 device?

    Best regards, 
    Caleb Overbay

  • 0 in reply to Caleb Overbay
    Prodigy 20 points

    Caleb Overbay said:

    Hi Vicente,

    Vicente Sendra
    The firmware repported by FetPro-430 software and MSP430Flasher is 3.03.94.216, but FetPro-430 says that there is firmware with version 3.07.01.000 available, is it safe to upgrade this board with this firmware?.

    The FetPro-430 is a third party product so I can't comment with certainty that it is safe to upgrade the firmware. However, I don't know of any issues between that firmware version and the MSP430Flasher tool. 

    Where is the newest firmware for the MSP-EXP430G2 launchpad?, the one in this link seems to be the only one, it has no source code and it's pretty outdated:

    http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/MSP430_LaunchPad_Firmware_Update

    Caleb Overbay said:
    Vicente Sendra
    Could TI modify the current firmware to allow one of the easy solderable Test points (TP4,TP5,TP6,TP7) to be used as a target voltage switch signal?
    1. I know the firmware handles the messages, because i've seen the data sent by the host at the UTXD and URXD pins (When i press the POWER ON/OFF button in FetPro-430 software).
    2. It could just toggle one of the free outputs available as tests points.
    3. As far as i know the current MSP-FET430UIF firmware is closed source, so i can't do the changes myself.

    This is not possible because those test points are the JTAG programming signals to the MSP430F16x device on the MSP-EXP430G2 device. Can I ask what the need for this kind of functionality is and why you can't use GPIO on the G2 device?

    Sorry, i was too fast writing, before reading the documentation, i just thought that these pins could be used as GPIOs (as in low pin devices) but they are dedicated pins on this device.

    Anyway, using P4.0 to P4.5 could be possible. For easy soldering, configuring all of them to outputs and toggling them at the same time or configuring P4.3 as output and the rest as inputs with internal pull-up or pull-down resistors.

    Of course, SBWTCK and SBWTDIO (P5.2 and P5.3) should be set to inputs when toggling target Vcc off, to avoid supplying any power through this pins.

    The goal of this functionality is to be able to switch on and off the target board (as with MSP-FET430UIF).


    Digging a little more I've found the source code and schematics for the MSP-FET430UIF:

    www.ti.com/tool/mspds

    www.ti.com/lit/slau278

     
    And comparing the schematics it seems the MSP-FET430UIF is similar to the FET in the MSP-EXP430G2 but not pinout nor firmware compatible.
    Can I get the source code for the MSP-EXP430G2 FET somewhere?, i've been searching to no avail.
     
     
    I've found the associated functions in the firmware for the MSP-FET430UIF:
    void VCCTon()
    void VCCToff()
    short _hilGeneric_SetVcc(unsigned short Vcc) 
     


    Thank you very much.
  • 0 in reply to Vicente Sendra
    Guru 34453 points

    MSP-FET/UIF is open source (hardware and software) and updatable. FET that is part of G2 LP is not open source, and not updatable. Of course, you can play with it if you want, and break it too.

    You can build by yourself open source (hardware and software) eZ-FET Lite, and customize it by your needs.

    http://forum.43oh.com/topic/5530-custom-ezfet-lite/

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