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Linux/MSP-EXP430G2: Possible onboard emulator support solution

maxtch
Prodigy 60 points
Part Number: MSP-EXP430G2
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: MSP430F1612, TUSB3410, MSP-FET

Tool/software: Linux

As being noted in CCS installer the MSP-EXP430G2 LaunchPad is not supported under macOS and Linux. On the other hand, MSP-FET430UIF is. Looking at the schematics of the two tools I have discovered that the two parts uses the same TUSB3410 + MSP430F1612 as the emulator chipset.

I think it is possible to introduce macOS and Linux support to this LaunchPad, through a new firmware for the onboard emulator that is based on a modified MSP-FET430UIF firmware. If done properly, this should require no change to PC software, and very little to some modification on the emulator firmware, mostly changing clock speed settings, modify pinout, and maybe deleting code paths not relevant to the onboard target device.

The same might be able to be done for other non-cross-platform evaluation kits too, by replacing the onboard emulator's firmware with a modified one from the closest cross-platform approximation.

  • 0
    Prodigy 60 points
    Here is the upgrade process I have in mind:
    1. Download and launch an upgrader program
    2. Use a pair of tweezers to short out pins 5 (SDA) and 8 (VCC) on the I2C EEPROM attached to TUSB3410 while plugging the Launchpad (so TUSB3410 enters bootloader mode since the I2C access is force NAK'd by the short)
    3. The upgrader program reprograms the I2C EEPROM of TUSB3410
    4. TUSB3410 re-enumerates. Now put the MSP430F1612 into bootloader mode.
    5. Uploads the modified MSP-FET430UIF firmware into the MSP430F1612 emulator device.
    6. After the emulator device reboots to application code, the onboard emulator on MSP-EXP430G2 can be used wherever MSP-FET430UIF can be used.
  • 0 in reply to maxtch
    TI__Genius 10980 points
    Hi,

    Thank you for posting this procedure. I have not tried anything similar so I cannot comment on if this will work (I suspect the MSP-FET430UIF firmware won't work as-is on the MSP430F1612 due to differences in the emulation circuitry). But please note that this is not supported functionality. Also, the MSP-FET430UIF is not recommended for new devices (it has been replaced by MSP-FET).

    Regards,
    Nathan
  • 0 in reply to Nathan Siegel
    Prodigy 60 points

    I have compared the schematics of the two emulator circuitry. The unmodified MSP-FET430UIF firmware will not work due to the different external crystal speed (12MHz vs 8MHz) as well as the target UART feature being missing from MSP-FET430UIF (and the relevant pins being used for other features irrelevant to onboard emulation,) but otherwise the pins does not differ significantly, so a modified MSP-FET430UIF firmware would work - slightly modified if target UART feature can be left out, more heavily if that feature is needed.

    The procedure above shows how the user can upgrade the onboard emulator to a MSP-FET430UIF compatible, which requires reprogramming both TUSB3410 and MSP430F1612 devices of the emulator. 

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