MSP-gang430 framing errors

Hello Cameron.

I originally had all lines connected but this worked not at all. I tried with just Txd Rxd and got the results indicated.

I have browsed the comms details.  see it should be software ack nak, and so should work without RTS CTS.

I have tries with no parity, and with even parity. Same result.

Regards

Kevin.

Were you using the USB or RS232 port on your old machine?

Hello Cameron.

I was using the USB adapter. Possibly the same one. Almost certainly the same type. I no longer have the old machine.

PCs with "real" RS232 are pretty scarce around here now.

Regards  Kevin

Hi Cameron.

Not resolved yet. I have been divirted onto something else all week but should be baqck on this on Monday.

Any help appreciated. Regards

Kevin

Hi Cameron. I am back on this now. Frustratingly now hardware self test is not working. This at least was working last time I looked.

I have a scope on the TX RX lines. For hardware self test I see 4 ms burst going to the MSP430. MSP430 responds 3 times during this time. Bursts 1 and 2 are 200 us long, and burst 3 is 500 us long.

Well that is what it does 90%. Sometimes it gives up after just one or two "replies". Sometimes it makes 4 or even 5 attempts.

Baud rate seems to be a consistent 115200 throughout.

Hi Cameron. I have some screen shots below. . - Regards Kevin

PC output is Ch 1. MSP output is CH 2

Overall 1 shows the most common transaction when I execute H/W self test. I have marked this up with the zoom windows.

Overall 2 is nearly as common. The PC has sent a poll but there is no response from the MSP430 gang

Overall 3 is an example of different responses that occur occasionally.

Zoom 1, 2, 3 are as indicated in overall 1.

Zoom 3 I cannot be sure which set of pulses I caught.

Zoom 4 is a random shot somewhere in the window.

Overall 1 below

Overall 2 below

Overall 3

Zoom 1 below

Zoom 2

Zoom3

Zoom4 below

Hello Cameron. Last week I experimented with changing parity on the FTDI com port. Changes to the port settings under Device Manager made no difference to the captured waveform. I guessed (probably wrongly) that the FTDI drivers were to blame.

Today I have located an old XP PC that has a genuine COM port and has an old version of the MSPgang software. I thought that would solve my problems but it did not. It still refuses to make contact. This version scans the baud rates. It cycles the baud rates continually but finishes on an attempted transaction, before pausing for a couple of seconds and then repeating the sequence, and so I am able to trap the final transaction. Again the parity settings under device manager make no difference, and so I presume this, along with the baud rate, is controlled by MSP430 PC software in some way. I have to assume this uses the correct settings. I have attached a screen shot of this final transaction. (XP version jpg) I can see the response is an even parity 115200 baud. The input from the PC is probably even parity, (but no parity would give the same picture). Timing from falling edge of CH1 to rising edge of ch2 is a consistent 23us  in this case so certainly room for a parity bit and stop bit. which requires 17.4 us.

So I guess this failure while disappointing at least suggests it is not to do with FTDI. Below is the XP screen shot from today. It probably only slightly useful, but I also include the "About" info from the XP version gang programmer software.

Regards

Kevin

XP version. Real comms port.

XP verson about info

Hi Cameron

The problem first started when I attempted to update the firmware. I had a new Win 10 PC and so had to install a new version of the MSP software.

This strongly recommended I update the Firmware which I went ahead to do. After this the gang programmer no longer works, even with PCs that it used to work with.

It seems the firmware install process could erase the existing firmware but then can no longer communicate to instal the new firmware.

Regards

Kevin

Is it possible that erasing the firmware has erased some information, e.g. oscillator calibration, that is essential to keep the interface it working?

regards

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I've been in contact with Elprotronic, and they strongly suspect it's the RS232 adapter causing the problem. What kind is it?

Hi Cameron. It is FTDI. Product type US232R-100. We have a number of similar types, all by FTDI. They are most reliable we have found. Farnell order code1329310 if you want to have a look. This version has Rx Tx LED indicators which can be useful.

Today I borrowed from our production your new version of the gang programmer. I downloaded the software to go with it. It all worked fine. I used the USB adapter above.

I still need my old style programmer to work. It is an integral part of some test equipment.

Regards

Kevin

Yes see earlier I have tried this. No good.

Hi Kevin,

Officially the old MSP-GANG430, is supposed to be unsupported, but I wanted to try to help. 

Unfortunately, we've tried everything that I and Elprotronic can think to do. We are unable to reproduce the issue on our side. Is it at all possible to update your test equipment to use the modern MSP-GANG?

Hi Cameron. I do appreciate it is supposed to be no longer supported, and so your help is very welcome. However, as the firmware was erased during the firmware upgrade process I do feel that we should not be abandoned.. We cannot swap to the new gang programmer. It interfaces to PC test software and so the software would require modifications. I have already tried your new gang programmer with your old software. I does not communicate with it and so the interface specification has changed.

I have had a look inside the MSP-GANG430. I  can see the main processor is MSP430F149. It has what is almost certainly a JTAG header. Can we reprogram it using the JTAG? We would need the hex file which hopefully Elprotronic can provide. A label on the outside indicates v1.3a. This might be the firmware version. Dependent on how things have been arranged, we might also need some boot firmware to be installed.

We do already have another (new) programmer, and so it should be straightforward if we have the files.

Regards

Kevin

Something else we noticed is that your screenshot of your GUI (from much earlier) appears to be the new version meant for the newer MSP-GANG. Can you confirm that you have tried communicating with it using  the GUI that looks like the following?

Hi Cameron. Yes that is correct for my PC, however I now see that the old XP laptop (with RS232) has only the new version installed. So I would have tried that and not spotted it.

I will see if I can get the old version installed on the XP laptop and try that again. Regards Kevin

Hi Cameron. Yes I have replied just now. I also look forward to the hex file. Thanks. Kevin