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CCS/MSP432P401R: Using EnergyTrace MSP432 with CC3100/Sensors boosterpack

Part Number: MSP432P401R

Tool/software: Code Composer Studio

I am working on the project using MSP432 with CC3100/Sensors boosterpack.

Because some pins of the CC3100 and Sensors boosterpack was overlapped, I modified some pins, and they worked on MSP432 perfectly.

However, the problem occurred when I tried to measure power using EnergyTrace in CCSv8.2.

My project consists of two parts, sensing nearby temp, light etc and send the data to the server.

I both used provided SDK, for sensors boosterpack(dev.ti.com/.../ and CC3100(processors.wiki.ti.com/.../CC3100_HTTP_Client).

Before EnergyTrace, the project worked just like I designed. I can even check sensed data in the server. It means sensors boosterpack and CC3100 worked without any errors.

However, after turning on EnergyTrace, the program kept holding "VERIFY_PROTOCOL()" inside of _SlDrvRxHdrRead() function.

Detailed function tree can be checked in the screenshot below.

Maybe CC3100 SPI communication, and EnergyTrace make corruption?

I don't know what to do.

  • With the MSP432 Launchpad and EnergyTrace mode (not energyTrace+), remove all of the jumpers on the launchpad between the MSP and the XDS110 except for 3.3V and GND. Configure and launch EnergyTrace from CCS as described in Code Composer Studio™ IDE 7.1+ for SimpleLink™ MSP432™ Microcontrollers User's Guide.

    www.ti.com/.../slau575j.pdf

    Regards,
    Chris

    Description of launchpad setup here:

    https://e2e.ti.com/support/microcontrollers/msp430/f/166/p/589458/2263388#2263388

  • Thank you for your reply Chris!

    I removed all the jumpers except GND and 3.3V pin, and ran the program with the EnergyTrace stand-alone mode.

    There were still several problems,

    1. For timing options, "on halt" is not working.

    2. Although there was enough time for using CC3100 http post operation, I don't think CC3100 program is not properly working.

    Without several pins connecting XDS110 I can not debug the program execution. But there was no data received from MSP432.

    Using EnergyTrace with CC3100 is not possible?

  • Hello,
    I think there is some confusion about EnergyTrace vs EnergyTrace+. Please see the following discussion.

    e2e.ti.com/.../2456352

    Chris
  • Hello Chris,

    I checked the discussion and the following link explaining about EnergyTrace ET-only mode and EnergyTrace+ also.

    The difference between EnergyTrace and EnergyTrace+ is clear for me. (ET is for measuring energy, power, current and ET+ is more for power mode(AM,LPM) change or function profiling)

    But I didn't get the relationship between ET,ET+ and CC3100 WiFi boosterpack for MSP432(http://www.ti.com/tool/CC3100BOOST).

    Isn't it possible to measure the energy of a program using CC3100 HTTP POST example?

  • There is no relationship between the EnergyTrace and the WIFI boosterpack. The two are independent.  In energy trace mode (simple current measure), the energy trace records the current draw of the 3.3V rail , please see figure 6 of

    http://www.ti.com/lit/ug/slau597f/slau597f.pdf

    (MSP-EXP432P401R User's Guide) .  

    You can use energy trace to measure both the current consumption of the MSP432+CC3100 as long as the current does not exceed 75mA (see section 2.4.1 of user's guide).  The energytrace + mode can be used to see the states of the MSP432 only and not the device connected to the MSP432 via the boosterpack.  

    I am not familiar with the CC3100 HTTP post example.  Can you provide a link?

    Regards,

    Chris

  • This is the link for CC3100 HTTP Client example. Among several HTTP Client operations(POST, GET, DELETE...), I only used POST example.  ( http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/CC3100_HTTP_Client )

    Without EnergyTrace, HTTP post example worked fine. However, the program was hold in _SlDrvRxHdrRead function inside of retVal = establishConnectionWithAP(); part with EnergyTrace. Exact point of hold can be seen in the screenshot I've attached for the initial question above.

    BTW, Thank you for your arrangement of relationship between EnergyTrace and CC3100 WiFi boosterpack :)

  • Hello,
    Thank you for the link. I am still a little confused but after talking with my colleague I understand that the MSP432 device is not supported in the CC3100 SDK. Great job in porting to the MSP432. If possible you may want to consider sharing with the larger community.

    Looking back at your original post, it appears that you are not viewing the states of the CPU, even if you were this would only impact your ability to enter LPM3 (deep sleep). I am concerned that because the issue appears to be related to the AP, that you are consuming too much current and the energyTrace is starving the application for current and causing the application to hang. Please consider using an alternative means of measuring the current to make sure you are within the current limits of the energyTrace tool. Based upon an analysis of the datasheet it would appear that energyTrace cannot be used because the current consumption is too high.

    Regards,
    Chris

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