CCS/MSP430F169: Debugging with custom linker command file

Hi, Dan, 

As I know, Reset vector and interrupt vector cannot be modified because it is hardware designed. You can just modify the content in the reset vector address 0xFFFE, i.e. start address of your code. From this address, you can start your bootloader. 

Thanks, 

Lixin 

Thanks for your response Lixin. I have been remapping the reset and interrupt vectors for ages and as far as I understand can be done by simply editing the linker command file and specifying the vector address locations in flash memory.

I have two programs, a bootloader that has the reset vector at 0xFFFE (program resides at 0xD800 to 0xFFFF) and my application program with the reset vector at 0xDFFE (program resides at 0x1100 to 0xDFFF). I can run and debug my bootloader program normally. However, I cannot run and debug my application program when the reset vector has been remapped to 0xDFFE. As a workaround I've been changing the linker command file to place the reset vector at 0xFFFE when I'm debugging and then when I release the program I set the reset vector to 0xDFFE and program it along with the bootloader (everything works fine). My question is if there is a mechanism that will allow me to debug my application program with reset vector at 0xDFFE?

Thanks,

Dan

Hi, Dan, 

I tried to change the reset vector in the linker file on MSP430FR4133 target board (I have no the F169 board in hand now but I think it should be same operation theory for this issue debug). But I could not pass the linking and the .out file was not built. 

Error message: 

error #10010: errors encountered during linking; "Reset_vector_change.out" not built

"../lnk_msp430fr4133.cmd", line 123: error #10264: RESET memory range overlaps existing memory range FRAM

What I changed is the file "lnk_msp430fr4133.cmd", and made following change for the reset vector: 

"RESET                   : origin = 0xFFFE, length = 0x0002"  ->  "RESET                   : origin = 0xDFFE, length = 0x0002"

It is confirmed the 0xDFFE is the valid memory in MSP430FR4133 which code memory is 0xC400 ~ 0xFFFF. 

Could you share how you changed the linker file and passed the linking to build the .out file? 

Thanks, 

Lixin 

In addition, my test code is very simple - it is the "msp430fr413x_1.c" in MSP430FR4133 code examples. 

Hi, Dan, 

I don't think there is a mechanism that will allow you to debug your application program with reset vector at 0xDFFE. 

Since the bootloader has the reset vector at 0xFFFE, I think you can jump to your application code in the bootloader. Then you can debug your application code. 

Thanks, 

Lixin  

Hi Lixin,

I'm attaching two linker command files. One I use for the bootloader that has FLASH mapped to 0xD800 with length of 0x27E0. The RESET vector is at 0xFFFE (the expected location) so I can debug the bootloader. The 2nd file is the linker command file for the application. It has the FLASH mapped to 0x1100 with length 0xC6E0. The RESET vector is at 0xD7FE. If there is no firmware update then the bootloader will jump to 0xD7FE and the main application will run. This works fine however, when I want to debug the main application I have to modify my linker command file to place the RESET vector at 0xFFFE or I cannot debug the application. This was the intended purpose for my original post was to see if the community new of a better way to debug an application with the reset vector remapped. I know this is possible with other ARM microcontrollers but doesn't seem possible with MSP430? I could be wrong.

Thanks,

Dan C.

I'm having trouble attaching the files so here is the section of interest.

Bootloader Linker Command File

/****************************************************************************/
/* SPECIFY THE SYSTEM MEMORY MAP */
/****************************************************************************/

MEMORY
{
SFR : origin = 0x0000, length = 0x0010
PERIPHERALS_8BIT : origin = 0x0010, length = 0x00F0
PERIPHERALS_16BIT : origin = 0x0100, length = 0x0100
RAM : origin = 0x0200, length = 0x0800
INFOA : origin = 0x1080, length = 0x0080
INFOB : origin = 0x1000, length = 0x0080
FLASH : origin = 0xD800, length = 0x27E0
INT00 : origin = 0xFFE0, length = 0x0002
INT01 : origin = 0xFFE2, length = 0x0002
INT02 : origin = 0xFFE4, length = 0x0002
INT03 : origin = 0xFFE6, length = 0x0002
INT04 : origin = 0xFFE8, length = 0x0002
INT05 : origin = 0xFFEA, length = 0x0002
INT06 : origin = 0xFFEC, length = 0x0002
INT07 : origin = 0xFFEE, length = 0x0002
INT08 : origin = 0xFFF0, length = 0x0002
INT09 : origin = 0xFFF2, length = 0x0002
INT10 : origin = 0xFFF4, length = 0x0002
INT11 : origin = 0xFFF6, length = 0x0002
INT12 : origin = 0xFFF8, length = 0x0002
INT13 : origin = 0xFFFA, length = 0x0002
INT14 : origin = 0xFFFC, length = 0x0002
RESET : origin = 0xFFFE, length = 0x0002
}

Main Application Linker Command File

/****************************************************************************/
/* SPECIFY THE SYSTEM MEMORY MAP */
/****************************************************************************/

MEMORY
{
SFR : origin = 0x0000, length = 0x0010
PERIPHERALS_8BIT : origin = 0x0010, length = 0x00F0
PERIPHERALS_16BIT : origin = 0x0100, length = 0x0100
RAM : origin = 0x0200, length = 0x0800
INFOA : origin = 0x1080, length = 0x0080
INFOB : origin = 0x1000, length = 0x0080
FLASH : origin = 0x1100, length = 0xC6E0
INT00 : origin = 0xD7E0, length = 0x0002
INT01 : origin = 0xD7E2, length = 0x0002
INT02 : origin = 0xD7E4, length = 0x0002
INT03 : origin = 0xD7E6, length = 0x0002
INT04 : origin = 0xD7E8, length = 0x0002
INT05 : origin = 0xD7EA, length = 0x0002
INT06 : origin = 0xD7EC, length = 0x0002
INT07 : origin = 0xD7EE, length = 0x0002
INT08 : origin = 0xD7F0, length = 0x0002
INT09 : origin = 0xD7F2, length = 0x0002
INT10 : origin = 0xD7F4, length = 0x0002
INT11 : origin = 0xD7F6, length = 0x0002
INT12 : origin = 0xD7F8, length = 0x0002
INT13 : origin = 0xD7FA, length = 0x0002
INT14 : origin = 0xD7FC, length = 0x0002
RESET : origin = 0xD7FE, length = 0x0002
}