MSP-EXP430G2ET: + DRV8711 GUI doesn't response to the request

A.W

Part Number: MSP-EXP430G2ET
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: BOOST-DRV8711, DRV8711, MSP-EXP430F5529LP

Hi, I got a MSP-EXP430E2GT board and boost-drv8711 to test stepper motors.(Not MSP-EXP430G2 board)

I load the firmware to the MCU, close the CCS,and than run the GUI with runtime 6.2.0.0.

However, the GUI can't recognize the firmware verion, full scale current. And with Register Tab, I call Read ALL command,there is no feedback.

Seems there is no SPI communication,also no action on the bus throuth the scope.

I can measure the UART activity from the bus of MSP430, both tx and rx, with a 5ms message periodly.

I already put the rx and tx pin horizontally on the launchpad, and remove the J6 and J7 to enable the SPI port.Also the VM of boost-drv8711 is 12V, with no motor connected now.

Any suggestion for me to check the issue?

Regards

Arrow

over 4 years ago

0 James Evans over 4 years ago

TI__Mastermind 49692 points

Hello,

I'll need a few days to check on this error and get back to you.

Regards,

James

0 A.W over 4 years ago in reply to James Evans

Intellectual 490 points

Hi James

I found a thread from the forum. It says there is a delay of UART of the new MSP430G2ET board.

https://e2e.ti.com/support/motor-drivers/f/motor-drivers-forum/844797/boost-drv8711-the-evm-doesn-t-operate-with-sp-exp430g2et/3143633#3143633

Since it MSP430G2 board is EOL, and the question is one years ago.

So, is there an alternative solution for new MSP430G2ET evaluation board to use GUI?

Regards

Arrow

+1 James Evans over 4 years ago in reply to A.W

TI__Mastermind 49692 points

Hi Arrow,

I was able to replicate your issue using my G2ET board. I tried using an external USB-to-TTL serial adapter, but it wasn't recognized by the GUI.

A.W said:
I found a thread from the forum. It says there is a delay of UART of the new MSP430G2ET board.

Great find! The new G2ET LaunchPad has an updated onboard debugger called the eZ-FET. The older G2 LaunchPad has the older eZ430 onboard debugger. The updated debugger must handle the back-channel UART communication differently, which is why the new board doesn't fully work with the standalone GUI. Lately, we've been shifting from standalone GUIs to online GUIs based on GUI Composer (GC). The GC demos can be found in the Gallery. However, I didn't find one for the DRV8711, and I'm not sure when a new GUI will be released.

A.W said:
Since it MSP430G2 board is EOL, and the question is one years ago.

So, is there an alternative solution for new MSP430G2ET evaluation board to use GUI?

As mentioned above, the G2 LaunchPad uses the older eZ430 debugger. Looking at Table 1 in the MSP Debuggers User's Guide, there are other tools that seem to include the eZ430, specifically the eZ430-F2013. The eZ430-F2013 doesn't support programming the G2553, but you could potentially use the ez430's back-channel UART with the GUI and G2553 on the G2ET board. However, I have not tested this.

An alternative is using another LaunchPad with the eZ-FET Lite debugger like the MSP-EXP430F5529LP. I removed all jumpers from the isolation junction block except the GND, 5V, 3V3 jumpers. Next, I ran jumper wires from the UART RXD and TXD pins closest to the debugger to the P1.1 and P1.2 pins on the G2ET LaunchPad, respectively. I also powered the G2ET LaunchPad from the F5529 LaunchPad by connecting jumper wires between the 3V3 and GND pins. I removed all jumpers from the G2ET LaunchPad's isolation jumper block too. After plugging in the F5529 LaunchPad's USB cable to my PC, I opened the standalone GUI and selected the second COM interface. I'm not sure why it shows up as "Debug" rather than "Application" but it works! Here are some screenshots showing the full-scale current and FW version in the GUI.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

James