MSP430_DLL_library_Labview problem

Hi Aitor,

To confirm, you are using the older MSP-GANG430 (www.ti.com/tool/msp-gang430) which is a grey box with rows of LEDs, not the new MSP-GANG which is a black box with an LCD? Just making sure we are on the same page.

Version 1.48 of the MSP-GANG430 software is very old - as you can see from the tool page I linked above, the latest version is 1.61.

As a first test, could you try using the latest software version and make sure you are using the DLL and example from the latest version? http://www.elprotronic.com/TI-3P/GANG430-1v61-Setup.zip \

If this does not help, then you will need to provide more information about your hardware setup (MSP430 being used, the specific hardware programming connections to that MSP430 including any passive components on the lines, how the device is being powered, length of cables, etc).

Regards,

Katie

Hello Katie,

Yes, I have the old MSP-GANG430. I put the latest software version but it shows the same error. So that´s not the problem.

I´m trying to connect a F5419 device, with JTAG 4 wires connection. The JTAG connection is too short. I´m powering the device with the programmer and the switch off is also activated. If you want to know more ask me, I try to answer you as soon as I can.

Regards,

AItor

Hi Aitor,

Sorry for the confusion before - I realized that you mentioned that you had been able to successfully program the same board using the MSP-GANG430 GUI, so this implies your hardware connection is correct.

Could you provide a screenshot showing the MSP-GANG430 GUI window settings when you can successfully program the device? Then we can try to compare to what you are doing with the DLL to see if it is matching up.

Regards,

Katie

Hi Katie,

Here you have an screenshot of the configuration that I use. With this configuration an this software, the transfer of the code to the device occur in a good way. This is not the last version of the software, but I used the new one with the same configuration and it also transfer it.

If you need something more, ask me. I want to solve this problem so I will do what you need.

Thank you very much, regards.

Aitor

8551.Screenshot.doc

Hi Aitor,

Thanks for the additional information. I see in your screenshot that you have set the MSP-GANG430 to use SBW communication. Since this is what is working for you, your hardware must also be set up for SBW communication connections, correct?

In the Labview program that you provided, I see that Flags is set to 0x73F. If you look in the MSP-GANG430 user's guide www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slau101 on p. 42 GangLoadParameters, you can see the values for Flags and what they mean. 0x73F means: F_ERASE_MASS | F_PROGRAM_MASS | F_VERIFY | F_ERASE_CHECK_MASS. It also means that 4-wire JTAG mode will be used. If you are using SBW mode, you need to set F_USE_SBW as well, which would mean your new value should be 0xF3F.

However higher in your post you said that you use 4-wire JTAG connection - are you sure that the MSP-GANG430 GUI worked successfully for you at loading the MSP430 device? I see that it says in your picture that you attached "Operation Successful". But had you simply clicked "Load image", which will only load the image into the MSP-GANG430 not into the device, or did you after this then click "Start" up at the top? For me, I see Operation Successful after simply loading the image, not actual programming - the actual programming after clicking Start will say "Result of the Operation: See Result Section" and have checkmarks in in the Result area for each part of the process - connected, erase checked, verified. I just want to confirm that your setup is actually working to program the part with the GUI, to make sure it's not a hardware issue.

If it is working with the GUI, then try reading the device out using another tool like MSP-FET or MSP-FET430UIF with the free Elprotronic Lite FET-Pro430 software. This would let you compare with some file comparison software the TI-txt file you are trying to load with the TI-txt data that was actually loaded in the part - it should show some difference in the txt files since you are getting a verify error and could help provide a clue.

Regards,

Katie

Hi Katie,

Sorry but that´s not my configuration. I posted the wrong one, the correct configuration is the next one. I know also that I have to push the start button to transfer the code to the devices, but I only upload the image configuration to show you the configuration that I used.

I don´t have new notices about the problem, I continue having the same problem. I am sorry for the mistake of the screenshot.

Regards,

Aitor

8863.Doc1.pdf

Aitor,

Do you have another tool (like MSP-FET or MSP-FET430UIF?) It would be good to do this test:

1. Program part using MSP-GANG430 GUI

2. Read back the part using MSP-FET/MSP-FET430UIF with Elprotronic Lite Fet-Pro430 software. Save the image read back as a txt file under some file name to tell you it is the GUI readout.

3. Now Program the part using MSP-GANG430 with your Labview program

4. Read back the part just like step 2, and save this image as well under a different file name.

Now compare 1) the image file you use for loading, 2) the image read back after programming using the GUI, and 3) the image read back after programming using Labview. You can use some free file comparison software available on the web or as a plug-in for something like notepad++ to make this easier to find differences.

If you can send back the results of this test - the reason behind doing this, is to determine what is the cause of the verification error. Is the verification error in Labview being thrown due to something in memory actually being incorrect, and if so, what addresses are incorrect? This can provide clues about what's going wrong.

In addition, can you also provide a screenshot showing your Labview Gang430.vi panel so we can see all the errors shown on different steps and all of the values from GetResults that are displayed in the numbers down the left side of the screen? This may provide more diagnostic information.

I will mention that I don't really see much significant difference between your Labview GUI and our example, which is why I'm asking for more tests - nothing looks obviously wrong so we will have to dig deeper into the behavior.

Regards,

Katie

Hi Katie,

I don´t have an MSP-FET/MSP-FET430UIF, so I couldn´t do the testing. We only have the MSP430 GANG Programmer, so I can´t program my device with Elprotronic Lite Fet-Pro430 software because the other programmer use USB connection and in the software there is only the option to communicate by USB.

In this reply, I am posting an screenshot of my labview front panel when I try to transfer my code. In the left site, there is a list of errors, I don´t know how to interpretate it, maybe you know something about it. In the right site, you can see that some status are OK, but the status Program is invalid. The rest of the errors are because I don´t have any target connected when I transfer my code to the device.

I wish that the screenshot will help you, I don´t know if you can obtain a MSP-FET/MSP-FET430UIF and send me the files to compare with mine. I attach my .ini file and .dll, maybe you can compare it wih anothers.

Regards,

Aitor.

0552.screenshot_error.pdf

8463.Gang430.rar

Aitor,

From that screenshot, it actually looks like your main code was programmed correctly. It is only the serial number programming that failed. So if you try to run your part after programming (just power it up not connected to the programmer), does it seem to be correctly running your code, indicating it was programmed?

Do you need serial number programming in production for your application? If not, I'd recommend removing this feature from the VI to save you complexity and programming time.

Regards,

Katie

Hi,

At the moment I do not need serial number programming, but in the future, I will want to program more than one device at the same time, so I will need it.

I had remove the part of the serial number as you recommend me, but I have a question, why is my device switched on when it finish transferring the code, if I had put the option to switch Vcc off? When I program the device with the software of the GangProgrammer instead of with the Labview and it finished trasnferring, the led of the device that indicate the Vcc on, went down. So I know that the transfer was OK, but with the Labview program, the Vcc continued. So in my opinion the trasfer was not OK. What do you think about it?

If I open the .ini file, I can see that the option of SwitchVccOff is activated. I don´t know why doesn´t switch off the device.

Besides this, after I try to transfer the code without serial numbers, I connect the PCB where the device is connected and it doesn´t work, it works like it doesn´t have any code. The GangProgrammer didn´t finish transferring the code, maybe because it didn´t do all the actions, like verifications or switch off the supply...

I am not acquainted with this product but is my opinion. I will wait for your answer.

Regards,

Aitor

Hi Aitor,

In your labview program, see the paramter for Supply goinging into the block for BANB430-Configuration.vi. You'll see it is set to 30  (for 3.0V). However, looking at the GangLoadParameters function in the user's guide description www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slau101 p. 42, you will see that this ISupply parameter is used for setting both the supply voltage and whether Vcc is turned off after the main process. To turn off Vcc after main process, you need to also set 0x80. So you would need to change the labview to load instead the value 30 OR'd with 0x80, to specify the Vcc to turn off after programming.

When you did this test without serial numbers, did it give any error messages at all this time? Could you try posting another screenshot?

Aitor San Vicente said:

Besides this, after I try to transfer the code without serial numbers, I connect the PCB where the device is connected and it doesn´t work, it works like it doesn´t have any code.

It is very difficult to know if your code loaded correctly or not if you have no way to read the part back out with another programmer. I'd recommend getting an MSP-FET for your development and testing, so you have something to read the part back out. Alternately there is also the new MSP-GANG which is the replacement and has more feature and capabilities than the obsolete MSP-GANG430 that you are using. Using the wrapper DLL provided with the new MSP-GANG you should be able to still use it with Labview or other DLL programs that you had already written for the old gang.

Regards,

Katie 

Hi Katie,

I saw int the user´s guide the problem of the supply. But I don´t know how to insert 0x80, because if I introduce a value of 80, it answer me with a warning saying the next sentence: WARNING: Could not set target voltage - Short circuitry or settling time too small? And if I introduce the decimal value, 0x80=128, it said: WARNING: Sense voltage out of range - Check pin MSP_VCC_IN of target connector ! Can you explain me wich parameter is the correct one?

I added an screenshot of my front panel. The result is the same, aparently there was not any error. But when I prove the function of the device, it doesn´t work. For example, my device have to run a disply with some function. When I connected to that display, doesn´t work. It seems like the code did not transfer.

I have another doubt about the serial numbers. What happen if in the future I will want to program more than one device at the same time?? I need to use the serial numbers or if I connect another device to the GangProgrammer it will transfer the code too?

Regards,

Aitor.

2330.screenshot.pdf

Katie,

Hello, I am writing to you because I don´t know nothing from you since last week. I don´t know if you didn´t answer me because you are trying to find the error or you gave it up. If you can answer me saying something, I will be so grateful.

Regards,

Aitor.

Aitor,

Sorry for the delay - I have been out of office for the US Thanksgiving holiday.

I tried your example using MSP-GANG instead of MSP-GANG430, and all works perfectly for me. When I use MSP-GANG430 it has been pretty unstable - however with MSP-GANG430 I'm having to use a USB to RS-232 adapter since my PC doesn't have RS-232 on it, and I've also been told that Windows 7 can do strange things with this timing-wise or that it handles it differently.

I would say that getting the current tool, the MSP-GANG would be the best option if you can get one: www.ti.com/product/msp-gang. The MSP-GANG430 is marked obsolete for a while now and no longer being updated with new firmware versions, vs MSP-GANG is the current tool that is being continuously updated with new features and support for all new devices. The MSP-GANG software comes with a "wrapper" version of the gang430.dll that can automatically translate commands for the old MSP-GANG430 into a format for the new MSP-GANG, so you wouldn't even have to change your labview software. And in the future if you create a new project, you can create it for MSP-GANG specifically and take advantage of all of its new features (it also programs much faster).

Were you using Labview because you already had an older project written for it, or was it just the example you chose? If you don't need Labview, you could use the new MSP-GANG DLL examples written in Visual studio - these examples also show writing a serial number and a number of other nice features.

Regards,

Katie