Loading BSL/Main Flash from an assembler only project

Rudy Hutter

Part Number: MSP430F5524
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: MSP430F5525

Tool/software: Code Composer Studio

re: MSP430F5524
Loading BSL/Main Flash from an assembler only project

I appologise in advance if my information/terminology is confusing. My goal is to use the CCS IDE as an assembler/linker with debug capabilities for an assembly only project. I want to load BSL_Flash and Program_Flash from a single project without any C/C++ references. I just don't C it.

The reason for asking the question rather than testing is that I don't have a hardware prototype or EVM due to cost constraints. I'm trying to ensure that I can personally support the product before investing limited resources.

My questions are:
1. Will the project load both BSL and Main memory sections as described by the link map?
2. Do you think there will be problems using the debugger due to the way I've set up the project?

To set up the project, I have removed as much of the C framework from CCS as I could find. I have removed all directory includes except for the project root. I have copied "msp430f5525.cmd" to my project dir, renamed it to "msp430f5525.asm", and rewrote it in assembler.

To set up the project, I copied "lnk_msp430f5524.cmd" to my project dir, stripped conditional statements, created my own boot section and wrote a program to test the build.

The added code to "lnk_msp430f5524.cmd" is:

MEMORY
{
    ......
    INFOD       : origin = 0x1800, length = 0x0080
    MYBOOT      : origin = 0x1000, length = 0x0800 /* added by me*/
    FLASH       : origin = 0x4400, length = 0xBB80
    ......
}

SECTIONS
{

   ......
    .infoD      : {} > INFOD
    .myboot     : {} > MYBOOT /* added by me */
    .int00      : {}               > INT00
    ......
}

The simplified test program "bsl.asm" is:

.def BootCode ; Export program entry-point

.include "msp430f5524.asm"

.retain
.retainrefs
.sect ".myboot" ; BSL FLASH

BootCode
mov.w #WDTCTL,r4
ret

The related map file references are:

MEMORY CONFIGURATION
name origin length used unused attr fill
--------------- -------- --------- -------- -------- ---- --------
......
MYBOOT 00001000 00000800 00000006 000007fa RWIX
......

SECTION ALLOCATION MAP
output                                  attributes/
section   page    origin      length       input sections
-------- ---- ---------- ----------   ----------------
......
.myboot    0     00001000    00000006
                 00001000    00000006     bsl.obj (.myboot)
......

Thank you in advance for your help,
Rudy

over 5 years ago

0 Jace H over 5 years ago

TI__Guru 56685 points

Hello Rudy,

I'm not sure about your modifications on CCS. You can write everything in assembly with the default editor. While debugging, the default editor will still serve,as you can single step at the assembly level (green arrows) and there is a diss-assembler view that can be used.

For Developing and Debugging the BSL, special care must be taken,. To do so please follow the suggestions in section 1.5 BSL Development and Debug in the Custom BSL User guide (http://www.ti.com/lit/slaa450 ). Typically, if you are using a custom bSL, it is developed independently of the application and loaded onto the device before the application is. I have heard of customers who take the binary image of their custom BSL and their application and combine them (as no memory locations will overlap) to download both to the device at the same time.

0 Rudy Hutter over 5 years ago in reply to Jace H

Prodigy 80 points

Thank you Jace. That was exactly the info I was hoping for. Eventually, I will split the bsl out to a seperate project and use it to load main memory during the manufacturing process.

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Loading BSL/Main Flash from an assembler only project