Using Arduino as an ISP for an MSP430?

Kyle Nickel said:

what is a cheap way to program a MSP430 for a beginner?

Launchpad

This is exactly what I want to know ....

I too am in this same situation. My Launchpad doesn't work and I have a couple of MSPs lying around.

I want to know if I can program them with my Arduino Uno. I have been searching the Internet for some time and I haven't come across one single way that I can do the above.

Please guys. Help with this. Don't just say use Launchpad. We know have to use them. It is just that is there any way other than that ???? Especially using and Arduino UNO board.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Bharath Srinivasan,

Didnt find anything regarding arduino .Refer to this thread and you can program without Launchpad

http://e2e.ti.com/support/microcontrollers/msp430/f/166/t/311015.aspx

Bharath Srinivasan said:

Especially using and Arduino UNO board.

You can implement msp430 bootloader on Arduino as per SLAU319:

http://www.ti.com/lit/pdf/slau319

Main question is: why do you want to use Arduino to program msp430? Why LaunchPad is not good enough?

I am looking to program the MSP using an Arduino is because my Launchpad board is not working and I already have a UNO with me. It is just that I didn't want to buy a new Launchpad and wanted to make do with whatever I have with me.

And also the thread suggested above was posted by myself and as of now there is no clear solution to the question. I am still unable to program an MSP 430 IC without using a Launchpad.

So, if anyone had done it before, please HELP ME. 

Thank You.

Bharath Srinivasan said:

So, if anyone had done it before, please HELP ME. 

Be real. If LaunchPad is so cheap why would ANYONE bother to create msp430 programmer out of Arduino which is more expensive compared to LaunchPad? Not to mention that Arduino is not based on msp430 but Atmega which is different and actually competing microcontroller

Hi Kyle Nickel ,

It would be possible to program it using FTDI breakout board as icsp connectors

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9716

This is a few years late but supposedly you can program the MSP430 with FTDI, and here: www.instructables.com/.../Arduino-Examples-2-Use-an-Arduino-as-a-FTDI-Progr
you can use your arduino as an FTDI programmer. I haven't tried it but it might work. :)

I am not familiar with Arduino. But if it has the following interface signals and you can program them at will, then it should be very easy to download Flash image to MSP430 chips with "UART based BSL"

(a) 3.3V UART TXD & RXD at 9600 b/s, 8 data bits, even parity, 1 or more stop bits.

(b) Two additional 3.3V digital output signals.

And of course, you need a common GND between Arduino and MSP430.