TPS55288EVM-045: USB2ANY always says Hardware not Connected

I have things working. This is the exact order in which things were done. Note that I had to use the GUI-ONLINE
because attempting to download the native program just brought up the on-line version.

Summary:
1) First, just load the USB2ANY explorer and upgrade the firmware. It may take 2 tries.

2) If you're OK with web based, then go to the correct web page:
dev.ti.com/.../

3) If you want to run locally (after a brief on-load connection via the net to the TI mothership):
a) Download and install the Gui Composer runtime V7.2.
b) Download and install the TPS55288

I did the above after figuring all this out, started with everything un-installed and all downloaded
files removed.

Read on if you want the gory details...

From the TPS55288EVM-045 Evaluation Module, section 4:

4.1 Install USB2ANY Explorer
Download and install the USB2ANY explorer from: http://www.ti.com/tool/USB2ANY. Upgrade the firmware version to 2.8.2.0.
4.2 GUI Installation
A graphical user interface (GUI) is available from ti.com website (www.ti.com/.../TPS55288-EVMGUI) which allows
simple and convenient programming of the device through the TI USB2ANY device. • Download the zip file for the desired
platform. • Download GUI Composer Runtime. • Extract the zip folder and install the GUI. • Run through the
installation steps. The installation wizard might prompt for GUI Composer Runtime. This should be done automatically.
• Open the GUI – TPS55288.

Following Step 4.1, I followed the link and under "Key Document" there was the USB2ANY Explorer Software ZIP file,
which I downloaded.

I installed the USB2ANY software.

I then brought up the software and followed the instructions to update the firmware (Press the button on the device while
plugging in the USB). That udpate failed. I then killed the USB2ANY Explorer, brought it up again, it wanted to update
the firmware again, I "OK"-ed, and then the update worked (did not have to push in the button).

Next, I tried to downloaded the TPS55288-EVM-GUI, as per section 4.2, using the link in
the EVM section 4.2 documentation. The page failed to load.

I then went to the TI site for the TPS55288EVM-045, went to the "Graphical User Interface for TPS44288EVM".
Clicking the red "Download" button took me to a page that displayed:
We've found 1 result(s) for "TPS55288"
I clicked on the pictures of the headers on a circuit board, where the cursor
changed to a "hand with finger" pointer.
Important safety tip: do Not click on the link on the text "TPS55288", click on the picture of the
circuit boards.
It then appeared to be in a web-based GUI for the TPS55288. The hardware was connected.
Note that the light on the USB2ANY device turned off.
I was then able to click on "AUTO CONNECT" and a message indicated that all 8 registers had been read.
Everything was good, I could "play" with the EVM board.

The device, when connected, showed up in the device manager as a
"HID-compliant vendor-defined device"
You many have a number of these on your PC already, so take a look at the Human
Interface Devices in the Device manager before you plug in the USB2ANY. Then you
can tell if it showed up OK.

I don't know why the "GUI-DESKTOP" with the download button brought up the on-line version.

In any event, I was then able to use the GUI to test the device using the web based version
and see the effect of the various register settings.

--- Now to try to be able to run the GUI locally ---
Going back to the "We've found 1 result(s) for TPS55288" page, I then tried the "download arrow"
(arrow pointing down with small bar at the bottom). Hovering produced a selection for OS.
It also advised that "Gui Composer runtime V7.2.0 needed to be downloaded. So there appear to be
two software packages to download to use the GUI locally- the "Windows" and the "Windows runtime".
I clicked on "Windows". Two files started to download, the TPS55288 zip (28.6 MB) and the
gcruntime-7.2.0 (126 MB).

There is no guidance on the order in which these two programs should be installed. I installed the
rcruntime-7.2.0 first, since it seemed like the TPS55288 would be dependent on it.
That intalled OK.
Then I tried to install the TPS55288 (the GUI). A little trouble extracting everything and some of the
default directories were different than other TI software packages, but, after a try or two it
installed correctly.
Then I could bring up the TPS55288 locally. It still "connected to the cloud" briefly.

Having played with it, this is a very nice part! I had a
4 amp output at 12V and was able to take the input down to about 9 volts in Boost mode before it kicked out
(presumably due to the peak coil current limit). With a 20W load at 12V, I could go down to 8V before kicking
out. So for boost mode, be sure to test your cases. As is the case with all boost devices, input and
coil current go up quickly.

The GUI would really benefit from a better Register Map page. It should break out the registers into
their fields, providing the value and an text description similar to what is in the datasheet.
The description for the part of PFM vs PWM mode is a bit fuzzy, in 7.4 in the last sentence
the acronym "FPWM" gets used. That is also the term used in the register description. I suspect
this is a typo in section 7.4

The GUI would also benefit from seeing the value of the fields in the register underneath the
various pull-down menus. But I get that software cost money, and the way it is was fine for
the purpose of evaluation. You're going to have to learn what each setting does and it was
nice to be able to "play" with settings and make sure you understood them OK.

The land pattern in 13.2 of the datasheet is the worse I've seen in decades. If you're going to have such an

irregular pattern, don't make everyone guess. The X location of pads 11, 12, 20-23 are not clear at all.

The width of pads 1-5 make you guess they are similar to 14-18 on the other side. If nothing else, get the

footprint in some downloadable for for KiCad and other tools. It shouldn't take 3 hours to enter a footpring

while you hold a ruler up to the screen to guess...

The absolute accuracy of the device was good to about 20mV, the relative accuracy was very good.
And when I tweaked the output voltage, I could get within 5 mV of what I wanted (12 volts out)
with the feedback ratio at .0752. This was with all internal modes.

Next step is to make a circuit board for my application and see how "fussy" the part is w/r/t/ layout.
This has been an issue in the past, I tried a boost/buck that just never worked unless
it was on a multi-layer PCB. Time will tell. I will be cutting this design on a multi-layer PCB
because at these power levels, the ground planes will be critical.

Hope this helps others trying to get this connected up. Remember to watch your power resistor
temperatures, I've got a nice burn mark in my anti-static mats since this project is an order
of magnitude more power than I normally work with.