LaunchPad Board Error: "could not find msp-fet430uif on specific com port"

Hi Bill,

some initial troubleshooting

- what do you see in the device manager?

- have you checked permissions and antivirus settings?

- how have you configured the connection in CCS?

- can you connect with the free flash tool from elprotronic?

- try another usb port or cable

Best regards,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for the response.

The device driver is USB -  I have tried all com ports from 1 thru 22 (to see if another process is interferring)

The Hardware IDs:

USB\VID_0451&PID_F432&REV_0100&MI_00

USB\VID_0451&PID_F432&MI_00

All antivirus is off.

The CCS is Version: 5.3.0.00090, default config,  max code size.  also, it fails on upgrading and downgrading v2 <> v3.

IAR Version: 5.51.3  - same problem - sees the USB but doesn't connect

Elprotonics FET- PRO430 Lite

When I try to READ/COPY I get this:

I tried 3 cables, 7 usb ports and get identical results with 2 different computers, vista-32 and win8 pro-64

Any ideas?  TIA

Hi Bill,

are you simply connecting the launchpad via it's USB cable?  (ie no emulator in between?)  The launchpad does not need an emulator actaully.  What if you select spy-bi-wire mode in elprotronic?  Can you access the device then.

Do you have an xp or Win 7 machine to test?  It would not surprise me if the current drivers may not be 100% with Win 8 (not officially supported) however I don't see why Vista might be problematic.

It could be a defective board.  Do you have another one you could try?

Best Regards,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,

i just have the msp-exp430g2 kit, just a board and usb cable. unfortunately, I have no other TI programmers, emulators, etc.

I dont have access to win7. The Vista and win8 machines i am using exhibit the exact same symptoms.

I tried different (substituting) msp430.dll versions with no success. this is what i get every time using the  flasher program

I think the board may be bad. nothing seems to work.

Lisa,

I forgot to add that I did try to specify the spy bi wires in FET-Pro430 (2 wire)  and  mps430flasher.exe ( 2 wire and 4 wire) and got no change.

Bill

Hi Bill,

I agree it could well be a bad board.  Where did you purchase it?  Perhaps you could go back for an exchange.  

One final thing to check

- how have you set up the jumpers?

- did you put the chip in yourself and is it lined up correctly?  I know from experience connection errors from simple silly things like a chip in backwards or pin 1 in wrong spot/orientation. 

Best Regards,

Lisa

I purchase the kit from ti.com. hardly worthwhile to return it. maybe i will just buy another for now.

i removed and installed the target chips often, always paying attention to pin alignment,. the target chips seem to run their pre-programmed applications fine. (toggling leds, push button stepping, etc.)

the jumpers have not been changed from the factory settings. the 5 jumpers on J3 cross the partition (dotted line on the pcb),. and the J5 jumpers are intalled to the leds

Hi Bill,

if you have no other way to verify, then perhaps brining in a new board would be a good option.  Please keep us informed.

Best Regards,

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

I bought another board, plugged it in and TA-DA!!!!

I guess the old debugger was bad out the box. The new board seems to works like a champ.

Bill

Hi Bill,

great, happy to hear that you are up and running.  Thanks for the update and all the best with development.

Best Regards,
Lisa

Hi Lisa,

I'm facing a similar Problem as Bill is facing.. From the day one when i started using the Launch pad it was happening, but until now at least i could able to download my program at some instant or the other by removing and and reconnecting the USB in one port or the other of the laptop. Two days before i got completely locked out by the emulator, it couldn't able to succeed in downlaoding the program not even a single time. 

I don't have a hardware debugger. Its just with Launchpad and the USB cable connected with it. I'm using IAR workbench 5.50. It results in error of Failed to initialize device. 

Then when i see in the log it shows as "COULD NOT FIND MSP-FET430UIF" on the specified COM Port.

Below is the images which i have attached in sequence after when i click download and debug.

In the below image you shall see the Error message in the Debug Log as "COULD NOT FIND MSP-FET 430 UIF in the selected com port"

After this, the Emulator screen hangs as such, until i restart the application.

Kindly let me know what i can do to solve this out.

Hi Suresh,

do yo have a problem with ccs?    If not I would recommend

- checking/resinstalling the drivers (even permissions items can cause an issue)

- if you don't have it, download and install the free flash programmer from elprotronic.   www.elprotronic.com       It is free, comes with the drivers and is a tool I use myself for debugging FET problems at times.

- ask IAR or post to the msp forum -> The FET and dll are from them

Best Regards,
Lisa 

Hi Lisa, 

I'm using IAR, I have never tried with CCS. May be i can try that either. I have some updations with the previous mail, i can post that image below. Which might give a clear picture of my problem.I tried with Elprotronic, it also resulted the same. I also tried with MSP430Flasher software for loading the program,no improvements.

The below first 2 images are with Elprotronic and the third is with MSP430Flasher

If you could see those images, The problem was the USB cable was not working, I believe there was some problem with the Emulator Chip of the Launch pad hardware in the board which i have, so my laptop couldn't able to recognise that there was a USB Cable connected to it because of USB Communication/Synchronisation failure... as a result it couldn't able to find anything on the COM Port...But the notable point is only the Communication protocol and emulation process couldn't able to proceed properly, the USB cable supplies the Vcc to the board and the LED glows as in a proper manner.

Now i have buy a new launchpad to solve this problem.

Regards 

Suresh

Hi Suresh,

so it was the cable?  If so I am happy to hear you were able to find the cause of the issue.

Best Regards,

Lisa