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Need help with using cc-debugger on a cc 2541 Soc

Damon Mohan
Prodigy 50 points
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: CC-DEBUGGER, TPS793, CC2511

I am currently a high school student that is taking a year long engineering class. In this class we work on one project all year. Right now we are at a phase where we need to flash a certain hex file onto the cc 2541 using a cc debugger. The only problem is that i can not get the cc-debugger to detect the chip. The cc 2541 chip is on an HM-11 Bluetooth chip and we put the HM-11 on a breakout board. I have read the cc-debugger manuel countless times and i don't know what i am doing wrong. We are using the cc-debugger to power the chip as well. Do i use the simple set up where i just plug in all the pins to the breakout board without using resistors and transistors or do i have to use them ?

Thanks, help is much appreciated 

  • 0
    TI__Guru 56590 points

    Hello Damon,

    Are you sure you have connected power from the CC-Debugger? The CC-Debugger can only provide a limited amount of power to an external device and using separate power for the device is recommended, but it can work. There is a Target Voltage Sense pin which does not provide power, but rather sense the voltage level of the device. Make sure to connect 3.3V (from debugger) to the board. Make sure the following is connected:

    • DD
    • DC
    • GND
    • RESET
    • Target Voltage Sense
    • VDD (preferably from separate power source like battery) 

    There is a nice figure showing the debugger connections in section "6.1 Target Connector Details" in the CC-Debugger User's Guide (www.ti.com/lit/swru197)

  • 0 in reply to Eirik V
    Prodigy 50 points
    Eirik, can you tell me why the cc-debugger powers off (lights goes from red to no color) when i plug in pin 1 (ground) and pin 9 ( vdd) onto the breakout board. The breakout board is also on a breadboad.
  • 0 in reply to Damon Mohan
    TI__Guru** 106705 points
    Hi Damon,

    That usually means that you are either shorting VDD to ground or otherwise drawing excessive current from the debugger. Are you sure you have connected the signal to the correct pins? Have you verified that there are no shorts on you breakout board?

    Cheers,
    Fredrik
  • 0 in reply to Fredrik K
    Prodigy 50 points
    we checked and all the pins and slots on the breakout board have continuity. The hm-11 needs 3.3 volts to run and we checked the power output the cc-debugger is giving off and it is 3.3v. How can you draw excessive power from the cc-debugger when it only gives out 3.3v
  • 0 in reply to Damon Mohan
    TI__Guru 56590 points
    Hello Damon,
    There are limitations to all things. The power will increase with increased current (P=IV) and the CC debugger is powered by USB through a TPS793 200-mA LDO. The LDO cannot drive large current of more than 200 mA without considerable output voltage drop. Then the CC-Debugger controller chip (CC2511) will either go into reset due to the Brown Out Detector or simply power off. That means you have both limitations from the LDO and possibly the USB port itself where the USB host might power off the port if it senses high current draw.

    You should find a battery or power source and connect a Digital Multimeter (DMM) in series and power your board to check how much current is drawn to verify that there are no shorts and if the currents are low enough for the CC-Debugger to be able to power the device. Even tough you have average current well below 200 mA there might be high current peaks during power on, RF operations etc.
  • 0 in reply to Eirik V
    Prodigy 50 points
    Thanks for all the help. We finally got the green light to show up. We put all the pins on the opposite side. I think the cc-debugger manuel explanation for the flat cable pin layout is a little confusing.
  • 0 in reply to Damon Mohan
    TI__Guru** 106705 points
    Hi Damon,

    Which figure/explanation are you referring to specifically?

    Cheers,
    Fredrik
  • 0 in reply to Fredrik K
    Prodigy 50 points
    Well, both explanations helped but we really just put the signal wires in the wrong pin holes