For years, the Texas Instruments MSP-EXP430G2 evaluation board for the MSP430 microcontroller has been a low-cost way to get started using this popular microcontroller series. Having owned a couple, I was recently surprised to see this handy device recently deprecated and unavailable from many popular vendors.
According to official sources, the preferred replacement for this board is the newer MSP-EXP430G2ET, a system I will be evaluating shortly.
Despite the board being commercially unavailable, you can still use an existing board to reprogram MSP430G2 microcontrollers that are already in printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA).
Hardware Setup Instructions
This short guide will show you how to use the MSP-EXP430G2 evaluation board and free software to reprogram a Texas Instruments MSP430G2 series microcontroller.
Recommended hardware:
• Anti-static wrist strap with a safe earth ground connection
• Desktop computer or laptop
• MSP-EXP430G2 LaunchPad evaluation/development board
• PCBA containing the MSP430G2 to be reprogrammed
• 4 Board to board header wires
• USB 2.0 cable (type USB A to USB Mini B) (recommended length: 1 meter or shorter)
• (optional) Multimeter
• (optional) Regulated supply of 3.3 volts
So how do you program MSP430G2 chips using an MSP-EXP430G2 evaluation board?
The answer? Simply remove the MSP430 chip that was supplied with your evaluation board, and then wire its TEST, RST, and GND pins to the matching pins on the chip you want to reprogram (see diagram below). There is also a set of 5 removable jumpers that will need to remain in their original position (marked J3 on the actual board) throughout this process.
One way or another, you will need to make sure the chip you are about to program (the “target chip”) can receive power during the programming steps that I will cover below. If your target chip and its VCC pin will consume substantially less than 100 mA of current, you can optionally connect the VCC of the EXP-MSP430G2 board to the VCC of your target as shown below. If your target requires more than 100 mA of current, or if you don’t know the current, then it is best to leave the two VCC pins disconnected to avoid overloading the evaluation board’s TPS77301DGK voltage regulator (typically its labeled U2) [1]. Instead, you will need to supply the VCC pin of your target power from a different power source (such as a 3.3-volt regulator, or a regulated power supply).
Take special note that operating the EXP-MSP430G2 in a hot environment will further reduce the amount of current it can deliver.
Software Resources
Next, I will download the free software that can compile a software program of our own design and then upload it to the target MSP430G2 chip.
The software I will be using for this procedure is: Energia 1.8.7E21.
As of this writing, you can download the Energia IDE at the official site: https://energia.nu/. As with any other file you download off the web: scan it first using your favorite anti-malware tool just to be safe.
Additionally, make certain you install the LaunchPad drivers that are recommended by Energia for your operating system. As you might guess, without these installed, your board may be completely unrecognized in later steps.
Energia is a modified version of the Arduino integrated development environment (IDE) [1]. Intended for Texas Instruments microcontrollers such as the MSP430, MSP432, the Tiva C, and the CC3200; the Energia IDE will reprogram and verify the software through the USB connection. While this program is not officially supported by Arduino LLC, it has a vibrant development community and its own support forum.
Uploading Your First Program
The code you need to upload at this point is completely up to you, and it depends on the needs of your target circuit.
In my case, I will upload the simple “Blink” demo program that was included with the IDE. You can optionally find it by navigating: File –> Examples –> 0.1 Basics –> Blink. But your program may vary in any way you like.
When you are finished writing your program, click the checkmark-shaped “verify” icon at the top of the Energia IDE. Plug in your EXP-MSP430G2 board to your computer via USB cable. In Windows 10, you should see a notification indicating a successful connection.
Next, navigate to Tools –> Port to view your available COM ports. Much like the Arduino, this is where you will select the communications channel that your EXP-MSP430G2 board has automatically reserved.
In my case, there were two options listed: COM1 and COM5. COM5 turned out to be the correct choice for me, but your situation may be different. You may need to experiment with different COM numbers to get the right one. Better still, you can find the correct COM port with more certainty by following these steps:
- Open Windows Device Manager
- Viewing “Ports (COM & LPT)”
- Expanding the list of Ports (COM & LPT)
Now revisit the Energia IDE and navigate to: Tools Board. The resulting list should include a combination of the evaluation board (EXP-MSP430G2) and your target device part number (MSP430G2553 in the example below).
Now that you have everything configured, press the “Upload” button near the top of the Energia IDE. If all goes well, you will see a somewhat lengthy compilation log at the bottom of the IDE, followed by a “done” message very near the end of the report.
Closing Remarks
Congratulations! You have made it this far and hopefully, you now have a programmed device you can start tinkering with. I certainly hope this information helps you, and please be sure to share this page with your fellow electronics enthusiasts.
If you have run into problems, consider the following common problems and their solutions:
Launchpad Not “seen” by Windows operating system: This is something I have on both Windows 10 and Windows 7. In both cases, the recommended driver was either missing altogether or was disabled for unknown reasons. Try to reinstall the drivers. Depending on your security settings, you may need to secure administrator rights while installing the drivers.
Additionally, be sure to verify your wired connections for all required programming lines (TEST, RST, GND, and optionally: VCC).
Finally, try switching to another USB port or try using an alternate USB cable. If you are connected through a USB hub, consider connecting directly to your PC and then retrying.
Device Initialization failed: This can happen due to either selecting the wrong COM device or due to intermittency in your USB connection to the device. In this case, the status report text will probably never reach the “Firmware version is” line.
If this does not resolve the issue, feel free to notify me or visit the official Energia forum for more direct assistance.
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