The MSP430 Launchpad is a development tool I think you’ll find useful on your embedded workbench, even if it’s your very first. Recently, I was surprised to see the original MSP430 development board had been discontinued in 2019 by its manufacturer, Texas Instruments (TI). Earlier this year, I wrote about the discontinued board and how you can continue to use it as a programming board if you already have one in your possession.

Luckily, Texas Instruments has provided a brand-new development experience in its stead: the MSP-EXP430G2ET. I purchased one of these devices for about $10 (USD).

This unboxing will show you how to get the software toolchain for one of these devices set up. Then we will upload one or two example applications that will blink the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) located on the kit. The only hardware you will need is a personal computer and the MSP-EXP430G2ET development kit itself.

Recommended Software

The software tools for working with this development board are available across Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. In this article, I will be using the 64-bit version of Windows 10.

• Windows 10, 64-bit version
• Internet Browser
• Any reliable anti-malware application (I always recommend this)
• Windows Device Manager (included with Windows 10)
• Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio (recommended: version 9.1.0 or later)
• Energia (recommended: version 1.8.7E21 or later)

The Unboxing

The launchpad ships as a roughly credit card-sized circuit board. The centerpiece is a removable integrated circuit: the MSP430G2553 that you can program to run your application. Specifically, the MSP430G2553 comes in its larger, dual in-line package (DIP) version, rather than the smaller surface-mounted versions. But the DIP package makes it easy to extract this microcontroller and then transplant it into your own circuit board or a solderless breadboard. Right out of the box, this device comes mounted in the 20-pin DIP socket, and its configured for you to get started right away.

Through a distributor of your own choice, you can also purchase your own blank MSP430G2553 chips and then use the launchpad as a programming board. This can be done either by buying the identical DIP package version, or by running 3 dedicated programming wires to the TEST, RST, and GND (ground) pins of the chip that you want to program. This was a procedure I used with the now-discontinued MSP-EXP430G2 launchpad to great effect.

Comparison to the Original Launchpad

Right off the bat, there were several changes to the physical feature of the new Launchpad. The most obvious was an increase in its overall size. The new board is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor. Some other prominent changes include:

• The Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface now uses a USB micro connector (was previously: USB Mini)
• Silk-screened labels and graphics have improved in their readability overall
• Four nylon/plastic posts keep the launchpad elevated from your work surface
• The reset switch has been repositioned

Many of the board’s physical changes, such as the improved silk-screening and the addition of 5-volt ports are clearly meant to improve ease of use. So far, I think the added board markings improved the “discoverability” of the Launchpad’s many hardware features. That’s to say: you can now find relevant features without resorting to documentation.

Still, there are many familiar features carried over from the previous board. The input/output pins and header retain their original positions and spacing, meaning the new version is likely to be drop-in compatible with many existing prototypes and accessories.
On a future date, I would love to cover the differences in more depth. But knowing the changes above should be sufficient to migrate from old to new.

Writing a Simple Program

By default, your MSP430G2553 chip was probably shipped with a simple demo program already running. In my case, this program will flash the red and green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in an alternating pattern. The green “POWER” LED and the yellow “LDO” LED should also be on constantly at this point.

How to Get Started Programming

Once you have the physical board and USB cable handy, it’s time to test the development toolchain so you can start writing and uploading applications.

Currently, I use 2 different toolchains for developing MSP430 programs…

• The official method is to use Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio. This program features several debugging tools and you can develop code for the MSP430 using its free license.
• The open-source method uses an Arduino-like program called Energia. While Energia is not officially supported by Arduino, the user experience is largely the same, and also free.

In this guide, I will provide basic instructions for both options. I encourage you to check out both tools and decide for yourself which is the best option for you.

Programming with Code Composer Studio

The official integrated development environment (IDE) for devices like the MSP430 series is the Texas Instruments (TI) Code Composer Studio. This IDE also supports other chips throughout TI’s product portfolio, such as the MSP432 processor [1]. To install the latest version, visit the official website.

For our purposes, I will be updating my personal computer to go from Code Composer Studio version 8 to version 9. Take special note that future versions of Code Composer Studio may differ greatly from the instructions you see here:

1. Visit the official Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio website.
2. Download the version appropriate for your computer and operating system.
3. Scan the downloaded .zip file using your favorite anti-malware application.
4. Unzip (decompress) the Code Composer Studio installation tool.
5. (Optional) Temporarily disable or adjust real-time anti-malware protection. This will reduce the odds of a failed installation due to interference from your anti-malware tool.
6. Follow the step-by-step installation guidelines from the Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio installer program. If you are asked to install Processor Support for specific product families, make sure you have enabled “MSP430 ultra-low power MCUs” by giving it a checkmark (see figure below). Note that you may be prompted by Windows security applications to approve parts of this process, so stay alert.
7. Wait for the installation to complete
8. Re-enable any real-time malware protection you may have disabled in previous steps.

Now that the IDE is installed, it’s time to create a new project. Launch Code Composer Studio. You may be greeted with a dialog box from Eclipse Launcher asking for a workspace directory. Unless you have a specific need to choose otherwise, you can just accept the default answer by clicking the “Launch” button.

At this point, you may also be asked by Code Composer Studio if you wish to install or upgrade toolchain components. This decision is up to you, but I recommend updating anything related to the MSP430 first.

With Code Composer Studio now running, follow these steps to create a new project using a built-in example application.

1. Click “New project” at the “Getting Started” page. Or navigate to: File -> New -> New CCS Project.
2. In the “New CCS Project” dialog, set the following parameters:
   1. Set Target = “MSP430G2553”
   2. Plug in the MSP430 launchpad board into your USB
   3. Click “identify”
   4. Follow any on-screen instruction from the debugging terminal that appears. You may need to wait as new firmware is uploaded to the development board.
   5. Back at the New CCS Project dialog, set Project name = “MyFirstProject”
   6. Select: Basic Examples -> Blink the LED.
   7. Click “finish.”

Now its time to build the project. Navigate to Project -> Build Project. In the console (at the bottom of the environment, by default) you should see the message “build finished.”

Uploading your Code using CCS

The process of uploading the program you just compiled is a little counter-intuitive. At the top of the IDE is a debug icon (resembling a bug/insect). Simply click it, then acknowledge the ultra-low power (ULP) advisor dialog by clicking “proceed.”

Very likely you will also get the error message: “Error initializing emulator.” This is normal, and it only means we have to upload new firmware to the MSP430 Launchpad before it can accept our new application. Click the “update” button to begin the firmware update and follow any other on-screen instructions.

After a short delay, the red and green LEDs on the MSP430 Launchpad will stop blinking alternately, and your Code Composer IDE will show the debug window. The red “MODE” LED on the board will be illuminated, and you may receive a warning in the IDE telling you that the LDO (low drop-out voltage regulator) is powering the target. This is acceptable for now, but if our circuit had needed a high amount of electrical power, the LDO would not be sufficient and you would need to provide power from something other than the USB port.

Click the “resume” button, which looks like a green ‘play’ button. Immediately, this will cause the green LED to flash. You have now successfully uploaded your first program. You can also pause execution by clicking the yellow ‘pause’ symbol, or terminate the debugging session by clicking the red ‘stop’ symbol.

There are many other features to explore in this IDE, but for now: we have a working code example using the new LaunchPad.

Programming with Energia

The Energia integrated development environment (IDE) is a tool for programming this development board and others like it.

Energia is a modified version of the Arduino integrated development environment (IDE) [2] [3]. 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 (Limited Liability Company), it has a vibrant development community and its own support forum.

To install, simply visit the Eneriga.nu website, download it, scan with your favorite security tool, and run. This software IDE is very lightweight in terms of storage space required.

Additionally, you may need to install the drivers as a separate process. If you have already installed the official Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio IDE, this step may not be required, so just be sure to follow any on-screen installation instructions while you work.

Once you have launched the Energia application, load the “blink” example by navigating to File -> Examples -> 01.Basics -> Blink. The blink example (like the Code Composer Studio example above) will blink the on-board LED.

Uploading your Code using Energia

With the example program visible, you need to select the correct board by navigating to Tools -> Board.
Select Board: “MSP-EXP430G2ET w/ MSP430G2553.”

Next, you need to select the correct COM port. This is a bit tricky, because the MSP-EXT430G2ET board will enumerate two of them: one marked “application” and one marked “debug.” We want the application port since it is a programming interface.

Open Windows Device Manager, and navigate to Ports (COM & LPT). Expand the list. In this example, the correct port was labeled “MSP Application UART1 (COM7).” Your COM number will vary.

Return to Energia, and navigate to: Tools -> Port. Select whichever COM port that Device Manager indicated.

Now click the “upload” button near the top-left of the Energia IDE.

With luck, you should see a somewhat lengthy compilation and debug procedure happening at the bottom text console. In my case, the MSP430 board required new firmware to work with Energia, and Energia handled this automatically by uploading it. Note this will probably happen even if you have already followed the above steps for doing this in Texas Instruments Code Composer Studio. Fortunately, subsequent uploads will be much quicker.

Conclusions

There is plenty more to say on the MSP430G2553 and other improvements made to the Launchpad system. But for now, you should have everything you need to get started creating your own applications.
References

[1] Texas Instruments Inc., “CCSTUDIO Code Composer Studio (CCS) Integrated Development Environment (IDE) | TI.com,” Texas Instruments Inc., [Online]. Available: http://www.ti.com/tool/CCSTUDIO. [Accessed 8 Sept. 2019].
[2] Energia.nu, “What is Energia and how did it get started,” Energia.nu, [Online]. Available: https://energia.nu/. [Accessed 8 Sept. 2019].
[3] B. Mayes, “Re-purposing the Texas Instruments MSP-EXP430G2 LaunchPad,” Voxidyne Media LLC, 6 Sept. 2019. [Online]. Available: https://unboxing-tomorrow.com/index.php/2019/09/05/re-purposing-the-texas-instruments-msp-exp430g2-launchpad/. [Accessed 8 Sept. 2019].

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