Does someone have a list of msp430 programming devices somewhere?
I'm a bit confused by the options.
It sees that there are three ways to program a "raw" msp430f:
- The bootstrap loader, RS-232 protocol with suitable voltage levels.
- The 4-pin JTAG port (which isn't actually a true JTAG port).
There's a standard 2x7-pin header configuration for this.
- The 2-pin SpyByWire interface. This is basically a multiplexed JTAG
port, and SoftBaugh make a hardware device (PASBW) that converts.
It works on MSP430F2xx devices only.
Then there are three possible interfaces to a host computer:
- Parallel port
- Serial port
- USB
Serial to BSL is particularly simple, but you need some hardware to
wiggle the reset lines to activate the BSL. JTAG has the advantage that
you can debug over it. BSL can work even after the JTAG fuse is blown.
But there are many different devices from different manufacturers.
The basic sources seem to be
TI:
eZ430 (USB to Spy-By-Wire)
MSP-FET430PIF (Parallel to JTAG)
MSP-FET430UIF (USB to JTAG, I think?)
MSP-PRGS430 (Serial to JTAG)
MSP-GANG430 (USB to JTAG, but different from the FET430UIF)
SoftBaugh:
USBP (USB to JTAG)
USBP PRO (USB to JTAG)
REP430 (JTAG to JTAG (!))
BLMSPF (Serial to BSL, discontinued)
UBSL (USB to BSL)
PRGI2C (something else entirely?)
Olimex (in Bulgaria, resold by SparkFun in the U.S.):
MSP430-JTAG (parallel to JTAG - compatible with FET430PIF?)
MSP430-JTAG-TINY (USB to JTAG - compatible with FET430UIF?)
It claims to be a lot faster than the FET430UIF.
Lierda (in China):
MSP-FET430P-JTAG (Parallel to JTAG, I think)
LSD-PRGS430-III (???)
MSP-BSL (Serial to BSL, I think)
Embeddedkits.com:
JT-E100A: claimed to be compatible with MSP-FET430PIF
rowleyassociates.com:
Msp430 CrossConnect (USB to JTAG)
Elprotronic.com has some interesting gadgets, too.
There's another list at
http://msp430.info/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=7
Now, to these, you can connect various bits of software:
- gdbproxy. This apparently speaks the GDB remote debugging protocol and
makes it work over a JTAG port.
And some flash downloading tools from cdk4msp:
- pyBSL - Uses serial-to-BSL adpater. Are USB-to-BSL adpaters USB serial ports?
- pyJTAG - Uses MSP-FET430PIF. Any others?
- pySerJTAG - This refers to an open hardware serial-JTAG design.
Is this compatible with the TI MSP-PRGS430?
- Other tools?
The basic question is what hardware works with what software? Is some
particularly high or low quality? If I want a development setup, what
do I need? If I want a production programming line, what do I need?
I'm intimately familiar with Linux, GCC, the MSP430 architecture and
peripherals, and fairly familiar with the USB protocol, but
what works with what is a little confusing.
It doesn't help that my knowledge of Windows ends at about 3.11,
and it's not always clear what platform the success stories of gdb +
gdbproxy are coming from.
If I want to talk Linux -> USB -> MSP430, is the CrossConnect the
only choice? (I have zero interest in their compiler; GCC is the
One True C Compiler.)
I'd have thought someone would have put together a web page on the
subject already, but I can't seem to find one.
Thanks for any details people can fill in.
