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  • Author Author: DaveYoung
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How to Easily Burn a Binary File to an MSP430 Chip Using the LaunchPad

DaveYoung

Often times someone other than the firmware designer on a development team needs to program a TI MSP430 chip.  An analog, apps, or test engineer, client; even an end user does not want to mess around with installing an entire IDE for a released firmware update.  There are too many settings and parameters to worry about, in addition to a heavyweight program which may require a paid license to be installed.

 

Thankfully, a Binary file can be created by Code Composer Studio.  A Binary file has everything a microcontroller needs to know in order to execute the program, and can be sent directly to the chip to be run.   Usign this file, a small computer program called Lite FET-Pro430 by Elprotronic can use the MSP430 Launchpad hardware to program a chip without the user having to face a single line of code. It's easy, free, and best of all, leaves little room for error.

 

The video below shows how to create the Binary file and burn it to a chip.  I'm basing this video on TI's excellent tutorial located here.

 

 

Steps:

  1. Setup CCS to output a binary file.
  2. Download and install Elprotronic's FET-Pro430 Lite software
  3. Open FET-Pro430 Lite
  4. Load the binary file created by CSS
  5. Define the MSP430 Group and the type of chip
  6. Press 'AUTO PROG.'
  7. Press 'RESET'

 

And you're done!

  • in reply to DaveYoung

    Hi Dave ,

                      Thanks for the reply but I want that my application should get freeze at a particular point after wrong inputs from the user,say a password based application so that even after resetting or powering the chip again it must get caught in a infinite loop or the application should not be able to boot from the main function. I am not using any kind of external eeprom for the application. I can use PIC,AVR which ever is feasible.

     

    Can IAP i.e. In Application Programming helps us in this regard any how?

  • in reply to dr.akshay_1980@yahoo.com

    I don't know about a virus, but if you want to change what happens when the chip powers up you can load a different bootloader on the part. I've never put bootloader variants on an MSP430, but I know with Atmel parts you can't change the bootloader over the TX/RX lines (since they require the use of a bootloader to edit flash) but instead a 6-pin ICSP programmer must be used.

  • in reply to DaveYoung

    Hi Dave,

                    Can I make a VIRUS for the microcontroller so that its not able to boot the application? My main concern is to write a code that can directly affect the bootloader or the sensitive memory area and the application code is unable to boot .

  • in reply to DaveYoung

    When ever we program a micro controller we convert the C file into a hex file and then we burn that into controller.My question is that why a hex file only, is that hex file a hexadecimal version of binary executable? If yes then why do not we use a binary file instead? Eg: IAR workbench provides us the binary executable for ARM controllers. If this is so we may have octal format output file from the compiler ready to be burned for execution in micro controllers.

  • in reply to DAB

    Hi DAB, For programming a lot of chips quickly, Texas has a Programmer named MSP-GANG, it can program upto 8 MSP430. Also no PC is required to program the chips (Once the Binary file is transferred to the programmer). Have a good day !