Hi All:
We are using MSP43022x2F in our product, and now we nearly finish the
development(such as writing code, making board and so on).
Now the problem how to flash a lot of MSP430, we can't flash one by one
because it is a lot of work.
I have readed but have no
inspiration.
Have someone encountered with this problem? or have some easy methods to
batch flash 430?
Thanks.
How to batch flash MSP430 devices?
Started by ●August 12, 2009
Reply by ●August 12, 20092009-08-12
You can use the TI gang programmer to do 8 at once. Connect 8 boards to the
JTAG breakout board and press the GO button to do 8 in one operation.
For larger quantities give your supplier an image file and buy the devices
pre-programmed before they are soldered to the boards. Most distributors
offer this service.
Alternatively invest in your own production programmer and blow the devices
yourself.
Ian
2009/8/12 吴择淳
> Hi All:
>
> We are using MSP43022x2F in our product, and now we nearly finish the
> development(such as writing code, making board and so on).
>
> Now the problem how to flash a lot of MSP430, we can't flash one by one
> because it is a lot of work.
>
> I have readed but have no
> inspiration.
>
> Have someone encountered with this problem? or have some easy methods to
> batch flash 430?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
JTAG breakout board and press the GO button to do 8 in one operation.
For larger quantities give your supplier an image file and buy the devices
pre-programmed before they are soldered to the boards. Most distributors
offer this service.
Alternatively invest in your own production programmer and blow the devices
yourself.
Ian
2009/8/12 吴择淳
> Hi All:
>
> We are using MSP43022x2F in our product, and now we nearly finish the
> development(such as writing code, making board and so on).
>
> Now the problem how to flash a lot of MSP430, we can't flash one by one
> because it is a lot of work.
>
> I have readed but have no
> inspiration.
>
> Have someone encountered with this problem? or have some easy methods to
> batch flash 430?
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
Reply by ●August 12, 20092009-08-12
Two methods are in use at our facility, though neither is actually "batch".
Maybe one or the other is applicable to you:
The board assembly house we use does an in-circuit test on 100% of our boards. They have a replicator built into their bed-of-nails fixture which the ICT system controls (a couple of discrete I/O lines). After the regular ICT, it gets triggered to copy a code image via JTAG into the MSP430 on the board under test. Replicators are available from a couple of different vendors. We've used Softbaugh's and also the TI GANG430.
-and-
We designed the product so that the BSL serial pins are essentially wire-ORed to the UART Tx/Rx that the product exposes for factory test. If we need to do a code change on boards already in our supply pipeline, or even potentially in the field, we can do it using a BSL-based application without even opening the product.
Good luck!
Dave
The board assembly house we use does an in-circuit test on 100% of our boards. They have a replicator built into their bed-of-nails fixture which the ICT system controls (a couple of discrete I/O lines). After the regular ICT, it gets triggered to copy a code image via JTAG into the MSP430 on the board under test. Replicators are available from a couple of different vendors. We've used Softbaugh's and also the TI GANG430.
-and-
We designed the product so that the BSL serial pins are essentially wire-ORed to the UART Tx/Rx that the product exposes for factory test. If we need to do a code change on boards already in our supply pipeline, or even potentially in the field, we can do it using a BSL-based application without even opening the product.
Good luck!
Dave
Reply by ●August 12, 20092009-08-12
Thanks for you all.
To lan Okay:
We have to buy the MSP430 chip from one of TI's agents in china, so the
chips is originally from TI. can we ask TI to have our program flashed when
the chips leave the factory?
and to Dave:
If we use TI GANG430 or BSL to download the program, which port of our board
should to be lead out?
anyone have good instructions are apprecited to reply:)
Best regrads,
ChernWu
To lan Okay:
We have to buy the MSP430 chip from one of TI's agents in china, so the
chips is originally from TI. can we ask TI to have our program flashed when
the chips leave the factory?
and to Dave:
If we use TI GANG430 or BSL to download the program, which port of our board
should to be lead out?
anyone have good instructions are apprecited to reply:)
Best regrads,
ChernWu
Reply by ●August 12, 20092009-08-12
We buy from a TI distributor in the UK and they offer pre-programming as
part of the service. It costs per device but if you buy a large batch then
this is worth it.
The gang programmer connects to either te 4-wire JTAG or the 2 wire
Spi-Bi-Wire interface on the chip.
Ian
2009/8/12 吴择淳
> Thanks for you all.
>
> To lan Okay:
> We have to buy the MSP430 chip from one of TI's agents in china, so the
> chips is originally from TI. can we ask TI to have our program flashed when
> the chips leave the factory?
>
> and to Dave:
> If we use TI GANG430 or BSL to download the program, which port of our
> board
> should to be lead out?
>
> anyone have good instructions are apprecited to reply:)
>
> Best regrads,
> ChernWu
>
>
>
part of the service. It costs per device but if you buy a large batch then
this is worth it.
The gang programmer connects to either te 4-wire JTAG or the 2 wire
Spi-Bi-Wire interface on the chip.
Ian
2009/8/12 吴择淳
> Thanks for you all.
>
> To lan Okay:
> We have to buy the MSP430 chip from one of TI's agents in china, so the
> chips is originally from TI. can we ask TI to have our program flashed when
> the chips leave the factory?
>
> and to Dave:
> If we use TI GANG430 or BSL to download the program, which port of our
> board
> should to be lead out?
>
> anyone have good instructions are apprecited to reply:)
>
> Best regrads,
> ChernWu
>
>
>
Reply by ●August 12, 20092009-08-12
As Ian replied already, the gang programmer/replicator devices need access to
the JTAG pins, which may be 4 or 2 pins depending on the specific MSP430
device.
The BSL approach may require some design decisions that could be too late in your design cycle, I don't know. BSL is essentially a serial interface between a host and the MSP430 (bit-banged on the MSP end by a loader that's mask-programmed into the device). It requires two JTAG pins, (RESET and TCK/TEST), plus two port pins (varies by device, most commonly P1.1 and P2.2, but check your device- and it's NOT the same pins as may be part of a UART on the device). Since you'll connect to a host PC's serial port, you'll need level conversion between RS-232 and device logic levels. There are BSL applications commercially available or you can create your own. You can read/erase/write the entire address space of the MSP, but you can't blow the JTAG fuse. BSL is reasonably well protected against tampering/reverse engineering.
Dave
The BSL approach may require some design decisions that could be too late in your design cycle, I don't know. BSL is essentially a serial interface between a host and the MSP430 (bit-banged on the MSP end by a loader that's mask-programmed into the device). It requires two JTAG pins, (RESET and TCK/TEST), plus two port pins (varies by device, most commonly P1.1 and P2.2, but check your device- and it's NOT the same pins as may be part of a UART on the device). Since you'll connect to a host PC's serial port, you'll need level conversion between RS-232 and device logic levels. There are BSL applications commercially available or you can create your own. You can read/erase/write the entire address space of the MSP, but you can't blow the JTAG fuse. BSL is reasonably well protected against tampering/reverse engineering.
Dave
