MSP430 Embedded Programming Tutorial TUTORIAL
This tutorial is intended for beginners in embedded programming design who wish to start embedded programming using Texas Instruments's MSP430 series of microcontroller.INTRODUCTION
Those who have experience with one or more Embedded board design or tool may skip this page. You may also like to skip this page if you want to jumpstart on programming. Others may like to get a general view of the embedded sytem design process. I am including an overall design process including the hardware design. Although, hardware design, usually, is the responsibility of a separate team, I am including it here to give and integrated view
1. Specify the requirement
Look at the customer or the product requirement. It may be a good idea to write down all the requirements. You may like to break them into two categories - essential requirements and the optional requirements.
2. Select the right Microcontroller
Try to select a microcontroller that will fulfill the requirements. The Texas Instruments' MSP430 series have a number of microcontrollers with varying prices and capabilities. You can use the parametric search to narrow down the choices of microcontrollers and finally decide the one that you want to use.
The Texas Instruments's microcontrollers are not the only choices. You may very well choose any other series microcontroller. This particular tutorial is for the Texas Instruments's MSP430 series microcontroller.
3. Design the Hardware
Once the microcontroller is selected, you need to design the harware. The hardware design requires Schematics Design and Printed Circuit Board Design. For Schematics Capture, OrCAD is a good tool. For Printed Circuit Board Design, you may use PADS Layout or Allegro (High End Tool). If you want, you may take the OrCAD Tutorial, PADS Tutorial or a Allegro Tutorial.
Once the PCB is designed, it is assembled with the required components. It is then powered up tested for proper power supply voltages and oscillation.
If your intention is just to learn programming you can grab any of the off the shelf MSP430 microcontroller evaluation boards. With this you do not need to design the hardware right away, and you can start learning the software.
4. The Emulator
Once you have the microcontroller hardware, the next stage is to hook up an Emulators to see if the Emulator Communicates with the board. Texas instruments provides a nice USB Emulator that you can purchase for $99 at MSP-FET430 Flash Emulation Tool (FET).
5. The Compiler
In addition to the Emulator, you need the compiler and the debugger tool. There are two of them. One from Texas Intruments' Code Composer Studio and the oher is IAR Embedded Workbench Kickstart . Both are free, but have code size limitations in free versions. IAR embedded workbench is a more versatile tool but probably more expensive.
Once you have the board, the emulator and the compiler in hand you are ready to start learning MSP430 embedded programming.