BYOB
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Build your own LaunchPad/BoosterPack
If you want to build your own BoosterPack or LaunchPad kit, here are some resources to help you get started.
Abstract
This standard defines the physical & electrical specifications of all TI MCU LaunchPad Evaluation Platforms.
Following these guidelines can maximize success in creating a LaunchPad that will support the BoosterPack ecosystem. Alternatively, these guidelines can also maximize success when creating a BoosterPack that will be plugged into the LaunchPad evaluation kits.
Introduction
Disclaimer
It is important to note that this standard ensures only physical and electrical compatability between a LaunchPad baseboard and a BoosterPack plugin module. This standard does not however, guarantee full support in terms of firmware availability, nor does it guarantee that the embedded processor on the LaunchPad is capable of supporting the functions of a given BoosterPack.
Additionally, this document does not guarantee cross-compatability/stackability of multiple BoosterPacks. Review specific BoosterPack pinouts to ensure stackability.
TI recommends that you use the smallest footprint that fits your requirements when creating a new BoosterPack to ensure maximum reusability. For example, it is better to create a 20-pin BoosterPack vs a 40-pin BoosterPack if only 20 pins are needed.
In addition, the inner 20 pins found in the 40-pin or 80-pin LaunchPad variants can be made pass through connectors so that 40-pin BoosterPacks can be stacked on top.
Definitions
These terms are commonly used throughout this document. Please refer to the definitions below.
LaunchPad – A baseboard based on a TI embedded processor. LaunchPad evaluation kits can be based on MSP430, C2000, Stellaris or other embedded processors from Texas Instruments. LaunchPad evaluation kits are available in different pin counts:
- 20 pins
- 40 pins
- 80 pins (future)
LaunchPad Headers should be male & face upwards.All pins are 100 mil/2.54mm grid
Required for LaunchPads:
- On-board emulation for programming, debugging & serial communication to PC
- Reset button
- General purpose button(s) and LED(s)
BoosterPack – A plugin module that fits on top of a LaunchPad kit. BoosterPacks are available in different pin counts.
- 20 pins
- 40 pins
- 80 pins (future)
BoosterPack headers should be female & face down. To enable BoosterPack “stacking”, stackable headers can be used, which provide downward facing female headers & upward facing male headers. To ensure proper stacking of several BoosterPacks, pay special attention to the pin assignments of each BoosterPack.
Stackable Headers - enables multiple plug in modules/BoosterPacks to stack on top of each other.
If you are interested in making your BoosterPack "stackable", the part number below can be used.
Part Number: Samtec SSW-110-23-S-D
Other Sources:
- www.4uconnector.com (Part number: 19950)
- Also available from 43oh.com
- Also available from sakoman.com
BoosterPack Design Guide
To supplement this standard, a BoosterPack Design Guide is available at this link: http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/BoosterPack_Design_Guide
The guide above is a resource to help BoosterPack developers see the various pinouts on the available LaunchPad kits. This information, in additon to this BoosterPack standard can help developers have the information needed to enable a new BoosterPack design to have cross-compatibility with the available LaunchPad evaluation kits.
BoosterPack Combinations
If this standard is followed, several BoosterPack combinations can occur depending on the accompanying LaunchPad board. Different BoosterPacks can be plugged into separate “docks” in the case of the 80-pin LaunchPad. In addition, BoosterPacks may be stacked vertically. This allows BoosterPacks to share common pins, and is especially useful when creating an SPI or I2C bus.
See Figure 1 for some examples of how BoosterPacks can be plugged into a LaunchPad.Note that a 20-pin BoosterPack can stack on a 40-pin LaunchPad as well.
Electrical and Physical Specifications
20-pin LaunchPad/BoosterPack Standard
Figure 3 shows the pinout and dimensions for the 20-pin standard.
Considerations:
Maximum height of a BoosterPack should be 1700mil. The maximum is 1350mil if there is no need to access the 3-pin GND, GND, VCC header (J3)
All pins can be used as GPIO, except VCC, GND, TEST & RESET. It is highly recommended to first use the 6 dedicated GPIO ports to save special function pins for other BoosterPacks that may be stacked.
Please note that most ports are muxed for dual functionality. See the processor datasheet for details. TI recommends that the pins are used as shown to allow maximum compatibility with other systems. Of course this is only a recommendation and should not restrict design when necessary
**Be aware that TX and RX are in respect to LaunchPad. If you are building a BoosterPack, the RX and TX lines should be flipped.
*Capacitive Touch Sense-enabled I/O ports are only available on select devices. Else, these are standard GPIOs.
40-pin LaunchPad/BoosterPack Standard
Figure 4 shows the pinout and dimensions for the 40-pin LaunchPad standard.
Considerations:
Maximum height of BoosterPack = 1700mil (Maximum = 1350mil if there is no need to access header J5)
No detailed standards for inner 20 pins (Header J3 and J4). Use with care to ensure maximum compatibility with the various LaunchPad evaluation kits and improve success of stacking additional BoosterPacks.
All pins can be used as GPIO, except VCC, GND, TEST & RESET. It is highly recommended to first use the 6 dedicated GPIO ports to save special function pins for other BoosterPacks that may be stacked.
Please note that most ports are muxed for dual functionality. See the processor datasheet for details. TI recommends that the pins are used as shown to allow maximum compatibility with other systems. Of course this is only a recommendation and should not restrict design when necessary
**Be aware that TX and RX are in respect to LaunchPad. If you are building a BoosterPack, the RX and TX lines should be flipped.
*Capacitive Touch Sense-enabled I/O ports are only available on select devices. Else, these are standard GPIOs.
80-pin LaunchPad/BoosterPack Standard
Note that an 80-pin LaunchPad board is not available. However, this document provides this to show how an 80-pin LaunchPad could be implemented.
Considerations:
Maximum height of BoosterPack = 3400mil (Maximum = 3150mil if there is no need to access header J10)
Bottom Jumpers (J6, J7, J8 and J9) have the same pinout functions as the top headers.
No detailed standards for inner 20 pins (Header J3, J4, J8 and J9). Use with care to ensure maximum compatibility with the various LaunchPad evaluation kits and improve success of stacking additional BoosterPacks.
All pins can be used as GPIO, except VCC, GND, TEST & RESET. It is highly recommended to first use the 6 dedicated GPIO ports to save special function pins for other BoosterPacks that may be stacked.
Please note that most ports are muxed for dual functionality. See the processor datasheet for details. TI recommends that the pins are used as shown to allow maximum compatibility with other systems. Of course this is only a recommendation and should not restrict design when necessary
**Be aware that TX and RX are in respect to LaunchPad. If you are building a BoosterPack, the RX and TX lines should be flipped.
*Capacitive Touch Sense-enabled I/O ports are only available on select devices. Else, these are standard GPIOs.
Useful Links & Resources
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