EZ430 Custom Target Programming

From Texas Instruments Embedded Processors Wiki

If you are trying to program a custom target using the EZ430 USB programmer for development this is possible. However please note the below considerations and limitations when pursuing this setup:

1. The EZ430 USB emulator only programs MSP430 some devices that support Spy Bi-Wire.
2. The connections need to be made as shown in the Hardware User's Guide page 24
3. The EZ430 tool has a special fixed firmware that cannot be upgraded.
4. JTAG pin 4 connection is not offered from the EZ430 USB as it is designed only to program while supplying power to the target (it is not designed for the target to have an external power source during programming).
5. The EZ430 USB stick supplies a fixed 3.6V to the target and that cannot be changed. This means if the customer wants to supply his own external supply for programming. He can disconnect the Vcc pin from the programmer, but his external supply must be at least 3.3V per the spec on page 20 of the MSP430F20xx datasheet:

"Voltage applied to any pin (see Note 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . --0.3 V to VCC+0.3 V"

In the case above, the EZ430 could apply 3.6V to any pin during programming, so Vcc must be at least 3.3V.

Programming a MSP430F5xx/6xx is only possible with the eZ430-Chronos emulator. All other eZ430 emulators don't support the 5xx Spy Bi Wire. The Spy-Bi-Wire in these series has a few new features that the old SBW firmware in eZ430U does not support.

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