Bootstrapping DFW on eZ430-RF2500

a step by step guide to install DFW into eZ430U

Introduction

D/FW is an open source, experimental, and unofficial firmware for eZ430U debug interface. By installing this firmware you can use eZ430U natively on MacOSX, Linux, or other popular Unix systems. Note that once you install this firmware, your eZ430U is no longer usable with TI's official tools.

This document shows how to install D/FW into eZ430U by using RF2500T as a ``mother FET''.

Step1: Hardware

To program MSP430F1612 on eZ430U, you have to make TP1...TP7 available for the 4 wire FET you are going to use to program eZ430U. I do not connect JTAG's VCCO and eZ430U's VCC, but provide power for eZ430U by USB cable.

To use RF2500T as a ``mother FET'', you need to attach JTAG connector to it. Pin assignments are shown below.

RF2500T:

               TP HEADER
    GND    --- P1   P2 ---   VCC_EXT
    P2.0   --- P3   P4 ---   P2.1
    P2.2   --- P5   P6 ---   P2.3
    P2.4   --- P7   P8 ---   P4.3
    P4.4   --- P9  P10 ---   P4.5
    P4.6   --- P11 P12 ---   GND
    GDO0   --- P13 P14 ---   GDO2
    P3.2   --- P15 P16 ---   P3.3
    P3.0   --- P17 P18 ---   P3.1

NOTE:
   1)  PORT3 is used for CC2500
   2)  It might be convenient to leave PORT2.0/PORT2.1 
       (MCLK/ACLK) open, so that F2274 can provide clock 
       for the other party.

                4Wire mode   Spi-Bi-Wire mode    CC8051
    PORT2.2  I      TDO       ---+--- SBWTDIO    Debug Data
    PORT2.4  O      TDI       ---J
    PORT4.4  O      TMS  
    PORT4.6  O      TCK       ------- SBWTCK     Debug TCLK
    PORT4.3  O     TGTRST                        RESET_N
    PORT4.5  O     TEST   
    VCC_EXT        VCC                VCC     
    GND            GND                GND  

    We need a jumper when we do SBW

Step2: Software

The followings are the instructions to build host side tools.

edit Makefile in dfw directory and correct your BFD library's location.
make will make dmwt command and other utilities.
examples/*/Makefile contains examples how to use dmwt.
(cd gdbproxy; ./configure && make) will make gdbproxy. (optional)

And we need writemini firmware for RF2500T.

$ cd dfw/conf/f2274
$ make writemini

Step3: Flash eZ430U by RF2500T

Write dfw/conf/f2274/writemini into RF2500T by flash programmer you already have.
Provide power to eZ430U via USB cable.
Connect RF2500T and eZ430U by JTAG cable.
Connect battery to RF2500T.
See dfw/conf/f2274/writemini.c for the meaning of LED pattern.

After a few seconds, /dev/cu.usbmodem001 (MacOSX) or /dev/ttyACM0 (Linux) will appear.

Step4: Update eZ430U from host

$ cd ../..
$ ../dmwt -p /dev/cu.usbmodem001 -f dfw.ez430u.ihex

will update eZ430U's DFW to full version. To check if DFW is installed successfully, you can try to update firmware by using dmwt command, like follows.

$ ../dmwt -p /dev/cu.usbmodem001 -f dfw.ez430u.ihex 
examining firmware version...
program matches with the target, no need to update
$

dmwt compares the specified firmware and the content of the flash, before it updates the flash. In this case, you have already written the same firmware by mother FET. dmwt will not update eZ430U's firmware.

Step5: install DFW into RF2500T (optional)

You can install full spec DFW into RF2500T, if you like.

$ cd dfw/conf/f2274
$ make dfw
$ dmwt -p /dev/cu.usbmodem001 -c "SBW" dfw

Now your RF2500T become 4Wire JTAG programmer.

You need 3V serial interface (9600Baud,8bit,non-parity,1stop).
You can use ptfw.ez430u.ihex for this purpose.
If you have another eZ430U, you can make backup files, using bufet command.

From left to right.

USB cable to host computer
eZ430U/PTFW.
RF2500T/DFW with JTAG cable to the target device.