Blinky is the go-to first project for any microcontroller. This lab verifies that the toolchain is working, that the microcontroller is functional and the process of programming it is familiarized.
objectives
- Setup the MSP430 toolchain.
- Program ‘blinky’ that blinks an LED.
- Verify that the toolchain works and that the program works.
discussion
While going through the process of doing the lab, apparently the TI IDE (Code Composer Studio) already has a blinky program ready to be loaded onto the MSP430. When I was trying to upload the program to the MSP430, I got an error that I was using the wrong target microcontroller but was easily solved because it lists the right one.
A quick look at the code shows that it is a lot different from I would have done it on an Arduino. There are a lot of new keywords to learn and the code structure is a little different as well. The IDE also has a lot more features compared to the Arduino IDE which is a lot more simpler.
On my next lab, my goal is to be able to set up the pins on the MSP430 to be input as well as output and use assembly in order to program it to test out buttons and LEDs.
notes
Project target device: MSP430, MSP430Gxxx Family, MSP430G2453
To build the program: Project -> Build All
To debug the program: Run -> Debug
To run the program: Run -> Load -> [File name]
To end the debugger: Run -> Terminate