MSP430f169 LCD development environment

Until now I always developed code for the  Olimex board MSP430F169 LCD using an open source compiler (GNU) and using a parallel port->JTAG adapter to program the board and do some debug.
That requires a computer with parallel port.
The goal of this article is to see if is possible to use an USB->JTAG adapter or using the Spy-by-wire connection.


The Olimex MSP430f169 LCD board can be debugged/handled only using a JTAG interface, i.e. it doesn't support Spi2wire.
The original JTAG interface used is a parallel port based and this is creating limits on the choice of the development machine.

The alternative is to use a USB->JTAG interface.
In that way is possible to use every PC with a USB port free, laptop included.

Exists on the market some USB->JTAG interfaces for the MSP430, but they are quite pricey (70$ to 150$).
Before to buy one of these, this article try to explore the possibility to use a more cheaper USB->JTAG dongle, based on the OpenJTAG project.

OpenJTAG

The OpenJTAG project is an open source project to handle a USB -> JTAG high speed interface for different microcontroller/microprocessors boards.

OpenOCD

The OpenOCD project is an open source project to support on-chip debug capabilities.
IT can be linked to the OpenJTAG project for some processors.

OpenJTAG v.3.1

The hardware is based on a USB->JTAG dongle received with a FriendlyARM board.

Here some data about the hardware I have available and I will try to use.

The dongle basically contains 2 interfaces :

1. USB -> Serial
2. USB -> JTAG Parallel (two separate ports)

Here some characteristics of this interface:

USB:

• USB2.0 full-speed interface 
• use of USB power 
• Plug and Play

JTAG: 

• IEEE 1149.1 standard 
• 6Mbits/sec largest rate 
• 150 times of parallel port JTAG 
• Multi-ICE 10-pin socket 
• Multi-ICE 10-pin socket 
• target system 3.3V

Serial port: 

• RS232 Standard
• 7 or 8-bit of data 
• 2 or 1 bit of stop
• odd check/dual check / mark / space / no check 
• 235kbps maximum baud rate

On-line debugging features: 

• Support for multiple CPU series: ARM7, ARM9, Cortex-M3, XSCALE

Software features:

• Eclipse integrated development environment installation and course (Linux / Windows version)
• On-line debugger OpenOCD installation and course (Linux / Windows version)
• Real-time debugging features: one-step, running at full speed, reset, hardware / software
• breakpoints, jump etc.
• CPU registers, memory, variable observation window (dynamic changes in real-time view)
• support ARM's built-in Cache and MMU function
• online programming variety of Nor Flash and Nand Flash
• Driver: support Linux2.4 or later, Windows ME/2000/2003/XP