I'm looking for some help from any MSP430 users. I'm using the MSP430F5342 and am having problems connecting consistently with the debugger (TI MSP-FET430). When I try to debug, or to download code and debug, the debugger doesn't always connect. I'm using IAR.

The problem seems to be related to the situation where code is already running on the device, and I try to connect the debugger.

- Virgin boards (never programmed) work almost always.

- After I've loaded code and its running on the device, the debugger fails to connect the first time. After this failure, my code stops running, and the debugger will connect on a second try. Its easy to see that my code is running because I have a blinking LED on my board. When the LED is blinking after powerup, the debugger fails to connect. After this failed attempt, the LED is no longer blinking (indicating my code has stopped running) and the debugger then works on subsequent tries.

I've checked all the obvious hardware things.

None of the debugger options in IAR help with this problem.

I found the following in the 'F5342 errata and it seems that it might be related ... even though I have not selected the "Attach to running target" checkbox in IAR.

"The attach to running target feature in IAR resets the device".

BTW, I've been using MSP430s for a while now and never had this issue with any other device than the 'F5342. Anyone seen this before? Any ideas? I also posted this question on the TI Community Forum to see if anyone there has seen this.

 

Problem solved by reloading IAR, which them told me that the firmware in my emulator pod did not match the version or IAR and then reflashed the pod.

Working backwards from this ... I remember that my co-worker was using my emulator pods (both of them) for a project using TI's CCS a few months ago. CCS forced him to reflash the pods, thus apparently making them incompatible with IAR.

Lesson learned - don't share the TI emulator pods between IAR and CCS.