The MSP430 Launchpad from TI is an inexpensive development board that comes with two processors, a 32K crystal, two headers sockets, a usb lead and two stickers.

The latest boards come with the MSP430G2553 and the MSP430G2452 processors but the first revision came with the MSP430G2231 and MSP430G2211.

$ lsusb

Bus 001 Device 030: ID 0451:f432 Texas Instruments, Inc. eZ430 Development Tool

USB

VCC         3V3                                GND 
P1.0 (LED1) A0                            XIN P2.6
P1.1 (UART) A1 TXD                       XOUT P2.7
P1.2 (UART) A2 RXD                            TEST
P1.3 (S2)   A3                           (S1)  RST
P1.4        A4                    SDA MISO A7 P1.7
P1.5        A5 SCK         SCL MOSI A6 (LED2) P1.6
P2.0        CS                                P2.5
P2.1                                          P2.4
P2.2                                          P2.3

                                               GND
P1.3   P1.0 P1.6                   RESET       GND
S2     LED1 LED2                   S1          VCC
       RED  GREEN

First install the required development tools.

apt-get install binutils-msp430 gcc-msp430 msp430-libc mspdebug msp430mcu

Program demo

hg clone http://hg.kewl.org/pub/msp430-launchpad/
cd msp430-launchpad
make
make program

The board will flash the LEDs until the button is pressed to enter probe mode.

Probe mode values are binary encoded but we can test operation.

picocom -b 2400 /dev/ttyACM0

mspdebug rf2500
MSPDebug version 0.22 - debugging tool for MSP430 MCUs
Copyright (C) 2009-2013 Daniel Beer <dlbeer@gmail.com>
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Trying to open interface 1 on 036
Initializing FET...
FET protocol version is 30394216
Set Vcc: 3000 mV
Configured for Spy-Bi-Wire
Device ID: 0x2553
  Code start address: 0xc000
  Code size         : 16384 byte = 16 kb
  RAM  start address: 0x200
  RAM  end   address: 0x3ff
  RAM  size         : 512 byte = 0 kb
Device: MSP430G2553/G2403
Number of breakpoints: 2
fet: FET returned NAK
warning: device does not support power profiling
Chip ID data: 25 53

Available commands:
    =           erase       isearch     power       save_raw    simio       
    alias       exit        load        prog        set         step        
    break       fill        load_raw    read        setbreak    sym         
    cgraph      gdb         md          regs        setwatch    verify      
    delbreak    help        mw          reset       setwatch_r  verify_raw  
    dis         hexout      opt         run         setwatch_w  

Available options:
    color                       gdb_loop                    
    enable_bsl_access           gdbc_xfer_size              
    enable_locked_flash_access  iradix                      
    fet_block_size              quiet                       
    gdb_default_port            

Type "help <topic>" for more information.
Use the "opt" command ("help opt") to set options.
Press Ctrl+D to quit.

(mspdebug)

Product page

MSP430G2452 product page

MSP430G2553 product page

Tutorial

Examples