How to use wireless firmware upgrades for MSP 430 microcontrollers

Jacktang

How to use wireless firmware upgrades for MSP 430 microcontrollers [Copy link]

As devices within the Internet of Things (IoT) become more connected, and customer demands make firmware and software upgrades a critical product requirement, architecting for these updates is a critical component of leading-edge product design. While power-hungry applications often include a companion processor, along with a low-power MCU such as the MSP430 MCU, the mechanisms used are different; in environments using low-power devices, Bluetooth or USB connectivity to an MSP430 microcontroller (MCU) becomes the obvious choice for providing over-the-air (OTA) updates.

The MSP430 MCU interfaces with other off-the-shelf System-on-Chip (SoC) to provide MSP430 firmware upgrades through an SPI channel connecting the two processors together. In the case of the SoC, Wi-Fi connectivity is enabled so that the user application software can directly access the device when it is connected to a local area network (LAN) or through a Wi-Fi Direct transfer. The method for upgrading the MSP430 firmware is for the user to initiate a direct file transfer to the SoC, where it can update its own firmware; and then read the MSP430 firmware revision over the SPI bus to determine if it also needs to be upgraded. The MSP430 MCU does provide a unique solution called a Bootloader or BSL (http://www.ti.com/tool/mspbsl) to provide firmware upgrades. However, specific design constraints or other requirements may limit the use of the BSL and may require the use of other mechanisms, such as the use of the SPI or UART bus.

One of the main aspects of MSP430 firmware upgrades is ensuring that all instruction execution occurs within RAM while the flash memory is being overwritten. The following white paper will provide some inspiration on the design considerations required and provide a firmware file syntax analysis and the required runtime environment when sending the firmware file to the MSP430 MCU.

The target applications for this type of design are numerous, however, in the specific case of the referenced article, the device being designed is a wireless, battery-powered media device that uses the TI MSP430F5438A MCU and WiLink 8 Wi-Fi, combined with Bluetooth connectivity modules, and other higher-power SoCs to perform intensive real-time computations. The MSP430 MCU keeps the device in low-power standby mode and then wakes it up via Bluetooth to boot the SoC up and fully operational with a Wi-Fi channel.

To learn more about wireless firmware upgrades for MSP430 MCUs, download my white paper:

• Wireless firmware upgrades for MSP430 MCUs using an SoC with SPI connectivity