Quickstart guide: TI MSP430 on OSX Mountain Lion

I had all of this stuff working on my other OSX laptop but for some reason it wasn't as trivial to setup on my new laptop as it was last time around, mainly due to the USB driver. So I thought I'd save some notes for Google's (and possibly my!) future reference.

If this all fails on Mavericks when it arrives, I'll try to remember to update it.

1. Install Xcode (I installed the commandline tools from inside Xcode too [Xcode menu => Preferences => Downloads tab]; these are probably not actually required)
2. Install MacPorts
3. Install the toolchain bits:
   sudo port install msp430-{binutils,gcc,gdb,libc}
4. Get the fixed kernel extension source code - the TI download is broken under Mountain Lion and possibly Lion as well:
   git clone https://github.com/freespace/ez430rf2500.git
5. Follow the README.md instructions included with the ez430rf2500 source to install the driver
6. Plug in your Launchpad
7. If everything is working, this should get you to an mspdebug shell: sudo mspdebug rf2500
   

[jslee@shamata Release] $ sudo mspdebug rf2500
MSPDebug version 0.21 - debugging tool for MSP430 MCUs
Copyright (C) 2009-2012 Daniel Beer 
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 002
Initializing FET...
FET protocol version is 30066536
Set Vcc: 3000 mV
Configured for Spy-Bi-Wire
fet: FET returned error code 4 (Could not find device or device not supported)
fet: command C_IDENT1 failed
fet: identify failed
Trying again...
Initializing FET...
FET protocol version is 30066536
Set Vcc: 3000 mV
Configured for Spy-Bi-Wire
Sending reset...
Device ID: 0xf201
  Code start address: 0xf800
  Code size         : 2048 byte = 2 kb
  RAM  start address: 0x200
  RAM  end   address: 0x27f
  RAM  size         : 128 byte = 0 kb
Device: MSP430F2012/G2231
Number of breakpoints: 2
fet: FET returned NAK
warning: device does not support power profiling
Chip ID data: f2 01 01

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

Available options:
    color           gdb_loop        iradix          
    fet_block_size  gdbc_xfer_size  quiet           

Type "help " for more information.
Press Ctrl+D to quit.

(mspdebug) regs
    ( PC: 0ffff)  ( R4: 0dfde)  ( R8: 0fbef)  (R12: 0ffdf)  
    ( SP: 0ffff)  ( R5: 0f613)  ( R9: 07ffc)  (R13: 0feff)  
    ( SR: 00000)  ( R6: 0edff)  (R10: 0ffff)  (R14: 07bef)  
    ( R3: 00000)  ( R7: 0fbef)  (R11: 0cff7)  (R15: 0f5fc)  
0xffff:
    0ffff: ff                        
(mspdebug) 

If all this works, you should be able to compile stuff and use mspdebug to load it into MSP430 flash via the Launchpad.