Quick Start Guide for SimpleLink™ MSP432 WiFi Plugin SDK

1. Introduction

SimpleLink SDK Plugins are designed to work in tandem to the microprocessor specific SDK. This plugin is designed to work alongside the SimpleLink MSP432 SDK and relies on several core elements within this SDK. Without a prior installation of the SimpleLink MSP432 SDK, the SimpleLink MSP432 SDK WiFi Plugin will not work.
This guide explains how to install the SimpleLink^TM MSP432 WiFi Plugin and lists the various other tools required to get started with the first application.

2. Prerequisites

The user is expected to have the following:

SimpleLink CC3120 LaunchPad
CC31XXEMUBOOST Board
A computer running Microsoft® Windows® 7,Linux or macOS.
At least one of the following IDE supported by the SimpleLink CC3120 SDK:
- CCS 7.1.0
- IAR for ARM 7.80.3 or higher
GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain, 4.9-2015-q3
FreeRTOSv9.0.0 (Optional)
- The SimpleLink CC3120 Plugin does not deliver FreeRTOS sources.
  If the User wants to use FreeRTOS with the SDK, the user is expected to download the FreeRTOS sources from www.freertos.org
TI Uniflash

3 SDK - Download and Installation

3.1 Using the SDK Online

A quick and easy way to start working with the SDK is to use TI Resource Explorer on dev.ti.com.
This online tool lets you explore the contents of the SimpleLink CC3120 SDK WiFi Plugin. You can build the examples directly using the cloud version of Code Composer Studio.
If you choose to use the SDK online, there is no need to download anything to your local computer or install any tools.

3.2 Installing the SDK

You can also download the SimpleLink CC3120 SDK from TI Resource Explorer or the software product page on TI’s website.

4. Updating service-pack / system files in the CC3120

It is recommended to update the service-pack to the latest service-pack available. The service-pack can be found in <SDK_INSTALL_DIR>/tools/cc31xx_tools/servicepack-cc3x20

4.1 Connecting CC3120 LaunchPad to CC31XXEMUBOOST

Verify that the jumpers on the CC31XXEMUBOOST should be connected as shown in the next figure:

Connect the CC3100BOOST to the CC31XXEMUBOOST as shown in the next figure:

Connect the J6 port of the CC31XXEMUBOOST to the PC using a micro-USB cable.

4.2 User guide for Uniflash ImageCreator and Programming Tool

Uniflash Image Creator user guide : Uniflash Image Creator

5. QuickStart for CCS IDE ( CCS or GCC Projects )

5.1 Download and Installation

Download CCS

During the installation, the following options are recommended

We recommend that you use the default installation folder
Make sure that SimpleLink CC3x Wireless MCUs is selected. You can select additional processor support options as needed.
To use a debug probe, select TI XDS Debug Probe Support and any other options you would like.

5.1.1 Installing the SimpleLink CC3120 Wifi Plugin

Install the plugin in the default location pointed to by the installer - C:\ti and Re-start CCS. CCS will automatically detect the latest install.

5.1.2 Add CCS Support for FreeRTOSv9

Download FreeRTOS official version 9
Install the software under c:
Run CCS
Choose Window > Preferences > Code Composer Studio > Build > Variables > Add
Fill the Variable name field with FREERTOS_INSTALL_DIR
Change the type to directory
Change the Value to the <FREERTOS_INSTALL_PATH> and then press OK

5.1.3 Products Settings Verification

Choose Window > Preferences > Code Composer Studio > products
Check that the paths in Product Discovery Path include the paths of:
- SimpleLink^TM MSP432 WiFi Plugin
- SimpleLink^TM MSP432 SDK
- XDCtools
If not, choose Add, add the paths and then choose Rediscover, after the rediscover a Install Discovered Products windows may appear.
if the window appear it means that new products have been discovered, if the products mentioned above are in the list, choose them and choose install.

5.2 Execute your First Application

This section will show how to import/build/load an example

5.2.1 TI Resource Explorer

A quick and easy way to start working with the SDK is to use the TI Resource Explorer on dev.ti.com/tirex.

5.2.2 Import via CCS IDE

Open CCS
Choose Project → Import CCS Eclipse Projects from the menu.
Select the Browse button in the Import CCS Eclipse Projects dialog and select the the directory <Plugin_INSTALL_DIR>/examples
The SDK provides TI-RTOS and FreeRTOS based examples. TI-RTOS and FreeRTOS examples have the word “tirtos” or “freertos” in the project name
CCS picks both CCS and GCC based examples.
Importing TI-RTOS and FreeRTOS examples will bring in (import) kernel projects too in the same workspace. The kernel project is a dependent project and will be automatically built when the example is built.
For more details and how change configurations look at the <Plugin_INSTALL_DIR>/docs/simplelink_mcu_sdk/Users_Guide.html document.
Select any Code Example you would like to use. In this example network_terminal_MSP_EXP432P401R_freertos_ccs is chosen and choose finish.
Build and Download.
The XDS110 may require a firmware update. If a firmware update is requested click ok.

5.3 Application User guide

Every example has a README.html that details the Example Application Design Details and how each example works

Other example application design details and how each example works can be found in [content and content and documentation.

5.4 Create a new SDK based User Application

Do not use the New Project Creation Wizard
Start with one of the example projects as shown in Execute your First Application paragraph. Each software component and each variant of the CC3120 in the SDK comes with its own set of examples.

6. QuickStart for IAR IDE

6.1 Download and Installation

Download and install IAR Embedded Workbench for ARM. You can get IAR for ARM here:

Make sure to select TI XDS as one of the debug probe drivers. You may also select other drivers. The driver will be installed towards the end of the installation of IAR.

6.1.1 Adding SimpleLink CC3120 Support to IAR

Copy the content of the patch (iar_patch folder) from <Plugin install dir>\tools\cc31xx_tools\iar_patch, and paste it at <IAR_installation_dir>\arm\config
Click to merge the folders with existing ones when prompted

6.1.2 Configuring the environmental variables

Before starting to work with any of the projects in the SDK, you need to load a set of environment variables that will be set for your current workspace(Custom argvars)

The custom argvars can be found at <PLUGIN_INSTALL_PATH>/tools/iar/SIMPLELINK_MSP432_WIFI_PLUGIN_SDK.custom_argvars, if you need to modify the default path argument variables, edit the variables with the correct paths
Choose Tools -> Configure Custom Argument Variables
Click Global->Import
Browse to <PLUGIN_INSTALL_PATH>/tools/iar, import the custom argvars from the Plugin.
Restart IAR.

6.2 Execute your First Application

This section will show how to import/build/load an example

6.2.1 Build your Kernel first, you can use a TI-RTOS, FreeRTOS or based example.

For this release of the SimpleLink^TM MSP432 WiFi Plugin. You will need to build the desired configurations.

Update your installation Paths

Edit the imports.mak file and adjust the locations of the compiler tools, FreeRTOS and XDCtools installation paths. XDCTools installation is included in the SimpleLink^TM MSP432 WiFi Plugin. The imports.mak is provided in the top-level directory of the SDK installation.

Build your Kernel Configuration

In order to build the kernel, follow Build Kernel configuration paragraph.

Build your Core libs

In order to build the Host Driver and the OTA lib, follow Build Core libs paragraph.

6.2.2 Importing your first project

This section will show how to import, build and load an example

6.2.2.1 Directly accessing workspace from example folder

All Code Examples that are shipped with the SDK come with an IAR workspace. Double-Clicking the specific workspace allows you to open the project on disk and build it.

6.2.2.2 Browse the example list

Choose Project > Create New Project from the IAR menus
Select the Tool chain, and choose the Empty project template. Click OK
Browse to the location where you want to save this project, and type a file name for the project file (*.ewp). Click Save. Each project should be saved in a separate directory.
Choose Help > IAR Information Center for ARM, choose INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS and then scroll down and choose Texas Instruments - Example projects
Click on the example applications link.
All the example projects in the Plugin that available in IAR are listed in the html page.
Scroll through the page and click on the project you are interested in. In this example we choose to work with network_termianl for the MSP_EXP432P401R based on FreeRTOS.
Now the files of the project you are interested in are added to your project
Choose File > Save Workspace
Browse to the location where you want to save this workspace, and type a file name for the workspace file (*.eww). Click Save.
In order to create a binary image in addition to an .out file follow the next steps:
- right click on the project name --> options
- On the output converter tab (Highlight in blue), mark the checkbox (in red), and change the output format to binary.
- Now, hit OK, and later compile. The binary image should reside in: <your_IAR_workspace>\<IAR_Project location>\Debug\Exe.
In order to compile the example and the kernel projects, Choose Project > Make

Make/Build the Example Project Make [(Project->Make) Shortcut F7]. For RTOS based Projects - Note that the RTOS(kernel) build is a dependent project which is automatically pre-built before the example project builds.

6.2.3 Run a debug session

Select Project -> options from the menu, and select the Debugger category. In the setup tab, choose TI XDS as the driver. Click OK.

6.3 Application User guide

Please refer Networking demo applications section in the following link for more details about each application - content and documentation.

7. Quick Start for Makefile Users

The Plugin ships makefiles in addition to IDE specific projects.

7.1 Update imports.mak

Update the top level <MSP432_SDK_INSTALL_DIR>/imports.mak to point to actual install locations on the user’s machine

7.2 Build Kernel configuration

Building the Kernel can be done in different options according to the requirements.

Open a command prompt. Any Kernel configuration can be built by navigating to the desired directory and running gmake command which is a part of the XDC tools package.
To build all the TIRTOS and FreeRTOS projects

cd <MSP_SDK_INSTALL_PATH>\kernel

<XDCTOOLS_INSTALL_PATH>\gmake.exe
To build only TIRTOS config project

cd <MSP_SDK_INSTALL_PATH>\kernel

Debug: <XDCTOOLS_INSTALL_PATH>\gmake.exe tirtos-debug

Release: <XDCTOOLS_INSTALL_PATH>\gmake.exe tirtos-release
To build only FreeRTOS projects

cd <MSP_SDK_INSTALL_PATH>\kernel

Release: <XDCTOOLS_INSTALL_PATH>\gmake.exe freertos-release
To build only specific config project

cd <MSP_SDK_INSTALL_PATH>\kernel\<OS>\builds\<Board variant>\<release or debug>\<Compiler>
Example: cd C:\ti\simplelink_msp432_sdk_1_20_00_45\kernel\freertos\builds\MSP_EXP432P401R\release\gcc

<XDCTOOLS_INSTALL_PATH>\gmake.exe

This link can be use in order to Return to Execute your First Application paragraph.

7.3 Build Core libs

The SDK include Host Driver or OTA libs that can be compiled after changes.

To build Host Driver lib

cd <Plugin_INSTALL_PATH>\source\ti\drivers\net\wifi

Release: <XDCTOOLS_INSTALL_PATH>\gmake.exe
To build OTA lib

cd <Plugin_INSTALL_PATH>\source\ti\net\ota

Release: <XDCTOOLS_INSTALL_PATH>\gmake.exe