Quick Start Guide
This guide applies to UniFlash v4 and later. For all UniFlash releases, please see here.
You can chose to use the standalone desktop version, or the cloud version. The desktop version is available from https://www.ti.com/tool/uniflash. The cloud version is available from the cloud tools portal (https://dev.ti.com).
The first time you access a device from the Cloud using either UniFlash or the Cloud IDE, you will be prompted to install TI Cloud Agent. For more details you can refer to TI Cloud Agent.
Device-family specific guides are available for:
Session
To perform flash operations on your device, you will need to launch a flash session configured for that device. You can start a new session by:
- Selecting a Launchpad or device/connection combination. When you select a Launchpad, the connection is automatically choosen for you.
- Loading a previously saved session. Loading a session will restore your previous selection (Device, connection, and settings).
- Selecting a CCXML file created by CCS. This is useful if you have configuration settings in the CCXML file beyond a simple device and connection selection.
Start a new session from this page:
Program the device
Choose a program to flash by clicking the Browse button, and you can either load the program or use it to verify against the content on the device.
Click on the "Binary" checkbox if you want to load the file as binary, a start address is needed for this.
Click on the "+" icon to add and load multiple flash images. Only the checked images will be flashed. The user need to be sure that the images does not overwrite each other in the target memory.
Erase the device and other settings and utilities
In the Settings and Utilities view, you can find various settings to configure your operation. To quickly navigate this page, use the search filter to find the relevant items.
A commonly used Erase Flash utility is also found here under the Erase Section. You can pin this Erase button to the quick settings in the Program view discussed earlier in section 2.
To do that, click on the Pin Options button right at the end of search filter line. A column of "+" buttons will appear to allow you to customize on what to be added to the quick settings. Once you are done, you can use this in the Program view.
Supported file formats
When loading a file to FLASH or RAM, the following formats are supported: TI COFF, TI ELF, Intel Hex, Motorola S-Record, Tektronix Hex, TI-TXT, and binary.
When saving memory to a file, TI COFF and binary formats are supported.
Memory browser and memory export
The Memory View allows you to quickly browse through the target memory. The view is read only.
Click on the "Export" button to export a range of memory into either a binary (.BIN) file or a COFF (.out) file. COFF format allows multiple memory sections to be exported.
Some devices may define short-cuts to specific memory ranges. If short-cut ranges are defined, they appear after the address field as below. For example, LPRF devices such as CC13xx and CC26xx may define short-cuts for CCFG and FCFG1.
Reset Actions
CLI Device Detector
In offline install of UniFlash, there is a command line utility in the root installation folder called "detect-devices.bat" or "detect-devices.sh" to help you detect the list of plugged in devices and their COM port. Example output:
C:\ti\uniflash_4.2.2.1689>detect-devices.bat
0) Unknown TIMSP430-USB
1) CC2650 LaunchPad rev 1.0 TIXDS110_Connection L1000610 COM36
Standalone Command line tool
Often in production line environment all you really want is a CLI tool that does one job: Flash the device with verification. This new UniFlash v4 feature is tailor made for this use case.
After you have chosen the image you would like to flash and configured the flash settings accordingly, go to the "Standalone Command line" view to choose the deployment platform for the CLI tool. Hit "Generate Package" and a zip file will be created; containing everything you need for the deployment platform to flash your target.
You might need to run the driver installation script if the deployment machine does not have the drivers installed. Otherwise, just run "dslite" from the zip package to flash the target with the file you were working on in the GUI tool with the same flash settings.
While the cloud version of UniFlash can generate CLI package for all deployment platforms, the offline version of the tool can only generate package of the current platform.
Updating USB Entry in Generated MSP430 Package
To switch between USB1, USB2,or USB3 connection in a generated MSP430 package, you can open up the connection XML file in your generated package (\ccs_base\common\targetdb\connections\TIMSP430-USB*.xml).
Look for the line
Command Line Interface
UniFlash Desktop comes with a Command Line Interface (CLI) in the package. To access CLI, go to the install directory and look for the DSLite startup script (dslite.bat for Windows and dslite.sh for Linux/OSX).
DSLite comes with a few different modes, with the default mode being 'flash', use for flash programming on your device. Other modes might be added in the future to expand the functionality. To see the list of available modes, use the --listMode option.
Available Modes for UniFlash CLI:
* flash [default] - on-chip flash programming
* memory - export memory to a file
* load - simple loader [use default options]
* mspflasher - support MSPFlasher command line parameters [deprecated]
Flash mode
The Flash mode (default) can be used for Flash Programming.
Usage:
dslite flash --config=ccxml-file [options] [flash-file1 ...]
Options:
-c [ --config ] arg Target Configuration (ccxml) file, must be
supplied other than running --help. CCXML
file can be generated and exported using
the Uniflash GUI or Code Composer Studio.
-N [ --list-cores ] List the available cores and index of the
current configuration (index to be used
with -n afterwards).
-n [ --core ] arg (=0) Zero based index of core to operate on.
-S [ --list-settings ] arg Takes a regex and list the final values
applied to the matching settings. (ie; use
.* to list all available settings)
-p [ --list-ops ] List the available flash operations.
-I [ --list-device-cmds ] List the available device commands, if
any.
-l [ --load-settings ] arg Apply settings file generated by UniFlash
GUI.
-s [ --setting ] arg Override a specific setting by using
id=value. Can be specified multiple
times.
-b [ --before ] arg Operation(s) to perform before loading.
Can be specified multiple times, and are
performed in the order they appear on the
command line. Get a list of operations by
using --list-ops.
-f [ --flash ] Load the file(s) specified at the end of
the command line to flash. This is
assumed to be set unless verify is set.
-v [ --verify ] Verify the file(s) specified at the end of
the command line.
-a [ --after ] arg Optional operation to perform after
loading. Can be specified multiple times,
and are performed in the order they appear
on the command line. Get a list of
operations by using --list-ops.
-R [ --list-resets ] List of resets that can be done after
program load and verification.
-u [ --run ] Run the target at the end of the flash
load/operation.
-r [ --reset ] arg Set reset operation to be done after
program load and verification.
-O [ --post-flash-device-cmd ] arg Execute the given device command. Get a
list of device commands by using
--list-device-cmds.
-t [ --timeout ] arg Timeout in seconds, infinite if
unspecified.
-g [ --log ] arg Enable detailed logging to the specified
file.
-e [ --verbose ] Outputs progress messages to the console.
-h [ --help ] Print this message.
Tutorial and Examples
The easiest way to create a CLI package that by default flashes a particular file, given a particular set of setting, is to use the "Generate CLI Package" feature (see Standalone Command line tool).
Once you unzip the package, you can find the target configuration file in the user_files/configs folder. The image you have selected in the program tab of the GUI is in the user_files/images folder, and all the device/flash settings you have applied in the GUI are saved in user_files/settings/generated.ufsettings.
By default, running dslite without any argument will automatically use the generated.ufsettings file to configure the device and apply the device/flash settings, and flash the target with the image file you have selected in the GUI.
What dslite does behind the scene is calling dslite.exe with the following command, for example:
dslite.exe flash -c user_files/configs/cc2650f128.ccxml -l user_files/settings/generated.ufsettings -e -f -v user_files/images/cc2650_modem_onepass.out
Where
- -c is specifying the config file,
- -l is specifying the user settings file,
- -e is for verbose mode,
- -f is specifying that we want to flash,
- -v is specifying that we want to verify after flashing.
At the end of the options, we specify the image files to be flashed.
When running dslite.bat with arguments, it basically calls dslite.exe and forward your argument to the executable instead of using the generated ones shown above. Since all actions need -c to be specified (except when bringing up help with -h), if you are only working on one device, you can skip that part by writing you own batch/shell script to launch dslite.bat with a fixed .ccxml file.
Sometimes certain devices have device-specific commands. To view them, use:
dslite.bat -c <your ccxml file> --list-device-cmds
This will show a list of available commands, which may look different from device to device. For example, with CC13xx and CC26xx, it may look like the following:
------ Device Commands --------------------------
PinReset: CC13xx and CC26xx specific reset.
-------------------------------------------------
Dslite may return an error if no device-specific commands exist:
Failed: 'GEL_CLI_ListCommands()' not found
To call a device-specific command, use:
` dslite.bat -c
In the C13xx and CC26XX case,
dslite.bat -c <your ccxml file> --post-flash-device-cmd PinReset
If you want to reset the device after program load, take a look at what kind of resets are available by using the --list-resets or -R option. For example, on C28377D it using the following command:
dslite-C28xx_CPU1.bat -c user_files\configs\tms320f28377d.ccxml -R
Would give the following output:
--- Available Reset Operations ---
0. CPU Reset
To issue the reset, do
dslite-C28xx_CPU1.bat -c user_files\configs\tms320f28377d.ccxml -r 0
To list available cores, do
dslite.bat -c F2838xD.ccxml -N
Example Output:
--- Available Cores ---
0: Texas Instruments XDS2xx USB Debug Probe_0/C28xx_CPU1
1: Texas Instruments XDS2xx USB Debug Probe_0/CPU1_CLA1
2: Texas Instruments XDS2xx USB Debug Probe_0/C28xx_CPU2
3: Texas Instruments XDS2xx USB Debug Probe_0/CPU2_CLA1
4: Texas Instruments XDS2xx USB Debug Probe_0/Cortex_M4_0
Memory mode
The Memory mode allows you to export device memory to a file
Usage:
dslite --mode memory [options] --config=ccxml-file --range=address,length --output=output-file
Options:
-c [ --config ] arg Configuration (ccxml) file.
-f [ --coff ] Output in coff format. Default format is binary.
-r [ --range ] arg Memory location and length to read in the form
'address,length' or 'address@page,length'. This can
be specified multiple times if using the coff format.
-s [ --size ] arg (=8) Bit size of each memory value to read (for endianness
considerations, binary format only).
-o [ --output ] arg File to write the extracted memory to.
-t [ --timeout ] arg Timeout in seconds, infinite if unspecified.
-g [ --log ] arg Enable detailed logging to the specified file.
-e [ --verbose ] Outputs progress messages to the console.
-r [ --core ] arg (=0) Zero based index of core to operate on.
-h [ --help ] Print this message.
Load mode
The Load mode can be used for a simple load operation (with default options)
Usage:
dslite --mode load --config=file.ccxml [options] coff-or-binary-file1
Options:
-c [ --config ] arg Configuration (ccxml) file.
-f [ --file ] arg Elf, coff or binary file(s) to flash or verify. To
specify a binary file, append ',address' after the
file. This option exists only for compatibility - the
file to load can instead just be passed as the last
token on the command line.
-t [ --timeout ] arg Timeout in seconds, infinite if unspecified.
-g [ --log ] arg Enable detailed logging to the specified file.
-r [ --core ] arg (=0) Zero based index of core to operate on.
-h [ --help ] Print this message.
CC13xx/CC26xx Mass Erase from CLI
The CC13xx and CC26XX have some unique requirements for mass erase. To support these requirements, a separate CLI mode is used for mass erase. To execute a mass erase on these familes, use the following command:
dslite --mode cc13xx-cc26xx-mass-erase -d XDS110
Supported debug probes include XDS110, XDS100v3, and XDS200.
Error code
UniFlash CLI sets the error level variable when exiting from the script, where a value of 0 means that the previous operation passed; any other value means that the previous value failed. To query for pass or success of the operation, run the following:
Windows:
> echo %errorlevel%
Linux/OSX:
> echo $?
MSPFlasher mode
The MSPFlasher mode supports all of the same options and features of the existing mspflasher standalone flashing tool. This mode is deprecated as the Flash mode can be used to program MSP430 devices as well.
Scripting
The command line interface can be called from the scripting language of your choice.
For complex scripting tasks, Debug Server Scripting (DSS) is supported
in UniFlash. To use DSS, navigate to the <installDir>/deskdb/content/TICloudAgent/{os}/ccs_base/scripting/bin/
folder in your install directory, and start dss using the dss.bat/dss.sh script.
Note 1: A 64-bit Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is needed to run DSS and is not included in the UniFlash installer.
The dss script can use JAVA_HOME to locate the JRE. If you already have a JRE installed, you can set the JAVA_HOME
environment variable to the JRE install location (for example, on Windows: set JAVA_HOME=C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_202).
Note 2: The dss.bat/sh script locates the components it requires relative to the location of the script. If you copy the script elsewhere you will need to edit it to reflect the new relative location.
More information regarding DSS scripting is available at this link: CCS Scripting
Start GUI with session file from command line
To load an existing uniflash session file when starting up UniFlash GUI, go to the <installDir>/node-webkit/ folder
from command prompt, and run the following command:
nw --session <pathToUniflashSessionFile>
Debug Port Unlock
Users can access the XDS Debug Port Unlock tool (dbgjtag) in the <installDir>/deskdb/content/TICloudAgent/<os>/ccs_base/common/uscif/
Example Usage:
dbgjtag -f @xds100v2 -Y unlock,mode=tiva
dbgjtag -f @xds200 -Y unlock,mode=tiva
Multiple LaunchPads
If you have multiple LaunchPads connected at the same time, you can identify them using the XDS Serial number. If the Auto Detector component is able to detect your device, the XDS Serial number will be automatically list. Otherwise, you will need to addd this information to your configuration. More information can be found here.
Troubleshooting XDS110
More information can be found here: https://software-dl.ti.com/ccs/esd/documents/xdsdebugprobes/emu_xds110.html#troubleshooting
The xdsdfu executable is located at <installDir>/deskdb/content/TICloudAgent/{os}/ccs_base/common/uscif/xds110/
on desktop, and is included in the generated command line package in <packageDir>/ccs_base/common/uscif/xds110/
Defect Reporting and Logging
If you think you have encountered a bug, please report it in the e2eforum here: https://e2e.ti.com/support/development_tools/code_composer_studio/
Please send in the logs with your post as well as they will make things much clearer.
To turn on the logs:
1. go to the welcome/new session page(where you setup the device and connection type) and click on refresh to reload the uniflash app
2. launch your session
2. go to "Settings" on the top right nav bar and click on "Enable" under the "Debug Server Logging". This may take a while and display a path to the DS log. Now close the popup.
3. operate the GUI to reproduce the bug
4. go back to "Settings", click on "Download Log" under "GUI Logging" to obtain the GUI debug log, then go obtain the log file shown as the path under "Debug Server Logging", send both files by attach to your post.
Notes
1. For multi-core devices, UniFlash only supports programming one core at a time (both GUI and CLI).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.