TI DSPs

FAT file systems SAFE file system USB for the C5509A controllers.

MSP430

HCC-Embedded have done extensive work to port their code and projects to the MSP430 environment. In particular the quality of the internal flash of the MSP430 makes it a real target for storing data in a reliable file system. Additionally HCC provide external file system and PC connectivity solutions for the MSP430.

By producing development boards and working with the major tools vendors HCC are able to provide complete projects as tested, working, high performance products. The porting effort for our customers is minimised and the quality and time to market of their products is enhanced. The developer can focus on their core competence safe in the knowledge that HCC have provided vital building blocks in their project, and in the event of problems they have HCC's extremely responsive support and experience to back them up.

Download a White Paper describing benefits of MSP430 used with HCC's uCDrive solution here (18.72Kb) >>>

TINY

TINY is a failsafe file system (safe from unexpected reset) - which has a typical footprint of 5-8K and can be used with only a few hundred bytes of RAM. Even within these constraints a full file API is available.

The file system can be built as an internal drive using a section of the MSP430's flash

Alternatively other vesion of EFFS-TINY can be used to create file systems on externally attached serial flash - for example Atmel's DataFlash.

These file systems for microcontrollers can be used to realise a number of possibilities:

• DataLogging
• Diagnostics
• Configuration
• Customisation

The uCDrive dev board allows these possibilities to be demonstrated - serial flash can be inserted to the SD card socket - or the internal flash of the MSP430 can be used as a drive. uCDrive software allows these drives to appear as standard pen drives under Explorer, just connected a comm port.

FAT File Systems

HCC have two FAT compatible file systems which are designed and tested for use on the MSP430.

FAT is a fully featured FAT file system for use on MSP430s with >2K RAM.

THIN is a scalable fully featured FAT file system for use on MSP430s with <2K of RAM available - HCC have working projects which use <700Bytes of RAM to connect an SD card to the MSP430. EFFS-THIN is optimised to give the best possible performance within the constraints of having limited RAM available.

For both systems HCC provides low-level drivers, optimised for performance, which can optionally do the data transfers using DMA.

THIN can be delivered as a working project for the uCDrive dev board and module - more details below.

Bootloaders

HCC provide two bootloader options for the MSP430:

1. The uCDrive software can be used to drop a new binary to the MSP430. The reliable bootstub in the MSP430 ensures the firmware is updated safely regardless of any unexpected interrupt.

2. An SD card Bootloader is also available - the reliable Bootstub in hte MSP430 has a minimum implemenation of a read-only FAT file system which can program the device based on different criteria associated with the target file.

Both bootloader systems rely on a minimum footprint, never-to-be-erased bootstub resident on the target device to ensure that whatever happens the system is recoverable.

MSP430 MP3 Player

HCC have developed a novel MP3 player solution for use with the MSP430. The system consists of a serial flash (in our case Atmel Dataflash), an MSP430 microcontroller and an STA013 MP3 decoder.

The MSP430 controls a file system (TINY) using the DataFlash. MP3 files are written to the file system using the uCDrive interface software to Windows. The MSP430 is also connected to the control lines of the STA013 - but the data lines from the STA013 are connected directly to the DataFlash.

When the MPS430 application wants to play a file it gets a list of the cluster addresses of the file in the DataFlash, then initialises the STA013, and then starts read commands. The MSP430 ignores the read data which is read directly by the STA013. So the MSP430 is bypassed for the main player function.