RFID-RC522 Card Reader

This link leads to an example for TI MSP430 and CC3200 LaunchPads that read a card number
using a RC522 MIFARE module and Energia.

Tested with Energia V16 on:
          MSP-EXP430G2 LaunchPad
          MSP-EXP430F5529 LaunchPad
          MSP-EXP430FR5969 LaunchPad
          CC3200

Sharp GP1S53VJ000F PhotoInterrupter

I recently got a Sharp GP1S53VJ000F photointerrupter from Mouser and successfully tested it with a Texas Instruments EXP-430F5529 LaunchPad with Energia and on an Arduino Uno.    It should work with most LaunchPads using Energia.  Non-transparent objects passing through the "slot" are detected.

The sensor consists of an infrared LED emitter and a phototransistor detector opposite each other in a case.  When the transmission between them is blocked the digital pin will go high.  The sketch will then send a message to the serial monitor.

When tested it gave a very reliable response, even in bright sunlight with the sensor unshielded.

The circuit and sketch can be found here at Github.

HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Distance Sensor

Here's a simple sketch that shows how to use the HC-SR04 ultrasonic distance sensor.  I bought this one from Addicore.  They are inexpensive and work well for what they are, especially for the cost.  They are easy to get going and fun to play with.  The code is here on Github.

Here it is, measuring the distance from my laptop to the wall...

CNY70 Tachometer

Here are some photographs of a CNY70 Reflective Optical Sensor mounted on a little board for use as a tachometer.

 In the photograph below the reflector can be seen.  It is simply a piece of white paper glued to the fan rotor.

 Here it is with the MSP-EXP430F5529 spitting out RPM values to the serial monitor.  I've turned the fan off and it is slowing down.

The code and schematic can be found here on Github.  It includes a discussion of how the sensor works and modifying it to work on an Arduino Uno.

Addicore Joystick with Push Button

Here is a nice little joystick from Addicore with push button action.  It's easy to use on the MSP430F5529LP.  It uses dual potentiometers for the x and y axis.  Note that there is a commented out line that you can use if desired to change the numeric value for the y axis so that zero voltage is down instead of up.  The x axis goes from zero at left to 4095 at right.  The F5529 has analog resolution of 4096 - you will need to change this to 1023 for Arduino or lower resolution MSP430s.

The Energia sketch below demonstrates how it works.

 /*
 Read Joystick and Push Button - display to Serial Monitor
 Tested with MSP540F5529LP
 Addicore joystick with push button
 https://www.addicore.com/Dual-Axis-XY-Joystick-Module-with-Push-Button-p/139.htm

 F. Milburn 5/19/2015

 Joystick  MSP430F5529LP
 --------  -------------
 GND       GND
 +5V       3V3
 VRX       P6.0
 VRY       P6.1
 SW        P3.4

 */

 int xPin = P6_0;           // x direction potentiometer pin
 int yPin = P6_1;           // y direction potentiometer pin
 int pushPin = P3_4;        // Push button pin
 int xValue = 0;            // x direction potentiometer value (0 to 4095)
 int yValue = 0;            // y direction potentiometer value (0 to 4095)
 int pushState = 0;         // Push button state (0 or 1)

 void setup()
 {
   Serial.begin(9600);
   Serial.println("Starting...");
   pinMode(pushPin, INPUT_PULLUP);
 }

 void loop()
 {
   // Read joystick position
   xValue = analogRead(xPin);         // Read x     (x0 left)
   yValue = analogRead(yPin);         // Read y     (y0 top)
   // yValue = abs(4095 - yValue);    // Reverse y direction  
  
   Serial.print("X = ");
   Serial.print(xValue);
   Serial.print("   ");
   Serial.print("Y = ");
   Serial.print(yValue);
   Serial.print("   ");
  
   // Read button status
   pushState = digitalRead(pushPin);  // See if joystick has been pushed in
  
   Serial.print("Joystick is ");
   if (pushState == 0)
   {
     Serial.println("pushed in");
   }
   else
   {
     Serial.println("not pushed");
   }
  
   delay(200); 
 }

Addicore 20 x 4 Serial LCD using I2C and BS170 MOSFETs

This is a very nice 20 column, 4 line display from Addicore - big and easy to read.  I've ordered several things from them recently and have been pleased.  They have free mailing in the U.S. for orders over $25 and are quick and responsive.  Recommended....

Here is what it looks like when up and running on the MSP430F5529 LaunchPad.

Note that this is a 5V device!  I've translated signals using BS170 MOSFETs and the following circuit.

I got it up and running easily using a library from DFRobot.

Here is the test code running in the display above.

//Using library from DFRobot.com
//Compatible with the Arduino IDE 1.0
//Library version:1.1
/*
 * 20x4 Serial LCD from Addicore
 * https://www.addicore.com/2004-20x4-Character-LCD-with-I2C-backpack-p/157.htm
 * Tested on MSP430F5529LP
 * NOTE: This is a 5V device!
 * Need to translate 3V3 <---> 5V (used two BS170 MOSFETs)
 * F Milburn   21 May 2015
*/
#include <Wire.h>
#include "LiquidCrystal_I2C.h"

LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,20,4);  // set for a 20 character 4 line display

void setup()
{
  lcd.init();                      // initialize the lcd
  // LINE 0
  // Print a message to the LCD.
  lcd.backlight();
  lcd.print("First line");
}

void loop()
{
  // LINE 1 - Number of columns
  // set the cursor to column 0, line 1
  // (note: line 1 is the second row, since counting begins with 0):
  lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
  lcd.print("Second line");
 
  // LINE 2 - ENERGIA
  lcd.setCursor(0, 2);
  lcd.print("Third line");
 
  // LINE 3 - Count seconds
  lcd.setCursor(0, 3);
  lcd.print("Time since reset:");
  // print the number of seconds since reset:
  lcd.print(millis()/1000);
}

Adafruit TSL2591 Lux Sensor

This post is about the Adafruit TSL2591 Lux Sensor which I have also used with the Arduino.  Adafruit has a good write-up and it ports very easily to the MSP-EXP430F5529.  I am using the Adafruit library, however there is one thing that keeps their library from compiling on the LaunchPads...

In the Adafruit library for the TL2591, the cpp file (Adafruit_TSL2591.cpp)has a preprocessor directive for delay.h.  Either remove it or comment the line out.

One thing the example code Adafruit supplies does not do is auto-range the gain on the sensor.  If the light is too bright it can saturate and if too dim you may not get good readings.  I've written a function named  configureSensor(void) below.  The magic numbers are experimental results that seem to work well for me.  It needs an iteration or two to make this adjustment.  I've not added code to discard bad readings but that could be easily done.

Here is the sketch...

/*
PURPOSE:
  This sketch uses the Adafruit TLS2591 light sensor to display lux values
  on the serial monitor.  It also "autoranges" the gain and time photons
  are collected on the sensor to keep the sensor in range.  In order to
  get a good reading after a bad reading due to a drastic light change it
  will be necessary to let it iterate two times or so.  Try covering the
  sensor and watching what happens.  Then remove the cover and shine a
  bright light on it.

PORT TO MSP-EXP430F5529:

  In order for this to compile, comment out or remove the following
  line of Adafruit_TSL2591.cpp in the library
  =========================================================================
  #include <util/delay.h>           
  =========================================================================

SENSOR:
  TSL2591 Digital Light Sensor
  Dynamic Range: 600M:1
  Range: 188 ulux up to 88,000 lux
  The lux (symbol: lx) is the SI unit of illuminance and luminous emittance,
  measuring luminous flux per unit area. It is equal to one lumen per square
  meter.  The table below gives examples:
 
               0.0001   lux   Moonless, overcast night sky (starlight)
               0.002    lux   Moonless clear night sky with airglow
               0.27–1.0 lux   Full moon on a clear night
               3.4      lux   Dark limit of civil twilight under a clear sky
              50.       lux   Family living room lights
              80.       lux   Office building hallway/toilet lighting
             100.       lux   Very dark overcast day
         320–500.       lux   Office lighting
             400.       lux   Sunrise or sunset on a clear day.
            1000.       lux   Overcast day; typical TV studio lighting
     10000–25000.       lux   Full daylight (not direct sun)
    32000–100000.       lux   Direct sunlight
   
    Source: Wikipedia

HARDWARE AND CONNECTIONS:

  Adafruit TLS2591 connections for MSP-EXP430F5529LP
  ======================================================================
  SCL to Pin 14 (P3.1)                  Must be I2C Pin
  SDA to Pin 15 (P3.0)                  Must be I2C Pin
  connect Vin to 3.3 DC
  GND to common ground
  3Vo (no connection)
  Int (no connection)
*/
 
//============================ G L O B A L ============================
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_Sensor.h>
#include "Adafruit_TSL2591.h"

Adafruit_TSL2591 tsl = Adafruit_TSL2591(2591);  // sensor identifier

float luxVal = 10000;  
                          
void setup(void)
{
  //============================== S E T U P =============================
  Serial.begin(9600);
 
  Serial.println("Starting Adafruit TSL2591 Test!"); 
  if (tsl.begin())
  {
    Serial.println("Found a TSL2591 sensor");
  }
  else
  {
    Serial.println("No sensor found ... check your wiring?");
    while (1);
  }
 
  /* Display some basic information on this sensor */
  displaySensorDetails();
}

void loop(void)
{
  //============================== L O O P ==================================
 
  configureSensor();
  unifiedSensorAPIRead();
  delay (1000);
 
}

void unifiedSensorAPIRead(void)
{
  //============== U N I F I E D   S E N S O R   A P I   R E A D =============
  //  Performs a read using the Adafruit Unified Sensor API
  //  Updates the lux value in the global variable luxVal
  //  Get a new sensor event
 
  sensors_event_t event;
  tsl.getEvent(&event);
 
  if ((event.light == 0) |
      (event.light > 4294966000.0) |
      (event.light <-4294966000.0))
  {
    // If event.light == 0 lux the sensor is probably saturated
    // and no reliable data could be generated!
    // if event.light is +/- 4294967040 there was a float over/underflow
    Serial.println("Invalid data - auto adjusting gain gain and timing)");
    luxVal = 10000.0;    // Set luxVal to get minimum time and gain for next pass
                         // so as to get a valid starting point
  }
  else
  {
    int f;            // format number for decimal places in the print statement
    if (luxVal >= 100.0)
    {
      f = 0;
    }
    else if (luxVal < 100.0 && luxVal >= 100.0)
    {
      f = 1;
    }
    else if (luxVal < 100.0 && luxVal >= 1.0)
    {
      f = 2;
    }
    else
    {
      f = 3;
    }
          
    Serial.print(event.light,f);     Serial.println(" lux");
    Serial.println("------------------");
    Serial.println("");
    luxVal = event.light;
  }
}

void displaySensorDetails(void)
{
  //============= D I S P L A Y   S E N S O R   D E T A I L S ================
  // Displays some basic information on this sensor from the unified
  // sensor API sensor_t type (see Adafruit_Sensor for more information)
  sensor_t sensor;
  tsl.getSensor(&sensor);
  Serial.println("------------------------------------");
  Serial.print  ("Sensor:       "); Serial.println(sensor.name);
  Serial.print  ("Driver Ver:   "); Serial.println(sensor.version);
  Serial.print  ("Unique ID:    "); Serial.println(sensor.sensor_id);
  Serial.print  ("Max Value:    "); Serial.print(sensor.max_value); Serial.println(" lux");
  Serial.print  ("Min Value:    "); Serial.print(sensor.min_value); Serial.println(" lux");
  Serial.print  ("Resolution:   "); Serial.print(sensor.resolution); Serial.println(" lux"); 
  Serial.println("------------------------------------");
  Serial.println("");
 
  delay(2000);
}

void configureSensor(void)
{
  //================== C O N F I G U R E   S E N S O R    =====================
  //
  //  Configures the gain and integration time for the TSL2561 depending  
  //  on luxVal
  //  NOTE:  The variable luxVal is global.  The following calls are valid:
  // 
  //  Set gain according to the light level
  //  tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_LOW);    // 1x gain (bright light)
  //  tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_MED);    // 25x gain
  //  tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_HIGH);   // 428x gain
  //  tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_MAX);    // 9876x gain (extremely low light)
  //
  //  Changing integration time gives you a longer time over which to sense light
  //  Longer timelines are slower, but improve accuracy in low light situations
  //  tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_100MS);  // shortest integration time (bright light)
  //  tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_200MS);
  //  tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_300MS);
  //  tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_400MS);
  //  tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_500MS);
  //  tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_600MS);  // longest integration time (dim light)
  //
  //  The values used below are empirical ones that seemed to get things in
  //  a good range for accurate measurement...  F Milburn
  //
  Serial.println("------------------");
  Serial.print  ("Gain: ");
  if (luxVal > 200.0)
  { 
    tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_LOW);              
    tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_100MS);
    Serial.println("1x (Low)");
    Serial.println("Timing: 100 ms");
  }
  else if (luxVal <=200.0 && luxVal > 40.0)
  {
    tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_MED);                
    tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_200MS);
    Serial.println("25x (Med)");
    Serial.println("Timing: 200 ms");
  }
  else if (luxVal <=40.0 && luxVal > 10.0)
  {
    tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_MED);                
    tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_600MS);
    Serial.println("25x (Med)");
    Serial.println("Timing: 600 ms");
  }
  else if (luxVal <=10.0 && luxVal > 0.1)
  {
    tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_HIGH);                
    tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_600MS);
    Serial.println("428x (High)");
    Serial.println("Timing: 600 ms");
  }
  else
  {
    tsl.setGain(TSL2591_GAIN_MAX);                
    tsl.setTiming(TSL2591_INTEGRATIONTIME_600MS);
    Serial.println("9876x (Max)");
    Serial.println("Timing: 600 ms");
  }
}

HC-543 Keypad

This post is about a nice little keypad I bought on Amazon.  I can't remember which vendor but you can get them for 2-3$ US.  I usually buy from Amazon Prime vendors if I can.  Here is a photo:

They are very easy to connect up using this library.  Here is a sketch that works on a MSP-EXP430F5529LP.

/*
||
|| Modified for HC-543 keypad and TI MSP-EXP430F5529LP.
|| Demonstrates changing the keypad size and key values.
||
|| Credit for original code:
|| @author Alexander Brevig
|| @contact alexanderbrevig@gmail.com
||
|| Frank Milburn
|| 19 Feb 2015
||
|| Connections:
|| As you look at the HC-543 keypad, the first lead on the
|| left is the first row.  The 5th lead over to the right
|| is the first column.
*/
#include <Keypad.h>
const byte ROWS = 4; //four rows
const byte COLS = 4; //four columns
//define the symbols on the buttons of the keypads
char hexaKeys[ROWS][COLS] = {
  {'1','2','3','A'},
  {'4','5','6','B'},
  {'7','8','9','C'},
  {'*','0','#','D'}
};
byte rowPins[ROWS] = {10, 9, 8, 7}; //connect to the row pinouts of the keypad
byte colPins[COLS] = {6, 5, 4, 3};  //connect to the column pinouts of the keypad
//initialize an instance of class NewKeypad
Keypad customKeypad = Keypad( makeKeymap(hexaKeys), rowPins, colPins, ROWS, COLS);
void setup(){
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Starting keypad...");
}
 
void loop(){
  char customKey = customKeypad.getKey();
 
  if (customKey){
    Serial.println(customKey);
  }
}

Adafruit BMP183 Sensor and MSP430 using Energia

I finally got the Adafruit BMP183 sensor to work with a MSP-EXP430F5529LP and Energia.  I am using the Adafruit library and it almost works but not quite for the LaunchPad.  The following changes are necessary:

• As you would expect, it is necessary to change pins for SPI.  I used the following in the test sketch provided as an example by the library:

           #define BMP183_CLK  P4_3
           #define BMP183_SDO  P4_2    // AKA MISO
           #define BMP183_SDI  P4_1     // AKA MOSI
           #define BMP183_CS   P4_0
           Adafruit_BMP183 bmp = Adafruit_BMP183(BMP183_CLK, BMP183_SDO,
               BMP183_SDI,BMP183_CS);

• The sketch won't compile as is because of a call to _delay_ms in Adafruit.BMP183.cpp provided in the library.  I replaced all instances with the delay function.
• The sketch won't compile as is because of a call to the pow function in Adafruit.BMP183.cpp.  The offending error is in the altitude calculation and occurs because of a bug in the gcc compiler used by Energia for the MSP430.  Replace pow with powf and it should work.

Follow the link on the Adafruit BMP183 sensor and check out their learning system for a whole lot more information.

Analog Potentiometer

Since I posted some code on a digital potentiometer the other day, I thought I'd go ahead and do the analog.  There is a lot more information on analog potentiometers in the SparkFun Inventor's Kit.  Here is my sketch for the MSP-EXP430F5529LP...

/*
  Control the brightness of a LED with the MSP-EXP430F5529LP LaunchPad
  Reads an analog input from a potentiometer, converts it to voltage, prints the result to
  the serial monitor, and varies the brightness of a LED accordingly

  HARDWARE REQUIRED:
  * MSP-EXP430F5529LP LaunchPad
  * Potentiometer
  * LED
  * 330 Ohm Resistor
 
  CONNECTIONS:
  Potentiometer
  Left pin        3.3 V             Note that potentiometer does not have polarity so flip
                                    the outside leads if you want to change rotation effect
  Center          Pin 6 (P6.6)      Make sure pin can do analog read
  Right pin       GND
 
  LED
  Positive pin    Pin 19 (P2_0)     LED output - make sure pin can do an analog write (PWM)
  Negative pin    330 Ohm    GND    Resistor protects LED
  2 April 2015
  Frank Milburn
  This example code is in the public domain.
*/
// Declarations
const int potPin = 6;                           // Input pin for pot
const int ledPin = 19;                          // Output pin for LED
const int analogRes = 4096;                     // resolution of analog input
int lastReading = -1;                           // Define lastReading for 1st pass
void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);                           // Start serial
  Serial.println("Starting....");
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);                      // Make the LED pin an output
}
void loop()
{
  int potReading = analogRead(potPin);             // Read the potentiometer setting
   
  // Note that there is some jitter in a potentiometer.  In order to reduce the serial
  // print, a check is made on whether the change is signicant.  Note that a difference
  // in readings of 41 is about a 1% change since the resolution of an analog read
  // is 0 to 4095   
   
  if (abs(potReading - lastReading) > 41)          // if the readings change much
  {                                                // then update and inform of changes
    Serial.print("Raw reading: ");               
    Serial.print(potReading);
  
    float voltage = potReading * 3.3 / analogRes;  // Convert pot reading to voltage
    Serial.print("     Voltage: ");                // and inform the user
    Serial.println(voltage);
  
    int ledBrightness = map(potReading,0,analogRes,0,255);  // map to PWM duty cycle
    analogWrite(ledPin, ledBrightness);            // and adjust LED brigtness
 
    int brightness = (ledBrightness * 100) / 255;  // calculate brightness as percent
    Serial.print("Brightness: ");                  // and inform the user
    Serial.print(ledBrightness);
    Serial.print(" PWM   ");
    Serial.print(brightness);
    Serial.println(" %");
 
    lastReading = potReading;                      // update the last reading
  }
}

TMP36 Temperature Sensor

I wish it were this easy to use all sensors.  I got this TMP36 with a SparkFun SIK Inventor's Kit in 2014.  That kit is well worth it if you are just getting started out.  There is a lot more information and direction on getting this going for an Arduino in the kit.  But we are using the MSP-EXP430F5529 :-)

The TMP36 is a low voltage, precision centigrade temperature
sensor that provides an analog signal that is linearly
proportional to the Celsius (centigrade) temperature.
Accuracy is ±1°C at +25°C and ±2°C over the −40°C to +125°C
temperature range. It provides for single-supply operation
from 2.7 V to 5.5 V maximum. The supply current runs below
50 μA.

Looking at the flat side of the TMP36 the pins are as follows:
Left    Vs   (+2.7 to 5.5V)
Center  Vout (analog output)
Right   GND

The datasheet calls for a 0.1 μF bypass capacitor on the input
(i.e. between Vs on the TMP36 and GND). It specifies a ceramic
type with short leads and located as close as possible to the
temperature sensor supply pin.

Circuit
TMP 36    MSP430F5529
------    ---------------------------------------------------
Vs        3.3V
Vs        0.1uF capacitor to GND
Vout      Pin 6 (P6.6) This must be an analog read pin
GND       GND

Frank Milburn 3 April 2015
*/

const int TMP36Pin = 6;            // pin sensor is connected to
const int analogRes = 4095; // A/D resolution

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Starting temperature readings...");
}

void loop()
{
  // Get the output from the sensor and multiply it by
  // 3.3 / resolution to get the voltage
  float voltage = (analogRead(TMP36Pin) * 3.3 / analogRes);
 
  // TMP36 datasheet provides the conversion formula
  float degC = (voltage - 0.5) * 100.0;
 
  // and if fahrenheit is desired
  float degF = (degC * 1.8) + 32.0;
 
  // Now the serial output...
  Serial.println("___________________________________________");
  Serial.print("Voltage:         "); Serial.println(voltage,3);
  Serial.print("Temperature (C): "); Serial.println(degC,1);
  Serial.print("Temperature (F): "); Serial.println(degF,1);
  delay(1000);
}

L293DNE Motor Driver

I used the L293DNE a while back in a prototype robot and thought it might be worthwhile documenting it.  I've since replaced the L293DNE with a Pololu TB6612FNG board and am now using 6V motors instead of the 3V Tamiya models.

Here is a picture of the prototype with a MSP430F5529 on top running things:

Here is the test code and a description of the circuit for those that are interested:

/*
This is a motor control circuit using a TI L293DNE motor
controller used with a MSP432-F5529LP to drive
a toy Tamiya tank with two motors. 

Note that the Tamiya motors operate at 3V and the feed is
routed through LD1117AV33's to get the voltage down. 

Note: Do not use PWM below about 50% or motors can stall -
suggest using PWM to balance motor speed only.
L293DNE
-------
1      MCU 39 (P2.4) - Enable pin
2      MCU 2 (P6.5) - Left Motor Logic pin 1
3      Left Motor Terminal 1
4      Heat sink / ground
5      Heat sink / ground
6      Left Motor Terminal 2
7      MCU 3 (P3.4) - Left Motor Logic pin 2
8      Motor Power Supply - 5.0V reduced to 3.3V for Tamiya
9      MCU 40 (P2.5) - Enable pin
10     MCU 4 (P3.3) - Right Motor Logic pin 1
11     Right Motor Terminal 1
12     Heat sink / ground
13     Heat sink / ground
14     Right Motor Terminal 2
15     MCU 5 (P1.6) - Right Motor Logic pin 2
16     IC Power Supply - 5.0V (used separate supply than LP)

LD1117AV33 - connect all motor terminal through these (4)
----------
1      5.0 V
2      GND
3      3.3 V

Tamiya Motors
-------------
Connect terminals to 3.3 V output from LD1117AV33 above

Capacitors
----------
See LD1117AV33 datasheet
suggests 10uF on output and 100nF on input

Frank Milburn   22 Feb 2015
*/
const int leftMotor1Pin = 2;
const int leftMotor2Pin = 3;
const int leftEnablePin = 39;
const int rightMotor1Pin = 4;
const int rightMotor2Pin = 5;
const int rightEnablePin = 40;
void setup()
{
  pinMode(leftMotor1Pin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(leftMotor2Pin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(leftEnablePin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(rightMotor1Pin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(rightMotor2Pin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(rightEnablePin, OUTPUT);
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Starting motor test");
 
}
void loop()
{
  Serial.println("Forward");            // start with left side
  digitalWrite(leftMotor1Pin, LOW);     // set leg 1 of H-bridge low
  digitalWrite(leftMotor2Pin, HIGH);    // set leg 2 of the H-bridge high
  digitalWrite(rightMotor1Pin, LOW);    // now right side  
  digitalWrite(rightMotor2Pin, HIGH);   
  digitalWrite(leftEnablePin, HIGH);    // enable motors on
  digitalWrite(rightEnablePin, HIGH); 
  delay(2000);

  Serial.println("Stop");
  digitalWrite(leftEnablePin, LOW);     // disable the motors
  digitalWrite(rightEnablePin, LOW);
  delay(1000);
 
  Serial.println("Backwards");
  digitalWrite(leftMotor1Pin, HIGH);    // Reverse the motors
  digitalWrite(leftMotor2Pin, LOW);
  digitalWrite(rightMotor1Pin, HIGH);    
  digitalWrite(rightMotor2Pin, LOW);
  digitalWrite(leftEnablePin, HIGH);    // enable motors on
  digitalWrite(rightEnablePin, HIGH);
  delay(2000);
 
  Serial.println("Stop");
  digitalWrite(leftEnablePin, LOW);     // disable the motors
  digitalWrite(rightEnablePin, LOW);
  delay(1000); 
 
  Serial.println("Forward 3/4 speed");
  digitalWrite(leftMotor1Pin, LOW);     // Set both sides forward
  digitalWrite(leftMotor2Pin, HIGH);    
  digitalWrite(rightMotor1Pin, LOW);    
  digitalWrite(rightMotor2Pin, HIGH);
  analogWrite(leftEnablePin, 192);      // enable motors on at reduced speed with PWM
  analogWrite(rightEnablePin, 192);
  delay(2000);
     
  Serial.println("Stop");
  digitalWrite(leftEnablePin, LOW);     // disable the motors
  digitalWrite(rightEnablePin, LOW);
  delay(1000);
}

Piezo Element Buzzer / Songs

OK, here is a sketch and circuit taken from the SparkFun Inventor's Kit (SIK) that plays a song using a piezo buzzer and the MSP-430F5529.

/*
BUZZER
  Use the buzzer to play a song!
  The buzzer in your Inventor's Kit is an electromechanical
  component you can use to make noise. Inside the buzzer is a
  coil of wire and a small magnet. When current flows through
  the coil, it becomes magnetized and pulls towards the magnet,
  creating a tiny "click". When you do this thousands of times
  per second, you create tones.
 
  The LaunchPad has a built-in command called tone() which clicks
  the buzzer at a certain frequency. This sketch knows the
  frequencies of the common notes, allowing you to create songs.
  We're never going to let you down!

Hardware connections:
  The buzzer has two pins. One is positive and one is negative.
  The postitive pin is marked by a "+" symbol on both the top
  and bottom of the buzzer.
 
  Connect the positive pin to Arduino digital pin 19.
  (Note that this must be a analogWrite() / PWM pin.)
  Connect the negative pin to GND.
 
  Tip: if the buzzer doesn't fit into the breadboard easily,
  try rotating it slightly to fit into diagonal holes.

This sketch was written by SparkFun Electronics,
with lots of help from the Arduino community.
(This sketch was originally developed by D. Cuartielles for K3)
This code is completely free for any use.
Visit http://learn.sparkfun.com/products/2 for SIK information.
Visit http://www.arduino.cc to learn about the Arduino.
Visit http://energia.nu/ to learn about Energia
Version 2.0 6/2012 MDG
modified by Frank Milburn for MSP-430F5529LP

This sketch uses the buzzer to play songs.
The Arduino's tone() command will play notes of a given frequency.
We'll provide a function that takes in note characters (a-g),
and returns the corresponding frequency from this table:
  note  frequency
  c     262 Hz
  d     294 Hz
  e     330 Hz
  f     349 Hz
  g     392 Hz
  a     440 Hz
  b     494 Hz
  C     523 Hz
For more information, see http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Tone
*/
 
const int buzzerPin = 19;
// We'll set up an array with the notes we want to play
// change these values to make different songs!
// Length must equal the total number of notes and spaces
const int songLength = 18;
// Notes is an array of text characters corresponding to the notes
// in your song. A space represents a rest (no tone)
char notes[] = "cdfda ag cdfdg gf "; // a space represents a rest
// Beats is an array of values for each note and rest.
// A "1" represents a quarter-note, 2 a half-note, etc.
// Don't forget that the rests (spaces) need a length as well.
int beats[] = {1,1,1,1,1,1,4,4,2,1,1,1,1,1,1,4,4,2};
// The tempo is how fast to play the song.
// To make the song play faster, decrease this value.
int tempo = 150;

void setup()
{
  pinMode(buzzerPin, OUTPUT);
}

void loop()
{
  int i, duration;
 
  for (i = 0; i < songLength; i++) // step through the song arrays
  {
    duration = beats[i] * tempo;  // length of note/rest in ms
   
    if (notes[i] == ' ')          // is this a rest?
    {
      delay(duration);            // then pause for a moment
    }
    else                          // otherwise, play the note
    {
      tone(buzzerPin, frequency(notes[i]), duration);
      delay(duration);            // wait for tone to finish
    }
    delay(tempo/10);              // brief pause between notes
  }
 
  // We only want to play the song once, so we'll pause forever:
  while(true){}
  // If you'd like your song to play over and over,
  // remove the above statement
}

int frequency(char note)
{
  // This function takes a note character (a-g), and returns the
  // corresponding frequency in Hz for the tone() function.
 
  int i;
  const int numNotes = 8;  // number of notes we're storing
 
  // The following arrays hold the note characters and their
  // corresponding frequencies. The last "C" note is uppercase
  // to separate it from the first lowercase "c". If you want to
  // add more notes, you'll need to use unique characters.
  // For the "char" (character) type, we put single characters
  // in single quotes.
  char names[] = { 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'a', 'b', 'C' };
  int frequencies[] = {262, 294, 330, 349, 392, 440, 494, 523};
 
  // Now we'll search through the letters in the array, and if
  // we find it, we'll return the frequency for that note.
 
  for (i = 0; i < numNotes; i++)  // Step through the notes
  {
    if (names[i] == note)         // Is this the one?
    {
      return(frequencies[i]);     // Yes! Return the frequency
    }
  }
  return(0);  // We looked through everything and didn't find it,
              // but we still need to return a value, so return 0.
}

Knock Sensor using Piezo Element

An analog read example using a piezo element out of the SparkFun Inventor's Kit with a MSP-
EXP430F5529LP....

/* Knock Sensor
 
   This sketch reads a piezo element to detect a knocking sound.
   It reads an analog pin and compares the result to a set threshold.
   If the result is greater than the threshold, it writes
   "knock" to the serial port, and toggles the LED on pin 13.
 
   The circuit:
 + connection of the piezo attached to pin 23 (P6.0)
 - connection of the piezo attached to ground
 1-megohm resistor attached from pin 23 (P6.0) to GND
   http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Knock
  
   created 25 Mar 20070
   by David Cuartielles <http://www.0j0.org>
   modified 30 Aug 2011
   by Tom Igoe
   modified 4 Feb 2013
   by Frank Milburn for MSP-EXP430F5529LP
   This example code is in the public domain.
 */

// these constants won't change:
const int ledPin = RED_LED;                  // connected the red LED on the LaunchPad
const int knockSensor = P6_0;                // the pin the piezo is connected to
const int threshold = 20;                    // threshold value to decide when the detected sound is a knock or not
                                             // NOTE: You may need to vary this depending on your sensor
// these variables will change:
int sensorReading = 0;                       // variable to store the value read from the sensor pin
int ledState = LOW;                          // variable used to store the last LED status, to toggle the light
void setup()
{
  pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT);                   // declare the ledPin as as OUTPUT
  Serial.begin(9600);                        // initiate the serial connection and let the user know we've started
  Serial.println("Starting to listen.... ");
}
void loop()
{ 
  sensorReading = analogRead(knockSensor);   // read the sensor and store it in the variable sensorReading:
   
  if (sensorReading >= threshold)            // if the sensor reading is greater than the threshold:
  {   
    ledState = !ledState;                    // toggle the status of the ledPin:           
    digitalWrite(ledPin, ledState);          // and update the LED pin itself:
    Serial.print("Knock! Reading was:");     // let the user know there was a knock and how loud it was
    Serial.println(sensorReading);      
  }
  delay(30);                                 // delay to avoid overloading the serial port buffer
                                             // vary this delay if multiple knocks or no knocks are detected
}

MCP41010 Digital Potentiometer

I've been meaning to test out SPI on the LaunchPad for a while, and specifically this digital potentiometer.

Bill of materials:
Breadboard
MSP-EXP430F-5529LP or other LaunchPad
MCP41010 Digital Potentiometer
Jumpers
330 ohm resistor
LED

This is for the single channel version of the chip, there is also a dual channel version labelled the 42xxx series.  There should be enough information here to get that to work - I didn't have any problems with the single channel.  Here is the code and a description of the circuit:

/*
  Digital Pot Control
 
  This example controls Microchip MCP41010 I/P digital potentiometer with a
  MSP-EXP430F5529LP.  The MCP41010 has 1 potentiometer channel with 256 taps.
  
  The MCP41010 is SPI-compatible,and to command it, you send two bytes,
  one with the command selection bits (xxC1xxC2) and one with the data value
  (0-255).  Note there is only one channel on the MCP41010.
 
  C1  C0  Command  Command Summary
  --  --  -------  --------------------------------------------------------
   0   0  None     No command executed
   0   1  Write    Write the date contained in Data Byte to the pot
   1   0  Shutdown Enter shutdown mode.  Data Byte does not matter
   1   1  None     No command executed
  
  P1  P0  Potentiometer Selections
  --  --  ------------------------------------------------------------------
   0   0  Dummy Code - pot not affected
   0   1  Command executed on Pot 0
   1   0  Command executed on Pot 1
   1   1  Command executed on both Pots
 
  Note: Since the MCP41010 only has one channel, P1 above is ignored
 
  MCP41010  Connection
  --------  ----------------------------------------------------------
  1 (CS)    Pin 8 of MSP-EXP430F5529LP  (CS)
  2 (SCK)   Pin 7 of MSP-EXP430F5529LP  (SCK)
  3 (SI)    Pin 15 of MSP-EXP430F5529LP (MOSI)
  4 (GND)   GND
  5 (PAO)   3.3V
  6 (PWO)   330 ohm resistor to LED and GND
  7 (PBO)   GND
  8 (Vdd)   3.3V

  created 10 Aug 2010
  by Tom Igoe
  modified 2 May 2012 - changed SS pin
  by Rick Kimball
  Thanks to Heather Dewey-Hagborg for the original tutorial, 2005
  
  modified 1 April 2014 for EXP430F5529LP and MCP41010 I/P
  by Frank Milburn
*/
#include <SPI.h>
// set pin 8 as the slave select for the digital pot:
const int slaveSelectPin = 8;
void setup()
{
  // set the slaveSelectPin as an output:
  pinMode (slaveSelectPin, OUTPUT);
  SPI.begin();
}
void loop() {
  for (int level = 0; level < 255; level++)
  {
    digitalPotWrite(level);
    delay(20);
  }
  delay(100);             // wait a bit at the top
  digitalPotWrite(0);     // change the resistance from max to min:
  delay(10);  
}
int digitalPotWrite(int value)
{
  // take the SS pin low to select the chip:
  digitalWrite(slaveSelectPin, LOW); 
  // give the command to write to pot 1
  byte byte1 = B10001;
  SPI.transfer(byte1);
  // send the pot value
  SPI.transfer(value);
  // take the SS pin high to de-select the chip:
  digitalWrite(slaveSelectPin, HIGH);
}
 

Hello World, or blinking an LED

Let's get started on the basics - blinking an LED with the LaunchPad.  Along the way we will discuss some of the differences between Arduino boards and LaunchPads.  I'll be using the MSP-EXP430F5529LP (a favorite of mine with lots of capability at a great price), but will point out differences between it and some of the other LaunchPads.

First, get Energia installed if you haven't already done so.

Here is the schematic:

 

Not much too it really but let's discuss how it differs from Arduino...

1. The pin connections on the top of the LaunchPad are male instead of female - you are going to need male-female jumpers instead of male-male jumpers to get over to a breadboard.  Note that some LaunchPads do have male on one side of the board and female on the others however which is a plus.
2. The pin arrangements are different than Arduino.  Keep this in mind!  I like to use the nomenclature shown in the schematic although Energia allows alternate naming and I am going to call it Pin "2" here.  Note that on the board it is labelled P6.5 (uses a period instead of an underscore).  If you do want to use this nomenclature you must use an underscore, i.e. P6_5 or it won't compile. 
3. The LaunchPads have LEDs on the boards which you can use.  In the case of the 5529 there are two which you can address with the names RED_LED and GREEN_LED.

Bottom line - get familiar with the diagrams for your LaunchPad and make sure your pin declarations are correct!  This caused me way too much consternation when I was getting started.

Note also that LaunchPads for the most part are 3.3 V devices (the MSP430FR5969 is a 1.8 V device).  It isn't going to matter in this case but 3.3 V logic frequently won't work with 5 V chips and 5V input can damage a 3.3V device.  Pay close attention to this!

I'm not going to provide beginner level details on code - there are plenty of other sites for that.  I will provide working code and a bill of materials with links to where you can get selected items.

Bill of materials:
MSP-EXP430F5529LP or other LaunchPad
Breadboard
Male-Female Jumpers
LED
330 ohm (or so) Resistor

Connections:

LED anode      MCU digital pin 2 (P6_5 in this example)
LED cathode   330 ohm resistor and then GND

Code:

/*
  Blink
  Turns on an LED on for one second, then off for one second, repeatedly.
 
  This example code is in the public domain.
*/
 
const int LED = 2;          // note that this is the same as P6_5 on the 5529
                            // Pin 2 should work on most LaunchPads
void setup()
{                
  pinMode(LED, OUTPUT);     // initialize the digital pin as an output. 
}
void loop()
{
  digitalWrite(LED, HIGH);  // turn the LED on (HIGH is the voltage level)
  delay(1000);              // wait for a second
  digitalWrite(LED, LOW);   // turn the LED off by making the voltage LOW
  delay(1000);              // wait for a second
}

Why LaunchPad?

Lots of reasons:

• Very reasonable pricing for wide range of boards - look at these specs and prices
• Industry leading ultra low power MCUs
• Pathway from Energia (you will feel right at home if you know Arduino) to full featured Code Composer Studio
• Easy access to the Internet of Things (IOT) with the SimpleLink Wi-Fi Family - see the CC3200 and Temboo
• An expanding line of BoosterPacks
• An active user community

And there are many more.  I especially like the power to price ratio of these MCUs and they are easy to embed - see this video for example.

Sites I Frequent

These are sites I frequently visit and can recommend.  Here they are, in the order I more or less discovered them:

Arduino:  The educational / hobbyist / maker movement has benefited greatly from Arduino.  There is a lot of good stuff on their site and the internet is full of good (and not so good) support.  This is a very good place to start if you are new to microcontrollers (but this is a blog about the TI LaunchPad series so let's move on)

SparkFun:  I got started in microcontrollers with a "SparkFun  Inventor's Kit" and SparkFun RedBoard (an Arduino Uno compatible).  They have a large selection of hobbyist material and documentation for their products.

Adafruit:  Great products.  Great documentation.  Great service.  This is a really good place to go for Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and Beaglebone Black.  Many of their products can also be used with the Texas Instrument Launchpads.

Texas Instruments:  The Texas Instrument LaunchPad lineup offers incredible value and capability.  Read more about them here.

Energia:  Energia is a fork of Wiring and Arduino for various Texas Instruments LaunchPads - if you have some experience with the Arduino, this site is going to look familiar.  And the great thing is that moving to Code Composer Studio, TI's full featured development environment, is available if you need the additional capability.

Mouser:  I love these guys.  If you need one 10 cent resistor they will ship it to you.  And they carry an amazing array of products, all with datasheets - including the TI LaunchPad series.

Pololu:  I recently started using Pololu for robot components and have been pleased.  They have some interesting products with good range - especially in motors and motor controllers.

Addicore:  They don't have as large a selection as the companies above but what they do have is great value (free shipping on orders larger than $25 too!).  They are very quick and responsive - the best service I have received.  You will also find some of their items on Amazon (at a slightly higher price).