Loading Code into a LaunchPad

OK - so you're not a programmer but you want to put some of the code on this blog into your LaunchPad to give it a try.  This can be done in a few easy steps, so follow along and we will walk you through the  process.

First, you'll need to download Code Composer Studio (CCS) from TI, it's free and can be found here:

Code Composer Studio

• CCS is the software that will create the program and load it onto a LaunchPad.   Install CCS onto your computer.  Start the CCS program on your computer.  When you start CCS it will ask for your permission to create a workspace, grant it this permission. 

• Connect your Launch Pad to your computer via the USB cable included with it.  A demonstration program is loaded into the Launch Pad that, coincidentally, causes the on-board LEDs to flash.  You can stop the flashing by pushing the push button nearest the LEDs.

•  Download the code for whatever project that you want to load from this blog.  We have requested that all authors use CCS to compile their code and to provide a link to the ready-to-compile code.  If the author has used Energia or some other program to prepare the code, we cannot guarantee that these instruction for using CCS will work.

• On the CCS 'File' menu pull down 'New' then select 'CCS Project'.  

•  This will open a window for a new CCS project.  Give your project a name (any name will do) the click 'Finish'.

• A new tab will be opened in the main CCS window and it will contain the beginnings of a 'C' program which will look like this:

/*
 * main.c
 */
void main(void) {
   
}

•  Since the author will already have this in his code, select these entries and delete them.

•  Copy and paste the author's code into the window that you have just opened

• Pull down the "Project" menu and click on "Build Project".  The build process will take a few seconds during which a pop up window will appear and then disappear.  

•  After the build has finished go to the "Run" menu and click on "Debug".  A pop-up window will appear complaining about the lack of code to support TI's ultra low power mode.  Since we are not developing this project for battery power you can just click on "Proceed" to ignore this warning.  A few more pop-ups will come and go of their own accord.

• The code will be loaded onto your Launch Pad automatically.  Once it's loaded the Debug window will appear as the topmost window on your screen.  In the top bar of the debug window at the far right you'll see some controls that look like those on a DVD player: a play button, a pause button and a stop button.  When the play button turns from gray to green and yellow, you can click on it and the program should start executing.  Congrats, you've successfully compiled and loaded a program.

• Pushing the pause button will pause the program's execution.  

• Pushing the Stop button will disconnect your computer from the running program.  The program is still running however, and will continue to do so until you disconnect the USB cable, thereby removing power.

• The program is now loaded into the micro controller and will stay there until replaced by another program. You can entirely disconnect the LaunchPad from your computer and provide power to it and the program will begin to run.

• The code that you have loaded into CCS will be there when you next open CCS.  In fact, by starting a new CCS project each time you load some new code into CCS, you will have all of your projects resident in CCS to make loading or reloading LaunchPads easier.