MSP430 Based Chronulator (using Launchpad chip)

Step 9 Basic Checks before putting MSP430 into Project Board

Here are some basic checks that you should make to your wired up project board before inserting the MSP430 chip. They can all be done from the top side of the breadboard.

Using an multi-meter as an ohms meter:

  1. Visually double check that you have placed the right pins of your regulator into
      Vin, Vout, and Gnd.
  2. Check between the pins in the IC socket for pin to pin shorts. There should
      not be any shorts. You will see ~94k ohms between pins 6 and 7 (2 x 47k).
  3. Check between pin 1 of the IC socket and Vcc. You should see a short.
  4. Check between pin 14 of the IC socket and Gnd. You should see a short.
  5. Check between pin 1 and pin 14 of the IC socket. You should see an open.
  6. Check across Vcc and Gnd and push each button in turn. As each button
       is pushed the meter should read from infinity to 47k.
  7.  Place the multi-meter positive lead in pin 6 of the IC socket and the negative
       multi-meter lead on the junction of the 47k resistor and the minute advance
       button. You should see a short. Do the same for pin 7 and the junction of
       the 47k resistor and hour advance button. Also do the same for pin 10 and
       the junction for the 47k resistor and the Reset button. 
  8.  Place the positive multi-meter lead on the positive minute meter pin of the
       meter junction block and the negative multi-meter lead on IC socket pin
       3. You should see the resistive value of your minute meter's current
       limiting resistor.
  9.  Place the positive multi-meter lead on the positive hour meter pin of the
       meter junction block and the negative multi-meter lead on IC socket pin
       4. You should see the resistive value of your hour meter's current 
       limiting resistor.
10.  Place the positive multi-meter lead on the negatives (2) of the meter
       junction block and the negative lead on Gnd. You should see a
       short for each negative.
10.  Make sure that the 32k Hz crystal is installed at IC socket pins 12 and 13.
11.  Visually triple check that you have placed the right pins of your regulator into
        Vin, Vout, and Gnd.
12.   Plug in the battery pack, place the multimeter on a voltage scale and 
        measure the voltage between Vcc and Gnd. You should see 2.5V.
13.   Unplug the battery pack.
14.   Install the MSP430 chip.  Make sure that pin 1 of the chip (upper left pin
        with the u shaped indent to the top, and top of chip facing you) is installed
        in pin 1 of the IC socket.