Instructions for Flashing TI stick or SRF ERF using Windows utilities

#Instructions for flashing

This is pretty easy, if you are used to using Windows GUI utilities. No compile needed, just downloading instructions and utilities from TI. I used these utilities to flash a slice-of-radio from WirelessThings, which requires cable connectors to the radio chip. I did not test it with a radio on a USB connector, like the TI stick, but assume it will be similar.

Once you have a TI CC-debugger, download the instructions to use it, here: http://www.ti.com/lit/ug/swru197h/swru197h.pdf This has more info than you need, but is worth looking over to get a feel for what is needed. Section 5 on installing and Section 7 on understanding the CC-debugger hardware are particularly useful.

You will need the driver that talks to the CC-debugger, and the "Smart RF Flash Programmer" utility that will perform the firmware upgrade. The Smart RF Flash Programmer utility includes the driver needed, though the driver can also be installed separately (which is what I did). You can download the Flash Programmer utility from here: http://www.ti.com/tool/flash-programmer NOTE: You want Flash-Programmer, not Flash-Programmer-2. Before you download you may need to create an account at TI, but this was straightforward.

You'll also want to download the user guide, on the same page or here: http://www.ti.com/lit/ug/swru069g/swru069g.pdf

Use the instructions from Section 5 on installing and testing whether install was successful. When you start up the Flash Programmer utility with the CC-debugger connected to the USB port, you should see the red light on the CC-debugger come on. Use the Flash Programmer documentation; you'll want to use the System-on-chip tab.

For the TI stick, you'll need to plug it into the USB port to power it up so you can flash it. You can then attach it to the CC Debugger using the ribbon cable and the "Debug" pins.

Once the TI stick/SRF/ERF chip to be programmed is properly connected to the CC-debugger, pressing the reset button on the debugger should change the red light to green. If it doesn't, you probably have a missing or wrong connection, so fix this before proceeding.

Once the green light is illuminated on the CC-debugger, the Flash Programmer should see and display the part to be programmed. Choose "Erase, program and verify" and click the "Perform actions" button. If you get an error in the status field of the Flash Programmer utility, it is likely that one of the wired connections has gone bad (very likely, if the connections are made by holding wires with your hand). Retry until the status field reports that verify succeeded, at which point connections can be removed.