Overview of the new TI Launchpad (MSP-EXP430F5529LP or MSP430F5529 USB LaunchPad)

Fast start:

• download Code Composer Studio
  (CCS) from the TI website (this is probably the most difficult) - to do this, go to http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/Download_CCS
  and click on the button under "Download the latest CCS" , further it is required to fill out a questionnaire stating that we do not plan to use this software for military purposes and only after that we will be allowed to get a free version of CSS limited to 16kB code.
• After we got CCS, you should install it with the usual installer
• Next, you need to start it and create a project File> New> CCS Project, in the wizard select as device MSP430F5529, select Empty Project (with main.c).
• After creating the project, you can insert the code into it:

#include 
unsigned int i = 0; // Initialize variables. This will keep count of how many cycles between LED toggles
void main (void)
{
    WDTCTL = WDTPW + WDTHOLD; // Stop watchdog timer. This line of code is needed at the beginning of most MSP430 projects.
                                    // This line of code turns off the watchdog timer, which can reset the device after a certain period of time.
    P1DIR | = 0x01; // P1DIR is a register that configures the direction (DIR) of a port pin as an output or an input.
                                    // To set a specific pin as output or input, we write a '1' or '0' on the appropriate bit of the register.
                                    // P1DIR = 
                                    // Since we want to blink the on-board red LED, we want to set the direction of Port 1, Pin 0 (P1.0) as an output
                                    // We do that by writing a 1 on the PIN0 bit of the P1DIR register
                                    // P1DIR = 
                                    // P1DIR = 0000 0001
                                    // P1DIR = 0x01 <- this is the hexadecimal conversion of 0000 0001
    for (;;) // This empty for-loop will cause the lines of code within to loop infinitely
    {
        P1OUT ^ = 0x01; // Toggle P1.0 using exclusive-OR operation (^ =)
                                    // P1OUT is another register which holds the status of the LED. 
                                    // '1' specifies that it's ON or HIGH, while '0' specifies that it's OFF or LOW
                                    // Since our LED is tied to P1.0, we will toggle the 0 bit of the P1OUT register
        for (i = 0; i <20000; i ++); // Delay between LED toggles. This for-loop will run until the condition is met.
                                    // In this case, it will loop until the variable i increments to 20000.
    }
}