microcontroller tms320f2802x read write tools

[nassih]

hello everyone, I'm looking for a method to read the content of a microcontroller tms320f2802x and put it in another new one, is there any tool to do that?
tanks

 

[KlausST]

Hi,

You want to copy someone else's work?

Klaus

 

[Aussie Susan]

I don't know about your MCU but some (many?) can set memory protection to prevent the code being copied. If that is the case then you will get nowhere.
As this sounds 'suspicious' perhaps you should tell us more about what you are trying to do and why. Are these your own devices or someone elses?
Also what tools to you have (e.g. a programmer for that MCU)?
Susan

 

[nassih]

hi I am a repair electronics I am not familiar with this type of microcontroller, I have several motor controll boards which have a communication problem with the console. and the responsible component which manages this communication is the tms320f2802x.its not my own device ,it's a treadmill,I don't have any tool to read this kind of micro controller, if you can give me a link to buy it , I must try, many thank for your support.

--- Updated Feb 17, 2022 ---

Yes that's it ,it's possible?

 

[Aussie Susan]

You are probably out of luck then.
Firstly, does the board have any 'programming port' on it? It might be labelled ICSP or JTAG? Better still does it have pins on it?
If not then you need to find a way to connect to the programming pins of the MCU - and that will probably mean digging int o the PCB to find a suitable place to solder to and THEN hope that there are not other components on those tracks that will interfere with the programmer.
Second, you need to hope that the code is not copy protected. The data sheet will tell you about what code security protections are there and what options you have. (Section 9.1.9 'Security' talks about this in the first data sheet I could find in a Google search.)
As for the correct programming tools, there are a number of references to the Ti recommended toolset in the datasheet I looked at - however I'll leave it up to you to chase that down.
Finally, what are you going to do when you have copied the code? Are you going to try to remove the old MCU and replace it with a new one? Are you going to create your own copy of the PCB?
Personally, I feel that it would have taken you less time to contact the treadmill manufacturer and try to buy a new board from them than you have taken with this thread so far.
Susan

 

[nassih]

hello, thank you for answering me and devoting your time to this, with regard to the programming of the mcu, indeed there is a port to access the mcu chip.(there are not other components on those tracks that will interfere with the programmer):I don't know which one, about the read write security of the chip I must try and if ever the chip is protected is there a way to decrypt the code? (I feel that it would have taken you less time to contact the treadmill manufacturer and try to buy a new board from them):the purchase of this motor control board is too expensive, almost 550 dollars without delivery and the store needs many part,if you have some programmer models i would be grateful.i need to read the program code then write it to a new chip,
I hope it will work, I've never done this kind of operation but we have to learn and learn every day to reach the goal despite everything.
tank you very much SUSAN

 

[nassih]

Hi,

You want to copy someone else's work?

Klaus

yes sir you have any idea?tanks

 

[vishweshgm]

Very few people support you if you say you are trying to copy someone else's work. But I understand you are trying to repair an item and trying to replace the failed part. This RightToRepair is difficult.
I can provide few hints specific to question asked:

1. tms320f2802x comes under C2000 series of TI 32-bit controllers. So all tools supported for C2000 controllers in TI website supports this controller.

2. CCS Uniflash is the SW tool used for flash programming. CCS itself is the IDE used for code development.

3. You need a JTAG Communication debug probe (preferred is XDS200)

if ever the chip is protected is there a way to decrypt the code?

What do you want to do with it? If you are a skilled programmer, you can figureout what the original code does, and try to recreate the source. You can never get the source code back from binary. You loose the comments ,variable names etc. All you can get is a mess of statements. If security is enabled, you get nothing.

 

[Aussie Susan]

Others have comments on the programming tools needed.
I'm not that familiar with that family of devices but the ones that I am familiar with that have code protection mean that all you get are '0's when you try to read the program. There is no way to 'decrypt' that!
Also you have not addressed my comment about what you are going to do after you copy the code: try to replace the MCU or what!
I still believe you are on a journey to nowhere with this.
Susan

 

[nassih]

thank you for your answer friends, I'm really lost with this problem, vishweshgm: I'm not a programmer and I don't know nothing about it, but I'm an electronics engineer who is looking to find solutions for these customers, I'm not looking to copy someone else's work thats sure, already this is my first topic in this forum, maybe I did not know how to explain it to you.
so I explain to you for the second time hoping that you will have an idea of what I want. I have faulty treadmill motherboards, most of these faults come from the microcontroller (bad communication, some commands don't execute, etc.), I ordered some microcontroller (tms320f2802x) from TI hoping to find someone who can give me information or tricks to achieve this work,only copy a working chip in another blank, that's all i need, and thank you again

 

[Aussie Susan]

I'm not looking to copy someone else's work thats sure,

Unfortunately that is exactly what you are asking to do by 'transferring' their code into a new MCU.
Take the analogy of a hardware design (which I gather you are more familiar with). Your company has asked you to design a circuit and you have spent some days/weeks/months designing, prototyping, testing, PCB layout and final production work and it is ready to sell to customers. How much do you charge? Certainly not just the cost of the final PCB and components. You need to cover all of the development time, management overheads, test equipment etc. that was used in this work. (Even if you are a 'one man band', the principle still applies.)
Your company would not like it if some other company or person took your board, looked at it, and then make exact copies that they could then sell at a much lower cost than you could as they don't have the overheads that you did.
Therefore they do things like use multilayer PCBs so that you can't trace the circuit very easily, scrape off the IDs from ICs so you can't see what the actually are and so on.
Software/firmware is basically the same. Instead of an 'and' gate you have the 'AND' instruction, 'multiplier' chips are replaced by multiplier hardware in the MCU but triggered by the 'MULT' instruction. (I'm talking assembler level here which is roughly the equivalent of hardware as it is what the MCU actually executes).
In the case of firmware companies use the built-in capabilities of the MCU to stop the code being copied from the production devices. They are simply stopping unscrupulous people from copying their hard work and making money from it.
You are not necessarily doing this as you say you are simply repairing the boards and the assumption is that you will not go further than that., However the original manufacturer needs to protect themselves against the unscrupulous people and repairers like you are simply caught in the crossfire (as it were).
If you are lucky and the treadmill manufacturer has not copy protected their code, then making a copy might be possible, but as I've asked several times now: what then? Are you wanting to try to unsolder the old MCU and solder in the new one (ether before or after you transfer the code)? That is a difficult and error prone task and one of the reasons why most places simply do board replacements these days - you are very likely to do more damage to the board in this process.
You say you are doing this for your customer: sometimes it is simply better to either turn down the business (after all, what if you try to repair the boards and can't - you will have spent all the money tooling up for the work only to not be paid, but possibly sued as well) or tell them that the boards are expensive and pass on the cost.
This does go to the heart of the 'right to repair' movement but that is only just taking off and it sounds like your treadmill manufacturer has not got on board to the extent of allowing the repair you are trying to make.
Susan