Get Started

Are you ready to start working with MAVRK?

You can learn more about what MAVRK is and how it can help you with your projects on the Introduction to MAVRK page.

1. Make sure you have at least a MAVRK motherboard, and then and then any other MAVRK modules you want to evaluate. The MAVRK Starter Kit has everything you need to get started, and you always can buy new modules to attach to the included motherboard. We will use the contents of the MAVRK Starter Kit for this tutorial (MAVRK Pro Motherboard [MB-PRO-MVK], MSP430F5438A MCU module [MCU-430F5438A-MVK], AFE Breakout module [AFE-BREAKOUT-MVK], MSP-FET430UIF tool, USB cables).
2. Install the software on your PC. You can follow the Software Installation Guide on our wiki for a step-by-step installation.
3. Connect a USB cable between your PC and the MAVRK motherboard. The USB cable will need a standard size male end and a mini (B) size male end. Connect the mini size male end into the upper left USB port on the MAVRK motherboard, and connect the other end to your PC.
4. Connect a USB cable between your PC and the MSP-FET430UIF tool. The USB cable will need a standard size male end and a square (A) size male end. Connect the A size male end into the MSP-FET430UIF tool, and connect the other end to your PC.
   1. The MSP-FET430UIF tool comes with a ribbon cable. The ribbon cable has a notch on its male connector that assures it fits into a female connector only one way. Connect the ribbon cable between your MSP-FET430UIF tool and the ribbon cable connector at the top of the MAVRK motherboard.
5. Launch the MAVRK Software Suite from your PC. You can launch it from the directory where you installed the software.
6. In the MAVRK Software Suite window, select the “Getting Started” option.
7. Select the “Run my first MAVRK demo application” option.
8. You will see a screen containing information about the demo application, a picture showing a MAVRK motherboard with modules attached, and several buttons. Make sure you have the correct modules inserted into the correct motherboard sockets as shown in the picture. If you’re missing a module, head to our Buy page. If everything looks correct, click the “Launch” button at the bottom right of the demo application page.
9. If everything worked correctly so far, you will see blue and orange LEDs flash on the AFE Breakout module. Woohoo! You just programmed your first MAVRK demo application!
10. You can launch other demo applications by clicking the “Software Selector” option at the bottom of the MAVRK Software Suite window. Click on any demo applications that interest you to learn more about them. If you’ve got the MAVRK modules the demo application needs to run, disconnect your USB cable from the MAVRK motherboard, connect those modules, and launch the demo by clicking the “Launch” button at the bottom right of the demo application window. If you don’t have the modules you need to run the demo, you can always buy them from our Buy page.