MSP430 LaunchPad Inputs Not Working

[Jackie Farkas]

So we have been using the MSP430 LaunchPad (MSP-EXP430F5529LP) included in the KoP as a digital input for our Driver Station, using 10 buttons connected to the board to do various things. Recently however, buttons 1 and 2 (P1.6 and P3.2, respectively, using layout option 1 in the Gamepad Tool) have been doing some rather interesting things. Whenever we engage button 2, sending 3.3v to the pin, the board shorts out and turns off until the button is released. Button 1 is a little different. Sometimes, the same issue encountered with button 2 will occur with button 1, shorting the board, but sometimes it will also either do nothing at all when pressed, or the button would think it was being pressed whether or not it was actually engaged. In this last instance, power was actually coming out of the button 1 pin, and connecting that pin to ground would disengage the button. We were able to recreate the issue without the buttons, using just a jumper wire and connecting the pins directly on the board itself, so it isn't a wiring problem. There are no visible defects or bits of debris on the board, so that’s not the problem either. All other buttons and pins function correctly. Wiping and reprogramming the board did nothing to solve the problem as well (programmed on multiple computers with clean installs of Gamepad Tool). The issue was also recreated on multiple computers and with multiple USB cables. Any idea what could be wrong?