porting nRF52 project from IAR to ARMGCC

[iprogramplus]

Hi. I have a working IAR project based on the nrf52 SDK \nordic\examples\ble_peripheral\ble_app_uart. i am attempting to port the project to ARMGCC using VSCode. I am at a stage in the port where all the files compile and link and I am at the main() stepping in and out of functions using the GDB. i come across a function "localtime" and have a HARDFAULT. I verified the input parameters are valid.

thanks in advance.

Barry

[iprogramplus]

Hi I'm back after a while. I am trying to retain some data structure in RAM in my c file, I define 

#if defined(__ICCARM__)  // IAR Compiler
#pragma location = HITLESS_START_ADDRESS
__no_init volatile HITLESS_STRUCTURE hitless_struct; 
 #elif defined(__GNUC__)  // GCC Compiler
/**
 * @brief Fixed-location hitless structure (retains values across soft reset).
 */
__attribute__((section(".persistent")))
__attribute__((used))
volatile HITLESS_STRUCTURE hitless_struct;
 #else

in my linker file I define:

SECTIONS
{
  . = 0x20003324;
  hitless_struct = .;
  .persistent (NOLOAD) :
  {
    KEEP(*(.persistent))
  } > RAM
}

When debugging, the address is set as designated; however, after a soft reset, the data is not retained.

I appreciate any help you can provide.

Barry

[Susheel Nuguru]

You are manually setting location counter to 0x20003324 just before defining the .persistent section. This might place .persistent at 0x20003324. Also this section can be silently overridden by a startup code zeroing out the .bss sections if .persistent overlaps it.

I suggest use simpler declaration in C code like below

__attribute__((section(".noinit")))
volatile HITLESS_STRUCTURE hitless_struct;

Also this in your linker script to tell the startup code to skip initialization on this section.

.noinit (NOLOAD) :
{
  . = ALIGN(4);
  KEEP(*(.noinit))
} > RAM

[iprogramplus]

Hi, tried your recommendations as follows: in the C file :

 

In the Make Linker file:

However, the structure still gets the same results and is not retained after a soft reset. Here is the complete linker file; it is an original from the template project blue_uart_app given in SDK16. With the NO LOAD additions

/* Linker script to configure memory regions. */

SEARCH_DIR(.)
GROUP(-lgcc -lc -lnosys)

MEMORY
{
  FLASH (rx) : ORIGIN = 0x27000, LENGTH = 0xd9000
  RAM (rwx) :  ORIGIN = 0x20002ae8, LENGTH = 0x3d518
}

SECTIONS
{
  . = ALIGN(4);
  .mem_section_dummy_ram :
  {
  }
  .cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs = .);
    KEEP(*(.cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs))
    PROVIDE(__stop_cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs = .);
  } > RAM
  .fs_data :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_fs_data = .);
    KEEP(*(.fs_data))
    PROVIDE(__stop_fs_data = .);
  } > RAM
  .log_dynamic_data :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_log_dynamic_data = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.log_dynamic_data*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_log_dynamic_data = .);
  } > RAM
  .log_filter_data :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_log_filter_data = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.log_filter_data*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_log_filter_data = .);
  } > RAM
  .persistent 0x20003324 (NOLOAD) : ALIGN(4) {
    KEEP(*(.persistent))
  } > RAM

} INSERT AFTER .data;

SECTIONS
{
  .mem_section_dummy_rom :
  {
  }
  .sdh_soc_observers :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_sdh_soc_observers = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.sdh_soc_observers*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_sdh_soc_observers = .);
  } > FLASH
  .sdh_ble_observers :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_sdh_ble_observers = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.sdh_ble_observers*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_sdh_ble_observers = .);
  } > FLASH
  .pwr_mgmt_data :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_pwr_mgmt_data = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.pwr_mgmt_data*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_pwr_mgmt_data = .);
  } > FLASH
  .sdh_state_observers :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_sdh_state_observers = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.sdh_state_observers*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_sdh_state_observers = .);
  } > FLASH
  .sdh_stack_observers :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_sdh_stack_observers = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.sdh_stack_observers*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_sdh_stack_observers = .);
  } > FLASH
  .sdh_req_observers :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_sdh_req_observers = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.sdh_req_observers*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_sdh_req_observers = .);
  } > FLASH
    .nrf_queue :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_nrf_queue = .);
    KEEP(*(.nrf_queue))
    PROVIDE(__stop_nrf_queue = .);
  } > FLASH
    .nrf_balloc :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_nrf_balloc = .);
    KEEP(*(.nrf_balloc))
    PROVIDE(__stop_nrf_balloc = .);
  } > FLASH
    .cli_command :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_cli_command = .);
    KEEP(*(.cli_command))
    PROVIDE(__stop_cli_command = .);
  } > FLASH
  .crypto_data :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_crypto_data = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.crypto_data*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_crypto_data = .);
  } > FLASH
  .log_const_data :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_log_const_data = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.log_const_data*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_log_const_data = .);
  } > FLASH
  .log_backends :
  {
    PROVIDE(__start_log_backends = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.log_backends*)))
    PROVIDE(__stop_log_backends = .);
  } > FLASH

} INSERT AFTER .text


INCLUDE "nrf_common.ld"

Thanks in advance

Barry