Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

RE: Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

Nguyen Hoan Hoang — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 08:46:31 GMT

Ok I see. You can use __attribute__ section on the data array then map that to anywhere in the linker script, See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19781375/how-to-place-constant-at-specific-address-with-ld-linker-command-file

That way you don't need to reduce your flash length.

RE: Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

Ben34 — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 08:22:35 GMT

Yes it is nRF52832. I have data stored at 0x38000 and for the moment, I can't move them. 0x38000-0x23000 = 0x15000, that is why I specified this size for the code. At 0x3D000 there would be a bootloader in the near future, and after, a buffer zone for soft device, and a buffer zone for code. I could use -Os, which is very useful, but I need another code optimisation to make my code fit. That is why I looked for libraries like microlib

RE: Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

Nguyen Hoan Hoang — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 22:43:08 GMT

Well, what is your nRF52 chip ? The nRF52832 has 512KB flash which 0x80000. The firmware starts at 0x23000 which gives you the length 0x80000 - 0x23000 = 0x5D000 size. 0x15000 is only 86KB, way too small. The nRF52810 has 256KB Flash if I remember.

RE: Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

Ben34 — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 22:31:29 GMT

Thank you for the advice. Unfortunately, with -Os : it still overflows by 276 bytes. I could increase FLASH lenght a little bit, but it will delay the issue : my code is going to be bigger. In Keil, it compiles fine with -O2, and I would like to have this results in Eclipse. nano.specs is already set. here is a piece of my Makefile, I think it could help :

# Libraries common to all targets
LIB_FILES += \

# Optimization flags
OPT = -O2 -g3
# Uncomment the line below to enable link time optimization
#OPT += -flto

CPPFLAGS += BOARD_PCA10040
CPPFLAGS += NRF52 NRF52832_XXAA
CPPFLAGS += NRF52_PAN_74
CPPFLAGS += NRF_SD_BLE_API_VERSION=5
CPPFLAGS += S132
CPPFLAGS += SOFTDEVICE_PRESENT
CPPFLAGS += SWI_DISABLE0

# C flags common to all targets
CFLAGS += $(OPT)
CFLAGS += -DBOARD_PCA10040
CFLAGS += -DCONFIG_GPIO_AS_PINRESET
CFLAGS += -DNRF52
CFLAGS += -DNRF52832_XXAA
CFLAGS += -DNRF52_PAN_74
CFLAGS += -DNRF_SD_BLE_API_VERSION=5
CFLAGS += -DS132
CFLAGS += -DSOFTDEVICE_PRESENT
CFLAGS += -DSWI_DISABLE0
CFLAGS += -mcpu=cortex-m4
CFLAGS += -mthumb -mabi=aapcs
CFLAGS += -Wall
CFLAGS += -Werror=implicit-function-declaration
CFLAGS += -Wno-unused-function -Wno-comment -Wno-unused-variable
CFLAGS += -mfloat-abi=hard -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16
CFLAG += -split_sections
CFLAG += -apcs=interwork
CFLAG += --cpu Cortex-M4.fp
# keep every function in a separate section, this allows linker to discard unused ones
CFLAGS += -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections -fno-strict-aliasing
CFLAGS += -fno-builtin -fshort-enums
CFLAG += --library_type=microlib

# C++ flags common to all targets
CXXFLAGS += $(OPT)

# Assembler flags common to all targets
ASMFLAGS += -O2 -g3
ASMFLAGS += -mcpu=cortex-m4
ASMFLAGS += -mthumb -mabi=aapcs
ASMFLAGS += -mfloat-abi=hard -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16
ASMFLAGS += -DBOARD_PCA10040
ASMFLAGS += -DCONFIG_GPIO_AS_PINRESET
ASMFLAGS += -DNRF52
ASMFLAGS += -DNRF52832_XXAA
ASMFLAGS += -DNRF52_PAN_74
ASMFLAGS += -DNRF_SD_BLE_API_VERSION=5
ASMFLAGS += -DS132
ASMFLAGS += -DSOFTDEVICE_PRESENT
ASMFLAGS += -DSWI_DISABLE0
ASMFLAGS += -D__MICROLIB

# Linker flags
LDFLAGS += $(OPT)
LDFLAGS += -mthumb -mabi=aapcs -L $(TEMPLATE_PATH) -T$(LINKER_SCRIPT)
LDFLAGS += -mcpu=cortex-m4
LDFLAGS += -mfloat-abi=hard -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16
LDFLAG += --library_type=microlib
# let linker dump unused sections
LDFLAGS += -Wl,--gc-sections
# use newlib in nano version
LDFLAGS += -specs=nano.specs -lc -lnosys -lm

I tried to copy compiler command lines and asm command line from Keil.

I tried to make gcc use microlib; but either I put the line or not, it doesn't change anything

Thank you for support :)

RE: Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

Nguyen Hoan Hoang — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 20:13:43 GMT

For GCC optimization for space, use -Os

For newlib nano, use linker parameter --specs=nano.specs

It is better to use Eclipse native project than makefile project.

RE: Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

Ben34 — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 20:08:08 GMT

UPDATE : I found out what is going on : I am using the default .ld file provided in an SDK example and the FLASH lenght was specifed to 5D000, wich is too much : I had data around 0x39000 which were corrupted. When I specify Keil parameter (0x15000), my code doesn't compile anymore! I am facing flash overflow! Now I know Keil was performing size optimisation I have to tell gcc to do. (because in Keil, the code compiles)

I set the same Optimisation level as Keil (O2) but I don't know how to tell gcc to use microlib library.

Could someone help please?

RE: Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

Ben34 — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 13:26:54 GMT

Hi,

Thank you for you response :) I am working with Makefile, and nrf commands like nrfjprog. I tried to use an example (low power pwm) and I managed to make it work! So something must be wrong with my initial code. I cocmmented all my main, and only used gpio for LED blinking : not succeed.; I try to run some debug to finid out what is going on, you'll be in touch

RE: Soft Device + Application flash doesn't work with Eclipse

Nguyen Hoan Hoang — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 17:47:58 GMT

Eclipse does not automatically flash softdevice. You need to flash Softdevice before from outside then Eclipse can flash and debug your firmware. Flashing Softdevice is only need to be done once. You can refresh your firmware in Eclipse as many times as you like as long that you don't erase the softdevice region.

Follow this blog to use Eclipse with nRF series https://embeddedsoftdev.blogspot.com/p/ehal-nrf51.html