Segger Embedded Studio compilation support for nRF52840 BLE chip

[ramachandra]

Hi,

   We are developing the product based on nRF52840 Chipset for BLE Application. We are using the Segger Embedded Studio (SEGGER Embedded Studio for ARM Release 3.52a) as a development environment. During our initial development the we have used the Debug mode for compilation and we were able to load the Generated Hex File and the BLE chip is working Fine, But for Production we need to generating the Executable in  Release mode, after generating the file in release mode and loading it the BLE chip is not coming up(The chip is not advertising its name).

Could you please let us know is there any step need to be taken care while switching between debug mode and release mode compilation in SES.

Regards,

Ram

[Jared]

Hi, 

It depends on your specific Release and Debug configuration. In general, the difference between Debug and Release mode is that optimizations are turned off in Debug mode. More on the difference here. 

Regarding your issue, have you checked that the application isn't running into any errors? What exactly happens in the application?

regards

Jared 

[ramachandra]

Hi,

   when i try to compile the code with release mode the application is trying to execute the location area where the application code doesn't exit because of which the board is restarting every time.

It is entering into the location 0x3EE40 where it couldn't find the valid code. Also when i try to set the breakpoints it is not allowing to set. it is showing ! mark inside the breakpoints and not stopping there. could you please figure out it.

 

[ramachandra]

Hi,

  Additional to above information the code which is compiled in release mode work if we set the optimization level to none or debug as shown below snippet. 

I am not sure why the compiler doesn't generate the proper executable when the optimization level is set to Optimization for Size and running in the release mode.

Please let us how we can use the optimization level setting in release mode.

Regards,

Ram

  

[Jared]

Hi,

How does the call stack look like before it enters the location where it doesn't return from? Have you checked that it doesn't assert?

regards

Jared

[ramachandra]

Hi,

  Once it enters into the point specifies we are not to see the call stack in the SES.

 Is there any problem with the memory configuration we are doing while using the option release mode, because the same code works fine in release mode when we set the optimization level to either None or DEBUG. 

Could you pleases suggest the memory configuration is correct or not in the below snippet

We are using S140 Softdevice along with the bootloder.

Memory Segment

I am also attaching the Flash_placement.xml in the attachment. please have a looks

Fullscreen 5710.flash_placement.xml Download

<!DOCTYPE Linker_Placement_File>
<Root name="Flash Section Placement">
  <MemorySegment name="FLASH" start="$(FLASH_PH_START)" size="$(FLASH_PH_SIZE)">
    <ProgramSection load="no" name=".reserved_flash" start="$(FLASH_PH_START)" size="$(FLASH_START)-$(FLASH_PH_START)" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="0x100" load="Yes" name=".vectors" start="$(FLASH_START)" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".init" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".init_rodata" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".text" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".sdh_soc_observers" inputsections="*(SORT(.sdh_soc_observers*))" address_symbol="__start_sdh_soc_observers" end_symbol="__stop_sdh_soc_observers" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".sdh_ble_observers" inputsections="*(SORT(.sdh_ble_observers*))" address_symbol="__start_sdh_ble_observers" end_symbol="__stop_sdh_ble_observers" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".pwr_mgmt_data" inputsections="*(SORT(.pwr_mgmt_data*))" address_symbol="__start_pwr_mgmt_data" end_symbol="__stop_pwr_mgmt_data" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".log_const_data" inputsections="*(SORT(.log_const_data*))" address_symbol="__start_log_const_data" end_symbol="__stop_log_const_data" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".nrf_balloc" inputsections="*(.nrf_balloc*)" address_symbol="__start_nrf_balloc" end_symbol="__stop_nrf_balloc" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".sdh_state_observers" inputsections="*(SORT(.sdh_state_observers*))" address_symbol="__start_sdh_state_observers" end_symbol="__stop_sdh_state_observers" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".sdh_stack_observers" inputsections="*(SORT(.sdh_stack_observers*))" address_symbol="__start_sdh_stack_observers" end_symbol="__stop_sdh_stack_observers" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".sdh_req_observers" inputsections="*(SORT(.sdh_req_observers*))" address_symbol="__start_sdh_req_observers" end_symbol="__stop_sdh_req_observers" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".nrf_queue" inputsections="*(.nrf_queue*)" address_symbol="__start_nrf_queue" end_symbol="__stop_nrf_queue" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".cli_command" inputsections="*(.cli_command*)" address_symbol="__start_cli_command" end_symbol="__stop_cli_command" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".crypto_data" inputsections="*(SORT(.crypto_data*))" address_symbol="__start_crypto_data" end_symbol="__stop_crypto_data" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".nrf_sections" address_symbol="__start_nrf_sections" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".log_dynamic_data"  inputsections="*(SORT(.log_dynamic_data*))" runin=".log_dynamic_data_run"/>
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".fs_data"  inputsections="*(.fs_data*)" runin=".fs_data_run"/>
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs"  inputsections="*(.cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs*)" runin=".cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs_run"/>
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="Yes" name=".nrf_mesh_flash"  inputsections="*(SORT(.nrf_mesh_flash.*))" address_symbol="__start_nrf_mesh_flash" end_symbol="__stop_nrf_mesh_flash"/>
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".dtors" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".ctors" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".rodata" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" name=".ARM.exidx" address_symbol="__exidx_start" end_symbol="__exidx_end" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" runin=".fast_run" name=".fast" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" runin=".data_run" name=".data" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="Yes" runin=".tdata_run" name=".tdata" />
  </MemorySegment>
  <MemorySegment name="RAM" start="$(RAM_PH_START)" size="$(RAM_PH_SIZE)">
    <ProgramSection load="no" name=".reserved_ram" start="$(RAM_PH_START)" size="$(RAM_START)-$(RAM_PH_START)" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="0x100" load="No" name=".vectors_ram" start="$(RAM_START)" address_symbol="__app_ram_start__"/>
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".nrf_sections_run" address_symbol="__start_nrf_sections_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".log_dynamic_data_run" address_symbol="__start_log_dynamic_data" end_symbol="__stop_log_dynamic_data" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".fs_data_run" address_symbol="__start_fs_data" end_symbol="__stop_fs_data" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs_run" address_symbol="__start_cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs" end_symbol="__stop_cli_sorted_cmd_ptrs" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".nrf_sections_run_end" address_symbol="__end_nrf_sections_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" keep="Yes" load="No" name=".nrf_mesh_ram"  inputsections="*(SORT(.nrf_mesh_ram.*))" address_symbol="__start_nrf_mesh_ram" end_symbol="__stop_nrf_mesh_ram"/>
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".fast_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".data_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".tdata_run" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".bss" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".tbss" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" load="No" name=".non_init" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="4" size="__HEAPSIZE__" load="No" name=".heap" />
    <ProgramSection alignment="8" size="__STACKSIZE__" load="No" place_from_segment_end="Yes" name=".stack"  address_symbol="__StackLimit" end_symbol="__StackTop"/>
    <ProgramSection alignment="8" size="__STACKSIZE_PROCESS__" load="No" name=".stack_process" />
  </MemorySegment>
</Root>

Reagrds,

Ram

[Jared]

Hi Ram,

Could you set the debugging level in the code generation setting to Debugging level 3 and see if you get more information regarding the call stack then?

Also, are you able run our Mesh DFU example? 

regards

Jared