Re: [ECOS] initialized variables/code in sram

[Sergei Organov <osv at javad dot ru>]

For my embedded application (that doesn't use eCos) I've adopted general
solution inspired by .ctors/.dtors handling. The idea is to use linker to
prepare tables containing (from_addr, to_addr, size) entries for data that
should be copied from ROM to RAM at startup. Then you need general code at
startup that uses linker-defined symbols that point to the beginning and
one-past-the-end of this table to actually copy data. I also have similar
table for sections that must be cleared at startup but in this case the table
has (addr, size) entries as well as corresponding code that fills regions
pointed to by this table with zeros.

I believe you can use similar technique with eCos. However it seems that
current eCos linker script generation tools aren't sophisticated enough, so
you will need to maintain your own "target.ld" file. You also will need to
change startup code, but you need to do it only once.

And here is the question to the eCos community: Do you think it's worth to add
more general support for clearing memory regions / copy of data at startup to
the eCos configuration/build system (including startup code) on architectures
where it could be easily supported (such as those using ELF for
object/executable files)?

BR,
Sergei Organov.

Ilko Iliev <iliev@caretec.at> writes:
> Hello!
> 
> I have custom board with ARM7 (AT9155800) with external RAM and ROM:
> MEMORY
> {
>      sram : ORIGIN = 0, LENGTH = 0x2000        <--- on chip 8KB ram
>      rom : ORIGIN = 0x1000000, LENGTH = 0x200000
>      ram : ORIGIN = 0x2000000, LENGTH = 0x80000
> }
> 
> I can put uninitialized variables in SRAM:
> int abc __attribute__ ( section (".sram"));
> 
> But how can I put initialized variables or code to SRAM?
> void func1(void) __attribute__ ( section (".sram"));
> void func1(void)
> {
> }
> 
> When I start in RAM is no problem - the debugger load the .sram section.
> 
> To work in ROM I must correct vectors.S to initialize this .sram section, but
> I need start and end address of this section in ROM (like .__rom_data_start).
> 
> 
> Other words I need second data and bss sections in SRAM, not in RAM
> 
> 
> best regards
> Ilko
> 
> 
> -- 
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> and search the list archive: http://sources.redhat.com/ml/ecos-discuss


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