Bugs in CubeIDE code generation for STM32WB55CG (and others)

[ANist]

Hello,

I have found some bugs in linker scripts generation when creating a project from CubeMX.

Those bugs appears only when code is generated for STM32CubeIDE, related to linker scripts:

/* Highest address of the user mode stack */
_estack = 0x20040000;	/* end of "RAM" Ram type memory */

/* Memories definition */
MEMORY
{
    RAM	(xrw)	: ORIGIN = 0x20000000,	LENGTH = 256K
    FLASH	(rx)	: ORIGIN = 0x8000000,	LENGTH = 1024K
}

• _estack should be set to 0x2003000, otherwise the system goes into hard fault.
• RAM_SHARED section does not appear, without it the coprocessor is unreachable I guess.
• MAPPING_TABLE, MB_MEM1 and MB_MEM2 are not mapped to RAM_SHARED

On the other hand, if I generate a makefile or TRUEStudio project for stm32wb55cg (1 MB of flash), the linker reports only 512 KB

Hope to see this fixed, thanks for your help!

[Remi QUINTIN · Accepted solution]

Indeed the issue is confirmed.

You may also reuse one of the linker file of the BLE example​s from the CubeWB FW package

/* Highest address of the user mode stack */

_estack = 0x20030000;   /* end of RAM */

/* Generate a link error if heap and stack don't fit into RAM */

_Min_Heap_Size = 0x400;     /* required amount of heap */

_Min_Stack_Size = 0x1000; /* required amount of stack */

/* Specify the memory areas */

MEMORY

{

FLASH (rx)                : ORIGIN = 0x08000000, LENGTH = 512K

RAM1 (xrw)                : ORIGIN = 0x20000004, LENGTH = 0x2FFFC

RAM_SHARED (xrw)          : ORIGIN = 0x20030000, LENGTH = 10K

}

MAPPING_TABLE (NOLOAD) : { *(MAPPING_TABLE) } >RAM_SHARED

MB_MEM1 (NOLOAD)      : { *(MB_MEM1) } >RAM_SHARED

MB_MEM2               : { *(MB_MEM2) } >RAM_SHARED 

Meanwhile we'll work to correct this issue asap.

[ANist]

Good! I am using the linker generated through makefile and working fine, just wanted to report the issue so that you can fix it;)

Moreover, which is the role of the *_RAM.ld linker script that is generted only fot cubeIDE? It is the first time that i see this

Thanks!

[Remi QUINTIN]

It’s a generated linker script in case you want your application to run in RAM instead of Flash. There are some use cases where you might need to execute from or test in RAM so CubeMX provides an already generated script for that. Of course we still expect the vast majority to still place their applications in Flash memory because it’s easier with things such as restarting the application, which is why it’s still the default.

[SMako]

Hi Remi,

I am going to change linker script for STM32WB55RGV6.

I have changed original LD file to what you have proposed and CubeIDE cant build the project anymore:

/* Entry Point */
ENTRY(Reset_Handler)
 
/* Highest address of the user mode stack */
_estack = 0x20030000;	/* end of "RAM" Ram type memory, 2019-10-01, Changed */
 
_Min_Heap_Size = 0x200;	/* required amount of heap  */
_Min_Stack_Size = 0x400;	/* required amount of stack */
 
/* Memories definition, RAM 2019-10-01, Changed */
MEMORY
{
    FLASH	(rx)		:ORIGIN = 0x8000000,	LENGTH = 1024K
    RAM	(xrw)			:ORIGIN = 0x20000000,	LENGTH = 191K
    RAM_SHARED (xrw)    :ORIGIN = 0x20030000, 	LENGTH = 10K
}
 
MAPPING_TABLE (NOLOAD) : { *(MAPPING_TABLE) } >RAM_SHARED
MB_MEM1 (NOLOAD)      : { *(MB_MEM1) } >RAM_SHARED
MB_MEM2               : { *(MB_MEM2) } >RAM_SHARED

I got an error: STM32WB55RGVX_FLASH.ld:18: syntax error

Can you please clarify, why i have to add

"

MAPPING_TABLE (NOLOAD) : { *(MAPPING_TABLE) } >RAM_SHARED

MB_MEM1 (NOLOAD)   : { *(MB_MEM1) } >RAM_SHARED

MB_MEM2        : { *(MB_MEM2) } >RAM_SHARED 

" ?

Thanks!

[Remi QUINTIN]

The extract of the linker script I exposed ahead is from one of the BLE examples of the CubeWB FW package. The communication in between the 2 cores of the STM32WB (M4 and M0+) is done through command buffer. This buffer is placed in the MB_MEM1 section located in the RAM-SHARED region in memory.

The pragma to achieve this is in the app_ble.c file.

PLACE_IN_SECTION("MB_MEM1") ALIGN(4) static TL_CmdPacket_t BleCmdBuffer;

 Same implementation for the event end System command buffers which are placed in the MB_MEM2 section (see app_entry.c file for the pragma)

PLACE_IN_SECTION("MB_MEM2") ALIGN(4) static uint8_t EvtPool[POOL_SIZE];

PLACE_IN_SECTION("MB_MEM2") ALIGN(4) static TL_CmdPacket_t SystemCmdBuffer;

PLACE_IN_SECTION("MB_MEM2") ALIGN(4) static uint8_t SystemSpareEvtBuffer[sizeof(TL_PacketHeader_t) + TL_EVT_HDR_SIZE + 255U];

PLACE_IN_SECTION("MB_MEM2") ALIGN(4) static uint8_t BleSpareEvtBuffer[sizeof(TL_PacketHeader_t) + TL_EVT_HDR_SIZE + 255];

So the 3 lines you mentioned are not relevant if you are developing your own  inter-processor communication.

The error comes from the fact that the 3 sections MAPPING TABLE, MB_MEM1 and MB_MEM2 do not exist in your project.

The key primary error with your first linker script was the location of the _estack at 0x20004000.

[SMako]

Hi Remi,

thank you for the answer.

By the way - do you know where i can find BLE example for this MCU, that i could debug in CubeIDE?

Thanks!

[Remi QUINTIN]

​Please have a look inside the CubeWB FW package under the directory STM32Cube_FW_WB_V1.2.0\Projects\P-NUCLEO-WB55.Nucleo\Applications\BLE\.

Here you'll find a lot of BLE projects. Under each project, use the SW4STM32 files that are made to be used/converted for CubeIDE.

[SMako]

Hi Remi,

thanks for the answer! Will try to convert SW4STM32 to CubeIDE. Do you think i can use IOC file as well?b And it will modify the project after IOC modification as well?

[Cartu38 OpenDev]

Definitively a bug.

Sounds some improvements have been done Thanks STM32CubeIDE V1.1.0 just released on st.com