Variable Space in internal AT91SAM7 flash

Nick Moszer wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Has anyone found a need to modify the linker scripts for the AT91SAM7 to
> carve off some internal flash variable space?
>
> I'm working with a AT91SAM7S256 and would LIKE to shave off the top 1k
> to store variables but am having trouble getting it to work right.
>
> Details:  using WinARM w/ gcc 4.1.1
> I have the linker scripts from Martin Thomas' gamma example (last
> updated on 2-Sept-06.  In my AT91SAM7S256_memory.ldh file I modified it
> as follows:
>
> From:
>
> MEMORY
> {
>   CODE (rx)  : ORIGIN = 0x00100000, LENGTH = 256k
>   DATA (rwx) : ORIGIN = 0x00200000, LENGTH = 64k
> }
>
> To:
>
> MEMORY
> {
>   CODE (rx)  : ORIGIN = 0x00100000, LENGTH = 255k
>   DATA (rwx) : ORIGIN = 0x00200000, LENGTH = 64k
>   VARS (rx)  : ORIGIN = 0x0013FC00, LENGTH = 1k
> }
>
>
> And declared a variable as:
> const unsigned int checker _attribute_ ((section ("VARS"))) = 0xF;
>
> When the linker runs and it reports the following:
>
> Size after:
> main.tmp.elf  :
> section     size      addr
> .text      53444   1048576
> VARS           4   1102020
> .data       2928   2097152
> .noinit       12   2100080
> .bss        3328   2100092
> .comment    1512         0
> Total      61228
>
> So it looks like the variable is in the "VARS" section but the address
> doesn't make sense.  It is in the "CODE" section a.k.a. addr:
> 0x0010D0C4.
>
> I'm guessing I have to modify the AT91SAM7S_sections_ROM.ldh file to
> accomodate this change but that file just looks scary.
>
> Has anyone done something similar and got it to work out?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!


Wow, ok I think I actually got it.  Maybe anyway.

I just edited that AT91SAM7S_sections_ROM.ldh as (added .vars):

  .dtors :
  {
    PROVIDE(_dtors_start_ = .);
    KEEP(*(SORT(.dtors.*)))
    KEEP(*(.dtors))
    PROVIDE(_dtors_end_ = .);
  } >CODE

  . = ALIGN(4);

  .vars :
  {
    __vars_start = . ;
    _vars_start_ = . ;
    *(.vars)
    *(.vars.*)
    *(.gnu.linkonce.v.*)
    *(VARS)
    . = ALIGN(4);
  } >VARS

  . = ALIGN(4);

  _etext = . ;
  PROVIDE (etext = .);

  /* .data section which is used for initialized data */
  .data : AT (_etext)
  {


Is this the proper way to do this?