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[avr-gcc-list] Re: Stack use - possible bug


From: David Brown
Subject: [avr-gcc-list] Re: Stack use - possible bug
Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:46:55 +0200
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On 09/06/2010 15:26, Dale wrote:
Hi Eric,>@2010.06.09_15:16:08_+0200


You need to use the "noinline" function attribute on the initialise() function.


Sure, that's one solution. Another is to simply remove static from
initialise(). Its easy if you know which functions are affected.


No, that's not a solution - trying to lie to the compiler is never (well, /almost/ never) the best idea. Once avr-gcc moves over to gcc 4.5 and people start using link-time optimisation, the compiler will figure out by itself that the function is only called once even without the "static".

However, its not always obvious what the compiler is going to do. And
therefore where to do this type of thing. Its the kind of issue that can
catch you unawares.

The optimising is effectively creating stack-space for variables but not
destroying it. The boundary for where the variables are no longer used,
should be known.


The compiler /does/ know when variables are used or not. But the usual way to allocate frame space is to allocate the maximum needed space on function entry, and free it on function exit. There are odd occasions like this one in which this is not the behaviour you want, but usually that produces the best code. Similarly, the usual behaviour is to automatically inline functions that are known to be used only once.

In a one-off case like this, Eric's recommendation of a "noinline" function attribute is clear and simple to use. If you want a more general solution, the compiler lets you fiddle with all sorts of parameters that control this sort of thing. In particular, there are the "large-stack-frame" and "large-stack-frame-growth" parameters than you can play with. Something like "--param large-stack-frame=20" might be more appropriate for your use than the standard, which is to allow a stack frame growth of 256 bytes.

See <http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-4.3.5/gcc/Optimize-Options.html>

mvh.,

David

See here:
<http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-4.3.5/gcc/Function-Attributes.html#Function-Attributes>

Eric

-----Original Message-----
From:
address@hidden
[mailto:address@hidden
org] On Behalf Of Dale
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 6:43 AM
To: address@hidden
Subject: [avr-gcc-list] Stack use - possible bug

Hi

Stumbled onto this due to dire shortage of ram and monitoring stack
usage. To get an idea of whether it was enough, etc.

I'll try and put together sample code which replicates it but the
scenario for now is:

static void initialise(void)
{
        char    buf[50];        // some data

        // call a bunch of functions
}

int main(void)
{
        initialise();
        
        // bunch of stuff
}

Now, initialise() is only ever called once and therefore is optimised
and included inline into main().

What I find is that space used by buf[] is never released from the
stack. There may in fact be more since initialise() calls a
whole bunch
of other functions, some of which may or may not have variables on the
stack and/or be one-off functions and as a result 'rolled-into' code
that then forms main().

Given my constrained setup, its critical that this stack
space is freed.

Anyone come across this? Is it a known issue?

--

Cheers,

Dale.

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