Basic Page - 2021.2 English

Vitis Unified Software Platform Documentation: Embedded Software Development (UG1400)

Document ID
UG1400
Release Date
2021-12-15
Version
2021.2 English

Configure the following sections of the Linker Script Generator page Basic view. Placing these key sections into the appropriate memory region can improve performance. Use the drop-down menu next to the code, data, and heap or stack sections to select the region and type of memory that you want these blocks to reside in.

Code Sections
This is used to store the executable code (instructions). Typically DDR memory is used for this task. Sometimes interrupt handlers or frequently used functions are built into separate sections and can be mapped to lower latency memory such as BRAM or OCM.
Data Sections
Place initialized and uninitialized data in this region. Often DDR memory is used; however, if the data size requirements are small, OCM or BRAM can be used to improve performance.
Heap and Stack
Heap is accessed through dynamic memory allocation calls such as malloc(). These sections are typically left in DDR unless they are known to be small, in which case they can be placed in OCM or BRAM. If the stack is lightly used, no significant performance loss will occur if left in DDR.
Heap Size
Specify the heap size. Even if a programmer does not use dynamic memory allocation explicitly, there are some functions that use the heap such as printf(). It is a good idea to allocate a few KB for such functions, as a precaution.
Stack Size
Specify the stack size. Remember that the stack size grows down in memory and could overrun the heap without warning. Make certain that you allocate enough memory, especially if you use recursive functions or deep hierarchies.