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Associate III
January 12, 2026
Solved

unknown in flash after linked-script-user-defined const

  • January 12, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 262 views

I am just curious about information in the flash. 

carleslsregner_0-1768214727900.png

 

#ifndef DEVICE_VERSIONING_INFORMATION_H
#define DEVICE_VERSIONING_INFORMATION_H

typedef struct {
 uint32_t magic; // 0x46575652 = 'FWVR'
 uint8_t major;
 uint8_t minor;
 uint8_t patch;
 uint8_t build;
} fw_version_t;

__attribute__((used, section(".fw_version")))
const fw_version_t fw_version = {
 .magic = 0x46575652,
 .major = 1,
 .minor = 3,
 .patch = 2,
 .build = 7,
};

#endif // DEVICE_VERSIONING_INFORMATION_H

 

I wrote in the linked script file (.ld) some versioning information. I guess it is the best way to store the device versioning information because that way allows the swd to get directly from the flash the version, although, I can get it too by request and response by uart. 

However, why there is more data after the version information in the flash memory?

carleslsregner_1-1768215451172.png

Is this normal? Should the user defined constants in the flash be followed by other information?

/*
******************************************************************************
**
** @file : LinkerScript.ld
**
** @author : Auto-generated by STM32CubeIDE
**
** Abstract : Linker script for NUCLEO-F070RB Board embedding STM32F070RBTx Device from stm32f0 series
** 128KBytes FLASH
** 16KBytes RAM
**
** Set heap size, stack size and stack location according
** to application requirements.
**
** Set memory bank area and size if external memory is used
**
** Target : STMicroelectronics STM32
**
** Distribution: The file is distributed as is, without any warranty
** of any kind.
**
******************************************************************************
** @attention
**
** Copyright (c) 2026 STMicroelectronics.
** All rights reserved.
**
** This software is licensed under terms that can be found in the LICENSE file
** in the root directory of this software component.
** If no LICENSE file comes with this software, it is provided AS-IS.
**
******************************************************************************
*/

/* Entry Point */
ENTRY(Reset_Handler)

/* Highest address of the user mode stack */
_estack = ORIGIN(RAM) + LENGTH(RAM); /* end of "RAM" Ram type memory */

_Min_Heap_Size = 0x200; /* required amount of heap */
_Min_Stack_Size = 0x400; /* required amount of stack */

/* Memories definition */
MEMORY
{
 RAM (xrw) : ORIGIN = 0x20000000, LENGTH = 16K
 FLASH (rx) : ORIGIN = 0x8000000, LENGTH = 128K
}

/* Sections */
SECTIONS
{

 /* The startup code into "FLASH" Rom type memory */
 .isr_vector :
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 KEEP(*(.isr_vector)) /* Startup code */
 . = ALIGN(4);
 } >FLASH

 /* The program code and other data into "FLASH" Rom type memory */
 .text :
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 *(.text) /* .text sections (code) */
 *(.text*) /* .text* sections (code) */
 *(.glue_7) /* glue arm to thumb code */
 *(.glue_7t) /* glue thumb to arm code */
 *(.eh_frame)

 KEEP (*(.init))
 KEEP (*(.fini))

 . = ALIGN(4);
 _etext = .; /* define a global symbols at end of code */

 } >FLASH


	/* Firmware version section at fixed address */
 .fw_version 0x08003000 :
 {
 KEEP(*(.fw_version*))
 } >FLASH


 /* Constant data into "FLASH" Rom type memory */
 .rodata :
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 *(.rodata) /* .rodata sections (constants, strings, etc.) */
 *(.rodata*) /* .rodata* sections (constants, strings, etc.) */
 . = ALIGN(4);
 } >FLASH

 .ARM.extab (READONLY) : /* The "READONLY" keyword is only supported in GCC11 and later, remove it if using GCC10 or earlier. */
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 *(.ARM.extab* .gnu.linkonce.armextab.*)
 . = ALIGN(4);
 } >FLASH

 .ARM (READONLY) : /* The "READONLY" keyword is only supported in GCC11 and later, remove it if using GCC10 or earlier. */
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 __exidx_start = .;
 *(.ARM.exidx*)
 __exidx_end = .;
 . = ALIGN(4);
 } >FLASH

 .preinit_array (READONLY) : /* The "READONLY" keyword is only supported in GCC11 and later, remove it if using GCC10 or earlier. */
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__preinit_array_start = .);
 KEEP (*(.preinit_array*))
 PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__preinit_array_end = .);
 . = ALIGN(4);
 } >FLASH

 .init_array (READONLY) : /* The "READONLY" keyword is only supported in GCC11 and later, remove it if using GCC10 or earlier. */
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__init_array_start = .);
 KEEP (*(SORT(.init_array.*)))
 KEEP (*(.init_array*))
 PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__init_array_end = .);
 . = ALIGN(4);
 } >FLASH

 .fini_array (READONLY) : /* The "READONLY" keyword is only supported in GCC11 and later, remove it if using GCC10 or earlier. */
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__fini_array_start = .);
 KEEP (*(SORT(.fini_array.*)))
 KEEP (*(.fini_array*))
 PROVIDE_HIDDEN (__fini_array_end = .);
 . = ALIGN(4);
 } >FLASH

 /* Used by the startup to initialize data */
 _sidata = LOADADDR(.data);

 /* Initialized data sections into "RAM" Ram type memory */
 .data :
 {
 . = ALIGN(4);
 _sdata = .; /* create a global symbol at data start */
 *(.data) /* .data sections */
 *(.data*) /* .data* sections */
 *(.RamFunc) /* .RamFunc sections */
 *(.RamFunc*) /* .RamFunc* sections */

 . = ALIGN(4);
 _edata = .; /* define a global symbol at data end */

 } >RAM AT> FLASH

 /* Uninitialized data section into "RAM" Ram type memory */
 . = ALIGN(4);
 .bss :
 {
 /* This is used by the startup in order to initialize the .bss section */
 _sbss = .; /* define a global symbol at bss start */
 __bss_start__ = _sbss;
 *(.bss)
 *(.bss*)
 *(COMMON)

 . = ALIGN(4);
 _ebss = .; /* define a global symbol at bss end */
 __bss_end__ = _ebss;
 } >RAM

 /* User_heap_stack section, used to check that there is enough "RAM" Ram type memory left */
 ._user_heap_stack :
 {
 . = ALIGN(8);
 PROVIDE ( end = . );
 PROVIDE ( _end = . );
 . = . + _Min_Heap_Size;
 . = . + _Min_Stack_Size;
 . = ALIGN(8);
 } >RAM

 /* Remove information from the compiler libraries */
 /DISCARD/ :
 {
 libc.a ( * )
 libm.a ( * )
 libgcc.a ( * )
 }

 .ARM.attributes 0 : { *(.ARM.attributes) }
}

I just ask it out of curiosity. 

 

Thanks for all.

Best answer by Andrew Neil

@Andrew Neil wrote:


Please show your linker script - hard to comment on it without seeing it!


Ah, now you've edited the original post to add it!

 

You've only specified the location of your version information; you haven't said that it has to be the last thing in flash.

The Linker has seen that there is space available beyond your .fw_version section, so it has just used it as normal.

 

PS:

Where to find the official GNU ld and linker script documentation

via: https://stackoverflow.com/a/77868219

1 reply

Andrew Neil
Super User
January 12, 2026

@carleslsregner wrote:

I guess it is the best way to store the device versioning information because that way allows the swd to get directly from the flash 


It's certainly a common way to do it.

 


@carleslsregner wrote:

I wrote in the linker script file (.ld)


Please show your linker script - hard to comment on it without seeing it!

 


@carleslsregner wrote:

why there is more data after the version information in the flash memory?


Why wouldn't there be?

What you've shown is all standard C stuff: .preinit_array, .init_array, etc are all part of the GCC startup process for initialising variables...

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work.
Andrew Neil
Andrew NeilBest answer
Super User
January 12, 2026

@Andrew Neil wrote:


Please show your linker script - hard to comment on it without seeing it!


Ah, now you've edited the original post to add it!

 

You've only specified the location of your version information; you haven't said that it has to be the last thing in flash.

The Linker has seen that there is space available beyond your .fw_version section, so it has just used it as normal.

 

PS:

Where to find the official GNU ld and linker script documentation

via: https://stackoverflow.com/a/77868219

A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that worked.A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work.