What does "cannot load from non-primitive location" mean ?

Mike,

This message means that the expression tried to read and display data from the target where the type of the data is not a primitive type (char, short, int etc).  For instance, "main" is of type "function pointer" so evaluating "*main" would be asking the debugger to display data of type "function" which doesn't make much sense and would return this error.

At least, that's what it's supposed to mean.  If that doesn't make sense in your case, could you attach a small test program with the struct in question and show what evaluations incorrectly return that error message incorrectly?

Darian

Thanks,  that would seem to correlate with what I am seeing in the debugger.

Mike

I have this problem with any symbol defined in linker file regardless of the fact that this symbol is extern-ed as a type in C source and being used by the code. For instance

Linker:

    .flash_wrapper    : (NOLOAD) { _Flash_Registers = .;} > FWM

Header:

typedef struct FLASH_REGISTERS_TYPE_TAG

{

.............

} FLASH_REGISTERS_TYPE;

extern FLASH_REGISTERS_TYPE Flash_Registers;

Source:

Flash_Registers.Read_Control = ....;

The way to get CCS to display it as a structure is to use this expression in Watch window:

(FLASH_REGISTERS_TYPE *)Flash_Registers

This means that symbol information is there but CCS can not find it for some reason. It is the same in CCSv3.3 and CCSv4.

If a structure is completely declared and defined in the C code then watch window is working fine.

Eugene

Darian,

Thanks. It is tricky to implement this workaround in our environment as typedefs are in header files that do not have corresponding C files. Lets wait and see what linker team can do about keeping symbol information.

Eugene

Darian,

I am experiencing a simular problem on the C6000 platform, specifically on the C6727. I am utilizing TI's chip support library to setup dMax for a SPI slave transfer. In doing so I must cast a structure member of each of the two referenced variables below to CSL_dmaxParamSetup and CSL_dmaxEventSetup types, respectively. Doing so produces the error "cannot load from non-primitive location" in the watch locals window in CCS. This error "cannot load from non-primitive location" causes the CSL_dmaxHwSetup() function to fail. 

CSL_DmaxSpiParameterSetup         dmax_spiparamsetup

CSL_DmaxSpiSlaveTransferEventSetup         dmax_spievent.paramSetup

Would the work around above apply this platform and scenario, casting TI defined Structures in C code?

Amanda,

I'm actually not all that familiar with the CSL.  Would you be able to compile and attach a small example .out file with the necessary structures and let me know precisely what expressions you are entering in the watch view that return this error message?

Also, you mentioned that the watch view error message causes the function to fail on the target.  The watch view only reads memory and registers, so it shouldn't affect target execution (unless there's a silicon bug where a read causes some side effect).  If you close the watch (or locals) view, does the function succeed?

Darian

Darian,

Thank you for your response. I realized that the message in the watch veiw window "cannot load from non-primitive location" was not causing the CSL_dMaxHwSetup() function to fail, but that since the variable was a structure and not a char, int, etc. it could not display its value. I dug a little deeper by finding the code for function CSL_dMaxHwSetup() within the install files. From evaluating this function I found that either the casting of the variables that I sighted above were not being handled correctly by the compiler/linker, or that the "etype" that I provided in the CSL_dMaxHwSetup structure was not what this function was looking for.  Initially I assigned the hex value of 0x00010 to the spi field of the CSL_DmaxSpiSlaveTransferEventSetup structure. This is the value specified by the dMax documentation to select an etype of spi slave transfer in the event entry register. The etype field is selected with bits 0-4 of this register. Within TI's include file cslr_dmax.h, There is a definition for an etype of value 0x00000002u for event 0 named, CSL_DMAX_EVENT0_ETYPE_SPISLAVEXFR. When I used this contant to set the value of the "etype" field of the CSL_DmaxSpiSlaveTransferEventSetup structure, the CSL_dmaxHwSetup() function did not fail, but returned a status of CSL_SOK. Therefore the value of the etype field for the structure was causing CSL_dmaxHwSetup() function to fail.

My concern is that this is not the correct value that I need to setup the dMax for an SPI 1 slave transfer, which is event 14. There is no definition for spi slave transfer for any event other than event0. If I add the needed case statement for  CSL_DMAX_EVENT14_ETYPE_SPISLAVEXFR, which is (0x00000010u) to function CSL_dmaxHwSetup(), and add a #define statement to cslr_dmax.h for a serial peripheral interface port 1 (SPI1) slave transfer (# define CSL_DMAX_EVENT14_ETYPE_SPISLAVEXFR  (0x00000010u) ), how can I rebuild these files and produce a new csl_C6727.lib library file? I have tried to do this by running the C6727 makefile executable found within TI's install directories. However, no new executable was produced. Please advise.

If you will provide your e-mail address, I can e-mail the referenced functions to you, as I cannot attach them to this post.

Thanks,

Amanda

Hi,

I meet the same problem "cannot load from non-primitive location" and found that memory stack size is less than specified, see image below. I change stack size 0x200 to 0x600 and i settled this problem.

Hi Darain,

The example you mentioned in this message , with main and "*main" is happening with my code. "error cannot load from non-primitive location", Could you please let me know the resolution for this problem?

Actually ,have gone through all the forum conversations and have tried the stack size change approach, as well as other approaches stated. But not able to solve the problem.

Attaching screenshot of same.

Hi Tanmayee,

In the screenshot, you are getting errors when you try to deference a variable of type void*.  If you know it's actual type, you can cast it in the expressions view and then expand it to see it's members.  For instance:

(MyStructType*)ADCDRV_1ch_Rlt3

Darian

Thanks Darian,

Tried the casting, and now I am able to view the values of parameters.

Regards,

Tanmayee

Thanks Richard. Your reply should be selected as the right answer too. I got into the exact problem and your post helped me out.

I created a new project and by default the heap size was default to 0x0 and the stack size was default to 0x512. I oversaw the project settings and didn't spot this out until I saw your post.

Notes to TI: I think the CCS project template should really need to be changed to give the heap size something more sensible than 0x0 (can't do anything with zero heap size). It was a pain to figure out why Tera Term didn't work for me while all the code looked perfectly fine.

Hi,
I have same error I used this suggestion of changing stack size but still cannot solve problem. I am using TMS320VC5509A processor and loading example of led blinking provided by spectrum digital. Any suggestion?

Dear Tanmayee,
Have you got the solution for this problem? As I am facing the same problem. I too read many forum discussion and tried by changing Stack size but I am not getting proper solution for this. If you could resolve your problem then please reply.

Hi ,

Is there someone who can tell the solution? Stack size approach not working please suggest something.

Thanks

Regards

Mehwish

Girish and Mehwish,

If you post a picture of your expressions view when you get this error, I may be able to explain it to you.  Most likely the variable is a void* and you are trying to deference it.  You would have to cast the variable to see it. 

I suspect that for most people seeing this issue, the suggestion to change the stack size will not work.

Darian

Mehwish,

It's very hard to read the text on that picture, but it looks like you are hovering over a function.  Functions have a value (where they are located in memory), but cannot be dereferenced, even though their type is a pointer type.  Dereferencing them would be equivalent to calling them.  This is as expected.

Are you seeing this error in a case where you expect the expression to evaluate to a value?

Darian

Darian,

Thanks for your help. Actually I am running led blinking example I cannot see it blinking, every time the program goes in forever running mode. Is this not the reason for successful output ? I get this error of loading from non primitive location wherever the function DSK5509 is used in code.

Thanks.

Regards

Mehwish

Mehwish,

This error is not an error occurring on the target. Think of it as an explanation as to why the function cannot be dereferenced.

Ideally, the editor would not automatically dereference functions, so I've opened SDSCM00052653 to fix that. However, this is not the source of your problem. I would suggest opening another thread to explicitly ask why the example is not working.

Darian

Darian

Thanks . Now I have an idea about the problem. And about opening another thread I would consider that definitely. Thanks for all the suggestions.


Mehwish

I think you must have used mem_alloc function in your program, and this problem may related to your incorrect memory configuration. You need to check it in .tcf file.