RE: [avr-gcc-list] an idea: adding serial sram to avr to extendheapstorage

[Boyapati, Anitha]

>
>What I'm after is basically a way to extend the variables storage
>within the gcc/libc framework.  To store variables in an external sram
>rather than internal sram.  My (limited) understanding is that is the
>heap storage. 

Heap storage is used only for dynamic memory allocation. All local and global 
variables that are statically allocated go to internal ram (stack incase of 
local variables)

> This would leave the internal sram free for stack.

Same comment as above.

> I
>already have libraries for storing data in external sram but it is not
>seamless.  Have to go through extra steps to store and retrieve data,
>like using eeprom.  What I am envisioning is an addon with possibly
>compiler option or something to redirect all access to the heap to
>another sram segment completely, this particular segment being tied
>into the system via spi.  Something that would make using this with
>existing software more or less seamless beyond maybe adding a link and
>compiler option(or something to that effect) to make it happen.
>

Sounds interesting. But I hope you already thought such a feature cannot extend 
to all AVR devices. So maybe XMega A series is what you have in mind?

Anitha