Procedure

1. Create a C file abs_address.c to define an integer and a string constant.

   unsigned int const number = 0x12345678;
   char* const string = "Hello World";

2. Create a scatter file, scatter.scat, to place the constants in separate sections ER_RONUMBERS and ER_ROSTRINGS.

   LR_1 0x040000          ; load region starts at 0x40000   
   {                      ; start of execution region descriptions      
       ER_RO 0x040000     ; load address = execution address
       {
           *(+RO +RW)     ; all RO sections (must include section with 
                          ; initial entry point)
       }
       ER_RONUMBERS +0
       {
           *(.rodata.number, +RO-DATA)
       }
       ER_ROSTRINGS +0
       {
           *(.rodata.string, .rodata.str1.1, +RO-DATA)
       }
                          ; rest of scatter-loading description
   
       ARM_LIB_STACK 0x80000 EMPTY -0x20000  ; Stack region growing down
       { }
       ARM_LIB_HEAP 0x28000000 EMPTY 0x80000 ; Heap region growing up
       { }
   }

   armclang puts string literals in a section called .rodata.str1.1

3. Compile and link the file.

   armclang --target=arm-arm-eabi-none -mcpu=cortex-a9 abs_address.c -g -c -o abs_address.o
   armlink --cpu=cortex-a9 --scatter=scatter.scat abs_address.o --output=abs_address.axf

4. Run fromelf on the image to view the contents of the output sections.

   fromelf -c -d abs_address.axf

   The output contains the following sections:

   ...
   ** Section #2 'ER_RONUMBERS' (SHT_PROGBITS) [SHF_ALLOC]
       Size   : 4 bytes (alignment 4)
       Address: 0x00040000
   
       0x040000:   78 56 34 12                                        xV4.
   
   
   ** Section #3 'ER_ROSTRINGS' (SHT_PROGBITS) [SHF_ALLOC]
       Size   : 16 bytes (alignment 4)
       Address: 0x00040004
   
       0x040004:   48 65 6c 6c 6f 20 57 6f 72 6c 64 00 04 00 04 00    Hello World.....
   ...

5. Replace the ER_RONUMBERS and ER_ROSTRINGS sections in the scatter file with the following ER_RODATA section:

       ER_RODATA +0
       {
           abs_address.o(.rodata.number, .rodata.string, .rodata.str1.1, +RO-DATA)
       }

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4.
   The integer and string constants are both placed in the ER_RODATA section, for example:

   ** Section #2 'ER_RODATA' (SHT_PROGBITS) [SHF_ALLOC]
       Size   : 20 bytes (alignment 4)
       Address: 0x00040000
   
       0x040000:   78 56 34 12 48 65 6c 6c 6f 20 57 6f 72 6c 64 00    xV4.Hello World.
       0x040010:   04 00 04 00                                        ....