Zilog Z80380 - Manual (Page 52)

Introduction Linking Files
3–2 UM004001-COR1103
• Reads in Relocatable object modules and library files in Common Object File Format
(COFF) or ZiLOG Object Module Format (ZOMF)
• Resolves external references
•
Assigns absolute addresses to Relocatable sections
• Supports Source-Level Debugging (SLD)
• Generates a single executable module to download into the target system or burn into
OTP or EPROM programmable devices
• Generates a map file
• Generates COFF files (for Libraries)
Linkage Editing
The linker creates a single executable load module from multiple relocatable objects.
Resolving External References
After reading multiple object modules, the linker searches through each of them to resolve
external references to public symbols. The linker looks for the definition of public symbols
corresponding to each external symbol in the object module.
Relocating Addresses
The linker allows the user to specify where the code and data are stored in the target proces-
sor system’s memory at run-time. Changing relocation addresses within each section to an
absolute address is handled in this phase.
Debugging Support
When the debug option is specified, the linker creates an executable file that can be loaded
into the debugger at run-time. A warning message is generated if any of the object modules
do not contain a special section that has debug symbols for the corresponding source module.
Such a warning indicates that a source file was compiled or assembled without turning on a
special switch that tells the compiler or assembler to include debug symbols information
while creating a relocatable object module.
Creating Map Files
The linker can be directed to create a map file that details the location of the Relocatable sec-
tions and Public Symbols.