Mailbox - How to pass a pointer correct

[Methanbombe]

Hello again,

Still having trouble with my own incompetence.

So I want to pass data from one thread to another. There for I have declared a Mailbox and initialized it.

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  /*
   * Initialize Mailbox
   */
  mailbox_t Output_Queue;
  msg_t Output_buf[128];
  chMBObjectInit(&(Output_Queue), Output_buf, 128);


The data is stored in a stuct, which i allocate from a MemPool. The MemPool should also be correct initialized:

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  memory_pool_t Output_Msg_Pool;
  OutputMessage* Pool_Buffer[128] __attribute__((aligned(sizeof(stkalign_t))));
  /*
   * Initialize Memory Pool for Output-Message Objects and add all Buffer-Elements
   * to the Memory Pool
   */
  chPoolObjectInit(&(Output_Msg_Pool), sizeof(OutputMessage), NULL);
  for(i = 0; i < 128; i++)
    chPoolFree(&(Output_Msg_Pool), &(Pool_Buffer[i]));


The struct now is passed as Pointer through the Mailbox to the receiving thread:

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  OutputMessage *om;
  om = (OutputMessage*)chPoolAlloc(&(Output_Msg_Pool));
  //Initialize Data.
  chMBPost(&(VCOM.Output_Queue), (msg_t)om, TIME_IMMEDIATE);


However, when I now want to get the Pointer out, I dont get the right Value....

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  OutputMessage *current;
  chMBFetch(&(Output_Queue), (msg_t*)current, TIME_IMMEDIATE);


The value of *current isn't the right address of the struct, which I wanted to pass.

I'm pretty sure that the mechanism should work this way somehow, but I'm apparently not bright enough to figure out by myself, how to correctly pass this struct.
Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

I've already tried different ways of retrieving the Mailbox-Payload:

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  OutputMessage current;
  chMBFetch(&(VCOM.Output_Queue), (msg_t*)&current, TIME_IMMEDIATE);


doesn't work either.

I hope someone can help me with this.
All answers are appreciated.

Methanbombe

[Methanbombe]

Also here is the code, if it helps.

[flabbergast]

I think it should be

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  OutputMessage *current;
  chMBFetch(&(VCOM.Output_Queue), (msg_t*)&current, TIME_IMMEDIATE);


The second parameter to chMBFetch should a pointer to the thing you want to receive. You want to receive a pointer.

[Giovanni]

Correct, the message parameter must be a pointer. It is guaranteed that msg_t is large enough to contain a pointer.

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  OutputMessage current;
  chMBFetch(&(VCOM.Output_Queue), (msg_t*)&current, TIME_IMMEDIATE);


This is right assuming TIME_IMMEDIATE is what you want. You need to check the returned value if so.

Giovanni

[Methanbombe]

The second parameter to chMBFetch should a pointer to the thing you want to receive. You want to receive a pointer.

Correct, the message parameter must be a pointer. It is guaranteed that msg_t is large enough to contain a pointer.
Giovanni

Yes but my actual problem is, that the pointer, when I recieve it, does not correctly point to my Message-struct.

You can see in the first Picture, that the Pointer to the OutputMessage *om = 0x20001624.

That does mean the Message Object is at this address, right?

Now in the second Picture, the pointer is fetched from the Mailbox. the value of *msgp is again 0x20001624, which should be the adress of the Message Object.
Also I think the Mailbox works fine (rdymsg = 0 /* MSG_OK */).

In the third Picture you can now see my problem:

Even though I think I have the right address of my OutputMessage the content isn't correct.
Compare Picture 1:
om->message = 0x08007370

Picture 3:
current->message = 0x20000808


I am sure I am doing sth essential wrong, but I have no idea what.

[flabbergast]

So the mailbox mechanism is working fine - you get out exactly what you post in.

BTW your pool code looks a bit fishy to me: Pool_Buffer contains 128 "pointers to OutputMessage" (sizeof each of the 128 things is the size of the pointer). But in the chPoolObjectInit call you declare that each item in the pool has sizeof(OutputMessage). Or am I reading this wrong?

[Methanbombe]

BTW your pool code looks a bit fishy to me: Pool_Buffer contains 128 "pointers to OutputMessage" (sizeof each of the 128 things is the size of the pointer). But in the chPoolObjectInit call you declare that each item in the pool has sizeof(OutputMessage)

I know that the code is not aesthetic :/ But this is my first real MC project; I am open for improvement suggestions.

About the Pool Initialization, how should it be done correct?

I want to have a Pool of 128 OutputMessage structs.

[Methanbombe]

Could this be the problem:

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OutputMessage* Pool_Buffer[OUTPUT_BUFFER_LEN] __attribute__((aligned(sizeof(stkalign_t))));

Because I only have an array of Pointers to OutputMessages?

But when I try:

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OutputMessage Pool_Buffer[OUTPUT_BUFFER_LEN] __attribute__((aligned(sizeof(stkalign_t))));

which should be an array of OutputMessages i get a compiler Error: array type has incomplete element type

I hate my incompetence (

[Giovanni]

Hi,

I missed this:

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OutputMessage current;
chMBFetch(&(VCOM.Output_Queue), (msg_t*)&current, TIME_IMMEDIATE);


What you receive from chMbxFetch() is the pointer to your structure so you need to declare:

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OutputMessage *current;

What you pass to chMbxFetch() is a pointer to a pointer to your message.

Giovanni

[Methanbombe]

What you receive from chMbxFetch() is the pointer to your structure so you need to declare:

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OutputMessage *current;

Yes I have already changed it to a Pointer.

Pool_Buffer contains 128 "pointers to OutputMessage" (sizeof each of the 128 things is the size of the pointer). But in the chPoolObjectInit call you declare that each item in the pool has sizeof(OutputMessage).

I am now trying to figure out the correct way to declare an array of OutputMessages.
So this:

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OutputMessage Pool_Buffer[OUTPUT_BUFFER_LEN] __attribute__((aligned(sizeof(stkalign_t))));

is generating a compile Error...