What is taking RAM space?

[alphacat]

In my application, the Uc dynamically allocates memory spaces, and then releases them.

After quite time of the Uc's operation, it doesnt manage to allocate reasonable memory spaces - Osal_Mem_Alloc returns NULL.

However, if at that point I power-off and on the Uc, it does manage to allocate the same memory space that it didnt manage to allocate a second before the powering-off.

It seems that something occupies more and more RAM space as the Uc continues running.

What could it be, besides calling Osal_Mem_Alloc without having Osal_Mem_Free following it?

Thank you.

 

[Oznog]

What microcontroller? What language/compiler?

 

[smanches]

Are the RAM spaces all the same size, or are they varied sizes? It's most likely memory fragmentation.

 

[DirtyLude]

The stack takes RAM and grows from the top of memory downward. Dynamically allocating and deallocating RAM space a uC is generally avoided.

EDIT: I should expand on that, it's avoided because of the fragmentation mentioned above. There's no garbage collection routines built in, unless maybe you are using a higher level language like BASIC or something.