Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!att!alberta!idacom!danny
From: danny@idacom.UUCP (Danny Wilson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Re: Mystery Error (unable to unwind stack)
Summary: Flaky something or bad BLM?
Message-ID: <633@idacom.UUCP>
Date: 27 Apr 89 03:27:44 GMT
References: <42d82721.8b6c@apollo.COM> <15546@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>
Organization: IDACOM Electronics Ltd., Edmonton, Alta.
Lines: 40

In article <15546@elroy.Jpl.Nasa.Gov>, dave@jplopto.uucp (Dave Hayes) writes:
> 
> That would explain the errors that my users keep getting, tho. We are 
> using Mentor Graphics tools, and their EXPAND tool is the only one that they
> see this error in. I guess I should take that up with them.

A stack frame error *may* happen if the sheets that are being compiled
into the design file have buggy BLM's (Behavior language models).
That is, if your people are writing their own BLM code and it is
not quite up to snuff. Another possibility is if you use third-party
models (like Logic Automation or Quadtree) and there are bugs in them.

I have *never* seen a stack frame error during Expand in over 
5 years of using expand... I would expect it more during a simulation
run with QuickSim.

> 
> But how does this explain that I've gotten this error from shell commands 
> like ARGS and WHILE? Sometimes some of the commands in /com give me this 
> error. Aren't they debugged sufficiently to not overrun their stacks?
> 

This sounds like something is seriously flaky in your system - not
the application programs you are using. I'd give the hotline a call.
  
> Am I? What is DDE? What does all that garbage mean? 

DDE is a debugger that is very useful for writing programs. Of course,
the gentleman was assuming you were developing software rather
than hardware. (if you really get into custom BLM development
the debugger is *quite* useful [Mentor Graphics sites before 
version 7.0 must use the Apollo SR9.7 - 'debug' program rather
than DDE])


-- 
Danny Wilson
IDACOM Electronics		danny@idacom.uucp
Edmonton, Alberta		alberta!idacom!danny
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