nrf7002dk - region `FLASH' overflowed

[Candela]

Hi,

I am trying to create a Wi-Fi application on nrf7002dk using SMP over Bluetooth LE for Firmware Updates, but I get a "region 'FLASH' overflowed" error when I try to build the project:

[1/11] Linking C executable zephyr\zephyr_pre0.elf
FAILED: zephyr/zephyr_pre0.elf zephyr/zephyr_pre0.map 
c:/nordicsemi/toolchains/v2.3.0/opt/zephyr-sdk/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/../lib/gcc/arm-zephyr-eabi/12.1.0/../../../../arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/ld.exe: zephyr\zephyr_pre0.elf section `rodata' will not fit in region `FLASH'
c:/nordicsemi/toolchains/v2.3.0/opt/zephyr-sdk/arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/../lib/gcc/arm-zephyr-eabi/12.1.0/../../../../arm-zephyr-eabi/bin/ld.exe: region `FLASH' overflowed by 1424 bytes
collect2.exe: error: ld returned 1 exit status
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
[115/263] Building C object modules/hal_nordic/nrfx/CMakeFiles/modules__hal_nordic__nrfx.dir/C_/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/modules/hal/nordic/nrfx/drivers/src/nrfx_gpiote.c.obj
FAILED: modules/mcuboot/mcuboot_subimage-prefix/src/mcuboot_subimage-stamp/mcuboot_subimage-build mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.hex mcuboot/zephyr/zephyr.elf 

Is there any option to reduce the project's size? I have already disabled the debug options.

Regards,

Candela

[AHaug]

Hi,

A few general thoughts and tips is the following

• First steps would be to disable debug, which you've mentioned and logging.
• The second step is to investigate  Debunking misconceptions: A technical analysis of nRF5 SDK and nRF Connect SDK to see if there are anything you can use from this blog in your project to reduce its footprint
• The third thing is to have a look at the nRF Machine learning sample to see how this application has optimized MCUboot w.r.t. memory

 Could you also provide me with a memory report of your project? Either use the built in extension in VS Code or navigate to '<application location>/build' in command line and use 'nrfjprog partition_manager_report`?

Kind regards,
Andreas

[Candela]

Hi Andreas,

After following the proposals on the blog to reduce the footprint, and adding some settings from the nRF Machine learning sample, I still have the same problem...

I'm attaching the Memory reports of my project before enabling the Bootloader configuration. Once I add it, I get the Flash overflowed.

ROM Memory report:

RAM Memory report:

Partitions Memory report:

Best regards,

Candela

[AHaug]

Hi Candela,

Thank you for providing this information. Just a heads up that I will be out of office for the few weeks, but this case will be handled by my colleague while I'm out of office. You will hear from them shortly w.r.t. what to do next!

Kind regards,
Andreas

[Sigurd Hellesvik]

Hi,

I will continue to help with this case.

Can you upload your full build log as a .txt file?

Are you able to reproduce the issue if you add MCUboot to any of our samples?

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

[Candela]

Hi Sigurd,

I'm attaching the complete build log with the Flash overflowed error, you can find it on this link

On the other hand, yes, I can reproduce the issue adding these three configurations to the smp_svr sample:

CONFIG_WIFI=y
CONFIG_WIFI_NRF700X=y
CONFIG_WPA_SUPP=y

Best regards,

Candela

[Sigurd Hellesvik]

Hi,

Enabling an SMP Server will split your available flash into two, effectively reducing available flash by half.
This is likely why you experience flash limitation errors.

To solve this, you got two options:

1. Reduce/optimize flash usage. See Memory footprint optimization, and disable features you do not need.
2. Add external flash. See External flash memory partitions. Remember to add this for the mcuboot child image as well

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik

[Candela]

Hi,

I followed your recommendations, optimizing flash usage and using an external flash, and I got to reduce significativelly the flash usage. Nevertheless, I still have questions on how to add the mcuboot child image on the external flash. By now, I have used the partition manager to set the mcuboot_secondary region into the external flash, but I still have no enough space for the bootloader and the application on the primary flash. Do I need to move any other region to the external flash?

I am attaching the output partition manager report.

  external_flash (0x800000 - 8192kB):
+---------------------------------------------+
| 0x0: mcuboot_secondary (0xf4000 - 976kB)    |
| 0xf4000: external_flash (0x70c000 - 7216kB) |
+---------------------------------------------+

  flash_primary (0x100000 - 1024kB):
+-------------------------------------------------+
| 0x0: mcuboot (0xc000 - 48kB)                    |
+---0xc000: mcuboot_primary (0xf4000 - 976kB)-----+
| 0xc000: mcuboot_pad (0x200 - 512B)              |
+---0xc200: mcuboot_primary_app (0xf3e00 - 975kB)-+
| 0xc200: app (0xf3e00 - 975kB)                   |
+-------------------------------------------------+

  otp (0x2fc - 764B):
+------------------------------+
| 0xff8100: otp (0x2fc - 764B) |
+------------------------------+

  sram_primary (0x80000 - 512kB):
+-----------------------------------------------+
| 0x20000000: pcd_sram (0x2000 - 8kB)           |
| 0x20002000: sram_primary (0x6e000 - 440kB)    |
| 0x20070000: rpmsg_nrf53_sram (0x10000 - 64kB) |
+-----------------------------------------------+

 CPUNET flash_primary (0x40000 - 256kB):
+--------------------------------------------+
+---0x1000000: b0n_container (0x8800 - 34kB)-+
| 0x1000000: b0n (0x8580 - 33kB)             |
| 0x1008580: provision (0x280 - 640B)        |
+---0x1008800: app (0x37800 - 222kB)---------+
| 0x1008800: hci_rpmsg (0x37800 - 222kB)     |
+--------------------------------------------+

 CPUNET sram_primary (0x10000 - 64kB):
+-------------------------------------------+
| 0x21000000: sram_primary (0x10000 - 64kB) |
+-------------------------------------------+

Thanks!

Candela

[Sigurd Hellesvik]

Candela said:

but I still have no enough space for the bootloader and the application on the primary flash.

Can you post the build log showing this?

[Candela]

Sure! Find the complete log on this link

[Sigurd Hellesvik]

I suspect that this error could be related to MCUboot.
Try to create the folder child_image in your project, and put this in child_image/mcuboot.conf:

CONFIG_PM_PARITITON_SIZE_MCUBOOT=0x10000

[Candela]

Hi Sigurd, 

I have tried your proposal, but I am still facing some issues. My setup is as follows:

child_image/mcuboot.conf file:

CONFIG_PM_PARITITON_SIZE_MCUBOOT=0x10000

CMakeLists.txt file:

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.20.0)

set(PM_STATIC_YML_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/pm.yml)

find_package(Zephyr REQUIRED HINTS $ENV{ZEPHYR_BASE})

project(blinky)

add_child_image(
    NAME mcuboot
    SOURCE_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/child_image
    DOMAIN CPUNET
    )
    
...

Doing so, I get the following building error, related to the PM_PARTITION_SIZE_MCUBOOT symbol:

C:/nordicsemi/Project_Workspace_Realease/Rel/Project_dfu/child_image/mcuboot.conf:1: warning: attempt to assign the value '0x10000' to the undefined symbol PM_PARITITON_SIZE_MCUBOOT

error: Aborting due to Kconfig warnings
Parsing C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/bootloader/mcuboot/boot/zephyr/Kconfig
Loaded configuration 'C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/boards/arm/nrf7002dk_nrf5340/nrf7002dk_nrf5340_cpuapp_defconfig'
Merged configuration 'C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/bootloader/mcuboot/boot/zephyr/prj.conf'
Merged configuration 'C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/subsys/pcd/pcd.conf'
Merged configuration 'C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/subsys/bootloader/bl_override/override_external_mcuboot.conf'
Merged configuration 'C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/subsys/partition_manager/ext_flash_mcuboot_secondary.conf'
Merged configuration 'C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/subsys/partition_manager/partition_manager_enabled.conf'
Merged configuration 'C:/nordicsemi/Project_Workspace_Realease/Rel/Project_dfu/child_image/mcuboot.conf'
Merged configuration 'C:/nordicsemi/Project_Workspace_Realease/Rel/Project_dfu/build/mcuboot/zephyr/misc/generated/extra_kconfig_options.conf'

CMake Error at C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/zephyr/cmake/modules/kconfig.cmake:328 (message):
  command failed with return code: 1
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/cmake/modules/kconfig.cmake:29 (include)
  C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/zephyr/cmake/modules/zephyr_default.cmake:108 (include)
  C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/zephyr/share/zephyr-package/cmake/ZephyrConfig.cmake:66 (include)
  C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/zephyr/share/zephyr-package/cmake/ZephyrConfig.cmake:92 (include_boilerplate)
  CMakeLists.txt:44 (find_package)


-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
CMake Error at C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/cmake/multi_image.cmake:433 (message):
  CMake generation for mcuboot failed, aborting.  Command: 1
Call Stack (most recent call first):
  C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/cmake/multi_image.cmake:163 (add_child_image_from_source)
  C:/nordicsemi/v2.3.0/nrf/modules/mcuboot/CMakeLists.txt:234 (add_child_image)


-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also "C:/nordicsemi/Project_Workspace_Realease/Rel/Project_dfu/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log".
See also "C:/nordicsemi/Project_Workspace_Realease/Rel/Project_dfu/build/CMakeFiles/CMakeError.log".
FATAL ERROR: command exited with status 1: 'C:\nordicsemi\toolchains\v2.3.0\opt\bin\cmake.EXE' '-DWEST_PYTHON=C:\nordicsemi\toolchains\v2.3.0\opt\bin\python.exe' '-Bc:\nordicsemi\Project_Workspace_Realease\Rel\Project_dfu\build' -GNinja -DBOARD=nrf7002dk_nrf5340_cpuapp -DNCS_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION:STRING=NONE -DCONF_FILE:STRING=c:/nordicsemi/Project_Workspace_Realease/Rel/Project_dfu/prj.conf '-Sc:\nordicsemi\Project_Workspace_Realease\Rel\Project_dfu'

Taking a look into the post you link, I think I would need to add the child image using Zephyr modules, probably because of the use of a multicore architecture of nrf5340 microprocessor.

I've checked the multicore sample for nrf5340, where Zephyr modules are used to add a different configuration to the CPUNET core, but it is still not clear to me how to use them to add MCUBOOT configurations. Where can I find more info about it?

Candela

[Sigurd Hellesvik]

Candela said:

child_image/mcuboot.conf file:

From Multi Image builds docs, you only need to name it like this, and the build system will automatically find it.
So no need to make changes to CMakeLists.txt

When adding CONFIG_BOOTLOADER_MCUBOOT to your project configuration, ncs/bootloader/mcuboot/boot/zephyr/ will automatically be added as your bootloader child image.

Candela said:

Taking a look into the post you link, I think I would need to add the child image using Zephyr modules, probably because of the use of a multicore architecture of nrf5340 microprocessor.

I've checked the multicore sample for nrf5340, where Zephyr modules are used to add a different configuration to the CPUNET core, but it is still not clear to me how to use them to add MCUBOOT configurations. Where can I find more info about it?

For now, we use the multi image build system instead of the coming Sysbuild feature in Zephyr.
From my knowledge, the nRF Connect SDK does not have full sysbuild support for MCUboot yet. Until that happens, I recommend that you do not use Zephyr modules for this.

Instead, do it in the multi-image way. See for example this example on how to configure child images.

Regards,
Sigurd Hellesvik