.text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Susheel Nuguru — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:11:57 GMT

Please check this thread to have this fixed with a script

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Fri, 16 May 2025 14:02:06 GMT

Hi...

Right now, I was able to complete the build. It was the issue in the flash_placement.xml file.not the linker script and the other files. I changed the .text and .rodata values.

Thank you for the help

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Fri, 16 May 2025 13:23:42 GMT

Hi,

When I tried your code some locations issues came even though I placed it in the pca10100 ble_app_blinky folder. So I compared your code with the mine and made changes. This is what happens when I run it.

The problem with linker script is that it changes to the older value as soon as I run the program. That why even when I increase the size of .text and .rodata, it still reset to the previous value and the error persists

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Hung Bui — Thu, 15 May 2025 13:24:53 GMT

Hi Suryalakshmi,

So did it work ?
I did the compare and implement the changes into the blinky project file. Please try:
devzone.nordicsemi.com/.../my_5F00_ble_5F00_app_5F00_blinky_5F00_pca10100_5F00_s140.emProject

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Thu, 15 May 2025 07:18:31 GMT

Hi,

I actually did run it in Segger and faced the same problem that I mentioned. It's showing .text section larger than specified. I even tried editing the linker script file but it automatically changes from the value I set to a smaller value. So I wanted to confirm that should I do some more changes before opening in segger.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Hung Bui — Wed, 14 May 2025 13:24:51 GMT

Hi,
Why ask me ? You should just go try and test. I am only giving you advice. You need to do the task to check if it works or not.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Wed, 14 May 2025 11:33:52 GMT

Hi, I have compared both files and edited the ble_app_blinky_pc10056_S140.emProject...

Should I run it in segger now?

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Hung Bui — Wed, 14 May 2025 07:57:48 GMT

Hi,
You don't have to show me completely. It's your job to look at the difference and try to understand why there is a modification and apply the same modification to the ble_app_blinky_pca10056_s140.emProject to make it work with PCA10100. This way you can convert any project made for PCA10056 to work on PCA10100.
Please use unmodified project file to compare, don't use modified one.
For example here how it looks when I compare:

Try to modify the ble_app_blinky_pca10056_s140.emProject with the same modification showed in the compare.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Tue, 13 May 2025 13:57:40 GMT

I got this one... How can I show you all of it completely? I tried open it in notepad a lot of time. It just happened now.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Hung Bui — Tue, 13 May 2025 13:45:18 GMT

You should use a text editor to open the file .emProject file
For example you can use Notepad to open the files and copy the content then paste the content to the compare tool.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Tue, 13 May 2025 12:03:39 GMT

How can I compare files? It doesn't show any software. When I click. It directly opens in segger.

And I could only compare the code

It shows they are same.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Hung Bui — Tue, 13 May 2025 07:32:48 GMT

Hi,
No I want you to compare the file. Not opening it with SES.
Please use a text editor to open the file, not SES. Then use a compare tool to compare the 2 files.
You can use online tool, for example https://text-compare.com/

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Tue, 13 May 2025 05:14:28 GMT

This is the ble_app_uart_pca10056_s140.emProject.

This is the ble_app_uart_pca10100_s140.emProject.

The code for both is same. Only the board definition, target device and the related files changes. I haven't made the changes. Sir, my main issue is this particular error, which comes when I try to build.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Hung Bui — Mon, 12 May 2025 14:55:53 GMT

Hi,
Have you compared the
ble_app_uart_pca10056_s140.emProject
ble_app_uart_pca10100_s140.emProject

Please show the difference.

Please show how you implement these modification into ble_app_blinky_pca10056_s140.emProject

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Mon, 12 May 2025 04:52:22 GMT

Hello, Can you please tell me what I should do? There are very less information about this particular PCA board in the internet.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Fri, 09 May 2025 15:00:59 GMT

I opened both of them. The code is actually same for both. The difference is only in the preprocessor definition. Rest are all same. I tried building both of them and I see the same error.

Everytime I am building, I see new error. I have a doubt, even if it's the memory issue, shouldn't it occur during flashing. These errors are coming while building itself. I haven't been able to built any project. Can you tell me step by step how you build and flash the program. Maybe I am making error in steps

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Hung Bui — Fri, 09 May 2025 11:57:12 GMT

Hi,

My suggestion is to try compare the difference between the ble_app_uart_pca10056_s140.emProject and the ble_app_uart_pca10100_s140.emProject file in the ble_app_uart project so you know what change needed to add to convert the ble_app_blinky_pca10056_s140.emProject to support PCA10100.

You can use any text compare tool for the job. For example you can use Notepad++ with the compare plug in.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Suryalakshmi — Fri, 09 May 2025 11:43:02 GMT

Hi, Thank you for responding. Since normal blinky was not available for PCA10100, I tried with the ble_app_uart itself. There were some error saying unknown type name'_ printf_tag.ptr' which was in this line

int __putchar(int ch, __printf_tag_ptr tag_ptr)

So I removed it. After that in 'retarget.c ' another error came which was for an unterminated #if, I added a #endif to remove the error. After that this error started. I first tried with s140 but then changed to s113 for reducing the size. But still the error persists.

RE: .text section too large – How to reduce flash usage in nRF52833 (SES + SDK)?

Hung Bui — Fri, 09 May 2025 11:22:44 GMT

Hi,

Have you managed to run any BLE example made for PCA10100 ? For example the ble_app_uart ? Did you make any modification ?

When I build the ble_app_uart for PCA10100 I have this memory result:

So there still lots of space in the flash and the text area is not occupied much. You may have to double check if there is any wrong configuration.

The flash size of the nRF52833 is limited (512kB) so you may want to consider using S113 softdevice (which is smaller size than S140) if the flash size is not enough.