Jetson Orin Nano No Display When Booting

Issue Overview

Users have reported an issue with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board where there is no display output during boot-up. The symptoms include:

• No Display: The screen remains blank upon startup, preventing users from accessing logs or system information.
• Power Indicator: The green power light is functioning, suggesting that the device is receiving power.
• Flashing SD Card: Users have attempted to re-flash the SD card without success.
• Context of Occurrence: The problem often arises after resetting BIOS settings, which seems to correlate with a failure to boot properly.
• Frequency: This issue appears to be consistent for users who have reset their BIOS or encountered similar conditions.
• Impact: The inability to see any output significantly hampers user experience and limits troubleshooting options.

Possible Causes

Several potential causes for the no display issue have been identified:

• Hardware Defects: There is a possibility of hardware malfunction, especially if the board was previously functioning well before a BIOS reset.

• Software Bugs or Conflicts: Incompatibilities between the JetPack version and the hardware may lead to boot failures.

• Configuration Errors: Resetting BIOS settings may have altered critical configurations required for proper startup.

• Driver Issues: Outdated or incompatible drivers could prevent the display from initializing correctly.

• Environmental Factors: Power supply issues, although indicated by the green light, cannot be completely ruled out without further testing.

• User Errors: Misconfigurations during flashing or setup processes can lead to boot failures.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To address the no display issue on the Jetson Orin Nano, follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Check Power Supply:

   • Ensure that the power supply is adequate and functioning correctly. A faulty power supply can cause boot issues.

2. Re-flash JetPack:

   • Use an Ubuntu host PC to download the SDK Manager from NVIDIA’s website.
   • Follow the user guide for re-flashing the Board Support Package (BSP) on your device.

   # Download SDK Manager
   wget https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-sdk-manager
   

3. Verify JetPack Version:

   • Confirm that you are using a compatible version of JetPack (e.g., JetPack 6.0). If not, consider upgrading or downgrading as necessary.

4. BIOS Configuration:

   • If BIOS settings were reset, check and restore any critical settings that may affect booting. Look for options related to display output and boot sequence.

5. Use Serial Console for Diagnostics:

   • Connect to the board using a serial console (e.g., PuTTY) to gather diagnostic information. If it locks up at a specific line (e.g., ASSERT [FvNorFlashStandaloneMm]), this indicates a deeper issue that may require specialized recovery steps.

6. Flash QSPI Only:

   • If standard flashing does not work, consider flashing only the QSPI memory as a recovery method. Refer to community threads for specific instructions on this process.

7. Check Community Resources:

   • Engage with forums and threads discussing similar issues for additional insights and solutions from other users who have faced this problem.

8. Best Practices for Future Prevention:

   • Avoid unnecessary BIOS resets unless absolutely required.
   • Regularly check for firmware updates and ensure all drivers are up-to-date before performing major changes.

By following these steps, users should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve the no display issue with their Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board.