How to Reduce Boot Time in Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing prolonged boot times with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board, specifically taking 33 seconds or more to reach the login page or desktop after powering on. This issue occurs during the boot process, particularly in custom board setups utilizing the Orin Nano production System on Module (SOM) with 8GB RAM and JetPack version 36.3.

The problem has been reported consistently, suggesting it is not an isolated incident. The prolonged boot time significantly impacts user experience, delaying access to the system and hindering productivity.

Several attempts to optimize boot time have been made, including modifications to kernel configurations and disabling debugging features, but these changes have not yielded any improvement. Users have also attempted to disable console printing over UART without success. Additionally, there are concerns regarding the integration of display drivers during the bootloader stage, as users cannot see any output until approximately 30 seconds into the boot process.

Possible Causes

• Hardware Incompatibilities or Defects: Custom board configurations may not be fully compatible with the Orin Nano, leading to delays during boot.

• Software Bugs or Conflicts: Issues within the JetPack version or kernel configurations could introduce inefficiencies during the boot process.

• Configuration Errors: Incorrect settings in the bootloader or kernel parameters may extend boot time unnecessarily.

• Driver Issues: Problems with display drivers may prevent early output during the boot sequence, contributing to perceived delays.

• Environmental Factors: Power supply inconsistencies could affect boot performance, although this was not explicitly mentioned in the discussion.

• User Errors or Misconfigurations: Incorrectly applied optimizations or modifications could inadvertently lead to longer boot times.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Enable Timestamp Logging:

   • Modify your serial console log settings to include timestamps. This will allow you to analyze the total boot time and individual stages.
   • Command example:

     echo "CONFIG_DEBUG_TIMESTAMP=y" >> /path/to/config
     

2. Analyze Boot Log:

   • Review the log file generated with timestamps to identify which stages are taking longer than expected.
   • Pay particular attention to UEFI and kernel stages, as these are critical for overall boot time.

3. Remove UEFI Wait Time:

   • If a wait time is set for entering the UEFI menu, consider removing it to reduce overall boot time.
   • Check your UEFI settings for options related to wait times and adjust accordingly.

4. Kernel Configuration Adjustments:

   • Ensure that unnecessary modules are not being loaded during boot. Review kernel configurations and set non-essential modules as "m" (module) rather than built-in.
   • Example configurations:

     CONFIG_FUSE_FS=m
     CONFIG_VFAT_FS=m
     CONFIG_NTFS_FS=m
     

5. Disable Debugging Features:

   • Ensure that debugging features such as FTRACE and KMEMLEAK are disabled in production configurations.
   • This can be done by modifying your kernel configuration file.

6. Review Console Printing Settings:

   • Confirm that console printing over UART has been disabled in p3767.conf.common:

     # Remove or comment out this line
     # console=ttyTCU0,115200
     

7. Testing Different Configurations:

   • Experiment with different hardware configurations or JetPack versions if possible. Sometimes newer versions include optimizations that can improve performance.

8. Seek Community Support:

   • If issues persist after following these steps, consider posting detailed logs and findings on forums dedicated to Nvidia Jetson products for additional insights from other users and experts.

9. Documentation and Updates:

   • Regularly check for updates in Nvidia’s official documentation regarding JetPack and Orin Nano optimizations, as improvements may be released over time.

10. Best Practices for Future Prevention:

    • Maintain a backup of working configurations before making changes.
    • Document any modifications made for future reference and troubleshooting.

By following these steps, users should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve issues related to extended boot times on their Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Boards.