Flashing Issues with Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing problems while attempting to flash the Jetson Orin Nano development board with Jetpack 5.1.3 using the SDK Manager and a manual installation via an SD card. The specific symptoms include:

• The SDK Manager recognizes the Jetson device correctly.
• During the installation of target components, particularly in the "FLASH JETSON LINUX" stage, errors occur.
• The flashing process fails with multiple error messages, including timeout issues and unsupported carveout errors.
• The process terminates with a "Reading board information failed" error.
• Users who previously installed Jetpack 6.0 successfully are now encountering issues when trying to downgrade to version 5.1.3.

Possible Causes

1. Incompatible Software Versions: The attempt to downgrade from Jetpack 6.0 to 5.1.3 may be causing conflicts or compatibility issues.

2. Corrupted SD Card: Despite cleaning attempts, the SD card may still have residual data or be faulty.

3. USB Connection Issues: The error message suggesting a timeout in USB write indicates potential problems with the USB connection or drivers.

4. Firmware Mismatch: The current firmware on the board may not be compatible with the version being flashed.

5. SDK Manager Bugs: There could be bugs or issues in the SDK Manager software itself, particularly when handling downgrades.

6. Hardware Issues: Although less likely, there could be hardware-related problems with the Jetson Orin Nano board.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Verify SD Card Integrity:

   • Format the SD card using a tool like SD Card Formatter.
   • Use a different SD card to rule out card-specific issues.

2. Check USB Connection:

   • Try a different USB cable.
   • Connect the device to a different USB port, preferably directly to the motherboard.
   • Ensure the USB drivers are up-to-date on the host computer.

3. Clean Installation Attempt:

   • Completely remove all Jetson-related software from the host computer.
   • Download the latest version of SDK Manager and Jetpack 5.1.3.
   • Perform a fresh installation following NVIDIA’s official documentation.

4. Force Recovery Mode:

   • Put the Jetson Orin Nano into forced recovery mode:
     1. Power off the device.
     2. Press and hold the FORCE RECOVERY button.
     3. While holding the button, power on the device.
     4. Release the FORCE RECOVERY button after 2 seconds.
   • Attempt the flashing process again while in recovery mode.

5. Check for Known Issues:

   • Visit the NVIDIA Developer Forums and search for similar issues with Jetpack 5.1.3 on Orin Nano.
   • Look for any official statements or workarounds provided by NVIDIA.

6. Manual Flashing Method:
   If SDK Manager continues to fail, try the manual flashing method:

   sudo ./flash.sh jetson-orin-nano-devkit mmcblk0p1
   

   Ensure you’re in the correct directory containing the flash tools.

7. Downgrade Considerations:

   • Check if direct downgrade from Jetpack 6.0 to 5.1.3 is supported.
   • Consider flashing an intermediate version before attempting to flash 5.1.3.

8. Verify Board Compatibility:

   • Ensure that your specific Jetson Orin Nano model is compatible with Jetpack 5.1.3.
   • Check the product documentation for any specific requirements or limitations.

9. Temperature and Power Considerations:

   • Ensure the device is not overheating during the flashing process.
   • Use a stable and sufficient power supply.

10. Log Analysis:

    • Save the complete log output from the SDK Manager.
    • Analyze the logs for specific error messages, particularly those related to "carveout" and "tsc_controls" which were mentioned in the error output.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider reaching out to NVIDIA support directly with the detailed logs and a description of all troubleshooting steps attempted. The problem may require further investigation by NVIDIA’s technical team, especially if it’s related to compatibility issues between Jetpack versions or specific hardware configurations.