Flashing Issues with Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing difficulties when attempting to flash the Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit with JetPack 5.1.1 or later versions. The main symptoms include:

• The flashing process fails with an error message: "ERROR: might be timeout in USB write. Error: Return value 3"
• The device is not recognized by the SDK Manager
• The board boots to a black screen after showing the NVIDIA splash screen
• The fan may not spin, but the heatsink gets hot

These issues occur during the initial setup process and prevent users from properly configuring their developer kits.

Possible Causes

1. Outdated or incompatible QSPI bootloader: The QSPI bootloader may need to be updated to support newer JetPack versions.
2. Incorrect flashing method: Using SD card images instead of the recommended SDK Manager flashing process.
3. USB connectivity issues: Faulty USB cables or ports may cause communication problems during flashing.
4. Incorrect recovery mode: The board may not be properly entering force recovery mode.
5. Hardware issues: Potential defects in the developer kit components.
6. Incompatible JetPack version: Using a developer preview version (e.g., JetPack 6.x) instead of a stable release.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Update QSPI bootloader:

   • For first-time use with JetPack 6.x SD card images, update the QSPI bootloaders using SDK Manager.
   • This is a one-time requirement. After updating, you can use JetPack 6.x SD card images for future releases.

2. Use SDK Manager for flashing:

   • Download and install SDK Manager on your host system (Ubuntu 20.04 or later recommended).
   • Put the Jetson Orin Nano into force recovery mode.
   • Use SDK Manager to flash the device with the appropriate JetPack version.

3. Ensure proper force recovery mode:

   • Power off the developer kit.
   • Connect pins 9 and 10 of the Button Header.
   • While keeping the pins connected, insert the DC power plug to turn on the system.
   • Alternatively, use the command sudo reboot --force forced-recovery if you have terminal access.

4. Check USB connectivity:

   • Try different USB-C cables and USB ports on your host system.
   • Disable USB autosuspend with the command:

     sudo bash -c 'echo -1 > /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/autosuspend'
     

5. Use a stable JetPack version:

   • For beginners, use JetPack 5.x instead of JetPack 6.x (developer preview).
   • Download the appropriate version from the NVIDIA Developer website.

6. Verify board detection:

   • In force recovery mode, run the following command on the host system:

     lsusb -d '0955:'
     

   • You should see an NVIDIA device listed (e.g., ID 0955:7523).

7. Manual flashing command:
   If SDK Manager fails to detect the board, try the following manual flashing command:

   sudo BOARDID=3767 FAB=300 BOARDSKU=0005 ./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh --external-device nvme0n1p1 -c tools/kernel_flash/flash_l4t_external.xml -p "-c bootloader/t186ref/cfg/flash_t234_qspi.xml" --showlogs --network usb0 jetson-orin-nano-devkit internal
   

8. Capture serial console logs:

   • Connect a USB-to-TTL serial cable to the developer kit’s UART pins.
   • Use a terminal program like minicom to capture the serial output:

     minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -8 -b 115200
     

   • Provide these logs when seeking further assistance.

9. Check board information:

   • If the board has been previously flashed, run the following command:

     cat /etc/nv_boot_control.conf
     

   • Share the output when requesting support.

If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider contacting NVIDIA support or the seller for potential hardware-related problems.