Flashing Fails if Partition Settings are Changed on Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing failures when attempting to flash the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board after modifying partition settings in the XML configuration file. The specific symptoms include error messages during the flashing process, such as "End sector for TESTFS, expected at: 122159070, actual: 0" and "Error: failed to relocate images to /work/Linux_for_Tegra/tools/kernel_flash/images." The issue occurs when users attempt to flash using a custom XML file for NVMe storage, while the original configuration file works without issues. The NVMe storage capacity is reported to be 128 GB, which is typically sufficient for the required partitions. The problem appears consistently across multiple attempts, significantly impacting the user experience by preventing successful setup and operation of the development board.

Possible Causes

1. Incorrect Partition Settings: Modifications to partition sizes or order can lead to conflicts or misalignment with expected configurations.

   • Changing num_sectors without proper calculation can cause discrepancies in expected vs. actual sector counts.

2. Driver Issues: Incompatibilities or bugs in the flashing software may hinder successful operation.

   • Users have reported errors related to missing files, such as "flash.idx," indicating potential driver or software issues.

3. Configuration Errors: Incorrect XML syntax or parameters may result in failure during parsing.

   • Misplacement of partitions (e.g., TESTFS being incorrectly ordered) can lead to failures.

4. Environmental Factors: Power supply issues or hardware defects could contribute to flashing failures.

   • Users have noted that using different USB cables or ports sometimes resolves issues, suggesting potential hardware-related problems.

5. User Errors: Misconfigurations during setup or misunderstanding of partition requirements can lead to errors.

   • Some users mistakenly use incorrect operating system images for their boards, leading to flashing failures.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Verify Disk Size and Sector Count:

   • Use the command sudo fdisk -l to check the actual disk size and calculate num_sectors:

     num_sectors = (128 * 1024 * 1024 * 1024) / 512
     

   • Adjust num_sectors in the XML file accordingly.

2. Reorder Partitions:

   • Ensure that the TESTFS partition is placed before the UDA partition and secondary_gpt in the XML configuration:

     <partition name="TESTFS" type="data">...</partition>
     <partition name="UDA" type="data">...</partition>
     <partition name="secondary_gpt" type="secondary_gpt">...</partition>
     

3. Use Original Configuration as Reference:

   • If custom configurations fail, revert to the original flash_l4t_nvme_rootfs_ab.xml file that successfully flashed previously.

4. Check for Missing Files:

   • Ensure all necessary files are present in the specified directories. For example, verify that flash.idx exists in /work/Linux_for_Tegra/bootloader/signed/.

5. Power Cycle After Failures:

   • If flashing fails after using the GUI, recycle power before attempting command-line flashing with:

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

6. Update Software and Drivers:

   • Make sure you are using the latest version of JetPack and SDK Manager compatible with your board.

7. Check Firewall Settings:

   • Disable any firewall settings on your host PC that may interfere with network communications during flashing.

8. Test with Different Hardware Configurations:

   • If issues persist, try using a different host PC or USB port/cable to rule out hardware faults.

9. Review Documentation:

   • Refer to Nvidia’s official documentation for detailed instructions on partition configurations and flashing processes:
     Nvidia Developer Documentation

10. Recommended Approach:

    • Several users have successfully flashed their devices by following these steps, particularly emphasizing the importance of partition order and verifying disk sizes.

Unresolved aspects include specific error messages related to missing files and whether certain environmental factors consistently affect all users’ experiences. Further investigation may be needed into these areas for comprehensive solutions.