How to Trigger Watchdog Reset in Orin Nano Platform

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing difficulties with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board related to the watchdog timer functionality. The main symptoms include confusion about which process is preventing the watchdog from resetting and a lack of clarity on how to configure the watchdog for specific tasks, such as triggering "Fail-over Rootfs Slot Switching."

The issue arises during the setup and configuration of the watchdog timer, as indicated by the output from the command dmesg | grep watchdog, which shows that the hardware watchdog is set to a 2-minute timeout. Users are unsure which processes or configurations are responsible for "kicking" the watchdog to prevent it from resetting. This problem can lead to system instability if not addressed, as a failure to manage the watchdog correctly may result in unexpected resets or failures in critical operations.

Possible Causes

• Hardware Incompatibilities or Defects: If the hardware watchdog is malfunctioning, it may not behave as expected.
• Software Bugs or Conflicts: Issues within the operating system or specific applications may interfere with the watchdog timer’s operation.
• Configuration Errors: Incorrect settings in the system configuration could lead to improper handling of the watchdog.
• Driver Issues: Outdated or incompatible drivers may cause communication problems between the OS and hardware.
• Environmental Factors: Conditions such as power supply fluctuations or overheating could affect system stability.
• User Errors or Misconfigurations: Incorrectly set parameters or commands by users could lead to unintended behavior.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Diagnosing the Problem:

   • Use dmesg to check for any relevant messages regarding the watchdog:

     dmesg | grep watchdog
     

2. Identify Active Processes:

   • List running processes that might be interacting with the watchdog:

     ps aux | grep -i watchdog
     

3. Stop Kicking the Watchdog:

   • If you identify a process that is keeping the watchdog alive and you want to stop it, you can use:

     sudo systemctl stop <service_name>
     

   • Replace <service_name> with the actual name of the service.

4. Configuration Changes:

   • Modify your system’s configuration files (e.g., /etc/systemd/system.conf) to adjust watchdog settings according to your requirements.

5. Driver Updates:

   • Ensure that all drivers are up-to-date. Use:

     sudo apt-get update
     sudo apt-get upgrade
     

6. Testing Different Configurations:

   • If possible, test with different hardware configurations or software environments to isolate whether it’s a hardware issue or software-related.

7. Firmware Upgrades:

   • Check for any available firmware upgrades for your Jetson Orin Nano and apply them if necessary.

8. Documentation Reference:

   • Refer to Nvidia’s official documentation for detailed instructions on configuring and managing watchdog timers.

9. Best Practices:

   • Regularly monitor system logs and performance metrics to catch issues early.
   • Implement a testing phase for any new configurations before deploying them in a production environment.

10. Unresolved Aspects:

    • Further investigation may be needed regarding specific processes that interact with the watchdog timer and how they can be configured effectively.

By following these steps, users should be able to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to the watchdog reset functionality on their Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board effectively.