Orin Nano is not booting up

Issue Overview

Users have reported that the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board fails to boot, displaying a blinking underscore on the screen indefinitely. The symptoms include:

• Persistent Blinking Underscore: The screen remains stuck on a blinking underscore, indicating that the system is not progressing past the boot stage.
• Fan and Green Light Activation: The fan operates, and a green light is illuminated, suggesting that power is being supplied to the device.
• Reflashing Attempts: Users have attempted to format the SD card and reflash it with the appropriate image, but the issue persists.

This problem typically occurs during the initial setup phase or after attempting to reboot the device. The frequency of this issue seems consistent among multiple users, leading to frustration and disruption in their development workflow. The inability to boot significantly hampers user experience, as it prevents access to the development environment and any applications intended for use on the board.

Possible Causes

Several potential reasons could lead to the observed booting issue:

• Hardware Incompatibilities or Defects: Faulty hardware components or incompatible peripherals may prevent successful booting.

• Software Bugs or Conflicts: Issues within the operating system or firmware could cause conflicts that hinder boot processes.

• Configuration Errors: Incorrect settings during setup or improper SD card preparation may lead to boot failures.

• Driver Issues: Outdated or incorrect drivers could prevent necessary hardware from initializing correctly.

• Environmental Factors: External conditions such as temperature fluctuations or inadequate power supply can affect performance.

• User Errors or Misconfigurations: Mistakes during installation or configuration may contribute to boot issues.

Each of these causes can disrupt the normal boot sequence, resulting in a failure to progress beyond the blinking underscore screen.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To diagnose and potentially resolve the issue, follow these comprehensive troubleshooting steps:

1. Check Power Supply:

   • Ensure that you are using a compatible power adapter that meets the required voltage and current specifications for the Orin Nano.

2. Inspect SD Card Preparation:

   • Verify that the SD card is properly formatted (FAT32) and flashed with the correct image.
   • Use a reliable tool like Balena Etcher for flashing.

3. Dump Logs for Analysis:

   • Connect to the Serial Debug Console to gather logs. This can provide insight into where the boot process is failing.
   • Use commands like:

     sudo dmesg
     

   • Analyze any error messages that appear during startup.

4. Test with Different Hardware Configurations:

   • Remove any peripherals connected to the board (e.g., USB devices, HDMI) and attempt to boot again.
   • If possible, test with another SD card known to work with other Jetson devices.

5. Update Firmware and Drivers:

   • Check for any available firmware updates from Nvidia’s official website. Follow their instructions for updating your board.
   • Ensure all drivers are up-to-date by running:

     sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
     

6. Reflash Operating System:

   • If previous attempts fail, consider reflashing the OS again using a different SD card and following Nvidia’s official documentation closely.

7. Consult Documentation and Community Resources:

   • Refer to Nvidia’s developer forums and documentation for additional troubleshooting tips specific to Jetson boards.
   • Engage with community discussions for similar issues; often, users share successful solutions.

8. Best Practices for Future Prevention:

   • Regularly update software and firmware.
   • Maintain backups of working configurations.
   • Use high-quality SD cards recommended by Nvidia.

If users continue experiencing issues despite following these steps, further investigation may be needed into potential hardware defects or deeper software conflicts.