Trouble Booting with WD 2TB SSD

Issue Overview

Users are experiencing a boot failure on the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board after flashing JetPack 5.13. The specific symptoms include the board displaying the message “installing virtual address map…” followed by a black screen that persists indefinitely. This issue occurs after a few power cycles and is reported to happen when attempting to boot from an SD card, which may have a corrupted file system.

The context includes:

• Hardware Specifications: Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board with a WD 2TB SSD.
• Software Specifications: JetPack version 5.13.
• Frequency of Issue: The problem appears consistently after several reboots.
• User Experience Impact: The inability to boot affects overall functionality, preventing users from accessing the system or running applications.

Additional context includes a user mentioning the installation of Visual Studio Code and a driver for a Magewell grabber card prior to the issue arising, suggesting that software installations may have contributed to the corruption of the SD card’s file system.

Possible Causes

• Hardware Incompatibilities or Defects: The use of a specific SSD (WD 2TB) might cause compatibility issues with the Jetson board, especially if not properly configured.

• Software Bugs or Conflicts: Known issues with the SD card file system in JetPack 5.13 may lead to corruption, as indicated by user replies in the forum.

• Configuration Errors: Incorrect boot configurations or settings related to the storage devices could result in boot failures.

• Driver Issues: Newly installed drivers (e.g., for Magewell grabber card) might conflict with existing system drivers, leading to instability.

• Environmental Factors: Power supply inconsistencies could affect boot processes, especially during power cycles.

• User Errors or Misconfigurations: Users may inadvertently misconfigure settings during setup or installation processes.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Diagnosing the Problem:

   • Check the logs attached (e.g., teraterm.log) for specific error messages related to boot failures.
   • Use terminal commands to gather system information:

     dmesg | grep -i error
     lsblk
     

2. Isolating the Issue:

   • Attempt to boot from different storage options (e.g., SD card vs. SSD) to determine if one is causing the issue.
   • If using an SSD, ensure it is properly mounted in the M2 slot and formatted correctly.

3. Potential Fixes and Workarounds:

   • If the SD card is confirmed to be corrupted, re-flash it with a fresh installation of JetPack 5.13.
   • Consider using an SSD as a primary boot device instead of an SD card, as suggested in user replies. This may involve flashing JetPack directly onto the SSD.
   • If issues persist, revert any recent software installations (like Visual Studio Code and drivers) that may have led to instability.

4. Documentation and Updates:

   • Keep an eye on updates from Nvidia regarding fixes for known SD card filesystem issues in future JetPack releases.
   • Refer to official Nvidia documentation for guidance on flashing and configuring storage devices correctly.

5. Best Practices for Prevention:

   • Regularly back up important data and configurations before making changes or updates.
   • Monitor power supply stability during operations to prevent potential hardware damage or data corruption.

6. Unresolved Aspects:

   • Users should monitor future updates from Nvidia regarding fixes for SD card issues as mentioned in the forum discussion.
   • Further investigation may be needed into whether specific software installations are consistently leading to file system corruption on SD cards.