How to Check If My Jetson Orin Device Is the Super Version or If NX Is Running in Super MAXN Mode?

Robotics & Edge Computing Jetson Systems Jetson Orin NX
1

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions about the Jetson Orin Nano and Orin NX series:

  1. Are there any programs or features that can run on the Jetson Orin Nano Super or Orin NX Super versions, but not on the regular ones?
  2. How can I use the cat command (or any other terminal command) to check if my device is:
  • the regular version,
  • the Super version, or
  • running in Super MAXN mode (for Orin NX only)?

Thanks a lot for your help!

2

Super mode and non -super mode only has difference in the performance. There is nothing that can only run in super mode but not on regulator version.

If your power mode can reach to MAXN, then it is a super mode setting. Otherwise, it won’t happen.

3

How can I use the cat command (or any other terminal command) to check whether my device is:

  • the regular version, or
  • the Super version,

Thanks a lot for your help!

4

Check /etc/nvpmodel.conf

5

Hi,
Currently, I can only tell if my device is the regular or Super version by checking the default power mode shown in the GUI (as shown in the attached image).
For example, in the attached image, the Orin NX 16GB regular version shows a default power mode of 15W.

I understand that /etc/nvpmodel.conf shows the power mode settings.
However, I could not find any information there that clearly identifies which version (regular or Super) of the image is currently flashed on the device.

Is there a way to identify the device version directly through a terminal command (e.g., using cat or other commands), without relying on the GUI?

Thank you very much for your help!

Screenshot from 2025-04-28 13-38-21
Screenshot from 2025-04-28 13-38-21280×410 18.1 KB

6

If your device has super mode, your nvpmodel.conf will have MAXN indicated inside.
If it is regular, then it won’t.

This is just the easy way to do this but this is not a really precise way. There is no such precise way here as super mode actually has lots of software changes inside of it.

7

I have a follow-up question for clarification:
I flashed the regular version image to my device, but I still see a MAXN option listed inside /etc/nvpmodel.conf (please see the attached image).

Just to confirm —
Did you mean that only when flashing the Super version image, a MAXN_SUPER option would appear in /etc/nvpmodel.conf?

Please kindly correct me if I misunderstood.
Thank you very much for your support!

image
image1129×1103 183 KB

8

I flashed the regular version image to my device, but I still see a MAXN option listed inside /etc/nvpmodel.conf (please see the attached image).

This means you didn’t really flash a regular version to your device correctly. The thing running on your board is still super mode.

9

Thank you for your reply.

I don’t quite understand what you meant by “didn’t really flash a regular version correctly.”
I followed the official flashing steps from the documentation (please see the attached image):
Official Flashing Guide - Jetson Linux 36.4.3

image
image1839×408 39.7 KB

Could you clarify what might cause the device to still be in Super mode, even after following the official procedure?

Thanks!

11

Please clarify that most basic question first.

What is the module in use in that screenshot? Is that Orin NX 16GB or other module?

If it is Orin NX 16GB, then it is regulator mode. If this is other module, then it is still super mode.

Orin NX 16GB super would have 40W and MAXN_SUPER shown in nvpmodel. If that didn’t show, then it is regular mode for Orin NX 16GB

12

Thank you for your feedback.

To clarify, the module I am using is Orin NX 16GB.
I flashed the regular version image according to the official guide.

According to the official NVIDIA blog for JetPack 6.2 (link),
the Orin NX 16GB regular version includes the following default power modes: 10W, 15W, 25W, and MAXN.

Therefore, seeing a MAXN entry in /etc/nvpmodel.conf on the Orin NX 16GB regular version should be expected, and does not necessarily indicate that the device is running the Super version.

Could you please help confirm:

  • Is the presence of MAXN mode alone sufficient to determine that the device is a Super version?
  • Or should we specifically check for MAXN_SUPER and 40W to distinguish the Super version?

Thank you for your support!

13

Each of the module could be different. For Orin NX 16GB, if MAXN_SUPER and 40W are present, then it means super mode.