How to only flash

Robotics & Edge Computing Jetson Systems Jetson Orin NX
1 
tr@tr:~/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra$ sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh --external-device nvme0n1p1   --flash-only -c tools/kernel_flash/flash_l4t_t234_nvme.xml -p "-c bootloader/generic/cfg/flash_t234_qspi.xml"   --showlogs --network usb0 --erase-all jetson-orin-nano-devkit internal
# Entry added by NVIDIA initrd flash tool
/home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra/tools/kernel_flash/tmp 127.0.0.1(rw,nohide,insecure,no_subtree_check,async,no_root_squash)
rpcbind: another rpcbind is already running. Aborting
Export list for localhost:
/home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra/tools/kernel_flash/tmp 127.0.0.1
10:29:39.510 - Debug: Checking UFW status and NFS port rules...
10:29:39.569 - Debug: UFW is not active. NFS port is accessible.
10:29:39.571 - Debug: Checking VPN connections...
10:29:39.576 - Debug: IPSec service is not running.
10:29:39.577 - Debug: VPN routes none in tun|tap|ppp|vpn|gpd.
10:29:39.579 - Debug: No VPN connection detected.
# Entry added by NVIDIA initrd flash tool
/home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra/tools/kernel_flash/tmp 127.0.0.1(rw,nohide,insecure,no_subtree_check,async,no_root_squash)
rpcbind: another rpcbind is already running. Aborting
Export list for localhost:
/home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra/tools/kernel_flash/tmp 127.0.0.1
/home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra/tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash_internal.sh --network usb0 --erase-all --usb-instance 3-4.1 --device-instance 0 --flash-only --external-device nvme0n1p1 -c "tools/kernel_flash/flash_l4t_t234_nvme.xml" --network usb0 jetson-orin-nano-devkit internal
**********************************************
*                                            *
*  Step 1: Build the flashing environment    *
*                                            *
**********************************************
Create flash environment 0
/home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra/bootloader /home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra
/home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra
Finish creating flash environment 0.
****************************************************
*                                                  *
*  Step 2: Boot the device with flash initrd image *
*                                                  *
****************************************************
/home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra/temp_initrdflash/bootloader0 /home/tr/JetsonOrinNX/Linux_for_Tegra
./tegraflash.py --bl uefi_jetson_with_dtb_sigheader.bin.encrypt --bct br_bct_BR.bct --securedev  --bldtb tegra234-p3768-0000+p3767-0000-nv.dtb --applet rcm_2_encrypt.rcm --applet_softfuse rcm_1_encrypt.rcm --instance 3-4.1 --cmd "rcmboot"  --cfg secureflash.xml --chip 0x23 --mb1_bct mb1_bct_MB1_sigheader.bct.encrypt --mem_bct mem_rcm_sigheader.bct.encrypt --mb1_cold_boot_bct mb1_cold_boot_bct_MB1_sigheader.bct.encrypt --mb1_bin mb1_t234_prod_aligned_sigheader.bin.encrypt --psc_bl1_bin psc_bl1_t234_prod_aligned_sigheader.bin.encrypt --mem_bct_cold_boot mem_coldboot_sigheader.bct.encrypt  --bins "psc_fw pscfw_t234_prod_sigheader.bin.encrypt; mts_mce mce_flash_o10_cr_prod_sigheader.bin.encrypt; tsec_fw tsec_t234_sigheader.bin.encrypt; mb2_applet applet_t234_sigheader.bin.encrypt; mb2_bootloader mb2_t234_with_mb2_cold_boot_bct_MB2_sigheader.bin.encrypt; xusb_fw xusb_t234_prod_sigheader.bin.encrypt; pva_fw nvpva_020_sigheader.fw.encrypt; dce_fw display-t234-dce_sigheader.bin.encrypt; nvdec nvdec_t234_prod_sigheader.fw.encrypt; bpmp_fw bpmp_t234-TE980M-A1_prod_sigheader.bin.encrypt; bpmp_fw_dtb tegra234-bpmp-3767-0000-a02-3509-a02_with_odm_sigheader.dtb.encrypt; rce_fw camera-rtcpu-t234-rce_sigheader.img.encrypt; ape_fw adsp-fw_sigheader.bin.encrypt; spe_fw spe_t234_sigheader.bin.encrypt; tos tos-optee_t234_sigheader.img.encrypt; eks eks_t234_sigheader.img.encrypt; kernel boot0.img; kernel_dtb tegra234-p3768-0000+p3767-0000-nv.dtb"    --bct_backup 
Welcome to Tegra Flash
version 1.0.0
Type ? or help for help and q or quit to exit
Use ! to execute system commands
 

 Entering RCM boot

[   0.0204 ] mb1_t234_prod_aligned_sigheader.bin.encrypt filename is from --mb1_bin
[   0.0204 ] psc_bl1_t234_prod_aligned_sigheader.bin.encrypt filename is from --psc_bl1_bin
[   0.0204 ] rcm boot with presigned binaries
[   0.0209 ] tegrarcm_v2 --instance 3-4.1 --new_session --chip 0x23 0 --uid --download bct_br br_bct_BR.bct --download mb1 mb1_t234_prod_aligned_sigheader.bin.encrypt --download psc_bl1 psc_bl1_t234_prod_aligned_sigheader.bin.encrypt --download bct_mb1 mb1_bct_MB1_sigheader.bct.encrypt
[   0.0212 ] BR_CID: 0x80012344705E00228C0000000C0202C0
[   0.0301 ] Sending bct_br
[   0.0373 ] Sending mb1
[   0.0383 ] ERROR: might be timeout in USB write.
Error: Return value 3
Command tegrarcm_v2 --instance 3-4.1 --new_session --chip 0x23 0 --uid --download bct_br br_bct_BR.bct --download mb1 mb1_t234_prod_aligned_sigheader.bin.encrypt --download psc_bl1 psc_bl1_t234_prod_aligned_sigheader.bin.encrypt --download bct_mb1 mb1_bct_MB1_sigheader.bct.encrypt
Cleaning up...
5

Hi,

The log is failing very early during RCM boot:

Sending mb1
ERROR: might be timeout in USB write.

This happens before the initrd environment boots and before the NVMe flashing stage, so please first check the recovery USB connection from the host side.

  1. Please confirm the setup

    • JetPack / L4T release you are using
    • Jetson module and carrier board model
    • Host Ubuntu version
    • Whether the Jetson is connected directly to the host USB port, without a hub or docking station

  2. Please retry with the USB variables ruled out

    • Use a known data-capable USB cable
    • Connect directly to another USB port on the host
    • Re-enter Force Recovery Mode before retrying
    • On the host, try disabling USB autosuspend before running the flash command:
sudo sh -c 'echo -1 > /sys/module/usbcore/parameters/autosuspend'

  1. Please clarify what you mean by “only flash”

    For Orin NX / Orin Nano flashing to NVMe, the documented default initrd flash flow uses external as the final root device, for example:

sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh \
  --external-device nvme0n1p1 \
  -p "-c ./bootloader/generic/cfg/flash_t234_qspi.xml" \
  -c ./tools/kernel_flash/flash_l4t_t234_nvme.xml \
  --showlogs --network usb0 \
  jetson-orin-nano-devkit external

If you want to flash only already-generated images, please share the --no-flash command you used to generate them first. If you want to flash only the external NVMe partition, please also confirm that, since the command/options are different.

Recommendation: please retry with the USB checks above first. If the same timeout still happens, attach the full host flash log and the Jetson UART log during the failed flash attempt.

Official reference: Jetson Linux Developer Guide - Using initrd Flash with Orin NX and Nano

Hope this helps!