HELLO:
I was referred to this forum by the Nvidia Customer Care group after asking for help with my Jetson Nano SDK. I am just learning about robots and Linux and my software/computer skill are ancient. I am an old retired electrical engineer so I have a technical background. I built the Nano Jetbot and ran the basic-motion jupyter notebook successfully and then a day later when I sat down to run another notebook exercise, the Jetson Nano module would no longer boot up. I removed the nano from the jetbot to see if I could boot up with a JetPack4.3 image SD instead of the jetbot SD. It didn’t start. I do have a green power light and that’s it - no wireless WiFi or HDMI monitor video.
I have had a second Jetson Nano 4GB SDK in operation for a few months that is running nominally. So I swapped my power supplies/cable, SD image cards, monitor hook-up that I know works with other unit to eliminate the external hardware. The result was no change - same as before. So I think the problem is with the boot-up configuration or an internal hardware failure.
I did a lot of reading on the forum but frankly I cannot follow the in-depth technical documentation and processes.
So, I would greatly appreciate the help anyone is willing to provide. What would be most helpful for me would be a simple step by step process that I could use to get started.
Thank You,
Tom Palowitch
As you reccommened I bought a USB cable and opened a serial port to the Nano with a SD image of JetPack4.3 and this is a printout of what I got:
[0000.163] [L4T TegraBoot] (version 00.00.2018.01-l4t-e82258de)
[0000.168] Processing in cold boot mode Bootloader 2
[0000.173] A02 Bootrom Patch rev = 1023
[0000.177] Power-up reason: pmc por
[0000.180] No Battery Present
[0000.182] pmic max77620 reset reason
[0000.186] pmic max77620 NVERC : 0x40
[0000.189] RamCode = 0
[0000.191] Platform has DDR4 type RAM
[0000.195] max77620 disabling SD1 Remote Sense
[0000.199] Setting DDR voltage to 1125mv
[0000.203] Serial Number of Pmic Max77663: 0x2434f6
[0000.211] Entering ramdump check
[0000.214] Get RamDumpCarveOut = 0x0
[0000.217] RamDumpCarveOut=0x0, RamDumperFlag=0xe59ff3f8
[0000.222] Last reboot was clean, booting normally!
[0000.227] Sdram initialization is successful
[0000.231] SecureOs Carveout Base=0x00000000ff800000 Size=0x00800000
[0000.237] Lp0 Carveout Base=0x00000000ff780000 Size=0x00001000
[0000.242] BpmpFw Carveout Base=0x00000000ff700000 Size=0x00080000
[0000.248] GSC1 Carveout Base=0x00000000ff600000 Size=0x00100000
[0000.254] GSC2 Carveout Base=0x00000000ff500000 Size=0x00100000
[0000.260] GSC4 Carveout Base=0x00000000ff400000 Size=0x00100000
[0000.266] GSC5 Carveout Base=0x00000000ff300000 Size=0x00100000
[0000.272] GSC3 Carveout Base=0x000000017f300000 Size=0x00d00000
[0000.288] RamDump Carveout Base=0x00000000ff280000 Size=0x00080000
[0000.294] Platform-DebugCarveout: 0
[0000.297] Nck Carveout Base=0x00000000ff080000 Size=0x00200000
[0000.303] Non secure mode, and RB not enabled.
[0000.307] BoardID = 3448, SKU = 0x0
[0000.311] QSPI-ONLY: SkipQspiOnlyFlag = 0
[0000.314] Nano-SD: checking PT table on QSPI …
[0000.319] Read PT from (2:0)
[0000.334] Using BFS PT to query partitions
[0000.338] PT: Partition TBC NOT found !
[0000.342] Warning: Find Partition via PT Failed
[0000.346] BoardID = 3448, SKU = 0x0
[0000.349] QSPI-ONLY: SkipQspiOnlyFlag = 0
[0000.353] Nano-SD: checking PT table on QSPI …
[0000.358] PT: Partition TBC NOT found !
[0000.361] Warning: Find Partition via PT Failed
[0000.366] Error is 1
A line 342 it shows the cause of the error being - PT: Partition TBC not found.
I loaded another SD with a new JetPack4.3 image and got the exact printout again. Then another exact printout with a JetPack4.5 image boot.
Obvouisly the error at this point is no PT: Partition TBC and it is not dependent on the JetPack OS but a firmware issue. Do you have any idea where to go next?
I’m thinking a reflash of the board might fix. Never did that before.
Thank again for pointing me to the USB cable as I had no idea how to start the troubleshooting process.
Tom P.
The embedded QSPI-NOR appears to have never been flashed or became corrupted. The best way to fix that is a reflash as you mentioned. Remove the SDcard from the device unless you want it’s whole root filesystem replaced then run. sudo ./flash.sh jetson-nano-qspi mmcblk0p1.
Sorry but I am new at this and my experience/knowledge is very limited. I have a fundamental question.
I looked over the flashing procedure and can’t figure where to start. How do I communicate with the nano module? There is no terminal window since I get nothing on my monitor when trying to boot. When I use the USB serial cable connection to my PC (Windows10) I get the error message I sent earlier. My problem is that I do not know how to issue issue a command to the nano module for my PC serial connection (I am using Putty in serial mode). Is there a special key or key sequence I have to enter ? Or do I have to jumper some pins on the nano?
Thank you for you help so far,
TJP
Yep. Remove power from the device then short the FC REC pin to ground and apply power again. Then connect the device to your host computer. The FC REC pin on the BXX version is on the same header as the serial terminal and is labelled both on the top and bottom of the board. On the older AXX version the header is a 2x4 pin header and it’s next to the camera connector. It’s labelled FRC on the bottom.
Once the device is connected to the host computer you can run the flash command from the host computer. You can’t use WIndows for this directly. If you have a Ubuntu machine you can run it from there. If not, you’ll have to install Docker on your windows machine and download the SDK docker image.
gti:
WOW! I appreciate all the feedback. It will be a while for me to study-up on all of this and experiment. Looking forward to good learning experience.
You have been a great help.
TJP
Hi John,
Still working the problem and learning a little bit day by day. Using the information you kindly provided I was able to use my jetbot nano as a ubuntu host and fumbled my way to the point where I had downloaded/extracted files from -----aarch64.tbz2. However I couldn’t ‘sudo ./flash.sh jetson-nano devkit mmcbkt0p1’ .
Then I hosed up the host nano (I think it was related to inserting/removing the micro SD card) and couldn’t get the it to boot up. Unfortunately I have no record or log of transpired events and I will have to start over. I tried to RMA the unit but it was out of warranty so I had to buy a new jetson nano SDK.
It arrived today and I am trying to trace my path to where I was before.
Just wanted to let you know what is going on.
Sincerely, Tomp1940
Can you also tell us how did you hit this error?
Did you use sdcard image from jetpack4.5? Did the system ever boot into ubuntu desktop after you insert jetpack4.5?
I am not sure any more since I have tried several images after the problem occurred. It is quite possible that the last image I used was a jetpack4.5 image that I updated. I now have 2 jetson nano modules with the same problem. One is out of warranty, the other I just requested an RMA.
Wayne,
FYI - A little history. I started with my first nano 4gb SDK about 14 months ago and it was working fine until a couple of months ago when the sd retainer spring took a break and decided it wasn’t going to hold in the sd card anymore. I was fortunate that I was given a newer unit via RMA even though it was out of warranty for a couple of weeks. Just before that happened I decided I wanted to learn more about AI and have some fun so I bought a 2nd jetson nano to build a jetbot. I built the jetbot using the first nano since it had a wifi adapter and successfully got the jetbot to function nominally. The second unit I bought was used as a desktop ubuntu system so I could continue to learn the Linux OS. Then after a few days the jetbot nano (my first unit) decided to quit on me. Perhaps it was something due to inserting SD cards in and out while trying to make things work. Then my desktop nano quit on me while I was trying to get my CSI camera to work with the newer version of jetpack 4.5. Now I have both modules unable to boot. So I just now fired up a newly purchased jetbot nano 4gb SDK and it is working great. At this point I am very reluctant to try to flash either of the non functioning units because I do not know what I am doing with respect to flashing a board yet. Frankly, the documentation is very confusing to me since it covers the complete line of products and I can’t keep track of just the jetson nano and get the ‘big picture’ of what I am doing with respect to the jetson nano. It would be much easier for the non-developer types, without an in-depth knowledge, if they had a separate document just for the nano module.
TJP
Let me make a summary here, please help answer below question and correct me if what I understand is wrong.
There are two modules in the beginning
Nano 4gb module, bought 14 months ago. Not sure if it is broken by using jetpack4.5.
Nano 2gb module, somehow broken when dealing with CSI camera with jetpack 4.5.
What was the jetpack in use on the nano 4gb module before it was broken?
Do these 2 module share the same error message when you dump the log from usb-ttl cable?
Do you still have any of these modules there? or both went RMA?
So I just now fired up a newly purchased jetbot nano 4gb SDK and it is working great. At this point I am very reluctant to try to flash either of the non functioning units because I do not know what I am doing with respect to flashing a board yet
This is the 3rd board and it is new, right? If it is working fine, then no need to do anything for it. My comment was just for those broken modules.
Frankly, the documentation is very confusing to me since it covers the complete line of products and I can’t keep track of just the jetson nano and get the ‘big picture’ of what I am doing with respect to the jetson nano. It would be much easier for the non-developer types, without an in-depth knowledge, if they had a separate document just for the nano module.
Actually, we expect non-developer types could work fine with those sdcard image. Unfortunately, some errors happened to some users here as your first comment in this post. Thus, I am still trying to track down what is the exact scenario to hit this error.
Wayne, sorry for the confusion. A little over a year ago I bought a jetson nano 4GB SDK so I could follow Paul McWhorters you- tube series ‘Learning AI on the Jetson Nano’. Then in February 2021, I bought a second unit to build a Jetbot, which I did. Since my new unit did not have a wireless adapter I used the older unit to build the jetbot. At that time I had two operating nano units. I completed a few of the Jupyter notebooks with no problems. I had JetPack 4.3 in both units at that time. I was a happy camper for a few days until the spring retainer in my first unit gave up its ghost. I requested a RMA and was sent a new unit via the RMA process.
I think I installed JetPack4.5 in the replaced unit and was using it as a dektop when I had trouble with the jetbot not booting due to the display not getting 5V.(This I figured out after several days of troubleshooting). During this trobleshooting process I replaced SD card images, swapped the wireless adapter back an forth, loaded and reloaded the JetPack OS and jetbot images. And ended up with both units in the same condition.
When I try to boot them up with Jetpack4.3 or 5 I get the same result. 1. Power light is steady green but no HMDI video signal.
I ordered and received a third unit a week ago and it is working fine, so I now have 1 good one and two bad ones. I was going to try to see if I could follow John’s recommendation of flashing the board, but like I said I am thoroughly confused now as how to do it. More important, I don’t want to have 3 dead units.
Ending with a positive note - The whole concept of the jetson nano jetbot project and use of the Jupyter notebook is a great idea. The Nvidia Jetson Nano series is a well made and quite affordable. I am looking forward to have much more fun.
It sounds like there is still one unit that cannot boot up on your side, right? I think you can try sdkmanager on that dead unit first.
Actually, firstly there is sdkmanager and then there is sdcard image. Sdkmanager is the stable and full development tool we provided while sdcard image is just a easy entry to the jetson world. SDKM and sdcard image are doing the same thing but SDKM does more. It is involving the boot sequence here, so I skip the explanation.
Since older platform (TX1/TX2/AGX Xavier) do not support sdcard image boot, they all use sdkmanager.
Thus, If your sdcard image is dead or cannot boot, using sdkmanager is a method worth trying.
We have to be rational here that not to get confused with what are the cause and result. For example, if your board is dead from the beginning, then flashing sdkamanager gives out error is expected. Maybe such error is caused by some hardware issue, under such case, using another software solution (sdkm) shall not help either.
However, if your board was fine in the beginning, but flashing sdkm breaks it, then maybe we make some mistake during our manual setup. Those issue is what we can help here.
Thank you for your feedback. I have two dead units, one still under warranty, and one out of warranty (the RMA replacement). Now, the third unit I have was a very recent purchase. All units are the same model - jetson nano 4gb SDK B01. I installed my newest unit in the jetbot environment and am reluctant to take the chance and mess it up while troubleshooting the other two since it is functioning very well.
I did study the documentation wrt installing the sdk manager and was about to do that. Then I had second thoughts because I am not very familiar with the Linux OS and do not understand Nvidia JetPack OS architecture. When the documentation/instructions include the whole family I can’t see the forest due to all of the trees. Now if I could find a more direct and simplified set of instructions including a manual setup and what to do next I would like to give it a try.
That being said, however, I think in my case it would be best if I RMA’d the nano unit under warranty. Then when I had a working unit (other than my 3rd nano in the jetbot environment) I would have more confidence to install the SDK Manager and troubleshoot the dead unit. In addition I would welcome the learning experience.