Jetson Nano shutting itself down when powering up the motors

Hi! I just suddenly came accross this issue and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I had been previously able to control the jetracer’s DC motors and servo just fine using the python jetracer module, but now every time I try to power up either the servo or the motors, the Jetson will automatically shut itself down. Everything is being powered by the batteries on the jetracer kit and my Jetson is on the 5W power mode. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

That sounds like the power issue, maybe need to check the connector or cables.

I thought so too, but there’s not much troubleshooting that can be done with the kit. I swapped the jumper cables as well as the expansion board, but the problem persisted.

Will it power up if you use wired power instead of the battery?

I just tested that out but sadly no, that also kills the Jetson

Try a separate power supply for motors. Motor load might be causing regulation to go out of tolerance.

I’ll give it shot once I’m able to get my hands on a battery pack and some extra jumper cables. Is it necessary to use two separate power supplies on the plug and play kits? I’m running waveshare’s.

Technically it is not necessary. However, beware that even a slight and short voltage drop will cause the Jetson to shut down. The issue is that I suspect regulation is insufficient when the motor starts. Having a separate supply which is immune to motor start/stop current surge changes to regulation is one way to test. If motor and Jetson power are completely isolated, then the motor current surge can’t cause power regulation issues. The corollary is that you need a better regulator (not due to current draw of the Jetson, but due to voltage stability problems as other current sinks engage).

I sorted it out! I’m posting it here just in case someone else runs into this issue. It turns out the servo motor that I was using was causing the jetson to shut down. I got my hands on another full kit and tested out the DC motors and servo individually without fixing them on to the chassis with the same Jetson and expansion board. I tested out the new servo using the jetracer python module and bam! no more issues.

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