Jetson Orin NX/Nano shows “System throttled due to over-current” on screen

Robotics & Edge Computing Jetson Systems Jetson Orin NX
1

Hi everyone,

I am currently working with the Jetson Orin NX / Orin Nano, and I am seeing a message on the screen:

“System throttled due to over-current”

This happens during normal operation, especially when running high workloads (e.g., AI inference or video processing).

My setup:

  • Module: Jetson Orin NX / Orin Nano
  • Board: (Devkit or custom board – please specify)
  • Power supply: (e.g., 12V xxA adapter)
  • Peripherals: (USB devices, SSD, camera, etc.)

What I have observed:

  • The system still runs but performance is reduced
  • The warning appears intermittently / frequently (choose one)

My questions:

  1. Does this message always indicate a real over-current condition, or could it be caused by voltage drop or power instability?
  2. Are there recommended ways to debug this issue (hardware or software)?
  3. Could this be related to power supply design (for custom boards)?

Any suggestions or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

4

Hi @nvd070800 , Moving this to Jetson Forum as this is TensorRT.

6

please refer to document for how this mechanism works here.

In brief, Orin Nano and Orin NX has its own power limit that some high loading workload may trigger throttling on it. It is normal behavior and expected.

8

Most likely you are running your Jetson with “MAXN” power mode which would easily hit overcurrent (especially the OC3) from the document.

9

If I design the hardware myself and use a power IC with a higher current rating, will that problem occur?

What long-term effects would that have?

10

Hi,

I think you better reading the document we shared first.

The real issue here is you should not use MAXN mode for real usecase…

This has nothing to do with the design you made on your board.