# Unable to reliably control a GPIO on Jetson Orin Nano (JetPack 6.2.1) **URL:** \ **Category:** Jetson Orin Nano\ **Tags:** gpio\ **Created:** [January 14, 2026, 11:42am UTC](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/unable-to-reliably-control-a-gpio-on-jetson-orin-nano-jetpack-6-2-1/357557 "2026-01-14T11:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sfeutrier](https://developer.download.nvidia.com/images/forums/profile-default-devtalk-84.png) [@sfeutrier](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/u/sfeutrier)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 11:42am UTC](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/unable-to-reliably-control-a-gpio-on-jetson-orin-nano-jetpack-6-2-1/357557/1 "2026-01-14T11:42:22Z")
Hello, My goal: control a simple GPIO (because for a SPI communication I need a custom CS control with extra-timing) Hardware : [Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit](https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-orin/nano-super-developer-kit/) Software / Environment: JetPack 6.2.1 What works: I succeed to setup and validate SPI with Jetson-IO tool and spiDev succesfully What I tried: 1. Jetson-IO GPIO configuration : I tried to configure a pin as GPIO output or input from the Jetson-IO tool but it is not not supported (no option available) 2. Device tree overlay : → I added a custom DT overlay to configure a pin as GPIO and it is detected correclty with “sudo /opt/nvidia/jetson-io/config-by-hardware.py -l” → I tested with the “gpioinfo, gpioget , gpioset” tools without any luck: when I check with a multimeter, the level is randomly changing between 3.3V, 0V and 1.5V. I am aware there is a patch to apply to avoid issue with GPIO but I do not have a Linux Host system to flash the system. I do not want a solution for rewritting the whole device tree file by reflashing the image (only available from a linux Host system). My question is simple: What is the simplest and officially supported way to control a GPIO on a Jetson Orin Nano today? Should I use Jetson SDK 5.X? Should I wait for a new release? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![KevinFFF](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/nvidia/user_avatar/forums.developer.nvidia.com/kevinfff/32/15508_2.png) [@KevinFFF](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/u/KevinFFF)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 3:15am UTC](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/unable-to-reliably-control-a-gpio-on-jetson-orin-nano-jetpack-6-2-1/357557/5 "2026-01-15T03:15:59Z")
Hi sfeutrier, > [@sfeutrier](#): > > I tested with the “gpioinfo, gpioget , gpioset” tools without any luck: when I check with a multimeter, the level is randomly changing between 3.3V, 0V and 1.5V. I believe that your issue is caused from the bit 10 of pinmux register has been set. Please apply the patch from the following thread to check if it could help for your case. [40hdr - SPI1 gpio padctl register bit[10] effect by gpiod tools in JP6 - #20 by KevinFFF](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/40hdr-spi1-gpio-padctl-register-bit-10-effect-by-gpiod-tools-in-jp6/301171/20) You can simply update the `/boot/Image` instead of reflashing the board to apply the change. ---
**Author:** ![sfeutrier](https://developer.download.nvidia.com/images/forums/profile-default-devtalk-84.png) [@sfeutrier](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/u/sfeutrier)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2026, 11:13am UTC](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/unable-to-reliably-control-a-gpio-on-jetson-orin-nano-jetpack-6-2-1/357557/6 "2026-01-16T11:13:36Z")
Hi KevinFFF, Applying the patch seems to involve a lot of steps (like I can see on the following post [How to apply GPIO patch for Jetpack 6.x for Orin AGX Devkit - #4 by nagesh\_accord](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/how-to-apply-gpio-patch-for-jetpack-6-x-for-orin-agx-devkit/350171/4) ) Can you confirm? It does not seem simple at all because I have never done a custom kernel, flashing with external linux host…I I’m already stuck at the first step : getting the source. I don’t have them so obviously I don’t have ”source\_sync.sh”. That’s almost 2 years the patch is needed and we still need to go through many step for something that should be straight-forward Edit: if I use [GitHub - NVIDIA/jetson-gpio: A Python library that enables the use of Jetson's GPIOs](https://github.com/NVIDIA/jetson-gpio) library you provide, do I still need the patch? ---
**Author:** ![KevinFFF](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/nvidia/user_avatar/forums.developer.nvidia.com/kevinfff/32/15508_2.png) [@KevinFFF](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/u/KevinFFF)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 5:11am UTC](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/unable-to-reliably-control-a-gpio-on-jetson-orin-nano-jetpack-6-2-1/357557/7 "2026-01-19T05:11:15Z")
That patch will be included in the next Jetpack 6 release. Before the next official release, please try to apply it manually. > [@sfeutrier](#): > > I don’t have ”source\_sync.sh”. It should be existing in your BSP package. (i.e. _\/source/source\_sync.sh_) Please refer to [Kernel Customization — NVIDIA Jetson Linux Developer Guide](https://docs.nvidia.com/jetson/archives/r36.4.4/DeveloperGuide/SD/Kernel/KernelCustomization.html) for the steps to build kernel. > [@sfeutrier](#): > > Edit: if I use [GitHub - NVIDIA/jetson-gpio: A Python library that enables the use of Jetson’s GPIOs](https://github.com/NVIDIA/jetson-gpio) library you provide, do I still need the patch? Yes, it is Jetson.GPIO library created by Python and it will also call that gpiod from kernel driver. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/nvidia/user_avatar/forums.developer.nvidia.com/system/32/68080_2.png) [@system](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 5:08am UTC](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/unable-to-reliably-control-a-gpio-on-jetson-orin-nano-jetpack-6-2-1/357557/9 "2026-02-18T05:08:26Z")
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