How to flash image?

This page covers how to flash a new operating system onto a NEON camera.

Neon-2000-JNX (Jetson Xavier NX)
  • Storage to flash: internal eMMC + microSD card
  • Steps: 1 → 2 → 3 → 4
  • Product page / EOS-JNX
Neon-2000-ONO (Jetson Orin Nano)
  • Storage to flash: internal eMMC
  • Steps: 1 → 3 → 4

Requirements:

  • A PC with Ubuntu, to flash the NEON over microUSB
  • microUSB cable
  • 2 pin jumpers, included with the NEON
  • JNX only: microSD card of at least 32GB and a card reader

Step 1: Download images

Neon-2000-JNX
eMMC and microSD must be the same JetPack version. Download the microSD image and the eMMC image from the same row.

JetPack (L4T) microSD image eMMC image
5.1.2 (35.4.1)
latest		 v1.0.9 (pylon 5.2, without EVA)
MD5: 81992a6ada7f01ee30206680bdc4e878		 v1.0.9
MD5: dc01fad05c3ca7df2b5096bc27877b95
5.0.2 (35.1) v1.0.8 (pylon 7.2.1 + EVA 4.0.2)
MD5: 79d87d4dc0ef2440845dccb1d0a33d4b
v1.0.7 (pylon 5.2)
MD5: c60395f01cd76131c25f3bf96ed53543		 v1.0.7
MD5: 73758afcdf0119a98b27c9d1630add6a
4.6.1 (32.7.1) v1.0.5
MD5: 564951bdd6074db6e853037b1338e905
v1.0.6 (EVA 3.8.3)
MD5: 8b4e3d4ce7bf7e69bc90b04e98e14851		 v1.0.5
MD5: f08d89a8aa4927b7df7af449c2f8edd9
4.5 (32.5.0) v1.0.3
MD5: 243b98f10a873f2830e4f635eab7c80d
v1.0.4 (EVA 3.5)
MD5: 43b5931b625e3b598423e0bb4a131d6e		 v1.0.3
MD5: e603db76e8ab1bbe5596760d40adb90c
Neon-2000-ONO
eMMC image only.

JetPack (L4T) eMMC image
6.2 (36.4.3)
latest		 rel.1v3.0
MD5: 9cd28146af3d9c3b7eff096be710d719
6.1 (36.4) rel.1v2.0
MD5: 7c4b8a25a7abcda047fefde757315059
5.1.2 (35.4.1) rel.1v1.0
MD5: 1863fa4d85d1624f9f2901886ee19d60

Check the MD5

Make sure the downloaded file is complete. The result must match the MD5 above.

  • Linux: md5sum <file>
  • Windows: certutil -hashfile <file> MD5

Step 2: Flash the microSD card

Neon-2000-JNX
  1. Unzip the microSD file to get a .img file: tar -zxvf <file>
  2. Write the .img file to the microSD card
  3. Insert the microSD card into the NEON

Use a high quality microSD card to prevent corruption.

Step 3: Enter recovery mode

jumpers recovery pins pin define 2

  1. Power on the NEON
  2. Short pins 5 and 6 (RECOVERY, green box) and keep this jumper on until flashing is complete
  3. Short pins 3 and 4 (RESET, orange box) for 2 seconds until the power LED goes out, then remove this jumper. The power LED lights up again
  4. Connect the microUSB cable to the NEON and the host PC

Video:

Step 4: Flash the eMMC

First, run lsusb on the host PC. Nvidia Corp. in the list = the NEON is in recovery mode and ready to flash.

lsusb

Then unzip the eMMC image, go to the folder and run the flash command. Do not unplug the microUSB cable or the power while flashing.

Neon-2000-JNX
Unzip: tar -zxvf <file>

JetPack Folder after unzip Flash command Finished when you see
5.1.2 NeonJNX_A3_JP512_emmc_v1.0.9 sudo apt-get install sshpass
sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh --flash-only --massflash 1		 Success (about 13 min)
5.0.2 NeonJNX_A3_JP502_emmc_v1.0.7 sudo apt-get install sshpass
sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh --flash-only --massflash 1		 Success
4.6.1 JNX_JP461_emmc_v1.0.5 sudo ./flash.sh Flash complete (SUCCESS)
4.5 JNX_JP45_v1.0.2 sudo ./flash.sh Flash complete (SUCCESS) (about 5 min)
Neon-2000-ONO
Unzip: sudo tar -I lbzip2 -xf <file>

JetPack Folder after unzip Flash command Finished when you see
6.2 / 6.1 / 5.1.2 mfi_jetson-orin-nano-neon2000-ono_4-<L4T>-rel.<ver>
(no _release suffix)		 sudo ./tools/kernel_flash/l4t_initrd_flash.sh --flash-only --massflash 15 --network usb0 Flash complete (SUCCESS)

When finished: power off the NEON, remove the pins 5-6 jumper, (JNX) make sure the microSD card from Step 2 is inserted, and power on. Check the version: head -n1 /etc/nv_tegra_release

More about flashing Jetson devices: NVIDIA documentation

Appendix: Back up and restore the JNX eMMC

  • Method 1

    1. Download the environment on a Linux x86 Ubuntu PC: https://sftp.adlinktech.com/image/Neon-JNX/deploy.neonjnx.tar.gz (MD5: d9e7e4ff4030f7d81f72c353aad6d272)
    2. tar -zxvf deploy.neonjnx.tar.gz
    3. sudo ./flash.sh -r -k APP -G backup.img <board name> mmcblk0p1
      • HW A3: jetson-neonjnx-a3-emmc
      • HW A2: jetson-xavier-nx-neonjnx-emmc

  • Method 2

    • Back up
    cd ~/
mkdir mntTemp
sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 mntTemp
cd mntTemp
sudo tar -jcf ../customerEMMC.tbz2 *
sync
cd ../
sudo umount mntTemp
rmdir mntTemp
    • Restore
    cd ~/
mkdir mntTemp
sudo mount /dev/mmcblk0p1 mntTemp
sudo tar jxf customerEMMC.tbz2 -C mntTemp
sync
sudo umount mntTemp
rmdir mntTemp