How to NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano UART Console

How to Connect to NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano UART Console

This guide explains how to connect to the UART serial console of the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit using a TTL-to-USB adapter. This is useful for accessing boot logs, debugging early kernel messages, or interacting with the board when other interfaces are unavailable.

Requirements

• NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit
• TTL-to-USB Serial Adapter (e.g., based on CP2102, CH340, or FT232)
• Jumper wires (Female-to-Female)
• A host computer running Linux or macOS
• Serial terminal software: screen or minicom

NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano UART Pinout and Wiring

Connect the TTL-to-USB adapter to the 40-pin GPIO header of the Jetson Orin Nano as follows:

UART Pinout (J41 Header on Orin Nano)

Pin Number	Signal	Description	TTL Adapter Wire
8	UART_TX	Transmit from Jetson	Connect to RXD on adapter
10	UART_RX	Receive into Jetson	Connect to TXD on adapter
14	GND	Ground	Connect to GND on adapter

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Connect Hardware

1. Power off the Jetson Orin Nano.
2. Connect jumper wires as described in the table above.
3. Plug the TTL-to-USB adapter into your computer.

2. Identify the Serial Device

On your host machine, run:

ls /dev/ttyUSB*

You should see something like /dev/ttyUSB0. This is the serial device you'll use.

Using screen

Install screen

sudo apt update
sudo apt install screen

Start Serial Console

Replace /dev/ttyUSB0 with your actual device:

screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200

To exit screen, press:

Ctrl + A, then K, then press Y to confirm

Using minicom

Install minicom

sudo apt update
sudo apt install minicom

Configure minicom

First, run:

sudo minicom -s

Navigate to **Serial port setup** and set:

• **Serial device**: `/dev/ttyUSB0`
• **Bps/Par/Bits**: `115200 8N1`
• **Hardware Flow Control**: **No**
• **Software Flow Control**: **No**

Save settings and exit.

Start Serial Console

After configuration:

sudo minicom

To exit minicom, press:

Ctrl + A, then X

Boot Log Output

Once connected, power on the Jetson Orin Nano. You should see U-Boot and Linux boot messages in your terminal window. This console can be used to log in if graphical access is unavailable.

Troubleshooting

• Make sure your TTL-to-USB adapter is recognized by the OS (dmesg | grep ttyUSB)
• Verify correct TX/RX wiring (cross them)
• Use only one terminal program at a time (minicom or screen)
• Ensure baud rate is set to 115200

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