Set up Jetlink on a Jetson¶
Allow about an hour. Set up offroad with the Jetson and comma powered and online.
What you need¶
- A Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit (8 GB).
- A 64 GB or larger microSD card, or an NVMe SSD.
- A comma 3X or comma 4 and a USB 3 A-to-C data cable.
- Separate power for the Jetson and comma (the comma cannot power the Jetson).
1. Choose your power setup¶
Recommended: always-on 12 V power with deep sleep. Use a straight 12 V-to-DC adapter with a 5.5 mm outer / 2.5 mm inner, center-positive plug, rated for at least 25 W (supply and cable). Adapter example.
Pick the installer option for your car's power socket:
| Socket powered with the ignition off? | Choose | Ignition off | Car started |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Always on (recommended) | Jetson sleeps after a few minutes, using about 0.3 W on 12 V. | The comma wakes it. |
| No | Switched | Jetson loses power. | It boots, with the model ready about 30 seconds after power-on. |
Socket turns off a few minutes after parking? Choose Switched.
Battery protection (installer question):
- Yes: the comma shuts the Jetson down for low battery or a long park. To restart it, press its power button or reconnect its power. Starting the car won't.
- No: the Jetson stays in deep sleep while parked, with no battery-protection shutdown.
Turn off the desktop: choose Yes unless you need it. After restarting,
the screen shows a text login. Use jetlink setup to restore the desktop.
2. Install Jetlink¶
Needs JetPack 7.2.1 (tested) or 6.2 (untested with this release). JetPack 7.0 and 7.1 do not work.
New Jetson? Install JetPack first
You need another computer, a 16 GB or larger USB stick, a DisplayPort monitor, and a keyboard. This erases the selected Jetson drive.
- Download the Jetson ISO from NVIDIA and write it to the USB stick with balenaEtcher.
- Connect the monitor, keyboard, storage, and USB stick to the Jetson. Power it on, press Esc, and select the USB stick in Boot Manager.
- If offered a firmware update, press Y within 30 seconds.
- Choose Install Jetson ISO and your target drive. Then remove the USB stick and finish the on-screen setup.
Older firmware or problems: NVIDIA's setup guide.
On the Jetson, open Terminal and paste:
Answer the power questions as above. Installation takes 10–30 minutes; leave it running. To use the web page from your phone, choose a port and password when prompted. Port 5600 is the default; 0 disables it.
3. Connect the comma¶
- Install zoompilot, or update it if already installed. Wait for the restart to finish.
- Enable Jetlink. Set Settings > Models > Jetlink to USB. Leave Big Model at its default.
- Connect the cable. Jetson USB-A → comma USB-C.
- Wait for the green home-button icon. Stay offroad and online while the model downloads and prepares. The first prepare takes about 3 minutes.
Read daily use before driving. Open the web page to check it from your phone.
Need help?¶
| Problem | Try this |
|---|---|
| Installer stopped | Run the install command again. |
| Icon never turns green | Run jetlink status. Use the Jetson's USB-A port; try another USB 3 data cable. |
| Jetson will not wake | After a full shutdown, press its power button or reconnect power. Otherwise check Always on with jetlink setup. |
| Jetson sleeps while you work on it over SSH | Run jetlink caffeinate and keep it running. |
| Model fails to prepare or keeps disconnecting | Run jetlink logs. Check storage space, power, cable, and cooling. |
More troubleshooting and logs.
Everyday commands
jetlink status # check Jetlink, the comma connection, the web page address
jetlink logs # view errors; Ctrl-C to stop watching
jetlink restart # restart Jetlink
jetlink update # update to the newest release, keeping your settings
jetlink setup # change the power, desktop or web page answers
jetlink password # set a new password for the web page
jetlink models # list, download or prepare models (jetlink models --help)
jetlink caffeinate # keep it awake until Ctrl-C (-t SECONDS, or while a command runs)
jetlink uninstall # remove Jetlink
Daily use · Model choices · Manual installation
From the Jetlink documentation.