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jetson-customize-usb — Claude Code skill: how to install

Configures USB2 and USB3 SS ports on Jetson Orin and Thor boards via kernel DT overlays. Keeps host xHCI controller probes from failing when toggling ports.

Install into Claude Code · Skills CLI (Vercel) All methods and platforms ↓
npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill jetson-customize-usb -a claude-code
Open on GitHub

What jetson-customize-usb does

The skill enables, disables, or alters roles for USB2 and USB3 SuperSpeed lines on Jetson Orin (Tegra234) and Thor (Tegra264) carrier boards. Port changes require strict multi-node coordination. The tool updates three points in lockstep: PHY lane status in xusb_padctl, the individual port node, and the tegra-xusb host controller reference list. If this sync breaks, host probing crashes and lsusb returns nothing.

Hardware constraints dictate clear functional boundaries. Only usb2-0 supports OTG mode alongside the tegra-xudc device controller, while all other ports remain host-only. The skill writes commits directly into the composite .dts overlay under bsp_sources/. It does not touch ODMDATA or allocate UPHY lanes. If non-stock lane assignments are required, jetson-customize-uphy must run first.

Carrier board documentation is strictly mandatory. If custom_carrier_schematic or custom_carrier_pinmux_xls are missing, the skill refuses to run. Both dtc and fdtoverlay must also be available on the PATH.

What it helps with

  • enable or disable USB3 SS ports on Jetson Orin carriers
  • wire VBUS enable and overcurrent detection GPIOs
  • link USB2 companion phandles to SuperSpeed ports
  • resolve xHCI probe failures after custom board bringup

Example prompts for the agent

  • Configure USB3 SS ports for my custom Jetson Orin carrier board
  • Wire VBUS-EN GPIOs and attach companion ports for usb3-0
  • Fix tegra-xusb failed to enable PHYs error in the DT overlay

How to install jetson-customize-usb

1Skills CLI (Vercel)

npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill jetson-customize-usb -a claude-code

2Manually: put the files in place

~/.claude/skills/jetson-customize-usb/SKILL.md

Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/jetson-customize-usb/

Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways

Questions about jetson-customize-usb

How to install jetson-customize-usb in Claude Code?

Run npx skills add NVIDIA/skills --skill jetson-customize-usb -a claude-code.

What does jetson-customize-usb do?

It generates kernel device-tree overlay fragments to toggle and route USB2 and USB3 ports on Jetson Orin and Thor hardware.

Why does the skill require schematic and pinmux files?

Custom carriers need exact routing for VBUS-EN, overcurrent detection, and Type-C GPIO pins. Without the schematic and pinmux spreadsheet, the skill refuses to guess hardware connections.

Source text

SKILL.md · Apache-2.0
---
name: jetson-customize-usb
description: Enable/disable Jetson USB2/USB3 SS ports via kernel-DT overlay. Do NOT use for UPHY lane allocation or ODMDATA edits.
version: 0.0.1
license: "Apache-2.0"
metadata:
  data-classification: public
  author: "Jetson Team"
  tags:
    - bsp
    - phase-2
    - io
    - usb
  domain: meta
---

# Customize USB (per-port enable / disable / role)

## Purpose

Enable, disable, or change the role of USB2 / USB3 SS ports on a
Jetson Thor (Tegra264) or Orin (Tegra234) custom carrier. Captures
per-port wiring (role, max speed, VBUS-EN / OC GPIOs, CC1/CC2 GPIOs
for Type-C, USB3 SS UPHY lane), resolves the SS to USB2 companion
graph from the in-tree DTB, then renders a self-contained kernel-DT
overlay that flips every port action in three places in lockstep
(lane status, port status, host xHCI `phys` + `phy-names`).

UPHY lane allocation belongs to `jetson-customize-uphy`. No ODMDATA
edit. Output is one commit to the composite custom overlay `.dts` in
the `bsp_sources/` hardware repo.

## Prerequisites

- Active profile with `reference_devkit:` + `custom_carrier:` blocks.
- `<source.root_path>/Linux_for_Tegra/.git` exists
  (`/jetson-init-source`).
- `/jetson-derive-carrier` has run — carrier flash-conf fork in the
  overlay tracker.
- `/jetson-customize-uphy` has run when any enabled USB3 SS port
  needs a non-stock UPHY lane allocation. Its JSON sidecar at
  `<workspace>/target-platform/<profile-stem>.jetson-customize-uphy.json`
  is consulted for SS lane allocation.
- Source-of-truth docs: Adaptation Guide §"Port the Universal Serial
  Bus", Module Design Guide §USB, SoC TRM (xusb block).
- **When `custom_carrier:` is present, both
  `documents.custom_carrier_schematic` AND
  `documents.custom_carrier_pinmux_xls` are REQUIRED.** Refuse the run
  if either is missing — per-port routing (VBUS-EN / OC / CC GPIOs, SS
  lane wiring, hub fan-out) on a custom carrier cannot be guessed.
  Reference-devkit-only profiles skip this check.
- `dtc`, `fdtoverlay` on PATH.

## Overview

USB on Tegra spans three IP surfaces: the `xusb_padctl` block (USB2
OTG + USB3 SS PHYs), the `tegra-xusb` xHCI host controller, and an
optional `tegra-xudc` device controller attached to the single
OTG-capable USB2 port (`usb2-0`).

**A per-port flip MUST touch three kernel-DT places in lockstep.**
Anything less crashes the host xHCI probe and leaves `lsusb` empty
on every port (collateral damage to stock-okay ports):

| # | Place | Path | What it controls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | **Lane (PHY provider)** | `xusb_padctl/pads/usb<2\|3>/lanes/usb<2\|3>-N` | SS / OTG PHY hardware-binding. `status="disabled"` then lane stops providing a PHY. |
| 2 | **Port (controller-binding)** | `xusb_padctl/ports/usb<2\|3>-N` | Per-port mode (host/device/otg), companion link, VBUS / OC / CC pin refs. `status="disabled"` then port removed from user-facing topology. |
| 3 | **Host xHCI phys-list** | `bus@0/usb@<addr>.phys` + `.phy-names` | Array of phandles + names the xHCI driver iterates. A ref to a disabled PHY returns `-ENODEV` and aborts the whole host probe. |

NVIDIA's stock-disabled `usb3-3` in the Thor base DTB is the canonical
pattern — all three places flipped in lockstep.

**Two extra rules ride on top of the three-place pattern:**

- **Rule A — lane + port pairing.** Lane (place 1) and matching port
  (place 2) MUST flip together.
- **Rule B — companion cascade.**
  `xusb_padctl/ports/usb3-N.nvidia,usb2-companion` references a USB2
  port phandle. Disabling that USB2 without cascading to its SS
  companion then `tegra-xusb: failed to enable PHYs: -19`.

**Agentic, not table-driven** — every port, controller, lane,
companion link, phandle, and `__symbols__` lookup is resolved at
runtime from docs + DTB + carrier pinmap + schematic.

## When to invoke

- The user says "enable USB", "disable USB hub", "configure USB3 SS",
  "set USB role", "wire VBUS-EN", "tegra-xusb / xudc / dr_mode", or
  asks to bring up / take down a USB controller on a custom carrier.
- A USB receptacle on the carrier doesn't enumerate after flash, OR
  collateral USB damage (`lsusb` empty after a previous
  jetson-customize-usb attempt) needs to be fixed.
- `jetson-customize-uphy` re-allocated UPHY lanes affecting USB3 SS
  ports and per-port DT now needs to follow.

## Procedure (summary)

The full step-by-step procedure lives in `references/procedure.md`.

1. **Step 1** — resolve active target + open source-of-truth docs.
2. **Step 2** — build the USB topology + companion graph from the
   in-tree DTB.
3. **Step 3** — `AskUserQuestion` for port(s) to enable / disable;
   surface companion cascade + on-carrier hub fan-out explicitly.
4. **Step 4** — per-port verify (module + carrier + UPHY lane) and
   capture wiring (VBUS-EN / OC / CC GPIOs via `pin_verifier.py`).
5. **Step 5** — render the kernel-DT overlay using the three-place
   pattern, append fragments (`usb:padctl`, `usb:xhci`, optional
   `usb:xudc`) to the composite custom overlay `.dts`, run
   `fdtoverlay` + the three post-merge invariants, commit to
   `bsp_sources/`.
6. **Step 6** — write run-state JSON sidecar (shape in
   `references/run-state-sidecar.md`), emit headline, then drive the
   downstream next-step chain via sequential `AskUserQuestion` prompts
   per `references/procedure.md` Step 6. Never substitute a printed
   "Next step: …" line for the prompts.

See `references/gotchas.md` for the load-bearing failure modes.

## Limitations

- Owns kernel-DT overlay only. ODMDATA does not expose a per-port
  USB `status` knob; do not edit it.
- Does NOT allocate UPHY lanes — `jetson-customize-uphy` owns that.
  Refuse to commit an SS-enable until uphy run-state shows the lane
  allocated.
- Does NOT directly patch the pinmux DTSI — routes SFIO mismatches
  to `/jetson-customize-pinmux set-pin`.
- Does NOT compile the `.dtbo` or register `OVERLAY_DTB_FILE+=` —
  `/jetson-build-source` owns build + flash-conf registration.
- Tegra platform invariant: only `usb2-0` is OTG-capable; `xudc`
  attaches there only. All other USB2 ports and all USB3 SS ports
  are host-only.

## Troubleshooting

- **Empty `lsusb` on every port, USB-eth at 192.168.55.1 still up:**
  host xHCI bailed; three-place lockstep was broken. Inspect merged
  DTB; verify post-merge invariants in `references/procedure.md`
  Step 5d.
- **`tegra-xusb: failed to enable PHYs: -19`:** companion cascade
  (Rule B) violated — a USB2 was disabled without its SS companion.
- **`no port found` or `Requested PHY is disabled`:** Rule A
  violated — lane status and port status are mismatched.
- **`FDT_ERR_NOTFOUND` from `fdtoverlay`:** a fragment used
  `target = <&label>` for a node whose label is not in
  `__symbols__` (typical for host xHCI / `tegra-xudc`). Switch to
  `target-path = "/bus@0/usb@<addr>"`.
- **dtc warning `phys_property: cell 0 is not a phandle reference`:**
  benign; expected when using raw integer phandles in the host phys
  override.
- **Port boots but VBUS never asserts:** `vbus-supply` references a
  regulator parent node that does not exist. Ensure the fixed
  regulator node is present before referencing it.
- **xHCI binds the wrong port at boot:** host `phys` element order
  was not preserved. Only elide disabled entries; never reorder
  kept ones.

## References

- `references/procedure.md` — full step-by-step procedure.
- `references/gotchas.md` — load-bearing failure modes.
- `references/run-state-sidecar.md` — run-state JSON shape.
- `references/usb-architecture.md` — Tegra USB IP architecture
  notes (`xusb_padctl`, `tegra-xusb`, `xudc`).
- `references/usb-dt-bindings.md` — USB DT binding cheatsheet
  (lane / port / phys-list shapes).
- `../../scripts/pin_verifier.py` — shared HSIO pin verifier.
- `../../references/platform_template.yaml` — `documents:` block
  consumed by Step 1.
- `../../context/bsp-customization-workflow.md` — overlay edit
  protocol.
- `../../references/bsp-customization-kernel-dtb.md` — composite
  overlay append protocol.
- `../jetson-customize-uphy/SKILL.md` — sibling skill that owns
  UPHY lane allocation.
- `../jetson-customize-pinmux/SKILL.md` — sibling skill for
  VBUS-EN / OC / CC SFIO fixes.
- `../jetson-derive-carrier/SKILL.md` — must run first.
- `../jetson-init-source/SKILL.md` — produces the overlay tracker
  + `bsp_sources` repo.

© Jetson Team · Apache-2.0 · NVIDIA/skills

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