Intel NUC 10 hard freezes randomly after several days

[kraigher]

We are using Linux (Balena OS based on Yocto) on an Intel NUC 10i5FNH as an embedded control computer in a our product. Previously we used Intel NUC 8th generation but we switched as 8th was falling out of stock.

With the 10th gen NUC we experience random hard freezes after several days of uptime that we never saw with the 8th gen. By hard freeze I mean that the entire operating system becomes unresponsive, no GUI responsiveness, no SSH access. Apparently also all disk IO stops since log files are abruptly truncated with 0-bytes. The system must be power cycled to recover, there is no kernel panic or automatic restart.

Has anyone experienced similar problems and found any solution? 

[Jean_Intel]

Hello kraigher,

Thank you for posting on the Intel️® communities.  

To have a better understanding of your issue, please provide me with the following:

• How long is "Several days"?
• Is the unit submitted to intensive workload when it is running?
• Have you modified the unit so you can add it to your project?
• Once the system is frozen, can you power the Nuc up immediately?
• Have you monitored the unit temperatures? If so, have you noticed any reports of high temperatures?

Best regards, 

Jean O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[kraigher]

• How long is "Several days"?
  • 5-7 days
• Is the unit submitted to intensive workload when it is running?
  • No it can happen when idling.
• Have you modified the unit so you can add it to your project?
  • No.
• Once the system is frozen, can you power the Nuc up immediately?
  • I do not remember if we can use the power button or have to pull the plug.
• Have you monitored the unit temperatures? If so, have you noticed any reports of high temperatures?
  • Yes we monitor the temperatures, they do not correlate with the freeze. The unit freezes when not doing much of anything in a cool office.

[Jean_Intel]

Hello kraigher,

We understand that you are using Balena OS to meet your requirements for your project. However, this operating system is not part of the validated operating systems for this Intel Nuc model. Could you try using a Windows OS (Windows 11) or install Ubunto Desktop OS (since it is a more common Linux OS, and we are familiar with it)? n

Also, you check memory modules to confirm if they are running properly.

• Remove and reinstall the memory modules
• If two memory modules are installed, try one at a time.
• Try different memory modules you know to be good.

Best regards, 

Jean O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[kraigher]

1)

Yes we are using Balena OS which is Linux under the hood just like Ubuntu OS. Balena OS provides IoT fleet management which we need for our application. It is not an option for us to use Windows or Ubuntu. The user space stuff that is different between different Linux OS has nothing to do with the hardware, the important versions are those of the Linux Kernel version and the drivers.

2)

We have tested the memory modules using the memtest tool and so far found no issue. If the memory module was bad it would fail memtest is my assumption.

[Jean_Intel]

Hello kraigher,

Thanks for your response.

Regarding your issue, I would like to confirm if you have checked if your system is up to date, running the latest driver and OS versions. Keep in mind that it is important to keep your system up to date to have the most recent fixes and features.

Also, I recommend updating the BIOS to the latest version for your system (0057). Use the installation method using the F7 method. The installation steps are the following:

• Download and save the Recovery BIOS (.CAP) file to a USB device: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19485/bios-update-fncml357.html
• Plug the USB device into a USB port of the target computer.
• Start the Intel NUC.
• During boot, when the F7 prompt is displayed, press F7 to enter the BIOS Flash Update tool.
• Select the USB device and press Enter.
• Select the .CAP file and press Enter.
• confirm you want to update the BIOS by pressing Enter.
• Wait 2–5 minutes for the update to complete.
• When the BIOS update is complete, the computer will boot back into Windows

For more information and details on the BIOS installation method, visit our following article:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000090588/intel-nuc.html

Best regards, 

Jean O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Jean_Intel]

Hello kraigher,

I hope you are doing fine.

Were you able to check the previous post?

Let us know if you still need assistance.

Best regards, 

Jean O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[kraigher]

We will investigate if it makes a difference, since the crashes happen after a week it will take some time to draw conclusions.

[Jean_Intel]

Hello kraigher,

Thanks for your response.

I will be waiting for your response to confirm if the issue persists after trying the troubleshooting steps provided. If you encounter any inconveniences, please, don't hesitate in letting us know.

Best regards.

Jean O. 

Intel Customer Support Technician.

[Jean_Intel]

Hello kraigher

I hope you are doing fine.

Were you able to check the previous post?

Have you been able to try to replicate the issue with the new BIOS version?

Let us know if you still need assistance.

Best regards, 

Jean O.  

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Jean_Intel]

Hello kraigher,

I hope you are doing fine.

I have not heard back from you. So we will close this thread. If you need any additional information, submit a new question, as this thread will no longer be monitored.

Best regards.

Jean O. 

Intel Customer Support Technician.