Working with Jetson Orin

This module is designed based on the Jetson Orin form factor, allowing users to directly assemble it onto the Jetson Orin Nano/NX Developer Kits.

Hardware Connection

• As shown in the diagram, connect the CSI0 interface of the deserializer board to the Cam0 interface of the Jetson Orin mainboard using the supplied cable.

  CSI Interface Compatibility

  The CSI pin definitions of the CAM0 and CAM1 interfaces on the NVIDIA Jetson® Orin™ Nano kit are different. Currently, the deserializer board can only be connected to the CAM0 interface. Please refer to the relevant pin definitions and the CAM0/1 interface pinout in the Jetson® Orin™ kit schematic.

  FPC Cable Length Limitation

  The 22PIN FPC cable does not have precise impedance control. When using high‑resolution cameras, the CSI data rate is high. It is recommended to use short FPC cables:

  • Two 8MP cameras connected simultaneously: tested to work only with a 5 cm cable.
  • Single‑camera connection: 10 cm or 15 cm cables can be used.

• Connect the power cable to the power connector of the deserializer board and to the 5 V and GND pins on the 40PIN header of the Jetson Orin mainboard. To ensure the deserializer board receives enough power, connect both 5 V pins. Alternatively, an external power supply can be used.

• Connect the GMSL camera(s) to the camera interface(s) on the deserializer board using coaxial cable(s)

• Set the CFG switch to the '0100' position as shown in the diagram (default configuration for ISX031 camera)

Software Configuration

• The Jetson Orin mainboard needs to be flashed with a corresponding supported Jetson system. Currently, the driver only supports version R35.4.1

  • You can check the current system version using the command:

    cat /etc/nv_tegra_release

    

• After powering on the mainboard, open a Terminal, download the driver package, and extract it

  wget https://files.waveshare.com/wiki/MAX9296-GMSL-Camera-Board/MAX9296-GMSL-Camera-Board-Driver.zip
  unzip MAX9296-GMSL-Camera-Board-Driver.zip

• Use the cd command to enter the driver package directory and list the files

  • Enter the corresponding directory based on the camera model used. Here we use ISX031 as an example

    cd MAX9296-GMSL-Camera-Board-Driver
    ls
    cd ONXA_SY.ISX031Fx2_L4TR35.4.1
    cd kernel

• In the kernel files, the dtb folder contains device tree files supporting multiple mainboard models. We need to use the device tree file that matches the current mainboard model

  • First, you can use the command sudo dmesg | grep kernel to check the device tree currently used by the mainboard

  • For example, if the queried device tree file is tegra234-p3767-0004-p3768-0000-a0

    

• Copy the dtb file and Image file of the same model from the driver to the mainboard's /boot directory

  sudo cp dtb/tegra234-p3767-0004-p3768-0000-a0.dtb /boot
  sudo cp Image /boot

• After copying the files, modify the device tree file specified for boot in extlinux.conf

  • Duplicate and add another boot label, change the FDT file path within it to the directory of the copied file, and set the new added label as the default boot option

    Important Note

    When modifying the boot configuration file, double‑check everything. Save the changes only after confirming correctness, then reboot the system. An incorrect configuration may prevent the system from booting properly!

    sudo vi /boot/extlinux/extlinux.conf

  • In the vi editor, press i to enter edit mode, and press esc to exit edit mode. After exiting edit mode, you can type :wq! to save the file and quit.

• After saving the file, reboot the system

Quick Test

• Check if the camera is properly detected

  sudo dmesg | grep connected

  If it returns a message like /dev/video2 is connected, it indicates the camera has been properly detected.

• You can use the following command to perform a preview test of the camera.

  • The preview test requires an HDMI or DP display to be connected. Please ensure the screen is properly connected and displaying.
  • Note: Change the video device number to the one indicated in the previous detection step.
  • Note: Modify the command parameters according to the resolution supported by the camera.

  gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video2 ! "video/x-raw, format=(string)UYVY, width=(int)1920, height=(int)1536" ! fpsdisplaysink video-sink=xvimagesink sync=false