Cannot receive CSI video after power off

Robotics & Edge Computing Jetson & Embedded Systems Jetson Orin NX
1

Hello,

I’ve been working to integrate a sensor that sends video over CSI to my Orin NX. This had been working really well up until recently when I went on a holiday and came back to keep working on our software stack to process the video. The board was left connected to the power supply, with the power supply off for 5 days. I should note that this Orin has a custom carrier board designed by the company I work for. Upon returning, the video no longer worked reliably, and though I have in some rare instances since been able to get it going, it fails after a while.

The only anomaly I’ve seen is a random electrical issue where the CSI pins seem to be reading a very high resistance value (>1M) compared to what they were a few weeks ago when I first got the video working (200k at the time). My video source I have ruled out as being an issue, so I’m confused as to what has happened to my NX to cause it to no longer receive video. Any ideas?

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*** Please note that this reply is generated by LLM automatically ***

Based on the provided context, I’ll attempt to help you troubleshoot the issue with your Jetson Orin NX.

Firstly, it’s essential to note that the Jetson Orin NX is a sensitive device, and improper handling or connection can cause damage. The caution notes in the context emphasize the importance of connecting devices before powering on the system and using anti-static and grounding techniques when working with the system.

Given that you’ve been working with a custom carrier board designed by your company, it’s possible that the issue might be related to the board or the connection. Here are a few potential causes:

  1. Electrical issue: You’ve mentioned a random electrical issue where the CSI pins seem to be reading a very high resistance value (>1M) compared to the previous reading (200k). This could indicate a problem with the CSI connection or the carrier board. It’s possible that the high resistance value is causing the video signal to be disrupted or not transmitted correctly.
  2. ESD damage: As the caution notes mention, the Jetson Orin NX contains ESD-sensitive parts. If you’ve been handling the board without proper anti-static and grounding techniques, it’s possible that the device has been damaged due to ESD discharge. This could have occurred when you connected or disconnected devices while the system was powered on.
  3. Power supply issue: Although you mentioned that the power supply was off for 5 days, it’s possible that there was a power surge or electrical noise that affected the system. This could have caused damage to the CSI connection or the carrier board.
  4. Software or configuration issue: It’s possible that there’s a software or configuration issue that’s causing the video to not work reliably. You’ve mentioned that you’ve been working on your software stack to process the video, so it’s possible that there’s a bug or incompatibility that’s causing the issue.

To troubleshoot the issue, I recommend the following steps:

  1. Inspect the CSI connection: Carefully inspect the CSI connection on the carrier board and the Jetson Orin NX to ensure that there are no signs of physical damage or corrosion.
  2. Check the carrier board design: Review the custom carrier board design to ensure that it meets the specifications and requirements for the Jetson Orin NX.
  3. Verify the power supply: Ensure that the power supply is stable and meets the requirements for the Jetson Orin NX.
  4. Run diagnostics: Run diagnostics on the Jetson Orin NX to check for any hardware or software issues.
  5. Try a different CSI port: If possible, try using a different CSI port on the Jetson Orin NX to rule out any issues with the specific port.
  6. Consult the NVIDIA documentation: Refer to the NVIDIA documentation for the Jetson Orin NX to ensure that you’re following the recommended procedures for connecting and configuring the CSI interface.

In comparison to the other sections in the context, the issue you’re experiencing seems to be related to the CSI connection and the custom carrier board. The sections on PCIe and GMSL cameras don’t seem to be directly relevant to your issue. However, the caution notes and the section on ESD-sensitive parts are important to consider when working with the Jetson Orin NX.

I hope this helps you troubleshoot the issue with your Jetson Orin NX. If you have any further questions or need more specific guidance, feel free to ask!

*** Please give the thumbs up if you get answers you like. Or provide feedback to help us improve the answer. ***

5

Thanks @carolyuu . To answer the points specifically:
1: I believe this is likely the cause. I inspected two separate boards as well and they showed similar readings. I don’t know what could have caused this, a fault on our carrier boards or a fault with the Orins? I should note for these two other boards, they are NOT using the CSI connectors as I am.

2: We take good precautions to limit ESD, as this has been an issue with our video source (a gimbal) in the past. The Orin module is never hotswapped as both devices are connected to the same supply, and hotswapping I know can damage the sensitive electronics on both our gimbal and the Orin.

3: Potentially yes there is a power supply issue. We recently swapped to a different supply so maybe this is also causing issues.

4: The software configuration is known and working, this should not be the fault.

To address the troubleshooting steps mentioned:
1: The connectors look fine on the carrier boards, with no signs of obvious damage. The carrier boards are coated in a specific material to also prevent electrical shorts or other sorts of damage to the components.

2: I have been in review with our team regarding the design. Given I have observed the issue on two separate modules which are used for a different purpose, I suspect it may be a carrier board design issue.

3: This will be done on a separate date, however this specific supply was recommended to us by our sister company.

4: This can also be done on a separate date, though I don’t know what specific diagnostics to run.

5: I use both available CSI ports on the carrier board (CSI1 and CSI2/3, CSI0 is unavailable) and note it is an issue on both ports.

6: The design engineers who designed the carrier boards should have followed the specifications for this. When I go back to them I will double check they consulted the design guide for the Orin NX.

All in all, what other tests can I do to isolate it to what I believe is the likely culprit, which is our carrier board design?

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hello nitromadsnake,

let me have confirmation.
you meant it’s working normally, but it cannot receive camera stream after system restart?

it should not an issue with camera software stack.
we’ve verified with reference cameras (such as IMX219, IMX477) on Orin NX for 24-hour long run streaming.
I’ve also seen camera use-case for running 24/7, it’s also worked without failures.

so,
do you have other camera carrier board to have cross validation?

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Hi @JerryChang ,

Yes, the system was working fine until I went away. When I came back it was exhibiting the behaviour I described.

I am planning on also doing a system stress test but that will be later. But to your question, in terms of other carrier boards to swap in and out? Yes I have plenty of those. We do however only have the one gimbal, so I cannot use a different source to validate with.

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Is this still an issue to support? Any result can be shared?