Jetson Orin Nano (L4T R36.4.4) - nvarguscamerasrc fails with "No cameras available" for Waveshare IMX219-160 Stereo Camera

Hello,

I need some help with a driver issue for a third-party camera on my Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit. The nvarguscamerasrc element is unable to detect my cameras, even after installing the manufacturer’s drivers.

System Information:

  • Board: Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit

  • Camera: Waveshare IMX219-160 Stereo Camera

  • L4T Version:

    # R36 (release), REVISION: 4.4, GCID: 41062509, BOARD: generic, EABI: aarch64,
    

Kernel Version: 5.15.148-tegra

Problem Description: After a fresh JetPack installation and installing the latest Waveshare drivers for the IMX219-160 camera, nvarguscamerasrc fails with the error No cameras available. However, the kernel can see the devices, as ls /dev/video* correctly shows /dev/video0 and /dev/video1.

Diagnostics Logs:

  1. sudo systemctl status nvargus-daemon output:

    ● nvargus-daemon.service - Argus daemon
         Active: active (running)
    ...
    (Argus) Error ResourceError ...
    SCF: Error ResourceError: Unable to open BW Ioctl FD ...
    
    
  2. sudo journalctl -u nvargus-daemon output:

    (Argus) Error ResourceError:  (propagating from src/api/GlobalProcessState.cpp, function createCameraProvider(), line 210)
    SCF: Error ResourceError: Unable to open BW Ioctl FD (in src/services/power/PowerServiceCore.cpp, function initialize(), line 125)
    SCF: Error ResourceError:  (propagating from src/services/power/PowerService.cpp, function startService(), line 52)
    SCF: Error ResourceError:  (propagating from src/components/ServiceHost.cpp, function startServices(), line 162)
    
    
  3. cat /etc/nv_tegra_release

    R36 (release), REVISION: 4.4, GCID: 41062509, BOARD: generic, EABI: aarch64, DATE: Mon Jun 16 16:07:13 UTC 2025

    KERNEL_VARIANT: oot

    TARGET_USERSPACE_LIB_DIR=nvidia
    TARGET_USERSPACE_LIB_DIR_PATH=usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/nvidia

The Unable to open BW Ioctl FD error in the nvargus-daemon log seems to be the root cause, indicating a failure at the power/resource management level between the driver and the Argus service.

Could you please advise if there is a known incompatibility with L4T R36.4.4 and this driver, or if there is an updated driver or patch available?

Thank you for your support.

1 Like

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

I’d be happy to help you with the driver issue on your Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit.

Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge that you’ve already installed the latest Waveshare drivers for the IMX219-160 camera, but it’s still not working as expected. The error log indicates a failure at the power resource management level between the driver and the Argus service.

After reviewing the provided information, I couldn’t find any specific known incompatibility between L4T R36.4.4 and the Waveshare driver. However, I did notice that the kernel version (R36 release, REVISION 44, GCID 41062509) is quite recent, and it’s possible that the driver might not be fully compatible with this version.

Here are a few potential steps you could take to troubleshoot the issue:

  1. Check the driver version: Ensure that you’re using the latest version of the Waveshare driver. You can check the driver version by running the command dpkg -l | grep waveshare. If you’re not using the latest version, try updating the driver to the latest version.
  2. Verify the kernel configuration: Run the command zcat /proc/config.gz | grep CONFIG_POWER to verify that the power management configuration is enabled in the kernel. If it’s not enabled, you might need to recompile the kernel with the necessary configuration options.
  3. Check the device tree: Verify that the device tree is correctly configured for the IMX219-160 camera. You can check the device tree by running the command dtc -I fs /sys/firmware/devicetree/base. Look for the node corresponding to the camera and ensure that it’s correctly configured.
  4. Try a different kernel version: If possible, try booting the Jetson Orin Nano with a different kernel version (e.g., R36.4.3 or R36.4.2) to see if the issue persists. This can help determine if the issue is specific to the R36.4.4 kernel version.
  5. Contact Waveshare support: Reach out to Waveshare support and provide them with the error log and kernel version information. They might be able to provide a patched driver or updated instructions for the IMX219-160 camera.

In comparison to other Jetson modules, the Jetson Orin Nano has a similar architecture to the Jetson Orin NX, but with some differences in terms of power management and device tree configuration. However, the steps I mentioned above should be applicable to both modules.

If you’re still experiencing issues after trying the above steps, please provide more details about your setup, including the exact error messages and kernel version information. I’ll do my best to help you troubleshoot the issue.

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

1 Like

Hi @samak.onlamai !

Can you try capturing using v4l2src to verify if the camera is functional? If this fails please run the following and share the output:

dmesg | grep imx

Nico
Best regards
Embedded Software Engineer at ProventusNova

1 Like

Dump the device tree review.

sudo dtc -I fs -O dts -o extracted_proc.dts /sys/firmware/devicetree/base

1 Like
Thanks for all the advice, I tried testing it and it didn't detect the camera, but now I have a solution that makes the camera work, here's the solution: 
Enable the Device Tree Overlay:
The Jetson Orin Nano in JetPack 6 includes drivers for the IMX219 sensor, but configuration for the dual (Stereo) camera is required.

Open Terminal.
Use the following command to access the Jetson configuration tool:

Bash
sudo /opt/nvidia/jetson-io/jetson-io.py

The Terminal configuration window will be displayed.
Go to the Configure Jetson 24-pin CSI Connector menu.

Locate and select the IMX219-83 Stereo Camera (or similar name) option.

Save the settings and reboot.

Check the kernel message to check if the driver loaded/probe successful or not.

sudo dmesg | grep -i imx

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