Rejoining the Jetson Ecosystem: Ethernet hardware timestamping?

[gtj]

The Xavier NX using the EQOS nvethernet driver supported hardware timestamping …

$ ethtool -T eth0
Time stamping parameters for eth0:
Capabilities:
	hardware-transmit     (SOF_TIMESTAMPING_TX_HARDWARE)
	software-transmit     (SOF_TIMESTAMPING_TX_SOFTWARE)
	hardware-receive      (SOF_TIMESTAMPING_RX_HARDWARE)
	software-receive      (SOF_TIMESTAMPING_RX_SOFTWARE)
	software-system-clock (SOF_TIMESTAMPING_SOFTWARE)
	hardware-raw-clock    (SOF_TIMESTAMPING_RAW_HARDWARE)
PTP Hardware Clock: 0
Hardware Transmit Timestamp Modes:
	off                   (HWTSTAMP_TX_OFF)
	on                    (HWTSTAMP_TX_ON)
	one-step-sync         (HWTSTAMP_TX_ONESTEP_SYNC)
Hardware Receive Filter Modes:
	none                  (HWTSTAMP_FILTER_NONE)
	ptpv1-l4-sync         (HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V1_L4_SYNC)
	ptpv1-l4-delay-req    (HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V1_L4_DELAY_REQ)
	ptpv2-l4-sync         (HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V2_L4_SYNC)
	ptpv2-l4-delay-req    (HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V2_L4_DELAY_REQ)
	ptpv2-l2-sync         (HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V2_L2_SYNC)
	ptpv2-l2-delay-req    (HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V2_L2_DELAY_REQ)
	ptpv2-event           (HWTSTAMP_FILTER_PTP_V2_EVENT)

I was hoping that since the Nano Super inherited much of the Xavier NX specs it might also have inherited its ethernet controller but I guess not. The Nano Super seems to have an ordinary RTL8168 PCIe controller…

$ ethtool -T enP8p1s0
Time stamping parameters for enP8p1s0:
Capabilities:
	software-transmit
	software-receive
	software-system-clock
PTP Hardware Clock: none
Hardware Transmit Timestamp Modes: none
Hardware Receive Filter Modes: none

The developer guide however says that PTP is supported and references Eqos …

EthernetControllerFeaturesEqos: IEEE 1588-2008 (PTP)

There are also posts in the Orin NX category that say it IS supported on the Orin NX…

Does Jetson Orin NX support PTP in ethernet?

Hi Nvidia team, I would like to know whether the jetson Orin NX/Nano modules support the ptp feature on the default ethernet available on the SOM

Does Jetson Orin NX support PTP in ethernet?

Yes, that should be the same as Orin, seeJetson Orin Series — Jetson Linux Developer Guide documentation (nvidia.com)

But then…

PTP (IEEE 1588) in Orin NX

Hi NVidia team, I am developing a time-sync application with the PTP feature in Orin NX. However, there no hardware implementation when checking with ethtool. [eth0_info] https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/does-jetson-orin-nx-support-ptp-in-ethernet/246619 This topic noted that Orin NX should support PTP feature. No luck for me. If any solution to enable the hardware timestamping? Thank you! Jetpack 5.1.1 L4T 35.3.1

PTP (IEEE 1588) in Orin NX

The Software PTP is not supported on Orin.

Then there’s this…

Clarify availability of PTP(IEEE 1588) on Orin NX

Hi, PTP is supported on AGX Orin series. Not supported on Orin NX and Orin Nano series.

So the bottom line is what? No ethernet hardware timestamping on either the Orin NX (which would be a step DOWN from the Xavier NX) or Orin Nano?

[carolyuu]

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

Based on the provided context, it appears that there is some confusion regarding the support for Precision Time Protocol (PTP) on the Jetson Orin NX and Nano modules.

According to the documentation, the Jetson Orin NX and Nano modules do not support hardware timestamping, which is a requirement for PTP. The developer guide mentions that PTP is supported, but it seems to be referring to software-based PTP, not hardware-based.

In contrast, the Jetson Xavier NX, which is an older module, does support hardware timestamping using the EQOS nvethernet driver.

The Jetson Orin NX and Nano modules use a different ethernet controller, the RTL8168 PCIe controller, which does not support hardware timestamping.

There are several forum posts and discussions that confirm this information. One post mentions that PTP is not supported on the Orin NX, while another post states that PTP is supported on the AGX Orin series, but not on the Orin NX and Orin Nano series.

In summary, the Jetson Orin NX and Nano modules do not support hardware timestamping and therefore do not support PTP in the same way as the Jetson Xavier NX. However, software-based PTP may still be possible, but it would not provide the same level of accuracy as hardware-based timestamping.

Comparison:

• Jetson Xavier NX: Supports hardware timestamping using EQOS nvethernet driver
• Jetson Orin NX: Does not support hardware timestamping, uses RTL8168 PCIe controller
• Jetson Orin Nano: Does not support hardware timestamping, uses RTL8168 PCIe controller

In conclusion, if you need hardware-based PTP support, the Jetson Xavier NX may be a better option. However, if you can work with software-based PTP, the Jetson Orin NX or Nano modules may still be suitable for your needs.

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

[gtj]

@carolyuu

In conclusion, if you need hardware-based PTP support, the Jetson Xavier NX may be a better option. However, if you can work with software-based PTP, the Jetson Orin NX or Nano modules may still be suitable for your needs.

Not according to this post by @WayneWWW

Does Orin NX support software PTP

No, we only support hardware timestamp.

[WayneWWW]

My last command on that Orin NX port is wrong. Just updated.

To clarify, Orin AGX MGBE is using our dedicated driver and it supports PTP (hardware timestamp only).

Orin NX/Nano does not use our dedicated driver and we don’t guarantee PTP would work.

For example, the document mentioned “IEEE 1588-2008 (PTP)” under “EthernetControllerFeaturesEqos”. This is NVIDIA EQOS driver. And Orin NX/Nano does not use it. It is a pure PCIe device based on Realtek driver.

[gtj]

@WayneWWW Thanks for clarifying.