ReSpeaker 4 Mic Array Not Recognized as Input on Jetson Orin Nano"

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

Hello NVIDIA Community,

I am working on a Senior Design Project (SDP) and using the ReSpeaker 4 Mic Array (UAC1.0) with my Jetson Orin Nano. However, the microphone is not being recognized as an input device. Instead, it only appears as an output device in PulseAudio, making it impossible to capture voice input.

System Information

  • Jetson Device: Jetson Orin Nano
  • Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS
  • ReSpeaker Model: 4 Mic Array (UAC1.0)
  • PulseAudio & ALSA Installed: Yes

Issue Details

  • The device appears in arecord -l as a capture device, but it does not record audio.
  • Updated the firmware using dfu.py (latest 6-channel firmware).
  • Installed and configured PulseAudio & ALSA to prioritize the ReSpeaker.
  • Adjusted /etc/asound.conf to set ReSpeaker as the default input.
  • Restarted ALSA & PulseAudio, reloaded drivers, and tried different USB ports.
  • System logs (journalctl -f) show “Couldn’t match the portless stream” errors.

Troubleshooting Steps Already Taken

  1. Firmware Update:
  • Used dfu.py to update the firmware (6_channels_firmware.bin).
  • Successfully flashed but no change in behavior.
  1. Verified Input Sources:
  • pactl list sources short lists the device, but it does not capture audio.
  1. Forced Input Mode in PulseAudio:

bash

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pactl set-card-profile 0 input
pulseaudio -k
pulseaudio --start
  1. Manually Loaded ALSA Module:

bash

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pactl load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:0
  1. Checked Logs for Errors:

bash

CopyEdit

journalctl -f

Found PulseAudio errors related to ‘portless stream’ and invalid audio device mapping.

Request for Help

  • Is there an officially recommended setup for ReSpeaker on Jetson Orin Nano?
  • Are there alternative firmware versions that might fix this issue?
  • Any manual configurations required for PulseAudio/ALSA on Jetson devices?

I need a solution urgently, as my SDP deadline is approaching. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Best regards,
Omar

4

Sorry for the late response.
Is this still an issue to support? Any result can be shared?

6

Hi Omar,

Greetings!

Please list the o/p of “pactl list sources short”. Want to check the card number where the respeaker is registered

Please have a look at ReSpeaker USB Mic Array not available as an input device in sound settings - #11 by atalambedu where they were able to record using arecord

Further, pls mention the arecord command used and o/p of cat /proc/asound/cards

  • Is there an officially recommended setup for ReSpeaker on Jetson Orin Nano?

We dont recommend setup for specific USB sound cards on Jetson Orin Nano as its plug and play usually. But if there are any S/W driver related errors, we help resolving them. But in this case, looks like usb sound card registration went through fine. So I doubt if there will be any Linux USB Kernel driver issues.

  • Are there alternative firmware versions that might fix this issue?

Regarding fimware versions, can you elaborate on who provided the initial version and what is the rols of firmware. Seeed ReSpeaker? They may be able to provide info regarding firmware

  • Any manual configurations required for PulseAudio/ALSA on Jetson devices?

A few configurations wrt third party pulse audio tool is given on referred query. ReSpeaker USB Mic Array not available as an input device in sound settings - #11 by atalambedu. Please have a look and see if it helps. If it does not, you may have to consult on pulse audio Q & A forum or try upgrading to pipewire if you are using advanced ubuntu version

Warm regards