Should I use Aurix gPTP for my 2 Orin setup for time-synchronized lidar recording?

Please provide the following info (tick the boxes after creating this topic):
Software Version
DRIVE OS 6.0.10.0
DRIVE OS 6.0.8.1
DRIVE OS 6.0.6
DRIVE OS 6.0.5
DRIVE OS 6.0.4 (rev. 1)
DRIVE OS 6.0.4 SDK
other

Target Operating System
Linux
QNX
other

Hardware Platform
DRIVE AGX Orin Developer Kit (940-63710-0010-300)
DRIVE AGX Orin Developer Kit (940-63710-0010-200)
DRIVE AGX Orin Developer Kit (940-63710-0010-100)
DRIVE AGX Orin Developer Kit (940-63710-0010-D00)
DRIVE AGX Orin Developer Kit (940-63710-0010-C00)
DRIVE AGX Orin Developer Kit (not sure its number)
other

SDK Manager Version
2.1.0
other

Host Machine Version
native Ubuntu Linux 20.04 Host installed with SDK Manager
native Ubuntu Linux 20.04 Host installed with DRIVE OS Docker Containers
native Ubuntu Linux 18.04 Host installed with DRIVE OS Docker Containers
other



Hello Nvidia! My current setup involves the following components:

2 Drive Orin AGXs
1 External 16-port ethernet switch
3 Ouster Lidar, 2 being OS1-64 and 1 being an OS2-128

The Orins are each connected to the external ethernet switch via RJ45 port J13. Each of the Ouster lidar are also connected to the external ethernet switch, so they’re all technically connected via ethernet. The OS1s are to record data to Orin1 and the OS2 is to record data to Orin2. I basically need Orin1 to be a master for PTP so that Orin2 and the 3 lidar can be synchronized with PTP.


I have a handful of questions regarding this: [MCU Setup and Usage | NVIDIA Docs](https://developer.nvidia.com/docs/drive/drive-os/6.0.6/public/drive-os-linux-sdk/common/topics/mcu_setup_usage/mcu_setup_and_usage1.html)
  1. What / Where can I find the foundation package?
  2. Under the “Using the MCU console” step, it shows a list of MCU commands. I’m interested in what exactly “gptpon” does and how it affects the Orins. I need to set Orin1 as a PTP master clock and Orin2 as well as my 3 lidar as a slave to Orin1.

Is there more documentation on how this “gptpon” command changes things exactly and how to not “break” anything currently configured on the Orins if I were to use gptpon?

Thank you!

It is installed when you flash driveos.

Could you clarify your use case?
Is it like you want to PTP sync the lidar sensor data which are connected on different Orins?

Yes exactly.

The Ouster Lidar have a setting called TIME_FROM_PTP_1588 which allows for the sensors to run with a timing that is at most 250000 nanoseconds off from the host timing. I succeeded in getting each sensor to have a timing within this range using a Linux PC as the host by following Ouster’s PTP Quickstart guide (link below), but now I need to replace the Linux PC with the two Orins. So basically, the Orins need to have a synchronized clock timing that the 3 lidar can utilize while recording.

Without PTP or GPS time synchronization, the lidar cannot be phase locked. If they cannot be phase locked, the overlapping azimuths of these lidar will cause crosstalk and cause LOTS of packets to be lost and make for an ugly recording. I’d like to use PTP since it would be easiest assuming the only necessary connection is 1 gigabit ethernet from the Orins to the lidar via external ethernet switch.


Please let me know if there are more details I’m missing or misunderstanding here. Thank you!

Ouster PTP Quickstart: PTP Quickstart Guide — Ouster Sensor Docs documentation

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