Configuring IMX219 Camera Sensor Resolution on Jetson Orin Nano

Issue Overview

Users of the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano development board with the IMX219 camera sensor module are experiencing difficulties in changing the supported resolutions for their camera. The issue arises when attempting to modify the camera’s configuration to support custom resolutions or pixel formats. Users have reported that changes made to certain configuration files do not reflect in the camera’s output, leading to confusion and hindered development efforts.

Possible Causes

1. Incorrect file modification: Users may be editing the wrong configuration files or not updating all necessary files for the changes to take effect.

2. Incomplete configuration updates: Some required parameters might be overlooked when modifying resolution settings, causing the changes to be ineffective.

3. Misunderstanding of the camera architecture: Users may not fully grasp the interaction between different components of the camera system, leading to incomplete configuration changes.

4. Driver limitations: The current camera driver might have restrictions on supported resolutions or formats that are not easily modifiable.

5. Improper application of changes: Updated configuration files may not be properly deployed to the correct locations on the development board.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

1. Identify and update the correct configuration files:

   • Modify the sensor device tree file: $public_sources/kernel_src/hardware/nvidia/platform/t23x/p3768/kernel-dts/cvb/tegra234-camera-rbpcv2-imx219.dtsi
   • Update the sensor mode table: $public_sources/kernel_src/kernel/nvidia/drivers/media/i2c/imx219_mode_tbls.h

2. Ensure comprehensive parameter updates:
   When modifying resolution settings, update the following parameters in both the sensor device tree and sensor mode table:

   • active_w and active_h (active width and height)
   • line_length
   • pix_clk_hz
   • min_exp_time
   • max_exp_time

3. Rebuild and deploy updated files:

   • After modifying tegra234-camera-rbpcv2-imx219.dtsi, generate the kernel_tegra234-p3767-0003-p3768-0000-a0.dtb file.
   • Copy the generated .dtb file to the /boot/dts directory on the development board.
   • Rebuild the nv_imx219.ko kernel module after modifying imx219_mode_tbls.h.
   • Replace the existing nv_imx219.ko file on the development board with the newly built module.

4. Enable mode selection via V4L2 pipeline:
   Add the following property to the device tree:

   use_sensor_mode_id = "true";
   

   This allows mode selection through the V4L2 pipeline.

5. Use correct V4L2 commands for mode selection:
   When streaming, use the --set-ctrl sensor_mode=X option to select the desired sensor mode. For example:

   v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --set-fmt-video=width=1280,height=720,pixelformat=RG10 --set-ctrl bypass_mode=0 --set-ctrl sensor_mode=4 --stream-mmap --stream-count=100
   

   Ensure that the width and height settings match the selected mode’s definition.

6. Verify changes using V4L2 tools:
   After applying changes, use the following command to check supported resolutions:

   v4l2-ctl --list-formats-ext -d /dev/video0
   

7. Consider the camera architecture:

   • For applications using v4l2src, sensor mode settings in the device tree may not be necessary.
   • For applications using nvarguscamerasrc, ensure that mode settings in the device tree match the driver definition.

8. Changing pixel format:
   To modify the pixel format (e.g., from RG10 to RG12), refer to the "Device Properties" documentation for csi_pixel_bit_depth settings.

9. Troubleshoot unresolved issues:
   If raw data output remains unchanged despite resolution modifications, double-check all configuration files and ensure that the changes are properly applied and the system is rebooted if necessary.

By following these steps and understanding the underlying architecture, users should be able to successfully modify the supported resolutions and pixel formats for the IMX219 camera sensor on the Jetson Orin Nano development board.