Color Format Issues with MIPI Camera on Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board

Issue Overview

Users have reported issues with incorrect color representation when using MIPI cameras, specifically the IMX568c, with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board running JetPack 5.1.1. The primary symptom is that certain colors, particularly blacks, appear as purple in the video stream. This issue occurs when users attempt to stream video using the gst-launch-1.0 command, which is designed to capture and process video from the camera.

The relevant hardware includes:

• Camera: IMX568c
• Dev Board: Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano
• JetPack Version: 5.1.1 (R53.3.1)

The problem appears to be consistent across multiple attempts and significantly impacts user experience by rendering the video feed unusable for applications requiring accurate color representation.

Possible Causes

Several potential causes for the color format issue have been identified:

• Hardware Incompatibilities: The camera may not be fully compatible with the Jetson Orin Nano’s driver or hardware configuration.

• Software Bugs or Conflicts: There may be bugs in the JetPack version or issues with the GStreamer pipeline that affect color processing.

• Configuration Errors: Incorrect settings in the camera driver or GStreamer command could lead to improper color format handling.

• Driver Issues: The installed driver version may not fully support the camera’s capabilities or may have known issues.

• Environmental Factors: External factors such as power supply fluctuations could affect performance but are less likely in this context.

• User Errors or Misconfigurations: Users may inadvertently misconfigure settings related to color space or pixel format during setup.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To address the color format issue, users can follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Verify Driver Installation:

   • Ensure that the correct driver for the IMX568c camera is installed from the appropriate repository.
   • Command to check driver info:

     v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --all
     

2. Inspect GStreamer Command:

   • Review and modify the GStreamer command used for streaming:

     gst-launch-1.0 nvarguscamerasrc aelock=0 wbmode=1 ! 'video/x-raw(memory:NVMM),width=3820,height=2464,framerate=21/1,format=NV12' ! nvvidconv flip-method=0 ! 'video/x-raw,width=960,height=616' ! nvvidconv ! nvegltransform ! nveglglessink -e
     

   • Experiment with different formats (e.g., changing format=NV12 to other supported formats).

3. Check ISP Override Files:

   • Inspect any ISP override files that might be affecting color processing.
   • Command to check ISP settings:

     ls /var/nvidia/nvcam/settings/
     

4. Capture Raw Data for Analysis:

   • Use the following command to capture raw data from the camera for further analysis:

     nvargus_nvraw --c 0 --mode 0 --format "nvraw,jpg" --file raw-test
     

5. Adjust Camera Settings:

   • Modify settings in tegra234-camera-vc-mipi-cam.dtsi to ensure correct pixel phase and bit depth.
   • Example properties to check:

     mode_type                = "bayer";
     pixel_phase              = "rggb";
     csi_pixel_bit_depth      = "10";
     

6. Consult Documentation and Updates:

   • Regularly check for updates to JetPack and related libraries that may resolve known bugs.
   • Refer to Nvidia’s documentation for any changes in supported formats or configurations.

7. Community Support:

   • Engage with community forums for additional support and shared experiences from other users facing similar issues.

8. Recommended Approach:

   • If multiple users report success with a specific configuration or workaround, document this as a recommended approach for future reference.

By systematically following these steps, users should be able to diagnose and potentially resolve issues related to incorrect color formats when using MIPI cameras with the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board.