Developing and Debugging Programs on Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano

Issue Overview

Users of the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano development board are seeking efficient methods for developing and debugging programs, particularly those requiring graphical user interfaces (GUI) such as Vulkan or Wayland. The current approach involves using remote development features of Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like VS Code and CLion, which compile and execute source code on the Orin Nano through SSH. However, users are looking for alternative development methods and specific debugging techniques for GUI-based applications.

Possible Causes

1. Limited Development Environment: The remote development setup may not provide all the necessary tools or capabilities for efficient program development and debugging.

2. GUI Debugging Challenges: Debugging applications with graphical interfaces can be more complex, especially when working remotely.

3. Performance Issues: Users may be experiencing performance-related problems that require specific debugging and monitoring tools.

4. Lack of Familiarity: Developers might be unfamiliar with the optimal development and debugging practices for the Jetson Orin Nano platform.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

Alternative Development Methods

1. Local Development: Consider setting up a local development environment on the Orin Nano itself, using lightweight IDEs or text editors suitable for embedded systems.

2. Cross-Compilation: Implement a cross-compilation workflow, where you develop and compile on a more powerful machine and then deploy the compiled binaries to the Orin Nano for execution and testing.

Debugging Techniques

1. GStreamer Debugging:
   For applications using DeepStream SDK or GStreamer commands, enable debug prints by setting an environment variable:

   export GST_DEBUG=*:4
   

   This will provide detailed debug information for GStreamer-based applications.

2. GDB for Jetson Multimedia API:
   When working with jetson_multimedia_api, use the GNU Debugger (GDB) to debug your applications:

   gdb ./your_application
   

   This allows for step-by-step debugging, breakpoints, and variable inspection.

3. Performance Monitoring:
   To identify performance issues, use the tegrastats tool:

   sudo tegrastats
   

   This command provides real-time system status information, including CPU usage, memory usage, and GPU utilization.

GUI Application Debugging

1. X11 Forwarding: For GUI applications, enable X11 forwarding when connecting via SSH:

   ssh -X username@orin_nano_ip
   

   This allows GUI applications to display on your local machine while running on the Orin Nano.

2. VNC Setup: Install and configure a VNC server on the Orin Nano to access the full desktop environment remotely, which can be helpful for debugging GUI applications.

3. Wayland Debugging: For Wayland-specific issues, use the WAYLAND_DEBUG environment variable:

   export WAYLAND_DEBUG=1
   

   This enables additional debug output for Wayland clients and compositors.

4. Vulkan Validation Layers: When debugging Vulkan applications, enable validation layers to catch API usage errors:

   export VK_LAYER_PATH=/path/to/vulkan/layers
   export VK_INSTANCE_LAYERS=VK_LAYER_KHRONOS_validation
   

Best Practices

1. Use NVIDIA SDK Manager: Ensure you have the latest Jetson SDK components installed using the NVIDIA SDK Manager, which provides essential development tools and libraries.

2. Leverage CUDA-GDB: For CUDA applications, use CUDA-GDB, which extends GDB with CUDA-specific debugging capabilities.

3. Implement Logging: Incorporate comprehensive logging in your applications to facilitate debugging, especially for GUI applications where visual feedback might be limited during remote debugging sessions.

4. Profiling Tools: Utilize NVIDIA’s Nsight Systems and Nsight Compute for advanced profiling and optimization of your applications on the Orin Nano.

By following these steps and best practices, developers can enhance their ability to develop and debug programs on the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano, including those with GUI components like Vulkan or Wayland applications.