How to Decode UVC Streaming on Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev Board

Issue Overview

Users of the Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board are experiencing difficulties in decoding USB Video Class (UVC) streaming and displaying the video output. The main symptoms include:

• Inability to successfully capture and display video streams from USB cameras.
• Users report receiving errors or no output when attempting to run specific commands related to video capture and decoding.
• Issues arise during the setup process, particularly when configuring video formats, resolutions, and frame rates.

The problem seems to occur consistently across various setups, impacting user experience significantly by preventing access to live video feeds. Specific hardware mentioned includes USB cameras connected to the Jetson Orin Nano, while relevant software components involve GStreamer and the v4l2 (Video4Linux2) framework.

Possible Causes

Several potential causes for the issue have been identified:

• Hardware Incompatibilities or Defects: Not all USB cameras may be compatible with the Jetson Orin Nano, especially regarding supported video formats.

• Software Bugs or Conflicts: There may be bugs in GStreamer or conflicts with other installed software that prevent proper functioning of video capture commands.

• Configuration Errors: Incorrect settings for video format, width, height, or frame rate can lead to failures in launching GStreamer pipelines.

• Driver Issues: Outdated or incompatible drivers for USB cameras could hinder their performance.

• Environmental Factors: Insufficient power supply or overheating could affect the device’s ability to process video streams.

• User Errors or Misconfigurations: Incorrect command usage or misunderstanding of required parameters may lead to unsuccessful attempts at capturing video.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

To resolve the issues related to UVC streaming on the Jetson Orin Nano, follow these comprehensive troubleshooting steps:

1. Verify Camera Compatibility:

   • Ensure that your USB camera supports UVC and is compatible with the Jetson Orin Nano.

2. Check Installed Packages:

   • Run the following command to confirm that GStreamer and v4l2 are installed correctly:

     gst-inspect-1.0 --version
     

3. Capture Frame Data Using v4l2-ctl:

   • Use v4l2-ctl commands to check if you can capture frame data:

     v4l2-ctl --list-formats-ext
     

4. Test GStreamer Commands:

   • Begin with a simple command to test if you can capture H264 streams:

     gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src num-buffers=150 device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-h264,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1 ! fakesink sync=0
     

   • If successful, proceed with:

     gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src num-buffers=150 device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-h264,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1 ! h264parse ! nvv4l2decoder ! fakesink sync=0
     

5. Display Video Output:

   • To view the camera preview, use:

     DISPLAY=:0 gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-h264,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1 ! h264parse ! nvv4l2decoder ! nvvidconv ! video/x-raw ! xvimagesink sync=0
     

6. Use Software Decoder if Necessary:

   • If hardware decoding fails, try using a software decoder:

     DISPLAY=:0 gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! video/x-h264,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1 ! h264parse ! avdec_h264 ! videoconvert ! video/x-raw ! xvimagesink sync=0
     

7. Clear GStreamer Cache:

   • If issues persist, clear the GStreamer registry cache:

     rm .cache/gstreamer-1.0/registry.aarch64.bin
     export LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/libgomp.so.1
     

8. Inspect Available Decoders:

   • Check if the necessary decoders are available with:

     gst-inspect-1.0 avdec_h264
     

9. Explore H265 Streaming:

   • For H265 streams, try using either nvv4l2decoder for hardware decoding or avdec_h265 for software decoding.

10. Check OpenCV Integration (if applicable):

    • If using OpenCV results in a black image, ensure that you are correctly capturing frames from the camera using appropriate OpenCV functions.

By following these steps and utilizing the provided commands, users should be able to diagnose and resolve issues related to UVC streaming on their Nvidia Jetson Orin Nano Dev board effectively.