Issues with nvjpegdec in GStreamer Pipeline on NVIDIA Jetson

Issue Overview

Users are encountering a “not-negotiated” error when attempting to use the nvjpegdec element in GStreamer pipelines on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit. The issue arises specifically when trying to display a live video feed from a USB camera operating at 120 FPS with a resolution of 1280×800 in MJPEG format. While the jpegdec element works without issues, switching to nvjpegdec results in failure.

Symptoms:

• Error message: ERROR: from element /GstPipeline:pipeline0/GstV4l2Src:v4l2src0: Internal data stream error.
• The pipeline that works:

  gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! 'image/jpeg,width=1280,height=800,framerate=120/1' ! jpegdec ! videoconvert ! autovideosink
  

• The non-working pipeline:

  gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! 'image/jpeg,width=1280,height=800,framerate=120/1' ! nvjpegdec ! videoconvert ! autovideosink
  

Context:

• Device: NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit (8 GB)
• Operating System: Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS (Focal Fossa)
• GStreamer Version: 1.16.3
• Camera Details: USB Arducam Camera (MJPEG format)

The issue appears consistently when using nvjpegdec, impacting the user experience by preventing hardware-accelerated decoding.

Possible Causes

1. Unsupported JPEG Format:

   • nvjpegdec supports only JPEGs in YUV420 format. If the source camera outputs JPEGs in YUV422 (e.g., UYVY, YUYV), this could lead to negotiation failures.

2. Software Bugs or Conflicts:

   • There may be bugs within the GStreamer version or specific plugins that interfere with nvjpegdec.

3. Configuration Errors:

   • Incorrect configuration settings in the GStreamer pipeline could result in negotiation issues.

4. Driver Issues:

   • Outdated or incompatible drivers may affect the functionality of nvjpegdec.

5. Environmental Factors:

   • Power supply inconsistencies or thermal issues could potentially disrupt operations.

6. User Misconfigurations:

   • Users may not be setting up their pipelines correctly, leading to errors during execution.

Troubleshooting Steps, Solutions & Fixes

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

1. Verify Camera Output Format:

   • Check if the camera outputs JPEGs in YUV420 format.
   • Use software decoder (jpegdec) if YUV422 is confirmed.

2. Test Different Pipelines:

   • Experiment with simpler pipelines to isolate the problem:

     gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! 'image/jpeg,width=1280,height=800,framerate=120/1' ! nvjpegdec ! fakesink
     

3. Check GStreamer Debugging:

   • Enable GStreamer debugging to get more detailed error messages:

     GST_DEBUG=3 gst-launch-1.0 ...
     

4. Update Drivers and GStreamer:

   • Ensure that all drivers and GStreamer are up-to-date.
   • Check for compatibility with the Jetson Orin Nano.

5. Use NVIDIA Multimedia API:

   • Consider using the NVIDIA multimedia API for more robust handling of video streams:

     /usr/src/jetson_multimedia_api/samples/12_v4l2_camera_cuda/
     

Recommended Fixes

• If using YUV422 format, switch back to jpegdec for software decoding.
• For persistent issues, consider rolling back to a stable version of GStreamer if applicable.

Best Practices for Future Prevention

• Regularly update software and drivers.
• Document camera specifications and ensure compatibility before setup.
• Test configurations in controlled environments before deployment.

Additional Resources

For further assistance, consult the following documentation:

• NVIDIA Jetson Multimedia API Documentation
• GStreamer Documentation

Unresolved Aspects

Users may need to investigate further if the problem persists after following these steps, especially regarding potential hardware limitations or deeper software conflicts within their specific environments.