Hey everyone, I’m trying to get an Arducam IMX519 camera working on my Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit and hitting a wall. Hoping someone here has been through this.
My goal is simple: get a working V4L2 node (e.g., /dev/video0) for the IMX519 so I can use it with standard tools.
Here’s my environment:
Board: Jetson Orin Nano Dev Kit
JetPack: 5.1.2
Kernel: 5.10.192-tegra-35.5.0 (from uname -r)
Camera: Arducam IMX519 breakout board (not using any Jetvariety adapter)
I tried running the Arducam installer (install_full.sh) but it bombed out. Seems like there’s no prebuilt .deb for my kernel version.
Here’s what I’ve checked so far:
uname -a output confirms 5.10.192-tegra-35.5.0
cat /etc/nv_tegra_release shows R35 (release), REVISION: 5.0
v4l2-ctl --list-devices shows no IMX519 device at all
dmesg | grep -i -E “imx|arducam|csi|vi” comes up empty — no sign of the camera being detected
sudo i2cdetect -y -r 6 doesn’t show anything on the expected I2C addresses
Anyone know which kernel driver package I need for this kernel version? Or is there a way to force the installer to work with 5.10.192?
The Arducam Quick Start Guide has an automated installation script that should handle this. It auto-detects your JetPack version and pulls down the correct driver package.
That error confirms what I suspected — the installer doesn’t have a prebuilt .deb package for kernel 5.10.192-tegra-35.5.0-20240613202628 on the Orin Nano Dev Kit.
This is a kernel version mismatch issue. The automated installer maps known L4T/kernel combos to prebuilt driver packages, and your specific build isn’t in that list.
Before I dig further — could you share some photos of your board setup? Top and bottom of the carrier board would help. I want to confirm the exact board revision and also take a look at how the camera is connected. I’ll send you a private message where you can share those.
I’ve sent the board photos through private message — top and bottom views of the Orin Nano Dev Kit carrier board. Let me know if you need any other angles or close-ups of the camera connection.
Just following up — sent those board photos a couple of days ago. Were they sufficient or do you need any additional logs or details? Really want to get this camera working.
Thanks for the photos — I’ve reviewed them and can confirm that’s the standard NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit, so no surprises there.
Now, here’s the core issue: you’re running L4T 35.5.0, and the new IMX519 driver requires L4T 36.4.3 or 36.4.4. Your kernel (5.10.192-tegra-35.5.0) simply isn’t supported by the current driver builds. That’s why the installer can’t find a matching .deb — there isn’t one for L4T 35.5.0.
The path forward is:
Upgrade your Jetson Orin Nano from L4T 35.5.0 to L4T 36.4.3 or 36.4.4
Once you’re on a supported L4T version, the installer should be able to find the right driver package
I also noticed something in your photos — it looks like you’re using a CSI cable converter/adapter between the camera and the board. I need to flag that: those third-party adapters can be problematic and potentially incompatible with the Arducam module. Can you confirm what that adapter is?
Appreciate you spotting that. So I definitely need to upgrade to L4T 36.4.x — that’s good to know and I’ll get on that.
Regarding the cable situation: can you clarify exactly which CSI cable or adapter is fully compatible with the IMX519 on the Orin Nano Dev Kit? I want to make sure I have the right hardware before I even attempt the driver install again. Last thing I want is more hardware compatibility headaches.
The correct cable should have been included in the box with your IMX519 camera module. It’s a 22-22 pin white ribbon cable — that’s the one designed to connect directly from the camera to the Jetson Orin Nano Dev Kit’s CSI port.
And to be absolutely clear: do NOT use any third-party CSI adapters or converters. They don’t follow the official Jetson pin layout and can cause serious problems. The included 22-22 pin cable is all you need — direct connection, no adapter in between.
So I checked and I actually don’t have that 22-22 pin white cable. It wasn’t in the box with the camera module. Is there any way to get just that cable? I’d rather not buy a whole new camera kit just for a ribbon cable.
I can help get a replacement cable sent out to you. I’ve sent you a private message — please check it and reply with the details I need to look up your order and get the replacement arranged.
Got it, thanks. The replacement 15cm 22-22 pin cable has been arranged and will be shipped out. Check your private messages for tracking details once it’s on the way.
In the meantime, work on that L4T upgrade to 36.4.3 or 36.4.4. Once you’re on a supported L4T version AND have the correct cable in hand, we can pick up the driver installation.
I went ahead and connected the camera using a CSI adapter I had on hand while waiting for the correct cable to arrive — and as soon as I powered on the Jetson Orin Nano, I saw smoke near the ribbon/CSI area. I immediately disconnected everything. The board still boots, but obviously I’m really concerned.
A few questions:
Is there any scenario where a CSI adapter/ribbon configuration is actually safe for the Jetson Orin Nano?
How can I test whether my CSI port was damaged by this?
What’s the recommended adapter that’s known to work safely with the Orin Nano and IMX519?
Feeling pretty stupid right now, but I’d rather figure out the extent of the damage.
This is serious. What you experienced is a short circuit caused by the third-party CSI adapter — those adapters do NOT follow the official Jetson pin layout. When you powered on, pins that should not have been connected were bridged, and that’s where the smoke came from. This is a known hazard and exactly why we warn against any non-Arducam adapters.
To answer your questions directly:
No. There is NO scenario where a third-party CSI adapter is safe on the Jetson. None.
The only safe way to test the CSI port is to wait for the official 22-22 pin cable that’s already being shipped to you. Do NOT attempt any further testing with adapters. Once the correct cable arrives, connect the camera directly and check if the port still functions. Since the board still boots, there’s a chance the CSI port survived, but you won’t know until you test with proper hardware.
There is no recommended adapter. The only safe connection method is the official Arducam 22-22 pin cable directly from camera to board.
Please do not power on the Jetson with anything connected to the CSI port until the correct cable arrives. I’ll forward tracking info if you haven’t received it yet.
Just to clarify — the smoke incident I reported actually happened when I was using the cables that were sent to me along WITH the third-party CSI adapter. I wasn’t just using a random adapter with random cables. I believe the adapter itself is what caused the short, not the cables.
I’ve already ordered some new cables from Amazon just in case, but what I’m still trying to figure out is which adapter — if any — is actually safe. I need the adapter because the standard cable length doesn’t reach where I have the camera mounted relative to the Jetson. That’s the whole reason I used an adapter in the first place.
You’re right — it was the adapter that caused the short, not the cables. But I need to be crystal clear here: there is NO safe CSI adapter. Period. There’s no official standard for CSI adapter pin layouts, and every third-party adapter we’ve seen has a different (and incorrect) pin mapping. They all pose a short circuit risk.
Now, you mentioned the real issue: you needed the adapter because the cable wasn’t long enough for your setup. That’s a different problem with a safe solution — Arducam offers longer official 22-22 pin cables. That way you get the reach you need without any adapter in the signal path.
What length do you actually need? If you tell me the distance between your camera mount point and the Jetson’s CSI port, I can recommend an official cable that will reach safely — no adapter required.
But just to say it one more time: do not use any CSI adapter. They’re all unsafe on Jetson hardware.