PIXCI® Frame Grabber Configuration: PIXCI® E4TX2 for nVidia/ARM TX2/Cortex-A57

1. PIXCI® Frame Grabber Configuration: PIXCI® E4TX2 for nVidia/ARM TX2/Cortex-A57

The PIXCI® E4TX2 combines the functionality of a PIXCI® E4G2 frame grabber with a carrier card for the nVidia TX2 or TX2i module. The PIXCI® E4TX2 provides Camera Link connectors, an Ethernet connector, two USB connectors, an HDMI connector, a connector for the TX2 or TX2i module, and leads (early version) or connector (later versions) for power. The Camera Link frame grabber portion operates on, and is hardwired into, the TX2’s PCIe 4x gen2 bus.

The TX2 or TX2i module is designed by nVidia to be configured and ‘flashed’ for different configurations. The PIXCI® E4TX2 is designed to use nVidia’s default pin configuration, bus configuration, and Linux configuration - i.e. the default Jetpack. This allows the developer to easily install and use updated releases of Jetpack - as released by nVidia.

Early versions of the PIXCI® E4TX2 (identified as having ‘via´s’ for power instead of a connector) require either a hardware patch to use the default nVidia Jetpack, or require flashing with a custom Jetpack. Without modification, the USB ports will not be functional; this is easily verified after boot by noticing that the USB mouse or keyboard is not receiving power.

Instructions for modifying nVidia’s Jetpack r28.2 follow; the Jetpack is assumed to be installed on the host Linux PC, with PC and E4TX2 both connected to a local network, and with a USB cable connecting the PC and E4TX2.

1. Install the Device Tree Compiler:

    apt-get install device-tree-compiler

2. Change directory to Jetpack, locate the device tree binary files:

    cd ~/Jetpack
    cd 64_TX2/Linux_for_Tegra/kernel/dtb

3. Convert device tree binary to readable format:

    dtc -I dtb -O dts tegra186-quill-p3310-1000-a00-00-base.dtb > a00-base.dts
    dtc -I dtb -O dts tegra186-quill-p3310-1000-c03-00-base.dtb > c03-base.dts

4. Edit each of the ‘dts’ files, search for ‘pinctrl@3520000’ so as to find the section:

    pinctrl@3520000 {
        compatible = "nvidia,tegra186-xusb-padctl";
        reg = <0x0 0x3520000 0x0 0x1000 0x0 0x3540000 0x0 0x1000>;
        reg-names = "padctl", "ao";
        resets = <0xd 0x37>;
        reset-names = "padctl_rst";
        clocks = <0xd 0x6f 0xd 0x215 0xd 0x87 0xd 0x86>;
        clock-names = "xusb_clk", "utmipll", "usb2_trk", "hsic_trk";
        interrupts = <0x0 0xa7 0x4>;
        mboxes = <0x97>;
        mbox-names = "xusb";
        #phy-cells = <0x1>;
        status = "okay";
        vbus-0-supply = <0x9a>;
        vbus-1-supply = <0x9b>;
        vbus-2-supply = <0x9c>;
        vbus-3-supply = <0x1a>;
        ...

Note that the actual values within ‘<>’ may differ from example values shown here.

5. Change the value associated with ‘vbus-2-supply’ to be identical to the value associated with ‘vbus-3-supply’, thus:

        vbus-1-supply = <0x9b>;
        vbus-2-supply = <0x1a>;
        vbus-3-supply = <0x1a>;
        ...

Use the values shown in your ‘dts’ file, rather than copying the values shown here. (If reading the nVidia Platform Adaptation documentation, this changes the ‘vbus-2-supply’ from ‘vdd_usb2_5v’ to ‘battery_reg’).

6. Save current ‘dtb’ files:

    cp tegra186-quill-p3310-1000-a00-00-base.dtb tegra186-quill-p3310-1000-a00-00-base.dtb_old
    cp tegra186-quill-p3310-1000-c03-00-base.dtb tegra186-quill-p3310-1000-c03-00-base.dtb_old

7. Convert readable ‘dts’ files to binary form:

    dtc -I dts -O dtb a00-base.dts > tegra186-quill-p3310-1000-a00-00-base.dtb
    dtc -I dts -O dtb c03-base.dts > tegra186-quill-p3310-1000-c03-00-base.dtb

and cleanup:

    rm a00-base.dts
    rm c03-base.dts

Flash the PIXCI® E4TX2, with the modified Tegra (as above) or with the unmodified Tegra (for older PIXCI® E4TX2 with hardware patch or newer PIXCI® E4TX2), as follows.

1. Connect a USB cable between the host PC and PIXCI® E4TX2. Place the TX2 or TX2i in recovery mode by:

i. Short the PIXCI® E4TX2 ‘Force recovery’ pins or via’s.

ii. Short the PIXCI® E4TX2 ‘Reset’ pins or via’s.

iii. Open short of PIXCI® E4TX2 ‘Reset’ pins or via’s.

iv. Open short of the PIXCI® E4TX2 ‘Force recovery’ pins or via’s.

(See nVidia documentation for more information about connecting the host PC and TX2 or TX2i, and placing the TX2 or TX2i in recovery mode. New, never-flashed, TX2 or TX2i modules may power up in recovery mode and not require manipulating ‘Force recovery’ and ‘Reset’).

Note: Depending on PIXCI® E4TX2 version, the ‘Reset’ pins or via’s may be labeled ‘RST’ or ‘J11.’ The ‘Power’ pins or via’s may be labeled ‘PWR’ or ‘J12.’

2. It may be helpful to verify that the TX2 is in recovery mode and properly connected before proceeding with the flash. On the host PC, run ‘lsusb’, check for a usb device with ID ‘0955:7C18’. Or, for a TX2i, check for a usb device with ID ‘0955:7018’.

3. Flash the TX2:

    cd ~/JetPack
    cd 64_TX2/Linux_for_Tegra
    ./flash.sh jetson-tx2 mmcblk0p1

Or, flash the TX2i:

    cd ~/JetPack
    cd 64_TX2/Linux_for_Tegra
    ./flash.sh jetson-tx2i mmcblk0p1

Flashing requires 10 to 15 minutes.

Documentation:

1. See the PIXCI® Imaging Software and Drivers Installation: nVidia TX2 (ARM Cortex-A57), available at ‘www.epixinc.com’, for installation of XCAP software and drivers for PIXCI® frame grabbers on the nVidia TX2 or TX2i (whether installed on a PIXCI® E4TX2 or other carrier).

2. See the PIXCI® E4G2 User’s Manual, available at ‘www.epixinc.com’, for an introduction to the PIXCI® Camera Link(R) frame grabbers’ functionality and software.

3. Within XCAP software, see:

    PIXCI
    PIXCI Connections
    PIXCI® E4TX2

for identification and description of the PIXCI® E4TX2’s connectors and switches. Such as identification of the ‘Base’ versus ‘Medium/Full/Deca’ Camera Link connector, switch (or jumper) to enable Power over Camera Link (POCL), and switch (or jumper) to select dual (or quad) Base mode versus single (or dual) Med/Full/Deca mode.

Other notes:

1. Connection of an incompatible HDMI monitor may prevent the TX2 module from booting. The TX2 module can be run ‘head-less’; and will boot without a monitor.

2. The PIXCI® E4TX2 is NOT intended for use with the older TX1 module. If using a TX1 module, ethernet via the RJ45 connector will not work.

3. The PIXCI® E4TX2 can optionally be shipped with a TX2 module; the TX2 will typically be pre-flashed. When flashed with kernel 4.4.38-tegra or earlier, Tegra is pre-configured for logins of ‘nVidia’ w. password ‘nVidia’, and ‘ubuntu’ w. password ‘ubuntu’, will be active. When flash with kernel 4.9.140-tegra or later, the default login of ‘nvidia’ w. password ‘nvidia’ will be active.

4. Use the Jetson BSP published by nVidia for flashing. The Jetson BSP published by third party manufacturers of TX2 carrier card(s) are typically customized for their own carrier card(s), and will not work properly on the PIXCI® E4TX2.

Updated: 27 March 2023