IMX462 kernel driver for NVIDIA Jetson

NVIDIA Jetson kernel driver for Sony IMX462, a 2 MP 1/2.8" STARVIS back-side illuminated CMOS sensor optimised for low-light and night-vision applications.

• 2-lane MIPI CSI-2
• 10-bit RAW output
• 1920×1080 @ 30 fps
• HCG (High Conversion Gain) mode for improved low-light SNR

Note

Currently, only cam0 port support is implemented.

IMX462 camera modules are available at kurokesu.com

Setup

Install required tools:

sudo apt install -y --no-install-recommends dkms

Clone this repository:

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/Kurokesu/imx462-jetson-driver.git
cd imx462-jetson-driver/

Run setup script:

sudo ./setup.sh

Setup script:

• Fetches NVIDIA device tree headers required for build
• Builds and installs kernel module via DKMS
• Builds and copies device tree overlay (.dtbo) to /boot
• Installs ISP tuning to /var/nvidia/nvcam/settings/

Use Jetson-IO to configure CSI connector:

sudo /opt/nvidia/jetson-io/jetson-io.py

Navigate through the menu:

1. Configure Jetson CSI Connector (named "22pin" on 6.2.2, "24pin" on 6.2.1)

2. Configure for compatible hardware

3. Select Camera IMX462-A

   

4. Save pin changes

5. Save and reboot to reconfigure pins

After reboot, verify sensor is detected:

sudo dmesg | grep imx462

Expected output:

nv_imx462: module verification failed: signature and/or required key missing - tainting kernel
imx462 9-001a: tegracam sensor driver:imx462_v2.0.6
tegra-camrtc-capture-vi tegra-capture-vi: subdev imx462 9-001a bound

Signature warning is expected since DKMS modules are unsigned.

Image output

GStreamer

gst-launch-1.0 -e nvarguscamerasrc sensor-id=0 ! \
   'video/x-raw(memory:NVMM),width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1' ! \
   queue ! nvvidconv ! queue ! nveglglessink

nvgstcapture

nvgstcapture-1.0 --sensor-id 0

Raw v4l2

Install v4l-utils:

sudo apt install -y v4l-utils

Stream raw data to file:

v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --set-fmt-video=width=1920,height=1080,pixelformat=RG10 --stream-mmap --stream-to imx462_1080p.raw --stream-count=1 --stream-skip=10 --verbose

View raw Bayer file:

python3 view_raw.py ./imx462_1080p.raw

HCG mode

IMX462 supports High Conversion Gain (HCG) mode for improved signal-to-noise ratio in low-light conditions. Default is Low Conversion Gain (LCG).

Enable HCG:

echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/module/nv_imx462/parameters/hcg_mode

Switch back to LCG:

echo 0 | sudo tee /sys/module/nv_imx462/parameters/hcg_mode

Test mode

IMX462 has a built-in test pattern generator for verifying data validity.

Enable test pattern:

# Horizontal color-bar chart example (test_mode = 2)
echo 2 | sudo tee /sys/module/nv_imx462/parameters/test_mode

Turn test pattern off:

echo 0 | sudo tee /sys/module/nv_imx462/parameters/test_mode

Test pattern code	Description
0	Off
1	Sequence Pattern 1
2	Horizontal Color-bar Chart
3	Vertical Color-bar Chart
4	Sequence Pattern 2
5	Gradation Pattern 1
6	Gradation Pattern 2
7	000h/555h Toggle Pattern

ISP tuning

Tuning file carries ISP parameters calibrated for this sensor: black level, lens shading, white balance and color correction. Global camera_overrides.isp applies to every camera and would shadow it, so setup retires it to camera_overrides.isp.bak.

To restore default ISP parameters, remove tuning file and restart Argus:

sudo rm /var/nvidia/nvcam/settings/kurokesu_front_462CSI.isp
sudo systemctl restart nvargus-daemon

Development builds

For manual builds without DKMS:

make              # build everything (dtbo + kernel module)
sudo make install # copy dtbo to /boot, rmmod + insmod

Note

Module is loaded immediately via insmod but won't persist across reboots. Use sudo ./setup.sh for permanent installation via DKMS.

Individual targets:

make dtbo      # build only the device tree overlay
make module    # build only the kernel module
make clean     # remove build artifacts

Build artifacts are placed in ./build.