Adapting Nova

Any Jetson AGX Orin can be turned into a Nova Orin by installing Nova and connecting the supported sensors. If you are on this page it is expected that you want to use a custom configuration of Nova. For products like Nova Orin Developer Kit and Nova Carter refer to their linked pages.

Warning

Only Jetson AGX Orin 64GB (SKU 5) and Jetson AGX Orin 64GB Industrial (SKU 8) are officially supported. If developing on a different Jetson AGX Orin there is potential for installation and performance issues.

Sensor Selection

When first creating a custom configuration of Nova it must be decided which sensors you are using. The sensors supported in Nova are below:

Connect the desired sensors. LiDARs must be plugged in following the LiDAR setup guide. Cameras must be connected following the camera connecting guide.

Note

Make sure that all sensors are receiving the proper supply of power. A common issue is the cameras GMSL board not being powered separately to the Jetson AGX Orin as mentioned in the camera connecting guide. Cameras also must be connected in the correct order.

Note

For known limitations of the Nova platform, refer to the limitations section for more details.

Installing Nova Software

Make sure you are logged into your Jetson AGX Orin. Install the latest Nova Orin Init by following the installation section here. Use none as the selection choice. This will install Nova Orin Init without setting up any sensors.

If you install Nova Orin Init with a selection choice that is not none it will handle the installation process for you. Make sure that the YAML matches the sensors you are using before proceeding down this route as it will error if it cannot find a sensor. This can be done by using the show <example> during the installation process. If a YAML matches the setup you desire you can skip the rest of the sections and select it.

Customizing Nova

After installing Nova software, create a custom Nova Orin YAML configuration file. This YAML file must mirror the hardware that is connected to your system. The structure of the YAML is as follows:

sensors:
    <sensor_1>:
    <sensor_2>:
    ...
<module_1>:
<module_2>:
...

Valid sensor names to fill <sensor_XXX> can be found in sensor names. Any of these names can be used under the sensors section. The order of the listed sensors matter, the first sensor listed is loaded first and also assigned the lowest index if none is given.

The modules in the sensor YAML allow for enabling individual components. A common module to enable, if you install an NVME SSD, is ssd:. This module formats and mounts the SSD at /dev/nvme0n1 to /mnt/nova_ssd.

Modules are a way to control the Nova installation process. Any folders with an INSTALL.yaml` under /opt/nvidia/nova are considered modules and are installed, if their folder name is referenced. For example, the SSD module can be found here /opt/nvidia/nova/ssd.

Here’s an example YAML that enables the SSD, two Hawk cameras, and the first Hawk IMU:

sensors:
    front_stereo_camera:
    back_stereo_camera:
    front_stereo_imu:
ssd:

More examples can be found in /etc/nova/examples/.

There are limitations to the YAML, please refer to the limitations section for more details.

Create a custom YAML now. Once your custom YAML has been created place it in the default YAML location for Nova:

sudo cp <custom>.yaml /etc/nova/setup.yaml

Setup Nova

At this point make sure that you have all the sensors connected to the Jetson AGX Orin and receiving enough power. Install Nova for the first time by using Nova Manager:

sudo nova_manager install

The Debian package installation and removal process will manage your system from now on, utilizing the custom YAML you placed.

Reboot your system:

sudo reboot

Run the Nova Preflight Checker to ensure sensors are working as expected:

nova_preflight_checker

It is expected for all tests to pass.

NOTE: By default, Nova Init disables DVFS to get the best performance in the system. DVFS is not compatible with a system processing input sensor data from multiple cameras cameras in real time.

Limitations

At the moment Nova has the following limitations:

  • 2d Lidars cannot be setup individually, you must have both front and back 2d Lidar or no 2d Lidars. This implies that in the sensor field of the YAML for *_2d_lidar both names or no names must be present for the install to work properly.

  • front_stereo_imu always corresponds to the first Hawk listed in the sensors field. For instance:

    sensors:
    back_stereo_camera:
    front_stereo_camera:
    front_stereo_imu:

    In this case, the front_stereo_imu is the IMU of the back_stereo_camera.

Sensor Names

Below is a list of valid sensor names that can be used in the YAML for adapting Nova. It is required to use these names for Nova to recognize and properly setup the system.

Name

Sensor

Notes

front_stereo_camera

Hawk

back_stereo_camera

Hawk

right_stereo_camera

Hawk

front_fisheye_camera

Owl

back_fisheye_camera

Owl

left_fisheye_camera

Owl

right_fisheye_camera

Owl

front_2d_lidar

Rplidar S2E

Default IP is 192.168.1.2

back_2d_lidar

Rplidar S2E

Default IP is 192.168.1.3

front_3d_lidar

Rplidar S2E

Default IP is 192.168.1.201

front_stereo_imu

Bmi088