1. Introduction
The Waveshare Jetson Orin Nano Super AI Development Kit is a compact and powerful computer designed for creating entry-level AI-powered robots and intelligent cameras. This manual provides essential information for setting up, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting your development kit.
Figure 1: Waveshare Jetson Orin Nano Super AI Development Kit.
2. Package Content
Verify that all items listed below are included in your package:
- Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit x1
Figure 2: Contents of the Waveshare Jetson Orin Nano Super AI Development Kit package.
3. Setup
3.1. Physical Overview and Connections
The Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit features a variety of ports and headers for connectivity and expansion. Familiarize yourself with the layout:
- USB Ports: Four USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports and one USB Type-C (UFP) port.
- Display Outputs: One DisplayPort (DP) interface and one HDMI output port.
- Networking: One Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) connector.
- Power Input: DC power jack (recommended 5V 4A) and Micro USB (5V 2A, for data or power, but not simultaneously with DC).
- Expansion Headers: 40-pin expansion header (UART, SPI, I2S, I2C, GPIO) and a 12-pin button header.
- Camera Interfaces: Two MIPI CSI-2 camera interfaces.
- Storage: M.2 Key M slots (x4 PCIe Gen3, x2 PCIe Gen3) for NVMe SSDs, and an M.2 Key E slot.
Figure 3: Top view of the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit showing various ports and headers.
Figure 4: Bottom view of the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit highlighting M.2 slots and optional RTC battery connector.
3.2. Power Supply
The kit supports power input via a DC power jack (5V 4A recommended) or a Micro USB port (5V 2A, for data or power, but not simultaneously with DC). The Waveshare version of the kit simplifies power management by removing the need for a jumper cap when switching between DC and Micro USB power, making it more user-friendly.
Video 1: This video demonstrates the power supply options and the simplified power switching on the Waveshare Jetson Nano development kit, highlighting the absence of a jumper cap for ease of use.
3.3. Operating System Installation
The Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit utilizes the Jetpack 6.1.1 SDK. For eMMC burning and OS installation, you will need to use the SDK Manager tool provided by NVIDIA. This process is typically performed on an Ubuntu host machine.
Video 2: This video provides an unboxing and plug-in guide for a reComputer J4012, which uses an NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX, demonstrating the initial setup process relevant to the Jetson Orin Nano Super.
4. Operating the Kit
4.1. AI Capabilities and Performance
The Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit is designed to run all modern AI models, including Vision Transformers, Large Language Models, and Vision Language Models. With the Jetpack 6.1.1 SDK, it achieves up to 67 TOPS of AI performance, representing a 1.7X improvement over its predecessor. Memory bandwidth is also increased by 50% to 102GB/s.
Figure 5: Performance benchmarks for various AI models on the Jetson Orin Nano Super.
4.2. Software Ecosystem and Applications
The kit is supported by NVIDIA's comprehensive AI software and a broad AI software ecosystem. This platform is ideal for developers, students, and makers looking to build AI-powered robots and intelligent cameras. Existing Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit users can achieve this performance boost with a simple software upgrade.
Figure 6: NVIDIA software and pretrained models for professional AI application development.
Figure 7: NVIDIA platforms like Isaac, Riva, and Metropolis for various AI-driven applications.
5. Maintenance
To ensure optimal performance and longevity of your Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit, regular maintenance is recommended:
- Cleaning: Keep the board and cooling fan free from dust and debris to prevent overheating.
- Software Updates: Regularly update the Jetpack SDK and other software components to benefit from the latest features, performance improvements, and security patches.
- Ventilation: Ensure the kit is operated in a well-ventilated area to maintain appropriate operating temperatures.
6. Troubleshooting
If you encounter issues with your Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit, consider the following troubleshooting steps:
- Power Issues: Verify that the power supply is correctly connected and meets the required voltage and amperage (5V 4A for DC jack, 5V 2A for Micro USB). Ensure only one power source is connected at a time.
- Operating System Not Loading: Check if the eMMC burning process was completed successfully using the NVIDIA SDK Manager. Ensure any external storage (NVMe SSD) is properly installed and configured.
- Connectivity Problems: Confirm that Ethernet cables are securely connected and network settings are correct. For USB devices, ensure they are properly plugged into the USB 3.2 Gen2 ports.
- Software Glitches: Try restarting the device. If issues persist, consider reinstalling the Jetpack SDK.
For more detailed troubleshooting guides and resources, please refer to the official Waveshare Wiki. You can typically find a link to the Wiki on the Waveshare store page.
7. Specifications
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Core Module | Jetson Orin Nano 8GB (SUPER) |
| AI Performance | 67 TOPS (sparse), 33 TOPS (dense) |
| GPU | NVIDIA Ampere architecture with 1024 CUDA cores and 32 tensor cores, 1020MHz (Max) |
| CPU | 6-core Cortex-A78AE v8.2 64-bit CPU, 1.7GHz (Max) |
| Memory | 8GB 128-bit LPDDR4, 102 GB/s |
| Storage | SD card slot, access to external NVMe via M.2 Key M interface |
| Power | 7 W | 15 W | 25 W |
| PCIe | M.2 Key M slot with x4 PCIe Gen3, M.2 Key M slot with x2 PCIe Gen3, M.2 Key E slot |
| USB | Type-A: 4 x USB 3.2 Gen2, USB Type-C (UFP) |
| CSI Camera | 2 x MIPI CSI-2 camera interface |
| Video Encoding | 1080p30 (supported by 1-2 CPU cores), 1 x 4K60 (H.265), 2 x 4K30 (H.265), 5 x 1080p60 (H.265), 11 x 1080p30 (H.265) |
| Video Decoding | 1080p30 (supported by 1-2 CPU cores), 1 x 4K60 (H.265), 2 x 4K30 (H.265), 5 x 1080p60 (H.265), 11 x 1080p30 (H.265) |
| Display Interface | 1 x DP interface, 1.2 (+MST) interface |
| Other Interfaces | 40-pin expansion header (UART, SPI, I2S, I2C, GPIO), 12-pin button header, 4-pin fan header, TF card slot, DC power jack |
| Networking | 1 x GbE connector |
| Dimensions | 100 x 79 x 21 (mm) |
| Item Weight | 1.7 pounds |
8. Warranty and Support
For warranty information and technical support, please refer to the official Waveshare website or contact their customer service. Additionally, extensive documentation and community resources are available through the Waveshare Wiki, which can be accessed via their store page.
