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Getting Started with the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano: A Comprehensive Tutorial

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The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano is a powerful edge AI computing platform that sets a new standard for entry-level AI applications. With up to 80 times the performance of its predecessor, the Jetson Nano, this compact powerhouse is perfect for developing AI-powered robots, smart cameras, and intelligent drones[3][6]. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the basics of setting up and using the Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit.

Hardware Overview

The Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit includes:

  • Jetson Orin Nano 8GB module
  • Reference carrier board
  • Preassembled heatsink and fan
  • 19V DC power supply
  • M.2-Key E wireless networking module[6]

Key specifications of the Jetson Orin Nano 8GB module:

  • GPU: 1024-core NVIDIA Ampere architecture with 32 Tensor Cores
  • CPU: 6-core Arm Cortex-A78AE v8.2 64-bit
  • Memory: 8GB 128-bit LPDDR5
  • Storage: Supports external NVMe
  • Power consumption: 7W to 15W[1][7]

Setting Up Your Jetson Orin Nano

Step 1: Prepare the Hardware

  1. Insert a microSD card (64GB UHS-1 or larger) into the slot on the underside of the Orin Nano module.
  2. Connect a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to the developer kit.
  3. (Optional) If using Ethernet, connect the Ethernet cable[5].

Step 2: Flash the Operating System

To flash the OS, you’ll need to use the NVIDIA SDK Manager on a host computer running Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04[5].

  1. Download and install the NVIDIA SDK Manager on your host computer.
  2. Run the SDK Manager: sdkmanager
  3. Log in to your NVIDIA account.
  4. Select “Jetson Orin Nano [8GB developer kit version]” when prompted.
  5. Choose the latest JetPack (currently 6.0) and any additional SDKs you need.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and flash the OS to your Jetson Orin Nano[5].

Step 3: First Boot and Configuration

  1. Power on the Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit.
  2. Complete the Ubuntu System Configuration Wizard.
  3. Log in to Ubuntu on your Jetson Orin Nano[5].

Exploring AI Capabilities

The Jetson Orin Nano is capable of running various modern AI models, including:

  • City Segmentation for urban cityscapes
  • PeopleNet Transformer for person detection
  • BERT for natural language processing[6]

To get started with AI development, you can use popular frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or NVIDIA’s own tools like DeepStream and TAO Toolkit[3].

Sample Project: Object Detection

Let’s create a simple object detection application using the Jetson Orin Nano.

import cv2
import numpy as np
from jetson_inference import detectNet
from jetson_utils import videoSource, videoOutput

# Load the object detection model
net = detectNet("ssd-mobilenet-v2", threshold=0.5)

# Create video sources and outputs
camera = videoSource("csi://0")
display = videoOutput("display://0")

while display.IsStreaming():
    img = camera.Capture()
    if img is None:
        continue

    # Perform object detection
    detections = net.Detect(img)

    # Display the results
    display.Render(img)
    display.SetStatus("Object Detection | Network {:.0f} FPS".format(net.GetNetworkFPS()))

This script uses the jetson-inference library to perform real-time object detection on a video stream from a connected camera.

Conclusion

The NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit offers an impressive platform for edge AI development. With its powerful GPU, efficient CPU, and extensive software support, it’s an excellent choice for creating innovative AI-powered devices and applications. As you continue to explore its capabilities, you’ll find that the Jetson Orin Nano opens up new possibilities in fields like robotics, computer vision, and intelligent IoT devices.

Citations:
[1] https://connecttech.com/product/nvidia-jetson-orin-nano-8gb-module/
[2] https://developer.nvidia.com/embedded/learn/get-started-jetson-orin-nano-devkit
[3] https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/solving-entry-level-edge-ai-challenges-with-nvidia-jetson-orin-nano/
[4] https://www.elecrow.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-jetson-orin-nano.html
[5] https://shawnhymel.com/2255/getting-started-with-nvidia-jetson-orin-nano/
[6] https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2023/03/develop-ai-powered-robots-smart-vision-systems-and-more-with-nvidia-jetson-orin-nano-developer-kit/
[7] https://jetsonhacks.com/2023/03/22/nvidia-jetson-orin-nano-developer-kit-the-perfect-solution-for-makers-and-developers-a-review/
[8] https://files.seeedstudio.com/wiki/Jetson-Orin-Nano-DevKit/jetson-orin-nano-developer-kit-datasheet.pdf
[9] https://www.waveshare.com/jetson-orin-nano.htm
[10] https://www.dfrobot.com/product-2714.html