Jackson provides a compact, economical, and I/O-rich solution for NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano / Orin NX GPU modules. Jackson brings out all I/O from the modules to I/O connectors or expansion sockets. Two quad-lane CSI camera connectors enable high-performance image processing applications utilizing the enhanced capabilities of the Orin series.

An I/O expansion connector provides a convenient way to customize Orin Nano / NX applications by designing low-cost I/O daughterboards that mount directly underneath the Jackson carrier board. The connector provides PCIe, USB3, I2C, and power via a flex circuit cable. Daughterboards can be designed to provide extra Ethernet and USB ports, extra M.2 and minicard sockets, and other I/O.

Jackson is available both as a carrier board and as a complete integrated solution with Jetson module and fan sink installed and Linux OS loaded. See the ordering information tab for part numbers and configurations.

The illustrations below show the wealth of I/O and expansion sockets available on Jackson.

Top side features Bottom side features

Camera Adapter Socket

Jackson contains a unique camera adapter connector that makes it possible to interface any camera, including standard, custom, CSI, and GMSL cameras, to the board by using a simple, low-cost adapter board. Custom cameras can easily be connected to Jackson in this way without the expense of a custom carrier board or the inconvenience and fragility of free-hanging adapter boards.

Bottom side with dual 4-lane CSI adapter board installed

Expansion Capabilities

Jackson contains multiple sockets for I/O and mass storage:

• The M.2 M key socket with NVMe PCIe x4 connectivity is generally used for mass storage, since the Orin Nano and Orin NX modules lack integrated eMMC mass storage. The socket supports both 2242 and 2280 size modules, and all mounting hardware is included.
• A full-size minicard socket provides both PCIe and USB interfaces to support a wide range of I/O modules including analog, digital, serial, Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth.
• An M.2 E key 2230 socket supports the installation of modem, WiFi, and Bluetooth modules for mobile applications.

Daughterboard Expansion

A unique flex cable connector enables additional I/O expansion with off the shelf or custom-developed daughterboards. The connector offers USB 3.0 and PCIe connectivity to the Jetson module, as well as power. Since an I/O daughterboard is much quicker and easier to design than a full-custom carrier board, the effort required to add custom I/O to your Orin Nano / NX project is simplified. For example, additional USB 3.0 ports, additional Ethernet ports, an Ethernet switch, or even a PoE PD circuit can all easily be implemented on a daughterboard.

Daughterboards typically are the same size as the main board and mount directly underneath the main board for convenient packaging. They can also be mounted in tandem for a thinner but wider form factor.

Jackson with daughterboard Daughterboard

Cable Kit

The Jackson cable kit (part number CK-JAX-01) includes all cables needed for I/O on Jackson other than industry-standard cables (Ethernet, USB, HDMI).

CK-JAX-01 includes the following cables:

No.	Qty	Cable	Description	Drawing
1	1	4713001	3.3V RTC backup battery cable, Molex 2-pin connector	-
2	1	6980104	Cable, RJ-12 to DB9M, 12" length	Show
3	1	6980504	USB cable, JST GHV-05V-S latching to USB type A panel mount, 12"	Show
4	1	6980529	Cable, Molex 51021-0200 1.25mm Pitch, 150mm L, External Battery	-
5	1	6980603	Cable, FCI 2x5 2mm latching to USB 3.0 type A panel mount	Show
6	1	6981075	Dual serial port DB9M	Show
7	1	6981182	CANbus 2.0 cable, JST 1x4 to DB9M	Show
8	2	C-20MM-18	2x10 2mm IDC ribbon, 18"	-