Jetson Carrier Board for NVIDIA Jetson Nano & Xavier NX (Edge AI Expansion)

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

DC

DC means direct current, where electricity flows in one constant direction, as supplied by batteries, USB ports and many plug-pack power supplies. When a product specifies DC, it runs from a DC supply rather than mains AC, so you need to provide the correct voltage and polarity.

ESD protection

ESD protection helps protect electronics from damage caused by static electricity discharges. It is useful on development boards because cables, sensors and modules are often plugged and unplugged during prototyping.

GFLOPS

GFLOPS means billions of floating-point operations per second, a rough measure of computing speed for maths-heavy tasks. For AI and vision projects, higher GFLOPS can mean the board and module combination can process more data or run larger models.

GPIO

General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.

HDMI

HDMI is a common digital video and audio connection used by computers, media players, and many displays. If a display kit has HDMI input, it is usually much easier to test with a single-board computer because it can act like a normal monitor.

IoT

Short for Internet of Things, meaning physical devices that connect to networks or the internet to send data or be controlled remotely. It matters if you want projects such as connected sensors, remote controls or classroom data-logging activities.

M.2

M.2 is a compact edge-connector standard for plugging small modules - such as SSDs, wireless cards or microcontroller modules - into a host board without soldering. The same slot shape can carry different interfaces (for example PCIe, SATA or USB), so keying and the supported module type need to be checked.

M2.5

A metric screw thread size with a 2.5 mm nominal diameter. It matters for mounting because screws, standoffs, and holes must use the same size to fit securely without damaging the board.

microSD card

A microSD card is a small removable flash memory card used to store data such as audio, images, logs or program files. Its capacity and formatting (often FAT32 or exFAT) affect how much can be stored and whether the card needs preparing before use.

MIPI

MIPI is a high-speed display and camera interface often used inside phones, tablets, and embedded devices. It matters because raw MIPI displays usually need special driver hardware or software support, unlike plug-and-play HDMI screens.

MIPI-CSI

A camera interface used on many embedded computer boards to connect compact camera modules directly to the processor. It matters for vision projects because it can handle high-resolution camera data with less overhead than a USB camera.

NVIDIA Jetson Nano

The NVIDIA Jetson Nano is a compact NVIDIA computing module used for camera, robotics and machine-learning projects at the edge. A compatible carrier board can host the module, though the module itself is usually sold separately.

NVMe

A high-speed storage standard commonly used by modern SSDs. NVMe support matters if you want faster storage for large AI models, video files or operating system images than a typical microSD card can provide.

PCB

A printed circuit board (PCB) is a board, usually rigid, with etched copper tracks that connect electronic components together without loose wiring. Components are mounted on the board and signals route between them through the copper layout.

ROS

ROS, the Robot Operating System, is a set of software tools and libraries commonly used to build robot projects. Mentioning ROS support suggests the board has the kinds of interfaces and processing power often needed for cameras, sensors and robot control.

System-on-module

A system-on-module (SoM) is a small board containing the main processor, memory and core electronics, which plugs into a separate carrier board that provides connectors and power. A module and carrier must be compatible, since each on its own is not a complete working computer.

Terminal block

A terminal block is a connector that joins wires together in a neat, removable, or serviceable way, usually clamping each wire under a screw or spring instead of soldering. It makes it easier to connect, change, or service wiring without permanent joints.

TOPS

TOPS means trillions of operations per second, often used to describe AI accelerator performance. It helps compare whether a computing module is suited to lightweight image recognition or more demanding neural-network workloads.