Add "Compute Platform"

seb 2026-02-28 20:07:27 -05:00
parent 8aacf6cc94
commit f77882f814

77
Compute-Platform.md Normal file

@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
# Compute Platform
## Current: Jetson Nano (being replaced)
| Spec | Value |
|------|-------|
| GPU | 128-core Maxwell |
| AI Performance | 0.47 TOPS |
| CPU | 4× Cortex-A57 @ 1.43GHz |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | microSD |
| Power | 5-10W |
| JetPack | 4.6 (Ubuntu 18.04) |
| Status | **Retiring** — replaced by Orin Nano |
## Incoming: Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit (arriving March 1)
| Spec | Value |
|------|-------|
| Model | NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit |
| GPU | 1024-core Ampere |
| AI Performance | **67 TOPS** (140× improvement over Jetson Nano) |
| CPU | 6× Cortex-A78AE @ 1.5GHz |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe M.2 2242 (Timetec PCIe Gen3×4, 2100/1600 MB/s) |
| Power | 7-25W (configurable) |
| USB | 3× USB3 |
| CSI | 4× MIPI CSI-2 lanes |
| WiFi | Built-in (on carrier board) |
| JetPack | 6.x (Ubuntu 22.04) |
| Form Factor | 70×45mm module (same as Jetson Nano) |
| Price | $371.41 CAD (Amazon) |
## What This Means for the Team
### Performance Gains
- **Person detection/tracking:** 20 FPS → real-time multi-stream
- **SLAM:** Can run at higher resolution and rate
- **On-board LLM:** Small models (Llama 3B) now feasible
- **Voice:** Local Whisper transcription possible
- **Multi-camera:** Enough USB bandwidth + compute for RealSense + additional cameras
### Software Changes Required
- **JetPack 6** (Ubuntu 22.04) — ROS2 Humble native support (no more building from source)
- **Docker base images** need updating from `l4t-base:r32.x``l4t-base:r36.x`
- **TensorRT models** need re-export for Ampere architecture
- **Boot:** NVMe (not microSD) — flash via NVIDIA SDK Manager
- **CSI cameras:** 4 lanes available if we add onboard cameras later
### Migration Tasks
1. Flash JetPack 6 onto NVMe SSD via SDK Manager (from Ubuntu host or VM)
2. Install ROS2 Humble (apt, not source build)
3. Re-test RealSense + RPLIDAR drivers (should work, may need updated packages)
4. Re-export TensorRT models (SSD-MobileNet-v2 for person tracking)
5. Update `docker-compose.yml` base images
6. Update `saltybot_bridge` serial port path if different (`/dev/ttyACM0`)
7. Benchmark inference FPS and update SLAM parameters (can likely increase from 2Hz)
### Pin Compatibility
The Orin Nano Dev Kit carrier board has different I/O than the Jetson Nano Dev Kit:
- **USB:** USB-C (power + data) + USB3 Type-A ports
- **HDMI:** Yes (for debug)
- **GPIO:** 40-pin header (compatible)
- **UART:** Available on GPIO header for FC communication
- **No barrel jack** — USB-C power only (5V/3A minimum)
## FC ↔ Jetson Wiring (unchanged)
```
Jetson UART Drone FC (UART1)
────────── ────────────────
TX (Pin 8) ──→ RX (PA10)
RX (Pin 10) ──→ TX (PA9)
GND ──→ GND
```
## Battery / Power Notes
- Orin Nano needs 5V via USB-C — use a 36V→5V DC-DC converter from main battery
- Max draw ~25W at full AI load — size the DC-DC accordingly (5V/5A minimum)
- The old Jetson Nano's barrel jack 5V/4A supply won't work — must be USB-C