Aetina introduces fanless NVIDIA Jetson Orin embedded box PCs with Ubuntu 20.04

Aetina has launched fanless edge AI embedded box PCs powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin system-on-modules (SoM), namely the AIE-CN31/41, AIE-CO21/31, AIE-PN32/42, and AIE-PO22/32 models featuring the Orin NX or Orin Nano modules, and the AIE-PX11/12/21/22 and AIE-PX13/23 embedded systems fitted with the more powerful Jetson AGX Orin module. All new fanless Ubuntu 20.04 embedded computers are suitable for AI-powered applications and work in an operating temperature range of -25°C to +55°C.

When I first read the email press release, I thought it was a refresh of an old PR since I had written about Aetina NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and Orin NX edge embedded systems last January. But those are new models with similar specifications, but housed in a fanless enclosure with a large heatsink, while variants unveiled at CES 2023 were all actively cooled.

Let’s have a closer look at the AIE-CO21, AIE-CO31, AIE-CN31, and AIE-CN41 models with some specifications:

• System-on-module
  • AIE-CO21 – NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 4GB with up to 20 TOPS of AI performance
  • AIE-CO31 – NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 8GB with up to 40 TOPS of AI performance
  • AIE-CN31 – NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 8GB with up to 70 TOPS of AI performance
  • AIE-CN41 – NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 16GB with up to 100 TOPS of AI performance
• Storage – 128GB M.2 2242 NVMe PCIe SSD
• Display – 1x HDMI 2.0 Type-A port
• Audio – Line-out/Line-in/Mic (optional with Daughter Board)
• Networking
  • Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
  • Optional WiFi and Bluetooth via M.2 module (See Expansion) plus two external antennas
• USB – 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, 1x USB Type-C (OTG) port
• Serial – RS232 DB9 connector, CAN Bus DB9 connector (isolated)
• Expansion
  • Orin Nano – 1x M.2 E-Key 2230 (PCIe Gen3/USB2) socket for wireless connectivity
  • Orin NX – 1x M.2 E-Key 2230 (PCIe Gen4/USB2) socket for wireless connectivity
  • 1x M.2 M-Key (NVMe) 2242 socket for storage
  • D-Sub connector with 5x GPIO, 1x I2C, 1x UART
• Misc – Power/Recovery/Reset buttons, RTC with optional supercapacitor
• Power Supply – 12 to 24V DC via 2-pin terminal block
• Power Consumption
  • Orin Nano models – Idle: 4.85W; full load: 23.6W
  • Orin NX models – Idle: 3.95W; full load: 33.25W
• Dimensions – 130 x 90.2 x 72 mm
• Weight – 927 grams
• Temperature Range – Operating: -25°C to +55°C; storage: -25°C to + 85°C
• Humidity – 95% @ 40°C relative humidity, non-condensing
• Vibration – 1 Grms, IEC 60068-2-64, random, 5 ~ 500 Hz, 1 hr/axis
• Shock – 10 G, IEC 60068-2-27, half sine, 11 ms duration
• Certifications – CE/FCC Class A

All embedded box PCs run Ubuntu 20.04 as part of the NVIDIA JetPack SDK and support the various machine learning and artificial intelligence SDKs provided by NVIDIA. The new fanless models have the same specifications as the actively-cooled ones introduced in January, so they may last longer in industrial environments with plenty of dust, consume a little less since a fan is not required, and also operates more quietly although I’m not sure it’s that important for this type of hardware. So the main reason to still use the actively cooled embedded systems from Aetina is the wider temperature range from -25°C to +70°C, while the fanless systems are not guaranteed to work properly over +55°C. The fanless model also appears to lack the RS232 DB9 port for some unknown reason and is taller.

More details about the new fanless NVIDIA Jetson Orin embedded box PCs maybe be found on the products page.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.

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