ARK Electronics has introduced the ARK Just A Jetson with Modalix MLSoC Bundle, combining the ARK Just A Jetson Carrier with a SiMa.ai Modalix SOM, heatsink and fan.
The Modalix SOM delivers 50 TOPS of AI performance at sub-10W and includes built-in eMMC storage, allowing it to boot and run without an SSD. An optional NDAA-compliant 480GB M.2 NVMe SSD can also be added.
The SOM is pin-compatible with NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX and Orin Nano modules. According to the listed specifications, Modalix provides higher TOPS per watt than the referenced NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and Orin NX configurations.
Modalix provides 50 TOPS at sub-10W, compared with 67 TOPS at 25W for the Jetson Orin Nano 8GB Super and 157 TOPS at 40W for the Jetson Orin NX 16GB Super. The Jetson Orin Nano 8GB is listed at 40 TOPS, while the Jetson Orin NX 16GB is listed at 100 TOPS.
With the Modalix SOM and heatsink installed, the listed dimensions are 100 mm x 72 mm x 37 mm, with a weight of 198.5 g without an SSD.
Modalix Interface Differences
The Modalix SOM differs from an NVIDIA Jetson module across several interfaces.
UART2 works as a console, while UART0 works without flow control and UART1 does not work. There is no CAN interface and no PCIe on the M.2 Key E.
HDMI works if the Modalix module is purchased with the HDMI option, although these units will not have HDMI. PCIe2 only works when HDMI is not used.
USB-C 3.0 works as a host, while the USB 2.0 interface connects to an FTDI console on the SOM.
