LITA, a key to ease the deployment of mobile robotics and autonomous vehicle developments
I don’t normally review products. But in this case, even I must dare to share one of the developments that we have been working on in Baro Vehicles for the last 5 years, and I am very excited to share this development with you.
When we started the development process of our autonomous platform, the Baro CAV platform, we encountered endless integration problems that led us to develop our own computer, the LITA. As an engineer “problem solver”, I wanted to share this product with designers who could also be facing similar challenges.
- Product Introduction
LITA is a small carrier board for robotics and autonomous vehicles. Which is compatible with the line of NVIDIA Jetson processors: Jetson Nano, Jetson Xavier NX and the new Jetson TX2 NX.
This board was designed for robotic applications, specifically oriented towards mobile robotics with AI and Computer Vision.
2. Top side description
The top side of the board has:
- DDR4 SODIMM interface for the Jetson module
- Recovery and reset buttons ( To initiate recovery mode and be able to reset the device)
- A Customizable button , called “USR” ( Which is programmable at the discretisation of the end user)
- UART serial port (Purposes of debugging and gaining low level access to the linux system)
- Power supply connector with the support of up to 36 volts and 10A.
- Bluetooth 5.0 Module
- Fan connector (Active cooling support)
In terms of high speed connectivity the Carrier board has:
- Mini HDMI 2.0
- USB On The Go (Purposes of flashing the OS)
- RJ45 Ethernet Connector
- 2 USB 3.0 interfaces , via a 19 pin standard motherboard connector
- A CANBUS interface, that can operate in 2 modes (At low speeds of up to 1 mbps and high speeds of up to 5 megabits per second )
Furthermore, one of the most interesting features of the LITA Carrier Board is the GPS module with dead reckoning. Which includes an IMU that can provide further assistance in the localisation of the device/robot.
A while back , I wrote an article about how this kind of technology can be beneficial in situations where the signal becomes weak or is terminated. To find out more , follow this link.
Finally, we have the Human Machine Interface. Which can be accessed via a dedicated pin header, to externally connect a microphone and stereo speakers.
3. Secondary side description
The back of LITA Carrier board has the following features:
- 4 cameras connectors with 2 CSI-2 lanes that are compatible with Raspberry Pi 2.1 cameras.
- A M.2 KEY B interface, specifically selected for 3G, 4G and 5G modems. But, also having the ability to add other modules. I.e WI-FI
- A combination card slot that can interface a micro SIM-CARD and MicroSD-CARD at the same time.
With this description, we have a complete understanding of the peripheral’s that we have on the new LITA Carrier board for NVIDIA Jetson processors. A fully featured carrier board that integrates all the necessary peripherals that are required for robotic applications, in an incredible form factor of 137 x 65mm. To this date, it is the smallest form factor board with a feature rich design in the industry.
An incredible computer that is ready to use in AI products , making peripheral integration a thing of the past.
Talking with my team , we had agreed that one of our greatest satisfactions was seeing the smile of our first client during a video call. Where he had expressed his satisfaction and delight, with the choice he had made . We understood from this point onwards that we were transforming the development of AI products into something easier and more fun.
Now, mobile robotics design is a process that can be accelerated, without the need for compromising the quality of performance.
Remember , Dream it & Build it!
See you next time.
More information can be found using the link below ,
