Polaris embedded mission computer

The Polaris embedded mission computer from Connect Tech is a rugged, enclosed mission computer built around the NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX module, intended for onboard computer vision, deep learning and sensor processing on unmanned aircraft, ground robots and other autonomous machines. It is sold as a sealed system rather than a bare carrier board, so the processing module, the connectors, the cooling and the enclosure arrive as one tested unit.

The system targets deployable vision workloads in harsh environments. Four GMSL camera inputs on sealed FAKRA connectors allow several cameras to be aggregated into one Jetson, which suits multi-camera perception, inspection payloads and obstacle detection. An HDMI output is available for local display during development, and a USB-based debug UART gives console access without opening the unit. Storage is provided by an M.2 Key-M slot for an NVMe drive (four-lane PCIe), and the ordering list includes assemblies with a 2 TB NVMe SSD.

Connectivity is aimed at payload and vehicle integration. The unit carries one RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port and two Gigabit Ethernet ports on M12 X-code connectors, three USB 3.1 Type-C ports and a USB OTG port, plus two isolated CAN FD ports on M12 A-code connectors. GPIO consists of one isolated 12 V output rated 100 mA and two isolated 3.3 V inputs that tolerate 12 V. Wireless expansion uses an M.2 slot for a Wi-Fi module and an M.2 slot with a nano SIM holder for a 5G or LTE module, with FAKRA connectors for the antennas. Assemblies with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth, or with a Quectel 5G global module, are listed.

Power and environment are specified for vehicle installation. The input accepts 18 V to 48 V DC through an M12 B-code connector, which covers common battery and platform bus voltages. The enclosure is rated IP67. Operating temperature is -20 degrees C to +50 degrees C; the maker notes that 14.4 CFM of airflow is needed to operate above 35 degrees C. The housing measures 285 mm x 150 mm x 70 mm and the system weighs 2.5 kg, which an integrator should weigh against payload limits on smaller airframes.

Thermal management comes in two versions. The active version (ESG604) uses two 12 V brushless fans with tachometer and PWM speed control, while the passive version (ESG608) has no fans and relies on conduction through the enclosure. Software support is based on NVIDIA JetPack and Linux for Tegra, with Connect Tech board-support packages published for several JetPack releases, which lets teams reuse CUDA, TensorRT and ROS based vision software developed on standard Jetson modules.

Typical applications include onboard object detection and tracking, multi-camera mapping and inspection payloads, autonomous ground and aerial robots, and edge AI gateways in construction, mining, agriculture, defense and smart-city deployments. The system is offered with the Jetson Orin NX 16GB module, and the maker lists the Jetson Orin Nano as a module option.