NVIDIA Jetson Nano 4GB: specs and pinout
NVIDIA's Jetson Nano Developer Kit: a small Linux AI computer made of the Jetson Nano module (with heatsink) on a reference carrier board. The carrier has a 40-pin expansion header, a CSI camera connector (per the Dec 2019 guide; later carrier revisions differ), HDMI and DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports. The operating system runs from a microSD card.
Specs
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | 128-core NVIDIA Maxwell architecture GPU, maximum 921 MHz; 472 GFLOPS AI performance | source Jetson Nano technical specifications table |
| CPU | Quad-core Arm Cortex-A57 MPCore, maximum 1.43 GHz | source Jetson Nano technical specifications table |
| Memory | 4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4, 25.6 GB/s | source Jetson Nano technical specifications table |
| Storage | microSD slot [J501] under the module; the guide asks for a 16 GB or larger UHS-1 microSD card | source Developer Kit Setup; Interface Details > Module |
| Power input | 5 V 2 A through the micro-USB connector [J28] (default), or 5 V 4 A through the barrel jack [J25] (2.1 x 5.5 x 9.5 mm plug, positive centre) with the [J48] jumper fitted, or 5 V 5 A through the 5 V pins of [J41] (2.5 A per pin) | source Interface Details; Power Guide |
| Minimum module supply | 4.75 V at the module; a micro-USB supply must deliver 5 V at the connector | source Power Guide > Micro-USB Power Supply Options |
| Power modes | 10 W (default) and 5 W module budgets, set in software | source Power Guide > Power Budget Considerations |
| Expansion header [J41] | 40 pins; all interface signals use 3.3 V levels; two 3.3 V power pins and two 5 V power pins that are always on | source Developer Kit Interfaces > Interface Details > [J41] 40-pin expansion header |
| Camera connector [J13] (guide DA_09402_003 carrier board) | In guide DA_09402_003 (Dec 2019), the carrier board has a CSI camera connector; the guide says it works with IMX219 camera modules, including the Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2. Later carrier revisions are not covered here. | source Interface Details > Carrier Board > [J13] |
| USB, network, video | Two stacks of two USB 3.0 Type-A ports ([J32], [J33]) joined to the module through an on-board hub, each stack limited to 1 A in total; RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet [J43]; HDMI and DisplayPort stack [J6] | source Interface Details > Carrier Board |
Power
| Value | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Supply | 5 V DC: 2 A through micro-USB, 4 A through the barrel jack with the J48 jumper, or 5 V 5 A through the J41 5 V pins. The module needs at least 4.75 V. The guide gives no typical current; it states the carrier board alone uses between 0.5 W (at 2 A) and 1.25 W (at 4 A) with no peripherals attached. | source Power Guide |
Pinout
Only the J41 pins that the NVIDIA Developer Kit User Guide names are listed. The full pin-by-pin table is in NVIDIA's separate Jetson Nano Developer Kit Carrier Board Specification, which is not reproduced here. The guide revision used (DA_09402_003, Dec 2019) is for the carrier board of that time; later carrier revisions differ and the board that ships is not known, so no connector count is given as fact.
| Pin | Function | Voltage | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J41 pins 3 and 5 | SDA, SCL (I2C) | 3.3 V | Listed in the guide as I2C SDA and SCL together with pins 27 and 28 | source Developer Kit Interfaces > Interface Details > [J41] 40-pin expansion header |
| J41 pins 27 and 28 | SDA, SCL (I2C) | 3.3 V | Second I2C pair named in the guide | source Developer Kit Interfaces > Interface Details > [J41] 40-pin expansion header |
| J41 pins 8 and 10 | UART TX, RX | 3.3 V | Listed in the guide as UART TX and RX | source Developer Kit Interfaces > Interface Details > [J41] 40-pin expansion header |
| J41 two pins | 3.3 V power | 3.3 V | Always on; the guide does not number them | source Developer Kit Interfaces > Interface Details > [J41] 40-pin expansion header |
| J41 two pins | 5 V power | 5 V | Always on; either 5 V pin can feed the kit at 2.5 A | source Developer Kit Interfaces > Interface Details > [J41] 40-pin expansion header |
| J41 other signal pins | GPIO | 3.3 V | Configured as GPIO by default; control from Python with the Jetson.GPIO library | source Developer Kit Interfaces > Interface Details > [J41] 40-pin expansion header |
Build with it
Project ideas for the NVIDIA Jetson Nano 4GB. Each link opens Soldr with the prompt filled in; Soldr assigns the pins, checks power and shows how to wire every part.
- Camera image viewer: The guide says the CSI connector works with IMX219 camera modules and that the kit boots from a 16 GB or larger UHS-1 microSD card. Power: a regulated 5 V supply with a 2.1 x 5.5 mm centre-positive plug rated 4 A or more (NVIDIA guide, J25) on the barrel jack, with the J48 jumper fitted as the guide says for loads above 2 A; check the plug and polarity before connecting. If people can be in view, tell them the camera is there and get consent. Learning project.
- Cooled desktop AI box: The passive heatsink is rated for 10 W module power at 25 C ambient, and the guide says a fan can be driven from the 4-pin fan header [J15] (PWM output and tachometer input). Check the case fan's connector against that header before fitting. Power: a regulated 5 V supply with a 2.1 x 5.5 mm centre-positive plug rated 4 A or more (NVIDIA guide, J25) on the barrel jack, with the J48 jumper fitted as the guide says for loads above 2 A; check the plug and polarity before connecting.
- USB camera preview: Waveshare's wiki gives a Jetson Nano preview command for this camera. The camera is rated 5 V at 500 mA, inside the 1 A the guide allows per USB stack. Power: a regulated 5 V supply with a 2.1 x 5.5 mm centre-positive plug rated 4 A or more (NVIDIA guide, J25) on the barrel jack, with the J48 jumper fitted as the guide says for loads above 2 A; check the plug and polarity before connecting. If people can be in view, tell them and get consent.
- Wireless AI node: The carrier board has an Ethernet jack but the guide lists no Wi-Fi on the board, so a USB dongle adds it; check the dongle's driver support for your JetPack release. Tell anyone who can be in view and get consent. Learning project. Power: a regulated 5 V supply with a 2.1 x 5.5 mm centre-positive plug rated 4 A or more (NVIDIA guide, J25) on the barrel jack, with the J48 jumper fitted as the guide says for loads above 2 A; check the plug and polarity before connecting.
Common mistakes
- Powering the kit from a weak micro-USB supply or cable while adding peripherals: the module needs at least 4.75 V, and if the total load will exceed 2 A the guide says to fit the J48 jumper and use a 5 V 4 A barrel-jack supply (source: link, Power Guide).
- Wiring 5 V logic straight to the 40-pin header: all signal pins use 3.3 V levels, so a 5 V sensor output needs a level shifter or a part that works at 3.3 V (source: link, [J41] 40-pin expansion header).
- Choosing any Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2 for the CSI connector: the guide names IMX219 modules, and Raspberry Pi's documentation says Camera Module 2 boards made from November 2026 use the Sony IMX355 instead, so check the sensor before buying (source: link, [J13]; link, Hardware specifications).
Not covered by the official source
- NVIDIA's Jetson Nano Developer Kit Carrier Board Specification (the full 40-pin table) and the Jetson Nano module data sheet are behind NVIDIA's sign-in and were not obtained, so only the header pins named in the user guide are listed.
- The user guide revision used (DA_09402_003) describes a single CSI connector [J13]. NVIDIA published later revisions of the guide and of the carrier board; the shipped carrier revision is not known, so connector counts may differ.
- The NVIDIA product page storage row (16 GB eMMC) describes the production module; the developer kit module boots from the microSD slot, so no eMMC figure is given.
- No supply current under load is published in the user guide beyond the supply ratings above.