Glossary
The terms customers most often ask about, grouped by topic. Version numbers reflect the current release (JetPack 7.2.1 / L4T 39.2.1; component versions re-checked 2026-09-26).
Platform & hardware
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jetson AGX Orin | NVIDIA's edge-AI module family; this developer kit carries the 64GB module. |
| Module | The small board with the SoC, memory, and eMMC that does the computing. |
| Carrier board | The larger board with all the ports and connectors; the module plugs into it (699-pin connector, J3). |
| Developer Kit | Module + reference carrier board + Wi-Fi module + power supply — the prototyping platform. Production products use modules on custom or partner carrier boards. |
| SoC | System-on-chip: CPU, GPU, and accelerators integrated on one chip (NVIDIA calls the line "Tegra"). |
| TOPS | Trillion operations per second — a measure of AI throughput (the AGX Orin family goes up to 275 TOPS). |
| Tensor Core | GPU cores specialized for the matrix math behind neural networks. |
| eMMC | Embedded flash storage on the module; the default system storage. |
| NVMe | Fast SSD over PCIe, installed in the M.2 M-Key slot (J1); can host the system. |
| M.2 (M-Key / E-Key) | Slot types: M-Key = NVMe SSD, E-Key = Wi-Fi module. |
| CSI / GMSL | Camera interfaces (CSI on the camera connector J509; GMSL for automotive-grade cameras). |
| DisplayPort (DP) | The only display output on the kit; supports MST (up to 2 displays) and DSC. |
Software & versions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| JetPack | NVIDIA's SDK bundle for Jetson — OS, drivers, CUDA stack, and libraries. Current: 7.2.1. |
| Jetson Linux (L4T) | The board support package underneath JetPack: bootloader, kernel, drivers, and the Ubuntu root filesystem. Current: r39.2.1. |
| BSP | "Board support package" — everything needed to boot and run the board. |
| Root filesystem (rootfs) | The user-space part of the OS (here: Ubuntu 24.04). |
| oem-config | The first-boot setup wizard (language, user account, networking). |
| UEFI | The firmware/boot menu on the kit; use its boot manager to pick a boot device. |
| QSPI | Small flash holding early boot firmware. During ISO installation, a "QSPI capsule update" prompt may appear — press Y (required). |
| Force Recovery mode | Special boot mode for flashing from a host PC. Enter: hold the middle Force Recovery button while connecting power. |
| Jetson ISO | The USB-stick installation image; NVIDIA's recommended update path (no host PC needed). |
| SDK Manager | NVIDIA's GUI tool (host PC) to flash the BSP and install JetPack components. |
| Linux_for_Tegra / flash.sh | The scripting-based flashing tools, for advanced/product use. |
| OTA | Over-the-air update — remote software/security updates for deployed devices. |
| Device tree | The data structure that tells the kernel what hardware is attached; customized device trees must be rebuilt for each L4T version. |
Version mapping (the single most useful table to memorize):
| JetPack | Jetson Linux (L4T) | Ubuntu | Kernel | CUDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.2.1 (current) | 39.2.1 | 24.04 | 6.8 | 13.2.2 |
| 6.x (previous generation) | 36.x | 22.04 | 5.15 | 12.x |
Always check what a specific system actually runs: cat /etc/nv_tegra_release.
AI stack
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CUDA | NVIDIA's GPU computing toolkit (13.2.2 in this release). |
| cuDNN | Library of optimized deep-learning primitives (9.20.0). |
| TensorRT | Inference optimizer and runtime (10.16.2). |
| TensorRT engine | A compiled, hardware/version-specific model file. Engines do not survive version upgrades — rebuild them. |
| DeepStream | SDK for multi-stream video analytics (9.1). |
| VPI | Vision Programming Interface — hardware-accelerated image processing (4.1.4). |
| Holoscan | Streaming AI framework for real-time sensor processing (3.9.0). |
| NGC | NVIDIA's catalog of containers and pretrained models (catalog.ngc.nvidia.com). |
| Container | Isolated, packaged runtime (Docker); the standard way to ship AI software on Jetson. |
Power & monitoring
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| nvpmodel | Tool to switch power modes. Run sudo nvpmodel -q to see the modes on your system. |
| MAXN | "Max performance" power mode (no power cap). |
| jetson_clocks | Pins clocks to maximum — for benchmarks, not for sustained default use. |
| tegrastats | Built-in live monitor for CPU/GPU/memory usage. |
JetPack 7 era
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NemoClaw | NVIDIA's agentic-AI framework for Jetson; installable with a single command since JetPack 7.2. |
| Jetson agent skills | Reusable agent workflows NVIDIA publishes for device-side and BSP tasks. |
| Yocto / OpenEmbedded (OE4T) | The build system for custom, reproducible production Linux images — officially supported since 7.2. |
| SBSA | Server Base System Architecture — the Arm server model the Jetson Thor line aligns with (not this kit). |
| MIG | Multi-Instance GPU — partitioning one GPU into isolated instances (Jetson Thor, tech preview). |
Sources
- NVIDIA Jetson apt repository — actual component versions (checked 2026-09-26) — via the
nvidia-jetpack7.2.1 dependency chain; the JetPack downloads page summary table lags (still lists CUDA 13.2.1 / VPI 4.1.3) - Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit User Guide (checked 2026-09-24)
Status: draft, pending review by cheny. Definitions compiled from NVIDIA documentation and standard industry usage; version numbers checked on the date listed.
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