Adlink unveiled two edge AI systems that run Linux on a Jetson AGX Xavier: a rugged “AVA-RAGX” railway PC with 4x GbE with PoE, 4x USB, 2x M.2, and 2x CAN, and an “AVA-XV-V1” system for autonomous vehicles with 10GbE, GbE, and 8x GMSL2 camera ports.

Adlink has been keeping us busy this week with new edge AI products that run Linux. After rolling out its Coffee Lake based AVA-3501 and AVA-3510 systems for autonomous vehicles, the company announced two new ROSCube-branded robotics controllers: a ROSCube Pico NPN equipped with a Jetson Nano or Jetson Xavier NX and a ROSCube Pico TGL built around Intel’s 11th Gen Tiger Lake Core processors.

Now, Adlink has announced an EN 50155 compliant “AVA-RAGX” railway computer that runs Linux on Nvidia’s high-end, ruggedized Jetson AGX Xavier Industrial. Farther below, we also cover another recently introduced “AVA” branded system from Adlink: the AGX Xavier based AVA-XV-V1 sensor fusion computer for self-driving cars.

 
AVA-RAGX

The AVA-RAGX follows Adlink railway computers such as its 6th Gen Skylake based PIS-5500. Other Jetson AGX Xavier based systems from Adlink include its ROScube-X robotics controller.

AVA-RAGX
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The AVA-RAGX uses the Jetson AGX Xavier Industrial version of the AGX Xavier, which Nvidia announced in June. The Industrial variant adds to the original design with dual Cortex-R5 functional safety (FuSa) cores, 32GB ECC RAM, up to 64GB eMMC, -40 to 85°C support, and shock and vibration resistance. The Industrial is also used by Syslogic’s AI Rugged Computer RML A3 railway computer.

The compact, EN 50155-certified AVA-RAGX supports both onboard and wayside railway applications including railroad intrusion detection, train station surveillance, onboard passenger security, and railroad hazard detection. When integrated with advanced cameras, radar, Lidar, and GNSSC, the AVA-RAGX can precisely identify the train’s position and surroundings and can detect emerging hazards far ahead on the track to increase warning time for braking. The system can also improve operational efficiency and safety and help prevent accidents, “especially when trains run at night or in adverse weather conditions that reduce visibility,” says Adlink.

When installed on an inspection train, the AVA-RAGX can be used for trackside equipment fault detection. The system can process images captured from wayside equipment, such as the pantograph and track, in real-time and identify potential equipment faults at a speeds of up to 75mph (120km/h), says the company.

The AVA-RAGX can also work with onboard legacy CCTV streams to perform real-time monitoring to check for unattended luggage and seat occupancy. When deployed in train station surveillance systems, the AVA-RAGX can spy on us to “detect suspicious or aggressive human behaviors, crowd movement and even face mask-wearing.” (Indeed, in some parts of the US, wearing a mask is considered highly suspicious.)

Jetson AGX Xavier Industrial

The 288 x 190 x 72mm system runs Ubuntu 18.04 on the octa-core, 2.26GHz AGX Xavier Industrial, which is equipped with a 512-core Nvidia Volta GPU with 64 Tensor cores and supports up to 32-TOPS AI performance. The module supplies 32GB LPDDR4x, and in this case, 32GB eMMC.

Storage is enabled via a microSD slot and an M.2 M-key 2280 slot. There is also an M.2 B-key for LTE/5G and an M.2 A/E-key for WiFi/BT. On the back of the unit is a uSIM slot and “4+2x SMA antenna reserved.”

The AVA-RAGX is equipped with 4x GbE ports with M12 connectors and BOM optional, isolated PoE (802.3at) for a total of 40W support to attached cameras and other devices. Dual lockable USB 3.0 ports are available on the front along with DB-9 ports for RS-232/422/485 and 2x CAN-FD. You also get 4-in/4-out isolated DIO via a terminal block.

On the back are two more USB 3.0 ports are used for maintenance, as well as a lockable HDMI 2.0 port and a micro-USB OTG port. Other features include an RTC, TPM 2.0, and 6x LEDs.

The system runs at a maximum of 160W and is powered via a 4-pin M12 connector with a +24/36/72/110VDC supply with an EN50155 compliant 16.8 to 137.5V input range. There is an ignition control, as well as power, reset, and recovery buttons.

The IP20-protected, wall- and DIN-rail mountable system weighs under 5 Kg. The operating range is -25 to 70°C plus up to 85°C for 10-minute durations. Other ruggedization features include 10% to 95% RH tolerance and EN50155 13.4.11 compliant shock and vibration resistance. There are other compliances for altitude, fire, EMC, and safety.

 
AVA-XV-V1

We found out about the “preliminary” AVA-XV-V1 earlier this week when covering Adlink’s announcement of its Coffee Lake based AVA-3501 and AVA-3510 systems for autonomous vehicles. We saw that the GMSL2 equipped AVA-XV-V1 is the only other system listed on Adlink’s Autonomous Driving page.

AVA-XV-V1, front and back
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Nvidia’s Jetson AGX Xavier module is based on a design that was first unveiled back in 2017 as the “Xavier” SoC platform underlying Nvidia’s Drive PX Pegasus computer for Level 5 self-driving cars. The commercial AGX Xavier has appeared on several systems that are at least partially target automated vehicles, including Neousys’ NRU-110V.

The AGX Xavier is also found on several products that incorporate GMSL2, the latest version of the SERDES-derived Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL) standard for speedy camera connections. These include E-con Systems’ STURDeCAM20 camera system and Mistral’s Neuron Base Board Turbo carrier, among others. GMSL2 and GMSL support bi-directional data, power, and control through a single cable at up to 15 meters without losing latency.

The AVA-XV-V1 runs Ubuntu 18.04 on the standard version of the Jetson AGX Xavier with 32GB LPDDRx and 32GB eMMC. There is no mention of mSATA storage for the system’s “full function” mini-PCIe slot, which supports LTE or WiFi modules with the help of a SIM card slot. Nor are there any other storage-specific interfaces. The system may well be designed to work as a camera/sensor fusion companion computer for the storage-focused AVA-3501 or AVA-3510.

AVA-XV-V1 front and back detail views
(click images to enlarge)

The system is equipped with 8x GMSL2 ports delivered via dual “1*4 mini typeZ” Fakra connectors. Other features include 10GbE and 1GbE ports plus 2x USB 3.1, 2x RS-232, 2x isolated CAN 2.0B, and an HDMI 2.0a port.

The AVA-XV-V1 has a 9-36 VDC input with customizable ignition control and consumes a maximum of 50W. There is a -10 to 55°C operating range with 10% to 90% humidity tolerance. The system adopts a “cold plate design with backup thermal solution for external cooling.” The 225 x 150 x 75mm computer meets MIL-STD-810G shock and vibration standards and offers EMC compliances.

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the “preliminary” AVA-RAGX railway and AVA-XV-V1 autonomous vehicle computers. More information may be found in Adlink’s AVA-RAGX announcement, as well as its AVA-RAGX and AVA-XV-V1 product pages.