Aaeon’s compact “Boxer-8220AI” runs Linux on a Jetson Nano module and offers 5x GbE ports for IP cameras plus 4x USB 3.0, 2x COM, and an HDMI port.

Aaeon has unveiled its first compact Boxer computer with Nvidia’s Jetson Nano instead of the higher powered Jetson TX2 found on the other AI models. The fanless, 154 x 101 x 30mm Boxer-8220AI has much in common with the larger, 180 x 136 x 48mm Boxer-8170AI, which was announced in August, and to a lesser degree, last year’s similarly TX2-based Boxer-8120AI. The Boxer-8220AI ships with Aaeon’s ACLinux 4.4, which is based on Ubuntu 18.04.

Boxer-8220AI, front and back
(click images to enlarge)

Like the Boxer-8170AI, there are 5x Ethernet ports and 4x USB 3.0 ports. The Boxer-8220AI has 5x GbE ports as opposed to 4x 10/100Mbps and single GbE ports, but it lacks the PoE support found on the Boxer-8170AI’s 10/100 ports. There’s no WAN port — all five GbE ports are intended to drive IP cameras or sensors. However, without the PoE, you’ll have to power these devices separately. The older Boxer-8120AI, meanwhile has 4x GbE ports and single USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports.

Nvidia’s 70 x 45mm Jetson Nano module has 4x 1.43GHz Cortex-A57 cores that provide CPU horsepower that falls in between the TX1 and TX2. Its 128-core Maxwell GPU is less powerful than the TX1, but it still offers CUDA-X AI and [email protected] support. The module integrates 4GB LPDDR4 and 16GB eMMC 5.1 and can run on as little as 5 Watts. The Boxer-8220AI offers an option for a Nano version that has a microSD slot instead of the eMMC.

In addition to the GbE and USB ports, there are 2x RS-232 COM ports, an HDMI port (instead of two on the Boxer-8170AI), and a micro-USB OTG port “for Flash OS”. There’s also a 10 to 24VDC terminal block, an optional 60W adapter, power and recovery buttons and an LED. The Boxer-8220AI has a -20 to 60°C operating range and 3 Grms/5~500Hz anti-vibration resistance.

The only other Nano-based embedded computers we’ve seen are Advantech’s MIC-720AI and MIC-710IVA, which give you a choice of the Nano or the TX2.

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the “budget-friendly” Boxer-8220AI. More information may be found on in Aaeon’s Boxer-8220AI announcement and product page.