Pi 4 versus the jetson nano

Posted by: @duce-robot

I saw a head to head comparison and the pi 4 matched up well with the Jetson .so can it do the same thing ?

I have no experience with thePi 4 so I can't speak to that.   I also can't speak to comparisons between the Pi 4 and the Jetson Nano in general.  I think it all comes down to exactly what you'd like to do with it, and what software you plan on running on it.

One thing to note about comparisons is that if they are only comparing software that runs on the  main processor the Raspberry 4 may actually come out ahead in various situations.   This is because the main feature of the Jetson Nano is the 128 core GPU.   If the software you are running on the Jetson Nano isn't designed to take advantage of the 128 core GPU then it just runs on the ARM processor which is only 4 core.

So I think the bottom line is whether or not you need, or plan on using, the 128 core GPU on the Jetson Nano.  If not, then the Pi 4 is probably the better choice.  As I say, some software isn't designed to use the 128 core GPU, if that's the case, you don't need a Jetson Nano.

I'm learning how to write my own programs on the Jetson Nano that take advantage of the 128 core GPU.  Clearly I couldn't do that on a Pi 4. ? 

So it really comes down to what you plan on doing with it.  I've been thinking of buying a Pi 4 just to see what they are like.  But every time I start to get any money my brain starts lusting for another Jetson Nano. ? 

So it's unlikely that I'll ever get to play with a Pi 4.

@robo-pi

I'm actually going to attempt ai  I'm sure it won't be easy or fast but I basically want to do the Same thing as db1 Chris from explaining computers said it could run Linux the pi 4 that is so I was just wondering if it would work for this and your right the pi 4 did come out ahead in some areas but they were pretty equal otherwise I'm eventually going to  get the entire development kit and the nano but for the time being I thought I could use the pi 4 .............go ahead and get a pi 4 its a really good computer I was down on it at first but ounce I got used to it I love it you also get duck duck go instead of google I have to say I like duck duck go better .

Well, I certainly haven't nothing bad to say about a Pi 4 as I've never owned one. ? 

I have a love affair going on here with the Jetson Nano. ?    That's all I know.  But at the same time I have no clue what I might be missing out on by not dating a Pi 4.

I have limited dating resources, so I need to pick one romance at a time.

@robo-pi

Well a date with the pi 4 is between 30 and 50 bucks cheaper lol? I think bill is using both I'm getting a nano but not just yet its the money !?

@duce-robot

I don't blame you!

I almost went for the Pi 4 myself.  I was looking to try a powerful SBC just to see if they could be used like a desktop computer.    So I started doing some research, including the Explaining Computers by Chris videos.  Chris actually does chose the Nano as the ultimate best SBC in one of his videos.  However, that wasn't the turning point for me.  

For me the decision was made by A.I. videos I've been watching where a lot of people were using the Jetson Nano for A.I. research.  They claim the 128 core GPU is an essential "need" if a person is going to do some serious A.I. work.  I don't know how true that is, but that's the generic claim.

The straw that broke the camel's back for me was Paul McWhorter's course on studying A.I. on the Jetson Nano.   It wasn't so much the Jetson Nano that attracted me to his course, but he was promising to teach OpenCV, and many other things I wanted to learn.  Actually if Paul McWhorter had chosen to offer his course using a Pi 4 I probably would have gone for that.   But he was using the Jetson Nano so I wanted to get on the same page with him. 

That was the ultimate incentive that caused me to purchase my first Jetson Nano.    And I did so reluctantly precisely because it's twice the cost of a Pi 4.

However, after getting the little bugger set up and starting to use it I found it to be super nice.   So I bought a second one because I'm greedy. ?   I'm so greedy I'm even toying with the idea of buying a third one.  I've been starving myself this month and refusing to go to the grocery store just so I can save up enough cash to buy my third Jetson Nano!  ? 

Not sure if I'll actually do it, but it does look like I might end up at the end of the month with about $150 in saved grocery money.  So who knows what evil lurks in the mind of Robo Pi?    I'm getting pretty hungry though and I have almost 3 more weeks to hold out.  I do have ten cans of tuna on stock, so we'll see how long that lasts.   They were only 65 cents a can.  And I have a large box of Oodles of Noodles.  They're only about 10 cents each.  I've been drinking pure spring water for FREE. 

So we'll see what happens by the end of the month.

Will I get another Jetson Nano?  Or will I die from scurvy? 

Oh by the way, I am taking vitamin pills too, so it should be ok. ?   No need to worry. ? 

I'm thinking the Pi 4 vs the Jetson Nano might make a good article & video idea - what do you think? And what parameters would you like to compare?

Here I am fishing for content ideas outside the Suggest New Content section!  Hopefully, none of the moderators will move my post.

@dronebot-workshop

Just to throw something into the pot, how about including the Teensy4 board into the pot.  The bang for buck this little board appears to offer would appear to be worthy of comparison to the Jetson and Rpi.  

My suggestion for the comparison would be the usual stuff of power consumption, speed, memory, how to program it (Arduino IDE or Python/micro-python IDE options etc), and what support channels and communities are available.

Posted by: @byron

Just to throw something into the pot, how about including the Teensy4 board into the pot.  The bang for buck this little board appears to offer would appear to be worthy of comparison to the Jetson and Rpi.  

 

I'm sure it is, I'll have to start buying some Teensy's.  However, I already have five Raspberry Pi 4's in their various memory configurations and three Jetson Nano's. So I could do that video without needing to buy anything!

I'm trying to keep the expenses down for a few months until I can buy my NAS and a new desktop computer, so I'm keen to make videos with the stuff I already have on hand.

I think its a great idea since all of these boards will be on the duce robot the king of excess lol it will be fun to see how they stack up in an actual robot project ! I have 4 RPI  2 3s  2  4s  as soon as my broad band comes back up I'm going to download Ubuntu I hope that's what we are using .and new content do a video on how people can get some jams on these robots show people how to build a killer dronebot micro system with a mp3 player and .......well music stuff oh and we bow our heads in a moment of silence for Neal Peart since I know every one here is a rush fan I am too rip Neal 

Posted by: @dronebot-workshop

I'm thinking the Pi 4 vs the Jetson Nano might make a good article & video idea - what do you think? And what parameters would you like to compare?

I think any comparison is going to be highly dependent on what software is being compared.   From the comparison Chris made on Explaining Computers it appears that the Pi 4 will win out over the Jetson Nano if the software that is being compared is running solely on the main processors. 

The only time the Jetson Nano will blow the doors of the Pi 4 is when it's running software that has been specifically written to take advantage of its 128 core GPU. 

I don't really see much point in even comparing them.  They are actually two different machines entirely.  The Raspberry Pi is actually being sold as a SBC.  The Jetsno Nano isn't even claiming to be a SBC.  It's a development board that was designed for other things.  It's also about twice the cost of a Pi 4.

In some ways it's like comparing apples and oranges.   They aren't really even in competition with each other in terms of what they were designed to be used for.

That's my speech before I faint from lack of food.  ? 

Posted by: @dronebot-workshop

Here I am fishing for content ideas outside the Suggest New Content section!  Hopefully, none of the moderators will move my post.

You're lucky I'm not a mod or I'd put you in line real quick. ? 

Quit looking for more things to do and make videos on DB1.

Yeah! DB1, DB1, DB1, DB1, DB1, DB1, DB1, DB1, DB1, DB1, !!!!!

We want more DB1!

Better watch out, I feel a poem coming on!

Posted by: @dronebot-workshop

I'm sure it is, I'll have to start buying some Teensy's.  However, I already have five Raspberry Pi 4's in their various memory configurations and three Jetson Nano's. So I could do that video without needing to buy anything!

Don't just compare them.  Do something with them!

What can I do with my Jetson Nano beyond telling everyone that I'm in love with it?

How about a video that shows how to create a GPIO project using the Jetson Nano.

As shameful as this is, I haven't even used the GPIO pins on my Nanos yet.  I'm still having a love affair with them as make-believe desktop computers.

Once I start doing GPIO magic with them I'll probably start writing love poems about them. ?

@robo-pi

Posted by: @robo-pi

The only time the Jetson Nano will blow the doors of the Pi 4 is when it's running software that has been specifically written to take advantage of its 128 core GPU. 

This is a good point, and not just applicable to the Jetson Nano!
I recently posted about the Teensy 4.0, but prior to that made case for the Arduino Due, which appears to have been dismissed purely due to specifications!

The following test shows that you should not always look at specifications alone, as I stated previously - The Due is more than capable (especially for integer operations), given it's price to performance to feature set:

Arduino Due vs Others

OK so one final question since we all bought enough boards to control a space x flight do we need them? Can it be just as efficiently done with one nano one pi and all the support boards the arduinos and the cameras? As far as robot projects out there this is about the most intricate I don't know bill I might need a higher stool than everyone else so I can look over on to other people's paper lol??

@duce-robot

The simple answer is: "It Depends!" 🙂

I say it depends, because it really matters on how deep you want to venture into the realm of robotics?
Do you require the ability of your robot to learn? speak? have visual sensory abilities?

We could go from basics to very complex, where you will require a master degree in mega flux calculus to make things happen!  A lot of people talk about the PI, but it's just a SBC at the end of the day, and not as good as a fully fledged micro controller to perform the critical parts of motion.

I don't know what the real answer is, but I do know that the more complex your robot becomes, the more processing power you will require, especially when it comes to PWM resolution and internal message processing.

Although the Teensy 4.0 I mentioned a few times now is a beast, I think the Arduino Due is also wrongly overlooked, simply because of it's 3.3V interface... the ESP32 is also a great choice, though maybe not as well supported.

Your robot requirements will determine your micro-controller specifications!
You are surely none the wiser now 😀