Documentation — Module selection
Which Jetson Orin module
for the CB302B.
The CB302B is a Jetson Orin carrier board that takes four modules: Jetson Orin Nano 4GB, Jetson Orin Nano 8GB, Orin NX 8GB and Orin NX 16GB. Nothing else fits, and the module is not included with the board. This page is about picking the right one.
02 — The four options
Memory sets the ceiling. Power sets the runtime.
| Module | Memory | System draw | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orin Nano 4GB | 4 GB | ~7 W | Single camera, control loops, light inference. Battery life matters more than throughput. |
| Orin Nano 8GB | 8 GB | ~15 W | The sensible default. Most vision pipelines and mid-size models fit in 8 GB. |
| Orin NX 8GB | 8 GB | ~20 W | Take this when the Nano is compute-bound rather than memory-bound. Multi-stream vision, tighter latency budgets. |
| Orin NX 16GB | 16 GB | ~25 W | Largest models, the GPU-accelerated Android 13 work, and anything where 8 GB is the wall. |
Power figures are whole-system draw measured by Curve Reality, not module TDP.
03 — Start with memory
A model that does not fit does not run.
Decide memory first, because it is the only hard limit of the four. Compute affects how fast something runs. Memory decides whether it runs at all.
If you know the model you intend to deploy, size to that and leave headroom for the rest of the system. If you do not know yet, the Orin Nano 8GB is the sensible starting point. It is the cheapest module that will not immediately box you in.
The step from 8 GB to 16 GB only matters if you are actually hitting the ceiling. Paying for memory you never use costs you 10 W of runtime on every charge.
CB302B · Top view
04 — Then power
On a battery, the module you pick is the runtime you get.
On a bench this barely matters. Untethered it decides everything. The spread from Orin Nano 4GB to Orin NX 16GB is roughly 7 W to 25 W of system draw, so the same M12 pack lasts substantially longer on the smaller module.
The board takes 45 W over USB-C Power Delivery and up to 60 W through the battery connector, so all four modules are within budget. Sustained full load on the NX 16GB is closer to the PD ceiling than the others.
We have not published runtime figures per pack. Rather than estimate them, ask and we will give you the measured number for your module and pack size.
05 — If you want a straight answer
Pick this one.
Orin Nano 4GB
The lightest draw of the four. Longest runtime on a given M12 pack.
Orin Nano 8GB
Doubles the memory. Roughly doubles the draw against the 4GB.
Orin NX 8GB
Same memory as the Nano 8GB, more compute, more draw.
Orin NX 16GB
The most capable module the CB302B accepts, and the hungriest.
If you are still unsure, take the Orin Nano 8GB. It is the module most projects end up on, and it leaves the option of moving up without changing the carrier board.
06 — Same on all four
The board does not change.
Whichever module you fit, the CB302B gives you the same interfaces. The GPIO header and camera connectors match the Orin Nano developer kit pinout, so peripheral work done on NVIDIA's board carries across.
07 — One board, both families
Is the CB302B an Orin Nano board or an Orin NX board?
Both. The CB302B is a Jetson Orin NX carrier board and a Jetson Orin Nano carrier board in the same design. The two module families share a connector and a footprint, so one board takes either, and swapping between them does not mean swapping hardware around it.
That matters if you are prototyping. Start on an Orin Nano 8GB, find you need more compute, and you move up to an Orin NX without rebuying the carrier, the housing, the battery adapter or the display. The pinout, the camera connectors and the storage slot are unchanged.
What does change is power draw, and on a battery-first board that is the real cost of moving up.
08 — Next
Boards are pre-launch.
The CB302B is in production and not shipping yet, so the next step is the waitlist rather than a checkout. Tell us which module you are planning on and we will flag anything worth knowing before you buy one.
Curve Reality — Rev 2026.04
Designed in New Zealand