NVIDIA JetPack SDK is the most comprehensive solution for building AI applications. All Jetson modules and developer kits are supported by JetPack SDK.

JetPack SDK includes the latest Linux Driver Package (L4T) with Linux operating system and CUDA-X accelerated libraries and APIs for Deep Learning, Computer Vision, Accelerated Computing and Multimedia. It also includes samples, documentation, and developer tools for both host computer and developer kit, and supports higher level SDKs such as DeepStream for streaming video analytics and Isaac for robotics.

JetPack 4.4

JetPack 4.4 is the latest production release, supporting all Jetson modules.

Key features include support for Jetson Xavier NX and new production versions of CUDA, TensorRT and cuDNN.

See Highlights below for a summary of new features enabled with this release, and view the JetPack release notes for more details.

Installing JetPack

SD Card Image Method
SD Card Image Method
Jetson Nano Developer Kit

Download Jetson Nano Developer Kit SD Card image.

Follow the steps at Getting Started with Jetson Nano Developer Kit.

Jetson Xavier NX Developer Kit

Download Jetson Xavier NX Developer Kit SD Card image.

Follow the steps at Getting Started with Jetson Xavier NX Developer Kit.

NVIDIA SDK Manager method
For any Jetson Developer Kit

Download the NVIDIA SDK Manager:

Follow the steps at Install Jetson Software with SDK Manager.

Key Features in JetPack

OS

NVIDIA L4T provides the bootloader, Linux kernel, necessary firmwares, NVIDIA drivers, sample filesystem, and more.

JetPack 4.4 includes L4T 32.4.3 with these highlights:

  • Support for upgrading JetPack and L4T using debian package management tool
  • Support for Generic Timestamping Engine (GTE) for Jetson AGX Xavier and Jetson Xavier NX
  • Support for Dynamic Frequency Scaling (DFS) for Video Image Compositor (VIC) using actmon
  • SE (Security Engine) samples to demonstrate hardware backed authentication and encryption capabilities of Jetson TX2 series, Jetson AGX Xavier and Jetson Xavier NX modules
  • Utility to fuse multiple Jetson modules simultaneously
  • Option to specify APP partition size on the microSD card during initial configuration at first boot of Jetson Xavier NX and Jetson Nano Developer Kits
  • Supports Vulkan 1.2

TensorRT

TensorRT is a high performance deep learning inference runtime for image classification, segmentation, and object detection neural networks. TensorRT is built on CUDA, NVIDIA’s parallel programming model, and enables you to optimize inference for all deep learning frameworks. It includes a deep learning inference optimizer and runtime that delivers low latency and high-throughput for deep learning inference applications.

JetPack 4.4 includes TensorRT 7.1.3 with these highlights:

  • New layers and operators
  • Support for mixed precision inference
  • Support for loop constructs
  • Support for Quantized models
  • Support for Boolean tensors
  • Support for Empty tensors
  • Support for INT8 calibration with dynamic shapes
  • ONNX parser with dynamic shapes support

cuDNN

CUDA Deep Neural Network library provides high-performance primitives for deep learning frameworks. It provides highly tuned implementations for standard routines such as forward and backward convolution, pooling, normalization, and activation layers.

JetPack 4.4 includes cuDNN 8.0 with these highlights:

  • cuDNN is now split into multiple training and inference libraries

CUDA

CUDA Toolkit provides a comprehensive development environment for C and C++ developers building GPU-accelerated applications. The toolkit includes a compiler for NVIDIA GPUs, math libraries, and tools for debugging and optimizing the performance of your applications.

JetPack 4.4 includes CUDA 10.2 with these highlights:

  • 50% launch latency reduction for CUDA kernels resulting in improved GPU utilization and lower CPU utilization.

Multimedia API

The Jetson Multimedia API package provides low level APIs for flexible application development.

Camera application API: libargus offers a low-level frame-synchronous API for camera applications, with per frame camera parameter control, multiple (including synchronized) camera support, and EGL stream outputs. RAW output CSI cameras needing ISP can be used with either libargus or GStreamer plugin. In either case, the V4L2 media-controller sensor driver API is used.

Sensor driver API: V4L2 API enables video decode, encode, format conversion and scaling functionality. V4L2 for encode opens up many features like bit rate control, quality presets, low latency encode, temporal tradeoff, motion vector maps, and more.

Computer Vision

VisionWorks is a software development package for Computer Vision (CV) and image processing.

OpenCV is a leading open source library for computer vision, image processing and machine learning.

VPI (Vision Programing Interface)1, a software library that provides Computer Vision / Image Processing algorithms implemented on PVA2 (Programmable Vision Accelerator), GPU and CPU

JetPack 4.4 includes VPI 0.3 with these highlights:

    New Algorithms

    • Temporal Noise Reduction supported on VIC (AGX Xavier and Xavier NX only) and GPU
    • Distortion correction supported on VIC (AGX Xavier and Xavier NX only)
    • Perspective warp for VIC (AGX Xavier and Xavier NX only)

JetPack 4.4 includes OpenCV 4.1.1

JetPack 4.4 includes Visionworks 1.6

1VPI is currently available as a developer preview
2PVA is available only on Jetson AGX Xavier series and Jetson Xavier NX

Developer Tools

CUDA Toolkit provides a comprehensive development environment for C and C++ developers building high-performance GPU-accelerated applications with CUDA libraries. The toolkit includes Nsight Eclipse Edition, debugging and profiling tools including Nsight Compute, and a toolchain for cross-compiling applications.

NVIDIA Nsight Systems is a low overhead system-wide profiling tool, providing the insights developers need to analyze and optimize software performance.

NVIDIA Nsight Graphics is a standalone application for debugging and profiling graphics applications.

JetPack 4.4 includes NVIDIA Nsight Systems 2020.2 with these highlights:

    • Enhanced data analysis with option to export to SQLite, HDF5 or JSON
    • Support for sampling Xavier PMU extensions
    • Reduced NVTX overhead
    • New CLI support for profiling on devices with intermittent network connectivity

JetPack 4.4 includes NVIDIA Nsight Graphics 2020.1 with these highlights:

    • Support to save and load custom named layouts
    • Improved events view display and filtering
    • Enhanced support for mixed DPI monitor scaling
    • Support for new Vulkan Extensions

Supported SDKs and Tools

PowerEstimator is a webapp that simplifies creation of custom power mode profiles and estimates Jetson module power consumption.

JetPack 4.4 supports PowerEstimator


Deepstream SDK is a complete analytics toolkit for AI-based multi-sensor processing and video and audio understanding.

JetPack 4.4 supports DeepStream 5.0 General Availability release

    • DeepStream 5.0 Developer Preview is only supported with JetPack 4.4 Developer Preview.

For a preview of 20.09 Jetson CUDA-X AI, see here. JetPack 4.4 remains the latest production release.


For a full list of samples and documentation, see the JetPack documentation.

For older versions of JetPack, please visit the JetPack Archive.