Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
NUCLEO-H723ZG STMicroelectronics	STM32 NUCLEO-144 DEVELOPMENT BOA	674
TOOLSTICK850-B-SK Silicon Labs	TOOLSTICK C8051F85X/C8051F86X	1
EVAL-ADUC7060QSPZ Analog Devices, Inc.	QUICKSTART PLUS ADUC7060 EVAL BD	0
KIT_AURIX_TC275_LITE IR (Infineon Technologies)	AURIX TC275 LITE KIT	86
102991335 Seeed	SIPEED M1N MODULE AI DEVELOPMENT	15
DM240013-1 Roving Networks / Microchip Technology	PIC24F K-SER 3V MICROSTICK EVAL	4
OM13003,598 NXP Semiconductors	IAR KICKSTART LPC11C14 EVAL BRD	3
MYD-CZU3EG-4E4D-1200-C MYIR Tech Limited	DEVELOPMENT BOARDS & KITS - ARM	5
40000 Parallax, Inc.	P8X32A EVAL BRD	100
DFR0221 DFRobot	DFROBOT LEONARDO W/ XBEE R3	1
SPC58XXADPT64S STMicroelectronics	SPC58XB/C EVAL BRD	1
OM11036,598 NXP Semiconductors	LPC1758 EVAL BRD	3
DM320104 Roving Networks / Microchip Technology	PIC32MZ EF CURIOSITY MRF24WN0MA	112
DFR0444 DFRobot	LATTEPANDA 2GB/32GB NOWIN10 KEY	29
DFR0162 DFRobot	XBOARD ATMEGA328 EVAL BRD	0
MIKROE-1207 MikroElektronika	EASYPIC FUSION V7 DSPIC33EP	2
EVAL-ADUC841QSPZ Analog Devices, Inc.	QUICKSTART PLUS ADUC841 EVAL BRD	1
QB-R5F100LE-TB Renesas Electronics America	RL78/G13 EVAL BRD	23
CY8CKIT-041-40XX Cypress Semiconductor	PSOC 4 S PIONEER KIT 4000S	524
TWR-P1025-KIT NXP Semiconductors	TOWER SYSTEM P1025 EVAL BRD	3

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

1. Overview

Evaluation Boards (Dev Boards) for Embedded MCUs (Microcontroller Units) and DSPs (Digital Signal Processors) are specialized hardware platforms designed to facilitate the development, testing, and prototyping of embedded systems. These boards provide a physical environment to validate processor capabilities, peripheral integration, and software algorithms before final product deployment. They play a critical role in accelerating development cycles for applications ranging from IoT devices to industrial automation systems.

2. Major Types and Functional Classification

Type	Functional Features	Application Examples
MCU Evaluation Boards	ARM Cortex-M series, integrated peripherals (UART, SPI, I2C), low-power modes	Smart sensors, wearables, home automation
DSP Development Kits	High-speed floating-point processing, SIMD instructions, real-time signal analysis	Audio processing, radar systems, motor control
SoC Embedded Boards	Integrated CPU+GPU+FPGA, multimedia acceleration, OS support	Edge computing, robotics, automotive infotainment
FPGA-based Prototyping Boards	Reconfigurable logic, hardware-software co-design, high-speed I/O	5G communication, AI inference accelerators

3. Structure and Components

Typical evaluation boards consist of:

PCB base with processor/microcontroller soldered onboard
Memory modules (SRAM, Flash, DDR)
Debugging interfaces (JTAG, SWD, UART)
Power management unit (voltage regulators, PMICs)
Peripheral connectors (GPIO, ADC/DAC, Ethernet)
Expansion headers for add-on modules (shields, PMODs)
Onboard sensors/actuators (depending on application focus)

4. Key Technical Specifications

Parameter	Importance
Processor Architecture	Determines computational capabilities and software ecosystem compatibility
Maximum Clock Frequency	Impacts processing speed and real-time performance
Memory Bandwidth	Affects data throughput for signal processing applications
Peripheral Integration	Reduces external component requirements and system complexity
Power Consumption	Critical for battery-powered and thermal-constrained applications
Debugging Capabilities	Enables efficient firmware development and hardware verification

5. Application Fields

Key industries utilizing evaluation boards:

Industrial Automation: PLCs, motor drives, predictive maintenance systems
Consumer Electronics: Smart home devices, AR/VR headsets
Automotive: ADAS prototyping, ECU development
Medical: Portable diagnostic equipment, wearable health monitors
Communications: 5G baseband processing, software-defined radios
Energy: Smart grid controllers, solar inverters

6. Leading Manufacturers and Representative Products

Manufacturer	Product Series	Key Features
STMicroelectronics	STM32 Nucleo Series	ARM Cortex-M cores, Arduino compatibility, mbed OS support
Texas Instruments	TMDX Series	C2000 DSPs for power electronics, Code Composer Studio integration
NXP Semiconductors	i.MX RT Series	ARM Cortex-M7 based crossover processors, LCD interface support
Xilinx	Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC	ARM Cortex-A53 + FPGA fabric, AI acceleration with DPU

7. Selection Guidelines

Key considerations when choosing evaluation boards:

Match processor architecture to target application requirements (e.g., ARM for general-purpose, DSP for signal processing)
Verify peripheral compatibility with system design (number of timers, communication interfaces)
Assess expansion capabilities for future upgrades
Evaluate software toolchain maturity (IDE, compilers, RTOS support)
Consider power consumption specifications for end-application scenarios
Check available community resources and technical documentation

8. Industry Trend Analysis

Emerging trends shaping evaluation board development:

Increased integration of AI acceleration cores (e.g., Google Edge TPU integration)
Rise of RISC-V based evaluation platforms for customizable computing
Enhanced security features (trusted execution environments, hardware encryption)
Development of low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) enabled boards for IoT
Adoption of heterogeneous computing architectures (CPU+GPU+DSP+FPGA)
Cloud-connected evaluation platforms for remote testing and collaboration