Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
102110483 Seeed	NVIDIA JETSON NANO 2GB DEVELOPER	0
MIKROE-1969 MikroElektronika	CLICKER 2 CEC1302 EVAL BRD	0
NT-ML51EB Nuvoton Technology Corporation America	8051 ML51EB EVAL BRD	4
DFR0547 DFRobot	LATTEPANDA ALPHA 864S (WIN10 PRO	32
MIKROE-3534 MikroElektronika	MCU CARD 29 FOR STM32 STM32F412R	5
EVAL-ADUC7023QSPZ Analog Devices, Inc.	QUICKSTART PLUS ADUC7023 EVAL BD	1
DFR0544 DFRobot	LATTEPANDA DELTA 432 W/WIN10 KEY	83
CY8CKIT-050B Cypress Semiconductor	CY8C5868AXI-LP035 EVAL BRD	88
K049 M5Stack	M5PAPER ESP32 DEV KIT 4.7"E-INK	0
MIKROE-3865 MikroElektronika	MCU CARD FOR STM32 STM32F765ZI	3
MIKROE-3760 MikroElektronika	MCU CARD 31 FOR STM32 STM32F745V	2
MYD-C3354-256N256D-80-I-GW MYIR Tech Limited	DEVELOPMENT BOARDS & KITS - ARM	5
6.30.00 EMPOWER EVALUATION BOARD Segger Microcontroller Systems	EMPOWER K66 EVAL BRD	19
SIP-KITSZG001 Samsung Semiconductor	ARTIK-030 ZIGBEE THREAD KIT	427
EVMK2GX Texas Instruments	66AK2G EVAL BRD	8188
TMDSDSK6713 Texas Instruments	DSP STARTER KIT TMS320C6713	0
MCIMX6UL-EVKB NXP Semiconductors	I.MX 6ULTRALITE EVAL BRD	26
KITXMC44EE1001TOBO1 IR (Infineon Technologies)	HEXAGON ENT KIT XMC4400 EVAL BRD	3
OLIMEXINO-NANO Olimex	ATMEGA32U4 EVAL BRD	0
TMDXIDK5718 Texas Instruments	AM571X EVAL BRD	2

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