Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
TWR-K21F100M NXP Semiconductors	TOWER SYSTEM K21 EVAL BRD	1
MIKROE-1189 MikroElektronika	MIKROMEDIA DSPIC33/PIC18/24/32	0
MIKROE-3513 MikroElektronika	FUSION FOR KINETIS V8	3
SPC560P-DISP STMicroelectronics	DISCOVERY SPC560P EVAL BRD	4
MIKROE-460 MikroElektronika	BIGAVR6 EVAL BRD	0
LAUNCHXL2-RM46 Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD RM46X EVAL BRD	26
SPC563M64CAL176 STMicroelectronics	SPC563M EVAL BRD	0
MEG-03 OSEPP Electronics	OSEPP MEGA 2560 R3 PLUS	377
EV-ADUCM320QSPZ Analog Devices, Inc.	QUICKSTART PLUS ADUCM320 EVAL BD	5
EA-OEM-510 Embedded Artists	LPC4088 DEV EVAL BRD	0
TWR-K60F120M NXP Semiconductors	TOWER SYSTEM K60 EVAL BRD	5
MIMXRT1170-EVK NXP Semiconductors	I.MX RT1170 EVAL KIT	12
Z8F16800128ZCOG Zilog / Littelfuse	Z8F642 EVAL BRD	3
HWD-MDM-00017 Rhomb.io	DUINO ZERO - NON SECURE IC	1000
OM13085UL NXP Semiconductors	LPCXPRESSO LPC1769 EVAL BRD	353
KITXMC48RELAXECATV1TOBO1 IR (Infineon Technologies)	RELAX ETHERCAT KIT XMC4800 EVAL	96
CLOUD-JAM RushUp	JAM STM32F401RE EVAL BRD	209
TMDSIACLEDCOMKIT Texas Instruments	TMS320F28027 EVAL BRD	5
MIKROE-4312 MikroElektronika	MIKROMEDIA 3 FOR STM32F2 CAP	3
RTK7EKA4W1S00000BJ Renesas Electronics America	EVALUATION KIT FOR RA4W1	38

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