Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
STM32L562E-DK STMicroelectronics	DISCOVERY KIT WITH STM32L562ZE M	116
MYD-Y7Z020-4E512D-766-I MYIR Tech Limited	DEVELOPMENT BOARDS & KITS - ARM	5
MIKROE-560 MikroElektronika	BIGDSPIC6 DSPIC30F EVAL BRD	0
S5U1C17W15T1100 Epson	S1C17W15 EVAL BRD	0
KIT_XC164CS_EK_V3 IR (Infineon Technologies)	XC164CS EVAL BRD	0
NUCLEO-WL55JC1 STMicroelectronics	STM32 NUCLEO-64 DEVELOPMENT BOAR	0
MIKROE-4008 MikroElektronika	MCU CARD 3 FOR PIC PIC18F97J60	3
FRDM-KV31F NXP Semiconductors	FREEDOM KV3X EVAL BRD	6
C8051F970-A-DK Silicon Labs	C8051F97X EVAL BRD	2
ATSAMC21N-XPRO Roving Networks / Microchip Technology	SAM C21N XPLAINED ATSAMC21N18A	20
ASM2028 TinyCircuits	WIRELINGZERO PROCESSOR	8
MIKROE-597 MikroElektronika	MIKROMEDIA PIC32MX460F512L EVAL	1
C8051F310DK Silicon Labs	C8051F31X EVAL BRD	4
SLTB005A Silicon Labs	THUNDERBOARD EFM8UB3 EVAL BRD	12
NAN-01 OSEPP Electronics	OSEPP NANO	0
SIM3L1XX-B-DK Silicon Labs	SIM3L1XX EVAL BRD	1
ABX00012 Genuino (Arduino)	ARDUINO MKR ZERO W/ HDR ATSAMD21	819
DEV-17256 SparkFun	HIMAX WE-I PLUS EVB ENDPOINT AI	12
MIKROE-1397 MikroElektronika	MIKROMEDIA STM32F407 EVAL BRD	0
MIKROE-559 MikroElektronika	BIGDSPIC6 DSPIC30F EVAL BRD	0

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