Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
NUCLEO-F303K8 STMicroelectronics	NUCLEO-32 STM32F303K8 DEV EVAL	0
YRTK5051308S00000BE Renesas Electronics America	RX130 EVAL BRD	3
MIKROE-607 MikroElektronika	MIKROMEDIA PIC18FJ EVAL BRD	0
DM240001-2 Roving Networks / Microchip Technology	EXPLORER 16/32 DSPIC/PIC24/PIC32	17
NUCLEO-F042K6 STMicroelectronics	NUCLEO-32 STM32F042K6 DEV EVAL	77
102110201 Seeed	SIPEED LICHEE NANO 16M+WIFI BRD	72
W65C265QBX The Western Design Center Inc.	W65C265S MCU MICROCOMPUTER BRD	165
DM320204 Roving Networks / Microchip Technology	SAM L10 XPLAIND PRO ATSAML10E16A	25
RB-D620Q136TD20 ROHM Semiconductor	ML620Q134/Q135/Q136 EVAL BRD	0
EKI-LM3S9B92 Texas Instruments	LM3S9B92 EVAL BRD	0
VL-EVK-ARM-AND1 VersaLogic Corporation	TETRA ARM/ANDROID EVAL KIT I.MX	2
102010328 Seeed	SEEEDUINO XIAO ARDUINO MCU	247
ML610Q102 REFERENCE BOARD ROHM Semiconductor	ML610Q102 EVAL BRD	5
ST7FLITE-SK/RAIS STMicroelectronics	RAISONANCE REVA ST7/STM8 EVAL BD	0
410-254 Digilent, Inc.	CHIPKIT UC32 PIC32MX340F512	0
STM32MP157A-DK1 STMicroelectronics	DISCOVERY STM32MP157A EVAL BRD	210
EV-21569-SOM Analog Devices, Inc.	ADSP-21569 SYSTEM ON MODULE EVAL	1
P1601-DK02 Adapteva	PARALLELLA DSKTP E16G301/XC7Z010	0
STM32G474E-EVAL1 STMicroelectronics	EVALUATION BOARD WITH STM32G474Q	5
IAR-KSK-IMX25 NXP Semiconductors	IAR KICKSTART I.MX25 EVAL BRD	1

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