Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
TRK-USB-MPC5604B NXP Semiconductors	STARTERTRAK MPC5604B EVAL BRD	0
MSP-EXP430FR2311 Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD MSP430FR2311 EVAL BRD	57
LS1028ARDB-PA NXP Semiconductors	LS1028A EVAL BRD	14
MIKROE-4372 MikroElektronika	FUSION FOR PIC32 V8 WITH PIC32MX	3
DEV-13672 SparkFun	SAMD21 DEV BREAKOUT EVAL BRD	51
KITXMC42EE1001TOBO1 IR (Infineon Technologies)	HEXAGON ENT KIT XMC4200 EVAL BRD	10
EVAL-ADUC7026QSZ Analog Devices, Inc.	QUICKSTART ADUC70XX EVAL BRD	2
FRDM-KL25Z NXP Semiconductors	FREEDOM KL1X/KL2X DEV EVAL BRD	105
STM32F429I-DISC1 STMicroelectronics	DISCOVERY STM32F429 EVAL BRD	118
MIKROE-2051 MikroElektronika	EASYMX PRO V7 STM32F746 EVAL BRD	3
MIKROE-3830 MikroElektronika	MIKROMEDIA 4 FOR KINETIS CAPACIT	2
EV10N93A Roving Networks / Microchip Technology	PIC32CM CURIOSITY NANO EVAL KIT	22
STM32H743I-EVAL2 STMicroelectronics	STM32H743XIH6 EVAL BRD	8
MIMXRT685-EVK NXP Semiconductors	EVAL KIT I.MXRT685	82
EV26Q64A Roving Networks / Microchip Technology	PIC18F16Q41 CURIOSITY NANO EVALU	15
A000066 Genuino (Arduino)	ARDUINO UNO R3 ATMEGA328P EVAL	10844
CY8CKIT-042 Cypress Semiconductor	PIONEER CY8C4245AXI EVAL BRD	121
TWR-S12G240 NXP Semiconductors	TOWER SYSTEM MC9S12G EVAL BRD	0
NT-NUC029KG Nuvoton Technology Corporation America	NUC029KGE EVAL BRD	14
SCC-FPRTL-C GHI Electronics, LLC	SITCORE FEZ PORTAL SBC	94

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