Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
DEV-14082 SparkFun	STEMTERA BLACK ATMEGA16U2/328P	37
DEV-11114 SparkFun	ARDUINO PRO MINI 328 3.3V/8MHZ	453
DEV-14713 SparkFun	THING PLUS - SAMD51	32
DEV-16791 SparkFun	MICROMOD SAMD51 PROCESSOR	240
WRL-16781 SparkFun	MICROMOD ESP32 PROCESSOR	482
DEV-12587 SparkFun	PRO MICRO ATMEGA32U4 3.3V/8MHZ	53
DEV-15594 SparkFun	RED-V SIFIVE RISC-V REDBOARD	76
DEV-14057 SparkFun	TEENSY 3.6 W/OUT HDRS K66 EVAL	652
DEV-17717 SparkFun	SPARKFUN PRO MICRO - RP2040	80
DEV-10116 SparkFun	ARDUINO FIO ATMEGA328 EVAL BRD	10
DEV-09713 SparkFun	UBW32 PIC32MX795F512L EVAL BRD	23
DEV-13664 SparkFun	SAMD21 MINI BREAKOUT ATSAMD21G18	126
DEV-14413 SparkFun	PYBOARD V1.1 STM32F405 W/ HEADER	54
DEV-10915 SparkFun	ARDUINO PRO 5V/16MHZ ATMEGA328	39
SPX-16282 SparkFun	SPARKFUN BLACKBOARD C	0
DEV-15423 SparkFun	SAMD21 QWIIC MICRO DEV BOARD	76
DEV-14055 SparkFun	TEENSY 3.5 W/OUT HDRS K64 EVAL	699
DEV-15795 SparkFun	SPARKFUN QWIIC PRO MICRO - USB-C	134
DEV-14812 SparkFun	REDBOARD TURBO ATSAMD21G18 EVAL	33
DEV-16267 SparkFun	GREATFET ONE GREAT SCOTT GADGETS	4

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