Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
CAPTIVATE-FR2633 Texas Instruments	CAPTIVATE MSP430FR2633 EVAL BRD	12
RA-LM3S102 Texas Instruments	STELLARIS EMBEDDED EVAL BOARD	0
TMDSCNCD28044 Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320F28044 EVAL BD	0
TMDXSK437X Texas Instruments	AM437X EVAL BRD	6
TMDSCNCD28069ISO Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320F28069 EVAL BD	6
TMDSCNCD28069MISO Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320F28069M EVAL	9
MSP-EXP430FR2311 Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD MSP430FR2311 EVAL BRD	57
TMDSCNCD28343 Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320C28343 EVAL BD	4
TMDSEVM3530 Texas Instruments	OMAP-35XX EVAL BRD	3
EK-TM4C129EXL Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD TM4C129E EVAL BRD	70
MSP-EXP432P4111 Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD MSP432P4111 EVAL BRD	54
MSP-EXP430F5529LP Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD MSP430F5529 EVAL BRD	2402115
TMDSCNCD28346-168 Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320C28346 EVAL BD	4
TMDSEVM6678LE Texas Instruments	TMS320C6678 EVAL BRD	12
TMDXEVM6678LXE Texas Instruments	TMS320C6678 EVAL BRD	1
MSP-EXP430FR5969 Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD MSP430FR5969 EVAL BRD	78
TMDXRM46HDK Texas Instruments	HERCULES DEV KIT RM46L852 EVAL	1
TMDXDOCK28027 Texas Instruments	EXPERIMENTER TMX320F28027 EVAL	4
EVMK2GX Texas Instruments	66AK2G EVAL BRD	8188
TMDSDSK6713 Texas Instruments	DSP STARTER KIT TMS320C6713	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