Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
TMDSOSKL137 Texas Instruments	OMAP-L137/TMS320C6747 EVAL BRD	4
TMDSEVM6678L Texas Instruments	TMS320C6678 EVAL BRD	1
TMDSEVM6446 Texas Instruments	DIGITAL VIDEO DM6446 EVAL BRD	1
LAUNCHXL2-RM57L Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD RM57L843 EVAL BRD	7
MSP-EXP430FR5739 Texas Instruments	EXPERIMENTER MSP430FR5739 EVAL	155
TMDSDSK6455 Texas Instruments	DSP STARTER KIT TMS320C6455	3
TMDSEVM642 Texas Instruments	TMS320DM642 EVAL BRD	1
TMDSSK3358 Texas Instruments	AM3358ZCZ EVAL BRD	1
TMDXBEVM8148 Texas Instruments	MISTRAL AM387X/DM814X EVAL BRD	4
TMDSCNCD28035ISO Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320F28035 EVAL BD	37
TMDSDOCK28335 Texas Instruments	EXPERIMENTER TMS320F2833X/2823X	41
LAUNCHXL-F280049C Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD TMS320F280049C EVAL BD	2211442
MSP-EXP430G2ET Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD MSP430G2553 EVAL BRD	61955
EKC-LM3S3748 Texas Instruments	LM3S3748 EVAL BRD	0
TMDSDOCK2808 Texas Instruments	EXPERIMENTER TMS320F280X/C280X	6
TMDSEVM3730 Texas Instruments	AM3703/AM3715/DM3725/DM3730 BRD	3
TMDX5505EZDSP Texas Instruments	EZDSP TMS320VC5504/5505 EVAL BRD	0
MSP-EXP430FR2433 Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD MSP430FR2433 EVAL BRD	9010001
TMDSCNCD28035 Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320F28035 EVAL BD	6
EK-TM4C1294XL Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD TM4C129X EVAL BRD	2921

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