Evaluation Boards - Embedded

Evaluation Boards - Embedded - MCU, DSP

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
MSP-EXP430F5438 Texas Instruments	EXPERIMENTER MSP430F5438 EVAL BD	38
TMDSCNCD280049C Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320F280049C EVAL	13
MSP-EXP430F5529 Texas Instruments	EXPERIMENTER MSP430F5529 EVAL BD	5132
EVMK2G Texas Instruments	66AK2G EVAL BRD	4
TMDSDOCK28069 Texas Instruments	EXPERIMENTER TMS320F28069 EVAL	3
TMDX5535EZDSP Texas Instruments	EZDSP TMS320C5535 EVAL BRD	4
XEVMK2LX Texas Instruments	66AK2L EVAL BRD	1
LP-MSP430FR2476 Texas Instruments	DEVELOPMENT EMBEDDED	47
MSP-EXP432P401R Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD MSP432P401R EVAL BRD	386165
EVMK2EX Texas Instruments	66AK2E EVAL BRD	7
TMDSEZ28044 Texas Instruments	EZDSP TMS320F28044 EVAL BRD	2
TMDXEVM3358 Texas Instruments	AM3352/AM3354/AM3356/AM3358 BRD	1
TMDXEVM6455 Texas Instruments	TMS320C6455 EVAL BRD	1
LAUNCHXL-F28069M Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD TMS320F28069M EVAL BRD	1471
TMDSCNCD28379D Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320F28379D EVAL	336
TMDSRM48HDK Texas Instruments	HERCULES DEV KIT RM48L950 EVAL	6
TMDSCNCD28069 Texas Instruments	CONTROLCARD TMS320F28069 EVAL BD	5
EK-TM4C123GXL Texas Instruments	LAUNCHPAD TM4C123G EVAL BRD	1120436
TMDS570LS31HDK Texas Instruments	TMS570LS EVAL BRD	10
TMDSEVM5517 Texas Instruments	TMS320C5517 EVAL BRD	10

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