Evaluation Boards - Expansion Boards, Daughter Cards

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
DEV-14446 SparkFun	GPS BOARD FOR ONION OMEGA	0
DFR0483 DFRobot	FIREBEETLE EXPANSION SHIELD	1
27130 Parallax, Inc.	BOARD SUPER CARRIER	5
MIKROE-4232 MikroElektronika	MRAM 2 CLICK	4
MIKROE-4422 MikroElektronika	EEPROM 5 CLICK	2
PIM371 Pimoroni	AUTOMATION:BIT	33
P0060 Terasic	INDUSTRIAL COMMUNICATION BOARD	1
110060001 Seeed	SEEEDUINO MEGA PROTOSHIELD KIT	0
PIM365 Pimoroni	MLX90640 THERMAL CAMERA BREAKOUT	0
BOB-13311 SparkFun	TEENSY 3.1 XBEE ADAPTER	18
410-247 Digilent, Inc.	PMODCDC1 2 BUTTON CAPACITIVE IO	4
MIKROE-3990 MikroElektronika	AMBIENT 11 CLICK	2
ASD2005-R-T-I TinyCircuits	PROTOTERMINAL INCLUDED&INSTALLED	47
410-348 Digilent, Inc.	PMOD COLOR MODULE TCS3472	43
3988 Adafruit	PROP-MAKER FEATHERWING	40
MIKROE-1422 MikroElektronika	BOARD PRESSURE CLICK	0
PIS-1266 Pi Supply	OCTOPUS ANALOG ROTATION BRICK-BL	47
MIKROE-4177 MikroElektronika	UVC LIGHT CLICK	9
IRIDIUMSLI9670TPM20TOBO1 IR (Infineon Technologies)	EVAL IRIDIUM SLI 9670 RASPBERRY	28
DEV-14441 SparkFun	ETHERNET BOARD FOR ONION OMEGA	0

Evaluation Boards - Expansion Boards, Daughter Cards

1. Overview

Evaluation Boards (EVBs), Expansion Boards, and Daughter Cards are essential hardware tools for embedded system development, prototyping, and testing. These platforms enable engineers to assess processor capabilities, interface peripherals, and validate designs before mass production. Their modular architecture supports rapid innovation in IoT, automotive, industrial automation, and consumer electronics sectors.

2. Main Types and Functional Classification

Type	Functional Features	Application Examples
Microcontroller EVBs	ARM/FPGA SoC integration, onboard sensors, debug interfaces	IoT edge devices, smart sensors
Expansion Boards	Standard interfaces (PCIe, USB-C), protocol converters	Industrial gateways, communication modules
Daughter Cards	Specialized functionality modules (ADC/DAC, RF transceivers)	Medical imaging equipment, test instruments
Programmer Kits	Flash programming, JTAG/SWD debugging, voltage monitoring	Automotive ECUs, aerospace controllers

3. Structure and Components

Typical architecture includes:

Multi-layer PCB with high-speed traces
Processor sockets or soldered-down SoCs
Standardized connectors (2.54mm headers, M.2)
Onboard memory (RAM, Flash storage)
Power management ICs and voltage regulators
Debug interfaces (SWD, JTAG, UART)

4. Key Technical Specifications

Parameter	Description
Clock Speed	Determines processing capability (1MHz-2GHz range)
Bus Width	Memory bandwidth (8/16/32-bit configurations)
Interface Support	USB 3.0, Ethernet, CAN, SPI/I2C compatibility
Power Consumption	Typical range: 0.5W-25W (varies with workload)
Operating Temperature	Industrial (-40 C to +85 C) or commercial grade

5. Application Areas

Major industries include:

Telecommunications (5G base stations, optical transceivers)
Medical equipment (MRI scanners, patient monitors)
Industrial automation (PLC controllers, robotics)
Consumer electronics (smart home devices, wearables)
Automotive (ADAS systems, V2X communication)

6. Leading Manufacturers and Products

Vendor	Product Series
Xilinx	Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC Evaluation Kit
Intel	Stratix 10 GX FPGA Development Board
STMicroelectronics	STM32 Nucleo Expansion Boards
Texas Instruments	Processor DKx Daughter Cards

7. Selection Guidelines

Key considerations:

Match SoC architecture to target application requirements
Verify interface compatibility with existing systems
Evaluate available ecosystem (IDE support, middleware)
Consider power budget and thermal management needs
Assess long-term availability and RoHS compliance

8. Industry Trends

Future developments include:

Integration of AI accelerators (NPU modules)
Adoption of 5nm/3nm process technologies
Expansion of RISC-V based evaluation platforms
Increased focus on functional safety (ISO 26262 compliance)
Growing adoption of modular "Lego-style" prototyping systems