Evaluation Boards - Expansion Boards, Daughter Cards

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
4037 Adafruit	I2S AUDIO BONNET FOR RASPBERRY P	60
SEN0192 DFRobot	GRAVITY: DIGITAL MICROWAVE SENSO	25
410-082 Digilent, Inc.	PMODCON3 SERVO CONNECTOR MODULE	3
NHD-1.5-AU-SHIELD Newhaven Display, Intl.	SERIAL COLOR OLED ARDUINO SHIELD	4
DP-VIP-O-EVN Lattice Semiconductor	BOARD MOD VID OUT DISPLAYPORT	0
MIKROE-1864 MikroElektronika	ALPHANUM R CLICK 14SEGMENT DSPLY	1
U037 M5Stack	FISH-EYE CAMERA MODULE (OV2640)	0
FRDM-TOUCH NXP Semiconductors	TOUCH BOARD FOR KE1XZ	21
SEN-17731 SparkFun	SPARKFUN QWIIC SOIL MOISTURE SEN	136
DFR0660 DFRobot	CM65 QR & BARCODE SCANNER MODULE	0
113060006 Seeed	GROVE - LORA RADIO 868MHZ	5
MIKROE-1438 MikroElektronika	BOARD COLOR CLICK	3
P0040 Terasic	SFP HSMC DEV BOARD	3
U005 M5Stack	MINI ANGLE UNIT WITH POTENTIOMET	41
SEN0311 DFRobot	A02YYUW WATERPROOF ULTRASONIC SE	79
MIKROE-2522 MikroElektronika	SECURE CLICK	13
DPP901A000 TE Connectivity Measurement Specialties	XPLAINED PRO MS8607	6
103100001 Seeed	UARTSBEE V5	0
VOLT-01 OSEPP Electronics	VOLTAGE SENSOR MODULE	637
U096 M5Stack	MICROPHONE UNIT LM3939 MAX4466	26

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