Evaluation Boards - Expansion Boards, Daughter Cards

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
104020006 Seeed	GROVE LED BAR V2.0	21
109020022 Seeed	GROVE - GPS (AIR530)	5
101020003 Seeed	GROVE BUTTON	100
103030005 Seeed	SD CARD SHIELD V4	0
104020000 Seeed	GROVE VOLTAGE DIVIDER	0
103020272 Seeed	GROVE - I2C HUB (6 PORT)	157
103030275 Seeed	GROVE BASE HAT FOR RASPBERRY PI	0
104020173 Seeed	GROVE - ULTIMATE RGB LED RING	8
103020092 Seeed	GROVE BREAKOUT FOR LINKIT 7697	4
102990227 Seeed	CRAZYFLIE 2.0 BIGQUAD DECK BOARD	0
102991015 Seeed	LTE PI HAT CAT.1 LARAR203 AT&T	5
103990543 Seeed	M.2 B KEY TO SATA CONVERTER (5 P	22
103100124 Seeed	GROVE SHIELD FOR ARDUINO NANO	107
101020614 Seeed	GROVE - CAPACITIVE MOISTURE SENS	0
104020168 Seeed	GROVE - RGB LED RING (24-WS2813	165
113030019 Seeed	BLUETOOTH SHIELD V2	0
101020594 Seeed	GROVE - I2C THERMOCOUPLE AMPLIFI	0
110020108 Seeed	GROVE SPEECH RECOGNIZER KIT FOR	0
101020020 Seeed	GROVE PIR MOTION SENSOR	67
101020175 Seeed	GROVE - IR DISTANCE INTERRUPTER	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