Evaluation Boards - Expansion Boards, Daughter Cards

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
3589 Adafruit	USB CONS & POWER ADDON	9
3988 Adafruit	PROP-MAKER FEATHERWING	40
4197 Adafruit	BREAKOUT MONOCHROME 2.13" EPD	53
4808 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT EMC2101 I2C PC FAN CONT	0
4254 Adafruit	QUAD SIDE-BY-SIDE FEATHERWING KI	96
3467 Adafruit	8X16 CHARLIEPLEX LED BLUE	9
2901 Adafruit	HIFIBERRY DAC+ HAT STD RCA	0
4480 Adafruit	LSM6DS33 6-DOF ACCEL + GYRO IMU	29
4569 Adafruit	ISM330DHCX + LIS3MDL FEATHERWING	39
4821 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT TMP117 0.1C HIGH ACCURA	220
4648 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT PCF8591 QUAD 8-BIT ADC	28
2078 Adafruit	SHIELD PWRBOOST 500 RECHARGE 5V	4
4354 Adafruit	PERMA-PROTO 40-PIN RASPBERRY PI	58
2927 Adafruit	DC MOTOR + STEPPER FEATHERWING A	115
2423 Adafruit	DISPLAY PITFT PLUS 320X240 2.8	0
4818 Adafruit	KEYBOARD FEATHERWING - QWERTY KE	0
4493 Adafruit	STEMMA POTENTIOMETER 10K OHM LIN	63
3654 Adafruit	WINC1500 WIFI SHIELD WITH UFL CO	38
2865 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT NEOPIXEL SHIELD - 40 RG	6
2263 Adafruit	GPIO REFERENCE CARD FOR RASPBERR	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