Evaluation Boards - Expansion Boards, Daughter Cards

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
4351 Adafruit	INFINEON TRUST M STEMMA QT QWIIC	48
2928 Adafruit	8-CHANNEL PWM OR SERVO FEATHERWI	47
4566 Adafruit	AHT20 - TEMPERATURE & HUMIDITY S	0
3346 Adafruit	I2S 3W STEREO SPEAKER AMP BONNET	132
4369 Adafruit	PCT2075 STEMMA QWIIC TEMP SENSOR	63
4074 Adafruit	RFM95W 915MHZ LORA RADIO BONNET	65
4438 Adafruit	LSM6DSOX 6 DOF STEMMA QWIIC	20
1906 Adafruit	PIXY CMUCAM5 SENSOR	0
2864 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT NEOPIXEL SHIELD - 40 RG	4
4646 Adafruit	9-DOF ABSOLUTE ORIENTATION IMU F	187
4367 Adafruit	CIRCUIT PLAYGROUND TFT GIZMO	58
4775 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT METRO ESP32-S2	0
4867 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT SCD-30 - NDIR CO2 TEMPE	0
4440 Adafruit	I2C OLED DISPLAY STEMMA QWIIC	565
4120 Adafruit	8X16 CHARLIEPLEX LED GREEN	0
3298 Adafruit	ZERO4U 4 PORT USB HUB PI ZERO	360
2616 Adafruit	TOUCHSCREEN TFT 320X240 3.2	2
4122 Adafruit	8X16 CHARLIEPLEX LED WARM WHITE	8
4073 Adafruit	RFM69HCW 433MHZ RADIO BONNET	22
3464 Adafruit	JOY BONNET FOR RASPBERRY PI	12

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