Evaluation Boards - Expansion Boards, Daughter Cards

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
4464 Adafruit	ICM-20649 6DOF STEMMA QT / QWIIC	11
2926 Adafruit	TERMINAL BLOCK BREAKOUT FEATHERW	190
4869 Adafruit	CIRCUIT PLAYGROUND 200X200 TRI-C	0
2315 Adafruit	PITFT 320X240 2.2 TFT	68
2327 Adafruit	SERVO HAT FOR RASPBERRY PI MINI	38
3848 Adafruit	5V 1.8A ISOLATED OUTPUT POE MODU	117
4537 Adafruit	NEOPXL8 FOR FEATHER M4 - 8 X DMA	18
4534 Adafruit	BONSAI BUCKAROO PLANT CARE HELPE	52
2262 Adafruit	RASPBERRY PI MODEL B GPIO REF	0
4418 Adafruit	SONY SPRESENSE EXTENSION BOARD	0
4461 Adafruit	BINHO FEATHER / STEMMA QT BOARD	0
4114 Adafruit	ZERO2GO OMINI MULTI-CH PWR SUPPL	0
493 Adafruit	KIT LED MATRIX LOL SHIELD BLUE A	0
4496 Adafruit	FEATHER CLICK SHIELD	0
1148 Adafruit	HALF-SIZE PERMA-PROTO RASPBERRY	0
286 Adafruit	KIT LED MATRIX LOL SHIELD GRN A	0
3289 Adafruit	AUTOMATION HAT FOR RASPB PI	0
3248 Adafruit	MICRO DOT PHAT W/LED MODULES RED	0
3580 Adafruit	PIMORONI UNICORN HAT HD	0
3374 Adafruit	DEVELOPMENT INTERFACE	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