Evaluation Boards - Expansion Boards, Daughter Cards

Part Number	Description / PDF	Quantity
1780 Adafruit	AUDIO ADAPTER BOARD FOR TEENSY 3	0
1651 Adafruit	2.8" TFT RESISTIVE TOUCH SHIELD	109
2945 Adafruit	NEOPIXEL FEATHERWING	73
3343 Adafruit	CRICKIT FEATHERWING FOR ANY FEAT	52
4886 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT AW9523 GPIO EXPANDER AN	36
1171 Adafruit	SMALL-SIZE PERMA-PROTO RASPBERRY	0
2310 Adafruit	PERMA-PROTO HAT FOR PI MINI KIT	438
4530 Adafruit	LPS25 PRESSURE STEMMA QT / QWIIC	2
2345 Adafruit	LED MATRIX RGB HAT RTC RASP PI	285
1989 Adafruit	PI T-COBBLER PLUS KIT	122
4469 Adafruit	MLX90640 IR THERM CAMERA 110DEG	106
3527 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT PIOLED - 128X32 MONOCHR	1754
4098 Adafruit	2.7" TRI-COLOR EINK / EPAPER DIS	15
4479 Adafruit	TRIPLE-AXIS MAGNETOMETER LIS3MDL	103
4740 Adafruit	ADAFRUIT MIDI FEATHERWING KIT	34
4264 Adafruit	AIRLIFT FEATHERWING ESP32 WIFI	206
3928 Adafruit	CRICKIT FOR MICRO:BIT	9
3436 Adafruit	MUSIC MAKER FEATHERWING W/ AMP -	42
4488 Adafruit	3-AXIS LIS2MDL STEMMA QT / QWIIC	21
4494 Adafruit	BAROMETRIC PRESSURE / ALTITITUDE	46

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