Choosing a Development Board for Your IoT Project

Choosing a Development Board for Your IoT Project

A development board is a hardware device that provides a platform for engineers to test their IoT designs and applications in a low-risk, low-cost environment. It also serves as a staging ground for prototyping and adjusting to user feedback before rolling out an entire line of smart devices.

There are many factors to consider when choosing a development board, including specifications, type of device and price. Some boards are stripped down and simpler, making them easier to use and less costly. Others offer more advanced features and allow for more experimentation.

Generally, a development board is equipped with a microprocessor or microcontroller and a minimum amount of support logic. It is designed to help an engineer become familiar with a new microprocessor or microcontroller and to prototype applications in products. Development boards are not designed to be used as standalone devices; they usually provide only the basics for a project and are intended to be used with other components like a display, sensor and battery.

Most development boards are based on an open source hardware (OSHW) design, meaning that the designs for the circuitry and peripherals on the board are available to everyone. This allows developers to build custom projects without having to start from scratch or pay for a development board that may not meet their needs.

The main determining factor when choosing a development board is its specifications. Specifically, how much memory it has and what its speed is. More memory increases the number of tasks that can be performed simultaneously, while slower clock speeds mean that processes are completed more slowly.

Other important spec considerations include analog and digital input and output. Analog inputs are necessary for acquiring data from analog sources, which can include anything from temperature to humidity. These inputs connect to an analog to digital converter, which converts the incoming signal into a digital value. The resolution of this conversion is an important spec to look for, as it determines the accuracy of the measurement.

Digital outputs are necessary for sending data from the device to other devices or parts, which is how most IoT devices communicate. This information can be in the form of status signals or commands. A common output is a pulse width modulated (PWM) square wave that can control devices such as servo motors by varying the on time of each cycle.

Another important spec to look for is the number and types of input and output ports that are on the development board. These are necessary for connecting various sensors and other peripherals to the development board, as well as for communicating with the outside world.

Most development boards have USB, UART and SPI connections for interfacing with external devices. Other common outputs include LEDs and PWM outputs, which can be used to control other devices. Lastly, there are often blind vias on a development board that connect the outer layers of the PCB to the interior layers without using wires. This enables very compact and dense designs.

Tags:development accessories | development kits