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What Are Your Most Popular Dev Kits or Reference Design Kits?

rscasny

I was asked this question the other day. What Are Your Most Popular Dev Kits or Reference Design Kits? On impulse, I would venture to say the Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone. I'm sure there are others. Sensor kits, FPGA kits, Motor Contr0ol kits, Power kits, come to mind, but I'm not sure which ones element14 would consider "popular."

So, I figured I would ask you.  What are your most popular kits?  If you have the time, please leave a comment below. 

Thanks

Randall Scasny

-element14 Community

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  • I wouldn't count the Pi or Beaglebone as Dev Kits or reference designs because they are intended to be used as parts in their own right, rather than as a starting point for a chip level design. Others may define things differently.

    I've bought quite a few processor demo boards in my time and have found the ST Nucleos the most satisfactory.

    This is in part because I have found ST's approach to making and supporting ARM cortex based micro-controllers a very good fit with the way I work.

    But the Nucleos tick other boxes too:

    • Low cost
    • Simple design
    • Standard connections on 0.1" pins
    • Not made too small so are easier than many to modify
    • Properly documented
    • Based on good and purchasable parts
    • Multiple software tool support

    I have bought at least one dev board for any FPGA that I have used - the simpler ones have been the most useful.

    MK

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  • I wouldn't count the Pi or Beaglebone as Dev Kits or reference designs because they are intended to be used as parts in their own right, rather than as a starting point for a chip level design. Others may define things differently.

    I've bought quite a few processor demo boards in my time and have found the ST Nucleos the most satisfactory.

    This is in part because I have found ST's approach to making and supporting ARM cortex based micro-controllers a very good fit with the way I work.

    But the Nucleos tick other boxes too:

    • Low cost
    • Simple design
    • Standard connections on 0.1" pins
    • Not made too small so are easier than many to modify
    • Properly documented
    • Based on good and purchasable parts
    • Multiple software tool support

    I have bought at least one dev board for any FPGA that I have used - the simpler ones have been the most useful.

    MK

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  • in reply to michaelkellett

    The BB was a reference design. Made by TI staff for a TI chipset to be a low cost board. Derived from a more expensive reference design.

    I think it also explains why the BB, leading the maker community early on,

    fails as a community item now that TI's heart isn't with the community anymore. Staff needs to focus on what the company wants.

    Not a lot of the BB software and documentation revisions were delivered by non-staffers after the early boom.