A data conversion development board is intended to showcase the performance of an analog to digital converter (ADC) or digital to analog converter (DAC). The board can also serve as a reference design for designing the ADC or DAC into an electronic system.

When considering a  ADC or DAC for use in a larger system, there are many performance metrics to take into consideration: maximum sample rate, effective number of bits (ENOB),  SNR , power consumption, linearity , etc. Manufacturers of ADCs and DACs  often produce development boards that are  intended to assist  customers in performance evaluation.. Often the data conversion  board can serve as a daughter card that connects through a special connector to  a larger development system board with processing capabilities using a FPGA or processorBecause some ADCs and DACs are complex devices careful design practices should be considered  when designing these  in a data acquisition  system. The system designer must ensure proper routing and spacing for sensitive analog signals, ample power delivery and bypassing, and appropriate pre- or post-processing of analog signals.