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Rules and Regulations for the CMP Analog Design Challenge sponsored by
Texas Instruments.
The Challenge:
We are seeking a real-world design that exhibits the most extensive
and inventive use of TI analog, digital and mixed-signal components.
The design may be a system or a sub-system. Designs are not limited to
any category of application. Some possible applications areas are:
high speed data communications, audio, video, multimedia, wireless
systems, portable and low voltage systems, disk drive systems and data
acquisition. Just select from TI's broad range of data converters,
power management devices, precision analog products or interface
devices to implement your design idea. That idea can be a new way of
doing an existing application or it can be a totally new application.
How to get started:
TI is offering a "Free" design kit to help you get started. The design
kit consists of a special collection of materials that will help you
select TI analog and mixed-signal components for your design. This is
a great opportunity to get a comprehensive view of the product line
that made TI the world leader in Analog and Mixed Signal.
How the contest will be judged:
Independent judges from the CMP editorial staff and Academia will have
responsibility for selecting the winning designs. Winners will be
chosen based on originality, feasibility, manufacturability and how
extensively and well the implementation uses TI products. No employees
of Texas Instruments or its agents will be permitted to see, review or
judge any of the entries. All decisions of the judges are final.
Winners will be notified on or before April 19, 1999.
What it takes to win:
Entries will be judged based on originality, innovation and use of
Texas Instruments (TI) components. Components used do not have to be
manufactured by Texas Instruments, but additional credit will be given
by judges for the TI content. All entries must be designed with
existing commercially available components. No hypothetical or mystery
parts are allowed. All submissions must contain sufficient detail to
allow the construction and testing of the entry. It must be more than
a high-level block diagram. Each entry must include a brief
description/synopsis of the application circuit. This description must
not contain any intellectual property and CMP/TI shall have the right
to publish this description.
Prizes:
We will award total prizes of $60,000 (US): $5,000 to a winner in each
designated region of the world: The Americas, Europe, Asia and Japan
and a grand prize of $40,000 to the best entry overall as determined
by the judges.
What to enter:
Your entry should explain how it is an innovative use of analog design
techniques to solve a problem.
- Your design should be simple, original and elegant.
- It should be detailed in block diagram and circuit design forms only-no software code.
- It should be shown to be manufacturable, and that the proposed
concept can be reduced to practice.
- It should show originality in thought and execution.
- It should provide a clear understanding of partitioning between hardware and software components.
- It should be presented as a top-down development with each level
detailed as to its relationship to the next design level.
What your entry must contain:
- A general 300 word (maximum) description of your design.
- A short 50 word description of your design that is suitable for
publishing if you win. This description should not
contain any information that you or your company considers proprietary. CMP and TI have the right to publish this information if you win.
- A list of the ICs in the design.
- A detailed description containing enough information to build
the circuit including features, benefits and unique
characteristics.
- A schematic, block diagram or sketch.
- Completed entry form with your signature and the date.
All entries must be complete and legible; incomplete entries will be
disqualified. To enter more than one design, use photocopies of the
entry form provided and use a separate envelope for each entry. The
entry must be on an official entry form or copy of one. The standard
submission form will help simplify the judging process. Read the entry
form carefully. Your signature constitutes acceptance of all
conditions therein. CMP and the contest judges are the only parties
who will see the actual entry you submit. You retain all rights to
your design, but the sponsors retain the right to publish a brief
description of the winning entry for publicity purposes, without
reservation or recompense.
Who is eligible to enter:
Any individual or group of individuals may enter, except employees of
CMP Media Inc., Texas Instruments its agents or distributors and its
subsidiaries, and their immediate families and those with whom they
are domiciled. In addition, anyone living in a country or state where
the contest is prohibited is not eligible to participate.
Sponsorship:
The Design Contest is being conducted by CMP and exclusively sponsored
by Texas Instruments.
Your entry does not become property of CMP or the sponsor.
Deadlines:
The deadline for requesting a design kit is January 15, 1999. The
submitted design entry must be postmarked by midnight March 1, 1999.
The winners will be announced by April 19, 1999.
Legal notice: No purchase necessary, void where prohibited by law,
odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Each prize
will be awarded. No substitution for prizes other than as offered.
Taxes are the sole responsibility of the winners. Prizes are not
transferable. The winners will be required to sign and return an
affidavit of eligibility, liability release and grant permission to
use their name and likeness for advertising promotion within 21 days
of notification or an alternative winner will be selected. No
responsibility is assumed for lost late or misdirected entries.
Awarding of a prize does not constitute an endorsement by CMP or TI of
the design or approach. For a copy of prize-winners' names, available
after April 19, 1999, send a stamped, self-addressed envelop to: "The
CMP Analog Challenge", CMP Media Inc., 600 Community Drive, Manhasset,
NY 11030, Attention Genevieve Joerger.
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