[quote author="ian"]There were about half as many entries [for the 7400 competition] this year, so we'll probably take a few years off and try different contests instead. Any suggestions?[/quote]
How about a reverse engineering contest? Open for coders with ideas for drivers etc as well as hardware freaks.
Whatever the contest, it would be nice to have a student prize.
A project based on a 6- or 8-pin microcontroller. This will make the contestants really optimize the code and use semi-nasty tricks for using the available i/o to the max.
It will be a bit old skool back to the basics, like when programmers/designers didn't have 128MB flash and 8K ram and 40 i/o to play with....
i think it would be cool to have us make a specific thing and tell us nothing about how to make it. Or, as I said, we could have a transistor contest, analog contest, retro computer contest (my personal favorite, and there are a lot of them out there), 555 contest, or date code before the 80's contest.
date code before the 80's contest
:)
I very much like your suggestion on the front page of most useful lab tool. The 7400 competition is interesting, but still, it is a competition about who has the most time to spend, kind of. But ask for something useful and don't restrict how to do it. Like a lab tool, measurement device, debugging help or prototyping aid. Demand open source software and hardware' and maybe we'll see the birth of the next Arduino?
( I already posted this in another thread. Let me post again here )
I propose for
1. Microcontroller contest
- may be selected platform or platform dependent (PIC, AVR, ...)
- may be for one model or open to all (PIC18F2550, ATMega328 ...)
- may be selected field or open (Eg: renewable energy, robotic, hacking tool ...)
2. Mixed signal discrete design contest (Eg, 741 + 555 + 74xx + 4xxx)
will be more attractive and awesome.
[quote author="ian"]
date code before the 80's contest
:)[/quote]
should be 20 years before of electronic :D
I personally like the lab tool idea best. It doesn't limit people very much, and they can make something actually useful. Plus, I've wanted to make about seven pieces of test equipment but stopped that to make a 7400 contest entry.
[quote author="Alex555"]I personally like the lab tool idea best. It doesn't limit people very much, and they can make something actually useful. Plus, I've wanted to make about seven pieces of test equipment but stopped that to make a 7400 contest entry.[/quote]
I agree, but do note that you can make lab tools from 7400 logic. :)
viewtopic.php?f=62&t=4605 (http://dangerousprototypes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=4605)
What I want to see in a DIY lab tool contest are extra points for implementing useful features that are only available in really expensive commercial tools, and even more if there's no commercially available tool that implements it.
A microcontroller contest sounds great, as does a FPGA contest. The scoring should be such that both small and large microcontrollers/FPGAs have similar chances, or maybe subdivide the prizes into several "classes". Do not restrict to a specific architecture (subclassing is OK) since some like Arduinos whereas others prefer PICs, for example.
Another really interesting contest could be an ultra low power contest, where the objective is to simply make something useful that uses a minimal amount of power. BEAM robotics and energy harvesting come to mind.
[quote author="NiHaoMike"]Another really interesting contest could be an ultra low power contest, where the objective is to simply make something useful that uses a minimal amount of power. BEAM robotics and energy harvesting come to mind.[/quote]
Yes, I like that kind of "green" theme, although 43oh sort of have that area covered. (And are running a new contest for December. (http://http://forum.43oh.com/topic/2839-open-nov-dec-2012-43oh-project-of-the-month-contest/))
[quote author="t0mpr1c3"][quote author="NiHaoMike"]Another really interesting contest could be an ultra low power contest, where the objective is to simply make something useful that uses a minimal amount of power. BEAM robotics and energy harvesting come to mind.[/quote]
Yes, I like that kind of "green" theme, although 43oh sort of have that area covered. (And are running a new contest for December. (http://http://forum.43oh.com/topic/2839-open-nov-dec-2012-43oh-project-of-the-month-contest/))[/quote]
But they're limited to only designs that have a MSP430. I'm thinking more along the lines of discrete components and 4000 series logic chips, although small microcontrollers and ultra low power opamps and stuff can also be used.
Anything not involving microcontroller. Logic chips, 555, opamp, etc should be used only to make something that has a real life application.
Other ideas:
Recycled parts. Perhaps allow a new PCB.
Cheap and reproducable. Must use available parts, and extra points for lowest total cost and being easy to make for a beginner.
I think for a contest to be fun, it should allow creative ideas. I think the 7400 contest was good because there was a good combination of entries that were creative and a combination of:
- funny
- awe inspiring
- utilitarian
What ever the criteria for the contest is next year, I think it should allow entries that are similar in spirit.
I'm always fond of contests which involve some kind of monetary limits. Maybe something like best robot for around $20 using commonly found parts. That said, FPGAs are awesome too.
I also like the idea of a limit. I guess I like everything that is strictly hardware only, no software. When might we know what the new contest is?
The first contest had about 80 great entries, the judges did a good job considering how open ended it was, and the sponsors were fantastic, not to mention the DP crew backing it up. organizing things and getting information to and from the judges and sponsors quickly between 4 continents was an interesting challenge. hundreds of emails, over 100 blog entries, a special page dedicated to the contest, making sure things are spelled correctly, and looking good.
This year I was not expecting as many entries and I am glad to be proved wrong. In order to try to keep things fair, I suggest not releasing any clue about the constraints of the next contest until announcement. There are many good ideas that would work for the next big contest. Any ideas for next year would have to be over the top, but allow entrants to complete their entries in an 8 to 10 week(subject to change) time frame, and also have a clear focus where there is no questions about what would constitute a valid entry.
Ian mentioned one possibility on the Amp Hour? ;)
I think we should go ahead and "claim that" (as much as an idea can be claimed), and set a next-year deadline. I'll be cruising for a clever domain name tonight.
When might we know of the contest so we can start building whatever it is we are building?
[quote author="Alex555"]When might we know of the contest so we can start building whatever it is we are building?[/quote]
Contests are usually announced 2 months before deadline...but this might be exteneded