Paralax SX Design Contest 2006/2007

From Parallax site:
_http://www.parallax.com/sx/sx_design_contest_rules.asp

2006/2007 SX Design Contest Project Submittal Rules

1. Project Number: If you will be making a project submittal featuring the Parallax SX chip, first contact us for a project number. Applicants may submit more than one entry by obtaining multiple project numbers. For each entry send an e-mail to sxcontest[at]parallax.com and include the following information:

   
   
   

• Name, address, phone number and e-mail contact information

• Brief description of the project you plan on submitting

• Statement concurring that you agree to completely abide by the 2006/2007 SX Design Contest Project Submittal Rules

The issuance of a Project Number represents a commitment on your behalf to submit a project in the contest. Project Numbers will be issued until September 12, 2006 at which time we will consider the contest closed to new entries. (Note: This contest is <>not for BASIC Stamp modules with the SX chip).

2. Eligibility: Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Employees of Parallax are not eligible to enter the contest. International applicants are encouraged to submit their projects. Parallax disclaims any responsibility associated with your country’s rules or conditions pertaining to entering contests, should they apply.

3. Submitting a Project: All project submittals must be made by e-mail only to sxcontest[at]parallax.com by January 9, 2007 (12:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time). No hard copies will be accepted. Specifically, this is what we require for submitting a project:

• Project Report in MS Word format with the following sub-headings: Project Number, Project Description, Schematic, Block Diagram (if applicable), Source Code, Bill of Materials and Pictures. PDF is an acceptable substitute if the applicant is able to provide the original graphic files upon request so they may be posted on our web site. All documentation must be provided in clear English language. The project description should be one page or less. This would be the first attachment in the e-mail message.  

• SX Source Code Well-formatted and documented code is required so the judges may develop a reasonable understanding of the functionality. If you are using a compiler we require the high-level language source and the assembly source code generated by the compiler. Compiler code should be well formatted and appropriately commented. This would be your second attachment in the e-mail message, zipped up if you have more than one file.

• Pictures. Submit between three and six different digital photographs of the PCB (Printed Circuit Board), electronics and project in use. Submit at least one photograph of the project designer holding the project. Provide the photos in high-resolution format; Parallax will make any lower-resolution photos for web or print use. MPEG or WMF-formatted videos may also be submitted if the project involves motion. All pictures and videos would be your third attachment to the e-mail, zipped up into a single file.

Multiple e-mail messages may be submitted if file sizes are a problem. The judges may request the submittal of the physical project you designed. Judges may also request clarification of specific project details.

3. Judging: The following judges will assess the submittals:

• Gunther Daubach, author of "Programming the SX Microcontroller" and Electronic Engineer in Burscheid, Germany

• Lauren Bares, Marketing Manager at Parallax, Inc.

• One other judge to be determined

4. Criteria: Projects will be judged according to the following factors:

• 30% - SX Design Appropriateness Determined based on the applicant’s ability to use the SX’s high speed and architecture to the benefit of the design as the central processor. Designing the project’s firmware with the idea of minimizing external hardware through the use of creative coding will receive special attention. Don’t submit applications that could easily be done in a slower processor.

• 30% - Originality Creativity of the project.

• 25% - Professionalism This is based on the use of clear English in the Project Report, a quality PCB design (if needed), clarity of explanations, quality of pictures and source code formatting/commenting.

• 15% - Practicality Based on the project’s usefulness.  

5. Legal Considerations: Design submittals will remain the intellectual property of the applicants. Due to the open-project nature of the contest, applicants with submittals of particular commercial value should consider obtaining copyrights or patents. Applicants may copyright their submittals simply by putting a copyright (C) with the author’s name and date within the code to provide some form of protection. All applicants grant Parallax non-exclusive web and print publication rights, whether they are selected as a winner or non-winning entrant. Parallax will post all SX Design Contest projects in entirety on our web site. Selected applications may also be published in print in our catalogs or books. By entering, applicants agree to release and hold harmless Parallax, Inc and any associates from any and all liability.  

6. Prizes: Winners will be notified by email the week of February 26, 2007. Projects will be posted on the Parallax website the week of March 12, 2007. United States winners will receive a 1099 income tax form to report their winnings. The total prize money is $5,000.00. As an alternative to the cash prizes winners may choose to receive a commensurate value of any Parallax products. This is how the prize money will be distributed: