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nick-123
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Posted by nick-123: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 12:09 AM
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have a look at: http://www.mypic32.com

Microchip created a nice contest.

Everybody can write their idea's and after one month 128 lucky contesters will start. Input is appreciated from the community using a forum. Contester blogs are also provided. Right now, you can have a look at the 'paper' idea's and start voting for them.

Also you can enter the contest, but that is not appreciated since you guy's all use avr's right?

I like to community input to the contesters. It is at least something different than the Circuit Cellar contest's we've seen in the past.

Will Atmel.no be listening?

Have a great day full of inspiration/transpiration :D

Tags:

AVR Microcontrollers, megaAVR and tinyAVR
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smileymicros
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Posted by smileymicros: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 01:31 AM
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Uh...

Isn't this like talking up Volvo on a BMW forum?

Smiley

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nick-123
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Posted by nick-123: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 01:41 AM
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Smiley,

yeah, but I like to stir things up a little bit.

An AVR contest is long overdue. And I must admit, the PIC contest format looks appealing to both the consumer (designer) and chip factory ...

So I hope the new contest is not in the old, boring Circuit Cellar format but more interactive with the community.

Nick

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stevech
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Posted by stevech: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 05:35 AM
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per me:

PIC: been there, done that. I prefer rocks in my shoes.

8 bit PICs: good competition for an Intel 8008.

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Broxbourne
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Posted by Broxbourne: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 05:55 AM
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Microchip should be commended for their very shrewd marketing department, as always.
Spec.s alone do not necessarily sell a product.

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Guillem Planisi
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Posted by Guillem Planisi: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 08:37 AM
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Simley, aren't Volvo trucks part of BMW holding? Of course, cars aren't, but one can be surprised about who owned what (I have a Rover... from back the days that the english company were in hands of a german one).

Back to topic, I don't visited the contest page, but although PIC don't do 'state of the art' microcontrollers (is curious that they elected the MIPS architecture), they do a really really good marketing job. One just have to take a look at spanish speaking electronic world, and one would find that everybody is using PIC's, simply because there is a lot of support, datasheets, books, app notes and so on in Spanish. Although many of them know that AVR's 'are probably better', they don't use them because AVR's don't have support in spanish.

Of course, all Unis that I know, develop electronics with PIC's, that are released for free to the students, and with Microchip tools, that were given for free to the teacher. I seriously wish that Atmel reacts to that. I feel so alone as the only AVR 'paladin' in some spanish robotics and electronics forums.

Guillem.
"Common sense is the least common of the senses" Anonymous.

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Nuno
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Posted by Nuno: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 11:40 AM
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You have to show them The Light, Guillem! Teach them English ;)!

Embedded Dreams
One day, knowledge will replace money.

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Guillem Planisi
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Posted by Guillem Planisi: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 02:01 PM
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We have English as a second (or third) language at school, and is the only 'non tecnical' class at university. But if the level tought is the same that I had years ago, then it is too bad.

In fact, I had learnt English by the hard way: reading datasheets, and going to foreign countries to attend technical courses.

I don't understant the 'visceral response' of many individuals to learn English. I found that a predisposition to learn new things is basic in the electronics world. Otherwise, I would not learn the new Xmegas ;)

Back to topic again, what about Atmel sponsoring a new Xmega contest, with few Xmega's for all participants, huh?

Guillem.
"Common sense is the least common of the senses" Anonymous.

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smileymicros
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Posted by smileymicros: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 08:12 PM
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Guillem Planisi wrote:
Of course, all Unis that I know, develop electronics with PIC's, that are released for free to the students, and with Microchip tools, that were given for free to the teacher. I seriously wish that Atmel reacts to that. I feel so alone as the only AVR 'paladin' in some spanish robotics and electronics forums.

Atmel has an AVR University program that provides free tools.

I have nothing against PICs, some of my best friends use PICs, but I wouldn't want my sister to marry one.

My point is that advertising PIC stuff on AVRFreaks is inappropriate. The OP says he likes to stir things up. We have a name for folks like that.

Smiley

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nick-123
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Posted by nick-123: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 08:24 PM
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Smiley,

All what I wanted is Atmel to start a similar contest (with active feedback from the community). The reason for me to start a thread in this forum is to shake up atmel.no by reminding them that the competition is still around.

I do not want to start an Atmel vs. the rest troll.

Please be positive and come up with constructive idea's for a new contest.

Cheers :D

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smileymicros
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Posted by smileymicros: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 09:44 PM
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nick-123 wrote:
Smiley,

All what I wanted is Atmel to start a similar contest (with active feedback from the community). The reason for me to start a thread in this forum is to shake up atmel.no by reminding them that the competition is still around.

I do not want to start an Atmel vs. the rest troll.

Please be positive and come up with constructive idea's for a new contest.

Cheers :D

Okay, I apologize.

Atmel seems a bit overloaded at the moment, so I doubt you'll see anything other than a possible repeat of the Circuit Cellar contest. It would be nice though.

Smiley

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stevech
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Posted by stevech: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 10:00 PM
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I was told long ago by a wise Chief Engineer:

"The genius isn't in the engineering, it's in the marketing."

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ArnoldB
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Posted by ArnoldB: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 10:03 PM
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The following comments are not related to the MCU type or brand, but the type of contest and conditions of the contest you want to promote.

nick-123 wrote:
All what I wanted is Atmel to start a similar contest
I hope they don't.

A social-network contest? Come on ... Are you so easily tricked into something with buzzwords and the latest techno-bla fad?

A a social-network contest running one year? May I have a barf bag, please?

For me this looks very much as not being a good deal. The winner will get maybe $15000 in hardware for one year of work. If we talk about students, that sounds like a lot of money. Only that it isn't money, but hardware, which value will degrade fast over the next year. Is it worth for a student to let studies slip for one year to win a "a fantastic home theatre system"?

And whether student or not, is it worth to grant the contest organizers or sponsors the rights they are asking for? Read the section named "RIGHTS IN CONTEST MATERIALS; RELEASE" on http://mypic32.com/web/guest/r_g very careful and consider if granting these rights is worth the chance to win a home entertainment system.

And note while the phase-two contestants have to grant these rights, they still have to take full responsibility and hold the sponsors harmless, in particular regarding intellectual property rights of others (part iii in the long list of things the phase-two contestants have to hold the sponsors harmless). In these days and age where everyone and his dog has patents on anything but the most trivial things this can become a rather expensive issue for the contestant.

Quote:
Please be positive and come up with constructive idea's for a new contest.
What a stupid killer phrase. Be positive, or shut up, bla, bla.

Stealing Proteus doesn't make you an engineer.

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amishx64
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Posted by amishx64: Fri. Jun 13, 2008 - 10:48 PM
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I can feel the tension building.

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Guillem Planisi
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Posted by Guillem Planisi: Mon. Jun 16, 2008 - 08:47 AM
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Smiley, I will apologize if I had done some (involuntarily) PIC advertising.

I already know about Atmel University program. And it seems that also SOME teachers know about that, and they have free tools from Atmel, but they only offer the possibility to develop some AVR projects (wiht free AVR's) for the students that want 'excelence' in theyr results (A+, or what were the equivalent to our 'Matricula de Honor').

But since many student's don't know enough english, the teacher only teach with PIC's, and AVR's don't have a good spanish datasheets, appnotes, projects, and so on, the simply choose the easy way. After all, students usually only want to finish their career as easy and fast as possible.

And regarding about the intelectual property, I found that many of the spanish datasheets, app notes and so on for PIC's are in fact, the final thesis of some student, or some work of some contestant to certain PIC contest. It's a nice and cheap trick: do a contest, and use the contest projects as 'marketing products', at a low price. Marketing geniuses?

Guillem.
"Common sense is the least common of the senses" Anonymous.

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DocJC
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Posted by DocJC: Mon. Jun 16, 2008 - 07:00 PM
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Quote:
"The genius isn't in the engineering, it's in the marketing."

That's because the average user only sees the box, and not the incredibly clever and fast algorithm buried deep within the code inside.

Reminds me of Apple vs IBM PC Clones: A flashy, colorful, eye appealing Box; or a beige colored tin box with sharp edges that inflict skin wounds.

Not starting an Apple vs PC war, just noting who spends time & money on marketing and glitz.

Footnote: No, I don't own an Apple, (CPU or Phone).

JC

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HFGuy1
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Posted by HFGuy1: Mon. Jun 16, 2008 - 07:39 PM
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Lets break out the wiffle bats filled with bees :)

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zbaird
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Posted by zbaird: Mon. Jun 16, 2008 - 07:56 PM
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Quote:
So I hope the new contest is not in the old, boring Circuit Cellar format but more interactive with the community.

If we did a community contest (in the sense of any sort of group effort), it would instantly bog down in what language to use. :)

I personally like the "old, boring Circuit Cellar format" and hope they continue their contests for many years to come. They have inspired me to go ahead and look at things I had not previously taken the time for, including AVRs. My join date here coincides with a CC AVR contest.

Chuck Baird

"I wish I were dumber so I could be more certain about my opinions. It looks fun." -- Scott Adams

http://www.cbaird.org

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