TechInsights Teams With Microchip Technology and Digi-Key to Launch the Microchip PIC32 Design Challenge

TechInsights announced today the launch of the Microchip PIC32 Design Challenge (http://www.myPIC32.com), a year-long contest and community sponsored by Microchip Technology Inc. and Digi-Key Corporation.

The goal of the design challenge is to foster a social community where designers can build, test and display their embedded 32-bit designs to peers with blogs, videos and forums by using the Microchip's PIC32 Starter Kit, an easy to use, all-in-one, PIC32-based module. The challenge is organized in four phases -- Paper Design, Hardware Design, Software Design and Final Prototype. Each phase has its own deadline and eliminates a certain number of contestants.

The design challenge's interactive community is made up of registered members who rate each of the contestant's designs according to established design criteria. Three industry expert judges as well as member peers will vote each week to see which contestants move to the next phase.

In addition, each week, members will be eligible for prizes that exceed $100,000 based on their community participation and activity. The grand winner will receive a home theater system valued at $8,000, which will be awarded at the Embedded Systems Conference San Jose on April 1, 2009 in Silicon Valley.

"This design challenge is a great opportunity for engineers to show their expertise in 32-bit design. And the social aspect of peers rating, voting and even collaborating on the best designs will make it even more exciting," said Richard Nass, Editor in Chief of Embedded Systems Design and Judge.

Terry West, PIC32 Marketing Manager at Microchip, agrees. "With over $100,000 in prizes, the Microchip PIC32 Design Challenge is more than just a design contest -- it is a unique opportunity for the design community to see some of the world's best engineers push the limits of creativity and skill to participate in leading-edge 32-bit designs using Microchip's new PIC32 microcontroller."

"We are very excited for the opportunity to partner with Microchip and TechInsights as the exclusive distributor on the MyPIC32 Design Contest," added Tony Harris, Vice President of E-Commerce at Digi-Key. "As a provider of the industry's preeminent Website for design engineers, OEMs and purchasers, Digi-Key adds a great solution to the design contest. We look forward to driving traffic for our contest partners, and, as always, efficiently and expeditiously delivering product into the hands of the engineering community."

For contest rules, eligibility requirements and to register, visit http://www.myPIC32.com.

The full press release is here.