Renesas H8 Design 2003

Frequently Asked Questions

I am not a U.S. resident. Can I enter the Renesas H8 Design Contest?
Can I use a third-party commercial board or a Renesas development system in the H8 Design 2003 Contest?
The rules state that the only identifying marks on my submitted materials must be my Project Number. Must I register ahead of time?
Is there a preferable submission format?

I work for a major distributor that sells Renesas components. Are these companies considered "affiliates," which would make me ineligible to enter the Contest?

When should I send in my Contest entry?
Can I mail or FedEx my entry instead of e-mailing it?

How do I put together an entry that will impress the judges?

Are there other opportunities besides the Contest prizes?

How long after the Contest deadline will the winners be notified?

Is the H8 Starter Kit totally free, or do I have to pay shipping and handling costs?

Can I submit multiple entries? If so, what is the maximum allowed?
Four of us are combining our talents to make and submit a single project. Do we each need to request a Project Number?
If I win, and have to send in my finished project, does Renesas keep it or is it sent back to me after it's evaluated?
By entering this Contest or requesting a Starter Kit, is my contact information going to be sold to outside parties?

I am not a U.S. resident. Can I enter the Renesas H8 Design Contest?
Yes. The contest is open anyone who is 18 years old or older as of April 22, 2003, regardless of location. However, foreign entrants are cautioned to review the laws in the country or province in which they reside to determine that there are no prohibitions to their entry in the contest.
Can I use a third-party commercial board or a Renesas development system in the H8 Design 2003 Contest?
Technically speaking, any design that uses a Renesas H8 device is eligible. Let's face it, this contest is about Renesas components used in various applications. It is not necessarily about proving that you have new ways to wire an H8 in a circuit or that you soldered it together yourself. The real focus of this contest is the uniqueness of your application and its software. The judges, however, will probably be more impressed if the commercial source of your project's "brain" is de-emphasized and the project application and software are emphasized. The easiest way to de-emphasize that you are using a Renesas development system or other commercial board in a project entry is to redraw the entry schematic to contain only the hardware circuitry necessary for the project. That tells the judges that, although you used a commercial board for convenience, you did it only for that reason and not because you don't know how to configure the proper Renesas component circuit. The photograph submitted with your abstract should contain your actual hardware, even if this is a commercial development system.
The rules state that the only identifying marks on my submitted materials must be my Project Number. Must I register ahead of time?
Typically an entrant goes to the web site and fills out the Project Entry Form online before e-mailing their project. When the entry form is received, the Contest Administrator e-mails back a registration Project Number to label the project when it is submitted. This number doesn't have to be plastered on every file but it should be somewhere prominent enough that the judges know what is yours. Most entrants label the ZIP file and the main Word document with the Project Number.

Some entrants request a Project Number months before the end of the contest. Others do it only hours before. Certainly, getting a Project Number before the last hour makes better sense. Of course, the Contest is about the projects and we don't want to miss receiving yours on a timing technicality. If you have requested a Project Number at the last minute and do not received the Contest Administrator's reply in time to meet the 12 midnight deadline, simply e-mail your project anyway. Include all the registration information required on the entry form in the text of the e-mail (don't put it with the project files) and just send it. Get your project in. The Contest Administrator will sort it all out later.
If you send your name and contact information again when you submit your entry, please include it in the e-mail text and not within your project materials.
Is there a preferable submission format?
That's up to you. We tend to prefer Word files but the rules allow projects to be submitted in Word or as a PDF. Some entrants will submit projects simultaneously in Word, PDF, and HTML. We don't discourage this, but it isn't necessary, and it isn't required.
I work for a major distributor that sells Renesas components. Are these companies considered "affiliates," which would make me ineligible to enter the Contest?
Renesas would prefer not to exclude smart technical people, especially from its product support and distribution channels, but there is only one ethical choice. It is Renesas's opinion that anyone who works on its behalf, either directly selling or supporting the sale of Renesas components, is ineligible.
When should I send in my contest entry?
Before the deadline, obviously. Seriously speaking, you'll want to send your entry with plenty of time to get here by December 15, 2003. It should be e-mailed to contest.administrator@circuitcellar.com and not to Renesas. If you send it before the last minute, it gives the Contest Administrator time to inspect the project, make sure files aren't corrupted, and make sure everything is there. If you've forgotten a schematic, for example, the Contest Administrator would have time to tell you and you could add it before the deadline. After your entry is received, you will receive an e-mail acknowledging receipt.
Can I mail or FedEx my entry instead of e-mailing it?
Yes. Some people don't trust e-mail delivery. The rules suggest that e-mailing digital entries is the preferred method but you are welcome to send a CD-ROM or a pile of diskettes, and the Contest Administrator will put it into a file for the judges. Send an e-mail to contest.administrator@circuitcellar.com for the specific address and shipping instructions. Just make sure that if you haven't registered online and received a Project Number to label what you are sending, then you should fill out a hard copy of the entry form and mail that along too. And finally, even if you mail it, the entry has to be postmarked no later than 12 midnight EST December 15, 2003.
How do I put together an entry that will impress the judges?
For the most part, following the rules is the best way to impress a judge. They don't like searching for the key ingredients in your entry. They always seem to appreciate organization and presentation depth. We're not telling you to submit your contest entry as a magazine article manuscript, but the organized format of a technical article is a good template for describing your project to the judges. It also makes your presentation more impressive when the time comes for us to decide who should be published in the magazine.
Are there other opportunities besides the Contest prizes?
That's up to you. Circuit Cellar magazine is the Renesas H8 Contest Administrator. As a technical applications magazine, we are always on the lookout for good design projects to publish. If you have done your work correctly, your entry probably contains 90% of the work necessary for creating an article already. Winning a prize in the Contest is not related to publishing your project. If you have a good design, win or loose, it is quite possible that Circuit Cellar may contact you.
How long after the Contest deadline will the winners be notified?
Winners will be notified via e-mail or postal mail on or about March 15, 2004. The list of winners will be posted on or about April 30, 2004 at http://www.circuitcellar.com/Renesas.
Is the H8 Starter Kit totally free, or do I have to pay shipping and handling costs?
The Starter Kit is free of charge and includes cost-free shipping to any eligible contestant. A limited number of Starter Kits are being made available and an online request form is provided for serious contestants. If you don't see an online request form posted, it indicates that the free kits are no longer available.
Can I submit multiple entries? If so, what is the maximum allowed?
You can submit as many entries as you want (please see the Contest rules) but each must have a separate Project Number.
Four of us are combining our talents to make and submit a single project. Do we each need to request a Project Number?
No. The Project Number is used to label the project entry, in this case a single design, and not to indicate the number of people who worked on it. One person should request a Project Number for the group. He can include the other names at that time or indicate them in the e-mail that accompanies the final submission. In either case, the Contest Administrator will ask participants whose names go on a project before announcing the winners.
If I win, and have to send in my finished project, does Renesas keep it or is it sent back to me after it's evaluated?
No. According to the rules, if you are chosen as a winner, the Contest Administrator will notify you and inform you that you may be required to ship your project to them. Your project will be returned after it is photographed.
By entering this contest or requesting a Starter Kit, is my contact information going to be sold to outside parties?
No, it will not be distributed to others. Renesas may periodically send product information to you, but they will not sell or distribute your name to anyone. Circuit Cellar may use it to update you on the progress of the Contest or notify you of follow-on Contest opportunities. In either case, all Privacy Act conditions apply, and all contact information will be used solely by Renesas or Circuit Cellar personnel.