No purchase necessary, void where prohibited by law.

Who may enter: Any individual or group of individuals, age 18 and older as of the date of entry, may enter the Renesas M16C Design Contest 2005 (“Contest”). As used herein, “Renesas” refers to Renesas Technology Corp. and its direct and indirect majority and wholly owned subsidiaries. Direct employees of Circuit Cellar or Renesas, their affiliates, advertising, promotion, production agencies, members of their immediate families, or those with whom they are domiciled are not eligible. In addition, anyone living in a country, province, or state where the Contest is prohibited, taxed, or otherwise restricted under national, federal, provincial, state and local laws, rules, or regulations is ineligible. Entrants who are residents of a country, state, or province that prohibits unregistered contests or requires the contest sponsor to post a bond are ineligible. Circuit Cellar and Renesas expressly disclaim any responsibility or liability for any entrant who enters when it is illegal for them to do so. By entering this Contest, entrants agree to waive any additional rights granted in regard to contests by the country, state, or province in which they are domiciled.

How to Enter: Each project entered in the Contest must be the original work and property of the person or team who submits it, or the entrant must have written legal permission from the property owner. In the case of projects owned by other parties, the written legal permission must be included with the entry. Projects should be submitted in digital format and must be written in English. Projects may be submitted in hard copy format by prior arrangement. For an entry to be deemed acceptable it must contain the following:

Entry Form: The completed entry form may be submitted online, via fax, or mail to the address listed below. After the entry form is received, Circuit Cellar will respond via the same means with an assigned Project Number. This number must be used to identify the project being submitted, and should be attached to all entry documentation, in addition to any correspondence. See the FAQ for more information.

Entry Documentation: The entry documentation is the complete documentation of the project and its operation. Acceptable file formats are: Word, ASCII, .GIF, .TIF, .JPG, .BMP, and .EPS. Do not send entry documentation in PDF format. Entrants grant Circuit Cellar the right to excerpt selected content from the entry documentation to create a publishable abstract. These excerpts shall include whatever reasonable amount of textual description, schematics, diagrams, listings, and photographs as Circuit Cellar deems necessary.

The project documentation must include: 1) a detailed text description; 2) project photographs (at least one); 3) complete schematics; 4) and complete software code. All other flow charts and diagrams should be included. Entrants must submit source code that is readable in HEW. The source code should be submitted as a zip file that contains all of the files—including the subdirectories for each file—required to build the project error-free. If the project uses a compiled high-level language for operation, such as C or C++, then a text listing in this language also should be included. Note: Do not send the physical project unless you are notified as being a winner. Entry tip: Read the FAQ for helpful hints.

Entrants may enter more than one project but must submit each with a separate entry form and Project Number. There should be no personal identification or corporate affiliation markings on ANY of the submitted materials. The entrant’s name, address, or corporate affiliation should appear ONLY ON THE ENTRY FORM. Only the assigned Project Number should be used as an ID for the project materials. Entrants who leave their names in headers, footers, tables of content pages, schematics, etc. may be disqualified.

The project’s core processor hardware must be a Renesas M16C device. Check the Circuit Cellar web site for additions, qualifications, or changes to these specifications. Visit www.circuitcellar.com/renesas2005m16c for sources of databooks and downloadable development tools.

All entries must be received on or before 11:59 p.m. EST on June 30, 2005. Entries received or postmarked after 11:59 p.m. EST on June 30, 2005 are ineligible. Circuit Cellar and Renesas assume no responsibility for lost, late, or misdirected entries. Proof of transmission of an entry will not constitute proof of receipt of said entry.

Entrants are encouraged to seek patents for any unique or proprietary aspects of their design prior to submission. The design remains the intellectual property of the entrant. To avoid additional shipping and organizational difficulties, entrants agree and acknowledge that all copies of entry documentation become the property of Circuit Cellar and will not be returned. Each contestant entering a project in the Contest hereby grants Circuit Cellar and Renesas a non-exclusive perpetual, fully paid-up, worldwide license to copy, publish and display the project and any associated documentation if the contestant wins any monetary or other prize award. Software submitted with any project entry remains the property of the entrant; however, winning entrants hereby grant Circuit Cellar and Renesas a non-exclusive right to copy, reproduce, display, publish, and disseminate this software in any media, and without territorial limitation, as part of any winning-project presentation. Prior publication or the prior Internet posting of essential ingredients in an entry is not a disqualification.

The publication rights described herein refer only to the materials submitted as the Contest entry. All winning projects will be posted (electronic/Internet media) at the discretion of Circuit Cellar and Renesas. If the entrant and Circuit Cellar agree to publish the project as a print article in Circuit Cellar, the entrant will be paid the standard Circuit Cellar remuneration in addition to any prize winnings. All entrants entering projects in the Contest assign to Circuit Cellar and Renesas a perpetual, fully paid-up, worldwide license to copy, publish and display (in print or electronic/Internet media) the submitted abstract (including the abstract description, block diagram, photograph, schematic, and software code sample).

How to Win: All Contest entries will be judged by a panel of judges selected by Circuit Cellar on the following: technical merit 20%, originality 20%, usefulness 20%, cost-effectiveness 20%, and design optimization 20%. In the event of a tie, the tied entry with the highest score in the technical merit category will be deemed the winner. In the event of a further tie, the tied entry with the highest score in the usefulness category will be selected. Contest judges have been chosen based on their familiarity with engineering design, Renesas M16C component knowledge, and experience. Entrants agree to abide by all decisions of Circuit Cellar and the judges, which shall be final and binding with respect to all issues relating to the Contest.

Shipping: Only winning projects must be shipped to Circuit Cellar (postal address below). The entrant bears all responsibility for shipping and insuring their winning entry to Circuit Cellar. If you are chosen as a winner, Circuit Cellar will notify you and inform you where and when to ship your project. Projects will be returned after the winning entry is photographed. In the event of logistical problems in sending a completed project, special arrangements can be made between Circuit Cellar and the winner.

Prizes: The following prizes will be awarded: $5,000 First Prize; $3,000 Second Prize; $2,000 Third Prize. Ten (10) $1,000 Honorable Mention prizes will be awarded.

All prizes are paid in U.S. dollars. All properly claimed prizes will be awarded. Only the prizes specified in the numbers indicated will be awarded. Total cash value of all Contest prizes is $20,000. All winners will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and release of liability prior to being declared a winner. U.S. residents are required to provide a Social Security number before receiving any prize. All winners are required to comply with all reasonable requests for tax identification.

Winners will be notified by e-mail, telephone, or postal mail on or about September 7, 2005, as well as featured in the January 2006 issue of Circuit Cellar. The list of winners will be posted on the Circuit Cellar web site. For a copy of the winners’ names, available after October 30, 2005, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Renesas M16C Design Contest 2005, Circuit Cellar, 4 Park St., Vernon, CT 06066. Ask for the Renesas M16C Design Contest 2005 winners list.

Address: To contact us or send a Contest entry:
Renesas M16C Design Contest 2005
Circuit Cellar • 4 Park St. • Vernon, CT 06066
(860) 875-2199 • Fax: (860) 871-0411
contest.administrator@circuitcellar.com

Legal Considerations: The odds of winning depend on the number of acceptable entries received and the decision of the judges. The prizes will be awarded and mailed to the winners. Renesas is solely responsible for the payment of all prizes. Upon delivery to the winner’s address, Renesas will be deemed to have awarded the prize to the winner with the winner assuming full responsibility for the prize. There will be no substitution for prizes other than as offered. Each winner, and not Circuit Cellar or Renesas, is solely responsible for all other arrangements, costs and expenses of and associated with receiving the prize, including without limitation, any taxes or other fees imposed by a government authority. All entrants and winners agree that signing the Contest entry form or otherwise registering online via e-mail constitutes agreement to the terms and conditions of the entry rules. Winners will be required to sign an additional liability waiver and statement of eligibility before receiving any prize. Winners will be notified by mail, e-mail, and/or telephone on or about September 7, 2005. The judges’ decision is final. If a winner fails to respond within 30 days of notification, an alternate winner will be selected. Prizes are not transferable.

Entries made on the Internet will be deemed made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. In the event of a dispute, potential winners may be required to provide proof that the potential winner is the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the potentially winning entry. By completing an entry form and submitting an entry, the entrant certifies that the project entered in the Contest is his or her work, or that he or she has written legal permission from the property owner. Furthermore, each entrant must have read and understand the complete rules of the Contest and agree to abide by them.

By entering the Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless Circuit Cellar and Renesas and each of their respective parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, officers, directors, representatives, agents, and employees from any and all liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising from or in connection with, either directly or indirectly, 1) the awarding, acceptance, receipt, possession, use, and/or misuse of any prize awarded herein; or 2) participation in the Contest or any prize related activities, including but not limited to traveling to or from any prize related activity. By accepting a prize, entrants consent to the use of their name, photograph and/or likeness, address, voice, and statements made by or attributed to them, in perpetuity, in any and all media now known or hereafter developed (including, without limitation, print, broadcast, and Internet), for all legitimate business purposes including advertising and promotional activities without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. Circuit Cellar and Renesas are not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate entry of information including, but not limited to, technical malfunctions, human error, lost/delayed data transmission, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, line failures of any telephone network, computer equipment, software or any combination thereof, entry materials that have been tampered with, or e-mail or mail-in entries that are illegible, late, lost, damaged, postage due, or misdirected. Circuit Cellar and Renesas are not responsible for any injury or damage to the entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participation or downloading any material in this Contest. Entries that have been tampered with or altered are void.

Renesas reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend this Contest if it becomes technically corrupted or if for any reason the Internet portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infections by computer viruses, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Renesas or Circuit Cellar that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest promotion.

This Contest shall be interpreted and governed by the substantive laws of the State of California and any applicable laws and regulations of the United States. The entrant agrees that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively, before a court located in Santa Clara County, CA having competent jurisdiction, which Court shall apply the laws of the State of California without regard to any principles of conflicts of laws, and submission of said entry constitutes acceptance of such laws. The entrant further agrees that no claims, judgments or awards shall exceed the amount of the Contest prize and under no circumstances shall include attorney's fees; nor shall any entrant be permitted to obtain awards for punitive, incidental, consequential, or other similar damages or have any damage awards multiplied or increased for any reason.

Sponsor: Renesas Technology Corp. is the contest sponsor.

Copyright ©2005 Circuit Cellar Inc. All rights reserved.