Circuit Cellar is the Contest Administrator for the WIZnet iEthernet Design Contest 2007 ("Contest"). If you can't find the answer to your question below, please contact us at contest@circuitcellar.com.
Eligibility
Intellectual Property Rights (winners and non-winners)
Registration & Registration Number
Eligible Devices
Contest Sample Kits
Entry Materials (abstract, complete documentation, code)
File Formats
Submission Methods/Deadline
Winning (how to win, what happens when you win, etc.)
Eligibility
I am not a U.S. resident. May I enter the Contest?
Yes. The Contest is open anyone who is 18 years or older at the time of entry, regardless of your place of residence. However, foreign entrants are cautioned to review the laws in the country or province in which they reside to determine if they are prohibited from participating.
May I submit multiple entries?
Yes. You may submit as many entries as you want.
Each project must have its own Registration Number. Complete a Registration Form for each project you intend to submit.
May I submit a project that I submitted to a previous design contest from Circuit Cellar or others?
Technically, yes. However, you must comply with the official rules of this Contest.
If you submit a project that you submitted previously, we strongly advise you to modify your original project by improving it and truly demonstrating how it benefits from the use of WIZnet's Ethernet device. When the Contest concludes, we will select a number of entries to post at www.circuitcellar.com/wiznet/. The uniqueness of a project will be a key factor in this decision. We may be less inclined to select a project that is exactly the same as a project that has been posted for a previous contest.
I work for a major distributor that sells WIZnet components. Am I eligible to enter the Contest?
According to the rules, you are still eligible to enter. But if you have any doubts, please email contest@circuitcellar.com and we will ask WIZnet for a ruling. Direct employees of Circuit Cellar and WIZnet and their subsidiaries, their advertising, promotion, and production agencies, as well as members of their immediate families, are ineligible.
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Intellectual Property Rights
Will the Contest Sponsor or Administrator own the intellectual property rights to my contest entry?
No. The design remains the intellectual property of the Participant, subject to the license grants for prize-winning entries and exceptional entries as set forth in the rules. Such license grants pertain to the contest sponsor and administrator's non-exclusive publishing rights to the contest entry material of winners and exceptional entries without limitation. We encourage all Participants to seek patents for any unique or proprietary aspects of their design prior to submission. Ultimately, you're always still in control of your intellectual property. Even after your project is posted, if some manufacturer approaches you about putting your design into volume production, you still own all the IP rights and they can only negotiate with you. Believe us when we tell you that WIZnet would like nothing better than to know that a dozen project entries became volume commercial products using WIZnet Ethernet devices. The free enterprise system is the best way to achieve that goal.
If I submit a project that becomes a winner or is designated as exceptional, does it have to be posted?
Yes and No. There are contest rules that tell you how things will be happening, but it doesn't end there. We have a separate and specific eligibility and publishing agreement that must be signed by each winner or Distinctive Excellence designee which is a final chance to decide if the benefits of the contest publicity or the prize money are still greater than doing something else with the project. Our contests are all about mating an exceptional device with exceptional design talents. We want you to feel that you can design a commercial-grade product and submit it to this contest without losing control of it later if you choose otherwise. If you win or receive Distinctive Excellence, you still get to decide that the contest publicity is going to do more to promote your abilities or product design than other methods. With the exception of the publishable project abstract described in the rules, your full project entry materials are treated as proprietary materials by the Contest Administrator and the judges. Except for the Circuit Cellar staff and the judging team, no one, including the sponsor, sees your full entry unless you have signed the Eligibility and Publishing Agreement after the contest judging.
What happens to my project if it's not selected as a winner or for additional posting opportunities through Circuit Cellar?
In a case where Circuit Cellar and WIZnet don't offer a Distinctive Excellence or winner's posting agreement to a Participant, or don't receive a signed agreement from the Participant who was sent an agreement, Circuit Cellar deletes the full project entry materials from the contest archives. However, as stated in the rules, Circuit Cellar and WIZnet retain the right to still publicly show the Project's abstract.
This is why it is highly recommended that Participants create their own abstracts. By creating, clearly specifying, and submitting your own abstract, you also maintain control over how much overall project detail you want circulated without first knowing that your project is among the contest winners or a Circuit Cellar Distinctive Excellence candidate.
Who sees my contest entry and do they sign non-disclosure agreements?Yes, everyone handling your contest entry is bound by a non-disclosure agreement. The design contest is fully administered by Circuit Cellar staff. This means that when you submit a contest entry, your project files will be assembled by in-house editors and packaged for final presentation to the 3rd party contest judges. The judges are independent professionals. They are not employees or representatives of the contest sponsor and they all sign non-disclosure agreements. Your contest entry is not transmitted to anyone other than internal Circuit Cellar editorial staff and the 3rd party judges until your project is designated to be an official prize winner or distinctive excellence award winner and you sign a separate agreement giving Circuit Cellar and the contest sponsor non-exclusive publishing rights as described in the rules. Even after signing this agreement you still own the Intellectual Property. Any projects not designated as winners or DE awards are deleted from our archives after the contest.
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Registration & Registration Number
Do I have to register for the Contest?
Yes. Complete a Registration Form to register for the Contest.
After you register, you will receive your Registration Number, which you must use to label your entry.
Is there a registration deadline?
Technically, no. Registration is required. However, we don't want to penalize anyone rushing at the last minute. If you forget to register in advance of the Contest deadline, you may still submit an entry. You will be required to complete a Registration Form shortly thereafter.
When I register for the Contest, will I be automatically entered to receive a free Sample Kit?
No. If you want to request a Kit sample, you must fill out the Kit Request Form.
What is a Registration Number?
A Registration Number is a six-digit numeric code (for example, 009999) that you will receive after registering your project for the Contest. This Registration Number should be used to label your entry.
May I include my name in my entry materials?
No. Do NOT put your name on any materials that will be judged. Your name should not appear on your abstract, complete documentation, schematic, photograph, block diagram, other diagrams, or code files. Use your Registration Number to label these files.
May I include my name in the e-mails I send to contest@circuitcellar.com?
Yes. Staff members at Circuit Cellar are the only people who will see your e-mails. The judges will not see your e-mails. The judges will only see your entry materials. Please DO include your name in all correspondence with us. Also, please include your Registration Number in the subject line of all correspondence with us.
If I'm working with co-designers, does each of us need to register?
No. One person should register for the group. After registering, you will receive one Registration Number to label your entry.
If I'm entering more than one project in the Contest, do I need more than one Registration Number?
Yes. Each entry must have a separate Registration Number. Fill out a Registration Form for each project you intend to submit.
By entering this contest or requesting a Sample Kit, will my contact information be sold to third parties?
No. Your contact information will be used by WIZnet and Circuit Cellar personnel only. All Privacy Act conditions apply.
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Eligible Contest Devices
What devices must I use with my project?
The Project must use at least one WIZnet W5100 (fully hardwired TCP/IP) chip or iEthernet module with W5100. Any commercially available CPU is eligible.
Can I use third-party commercial software, third-party commercial boards, or WIZnet development systems with my contest entry?
You may use such items as long as you clearly identify them and everything you include in your project documentation and software is allowed in the third-party license. The "ownership" and "original development" language in the rules as it pertains to your contest entry does not apply to this third-party material.
We recommend that you redraw the schematic of any commercial product in order to highlight your hardware circuitry. Your photograph should show your actual hardware, even if you use a commercial development system.
E-mail contest@circuitcellar.com if you have any questions.
Can I use commercial code?
Yes, in some cases. The majority of your source code should not come from a commercial source though. If you use commercial code, you must specify the product you used, the manufacturer/supplier, and which parts of your code are commercial.
You cannot use commercial code if the manufacturer/supplier prohibits the posting of the code that you include with your entry. You cannot use commercial code if you are not allowed to use the commercial run-time libraries and shareware in your entry.
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Contest Sample KitS
How do I request a WIZnet iEthernet Design Contest 2007 Sample Kit?
You must fill out the Kit Request Form.
When I register for the Contest, will I automatically receive a Sample Kit?
No. If you want to request a kit sample, you must fill out the Kit Request Form. Samples will be given to eligible Contest participants on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last.
Is the Contest Sample Kit free? Do I have to pay shipping and handling costs?
The kit is free to eligible Contest participants on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last. Shipping and handling are free. However, the recipient is responsible for all duties and taxes associated with the shipment.
By entering the Contest or requesting a Contest Sample Kit, will my contact information be sold to third parties?
No. Your contact information will be used by WIZnet or Circuit Cellar and will not be sold to third parties. All Privacy Act conditions apply.
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Entry Materials
Your entry must include certain materials: an abstract, complete documentation, and source code
The "complete documentation" must include: a detailed text description of the Project and its operation (no page limit); source code, at least one block diagram; a complete schematic(s) (Note: If the Participant uses a commercial demonstration/development board, then the Participant must identify the board and the schematic only needs to show the connections to the board and any circuitry added by the Participant.); and any additional photographs, movies, diagrams, screen shots, tables, flowcharts, etc. Acceptable formats for documentation are Microsoft Word and ASCII text. Acceptable formats for graphics files such as photographs, block diagrams, screen shots, and schematics are JPG, GIF, TIF, MP, and EPS. While the graphics files may be embedded in the project documentation, the images must also be provided as individual files.
Why should I provide an abstract with my entry if the Contest rules state that the Contest Administrator can create one on my behalf?
It is assumed that nobody knows the details and value of your Contest entry as well as you do. It is to your advantage to make sure your project's highlights are included in an abstract that you submit with your entry. By creating, clearly specifying, and submitting your own abstract, you also maintain control over how much overall project detail you want circulated without first knowing that your project is among the contest winners or a Circuit Cellar Distinctive Excellence candidate. However, realize that unless that detail includes all the necessary ingredients of a legitimate abstract, the Contest Administrator may still extract the missing ingredients from the project entry to construct it.
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File Formats
What file formats are acceptable?
- Word doc
- ASCII
- GIF
- JPG
- TIF
- BMP
- EPS
- EAGLE sch
- No PDF
Video files are also encouraged (but not required) so you may further demonstrate the capabilities of your entry.
What should I feature in the photograph? What file formats are acceptable?
Your photograph should show your complete project. See file formats in the answer above.
If you embed your photograph in a text file, you must also include a separate file. High-resolution (around 300 dpi) images that are approximately 4 x 4 inches are preferred. Please do not resize or manipulate the photograph in any other way.
What fonts are acceptable?
Use something standard like:
- Arial
- Courier New
- Helvetica
- Times New Roman
For more information about formatting, click here.
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Submission Methods/Deadline
When should I send in my entry?
All Entries must be received on or before 1:00 PM EST on January 31, 2008. Entries received or postmarked after 1:00 PM EST on January 31, 2008 are ineligible. It makes sense to submit your entry early. If you submit your entry at least a few business days prior to the deadline, you'll give us time to check for corrupt files and missing elements. If your ZIP won't open, for example, we will have time to e-mail you so you can send a replacement by the deadline.
To whom should I e-mail my entry?
E-mail your entry to the Contest Administrator at contest@circuitcellar.com. Do NOT e-mail it to any other e-mail address. Doing so might cause confusion if we receive multiple copies of the same entry.
What should I do if I think my e-mail did not go through?
If you need to resend your entry, please specify that in the subject line of your subsequent e-mails. Otherwise, there might be confusion if we receive multiple e-mails from you.
What should I do if my entry files are large?
We can accept files of any size. However, if your ISP restricts the size of e-mails, you may need to send your entry in parts. If you have to send a series of e-mails, please indicate that in the subject line of your e-mails. For example:
1 of 3, 009999 entry abstract
2 of 3, 009999 entry documentation
3 of 3, 009999 entry code
Can I mail my digital entry instead of e-mailing it?
Yes. We prefer to receive digital files by e-mail, but you may send a CD-ROM or disk. Mailed entries must be postmarked no later than 1:00 PM EST on January 31, 2008. See the Enter Project page for more information.
Should my entry be digital or hard copy?
We prefer digital files. If you cannot send digital files, we will accept hard copies. When sending a hard copy entry, you must include four copies of the entire entry. Mailed entries must be postmarked no later than 1:00 PM EST on January 31, 2008. See the Register & Enter page for more information.
Will I receive confirmation when my entry is received?
Yes. You will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of your entry within two business days. E-mails are usually sent sooner, but processing may take up to two days. E-mail confirmations will be sent during business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST).
Tip: If you want to ensure that you receive confirmation prior to the Contest deadline, submit your entry early. As you can imagine, we'll be busy at the end of the contest. Turnaround time for confirmation will be faster if you submit your entry at least a few business days before the deadline.
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Winning
What types of projects win design contests?
The goal of the Contest is to showcase the functionality of the eligible WIZnet Ethernet devices. All Contest entries will be judged by a panel of judges selected by the Contest Administrator on the following: technical merit 30%, originality 30%, usefulness 20%, cost-effectiveness 10%, and design optimization 10%. It would be smart to highlight these achievements in your documentation. Call attention to your project's special features.
How do I put together an entry that will impress the judges?
#1: Follow the rules.
#2: Provide thorough documentation of your project.
#3: Organize your entry so it's easy for the judges to find everything.
For detailed instructions on how to prepare your entry and to view two example entries, click here.
When will winners be notified?
Winners will be notified via e-mail or postal mail on or about March 5, 2008. The list of winners will be posted on or about April 15, 2008 at www.circuitcellar.com/wiznet/.
If I win and have to send in my finished project, will it be returned?
Yes. If you are chosen as a winner, you may be required to ship your project to WIZnet to display at ESC Silicon Valley 2008. WIZnet will arrange the shipping details with you and your project will be returned to you after the show.
Are there other opportunities besides the Contest prizes?
Sure! Circuit Cellar traditionally designates additional noteworthy project entries in its own special contest category called Distinctive Excellence. These projects are posted alongside the winning entries and typically receive the same publicity as the official contest winners. This is a great opportunity for you to get noticed in the field and be recognized for your design skills. To see examples of Distinctive Excellence presentations, click here.
Additionally, we're always looking for new articles for Circuit Cellar magazine. If you design a great application, we may contact you about converting your project into a published article in the magazine.
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