Circuit design challenge/contest

[joeqsmith]

This is an idea which we've had over on DF, and which went fairly well but it's a small community so we only played a few rounds.  With the wide mix of beginners to experts here, this could even be a regular thing I think.

Anyway, the idea is:

Design a circuit to the specifications provided.

..............


Sound like a neat idea?

Example challenges:
Oscillator: open class.  Circuit has to create a reasonably periodic signal (bandwidth < 10% of center frequency; fundamental and harmonics dominant).  Signal level must be measurable (say, >0.1V into a reasonable load: 10x probe, 1M scope input, 50 ohm terminator, etc.) at the output.

..............

Tim

Anything that gets people involved with learning is a good thing.  As the value of the prize goes up, the rules will need to be very clear.   Seems like a lot of work to put a contest together.   Some of the mags I used to subscribe to would have contests from time to time.  To get paid, they may do a promotion of a say some new device.  The company who makes or distributes the device sponsors the contest.   You may have different categories like open class (anything goes, no cost limit) to some specific task.   

We did play with some home made oscillators a while back:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/el-cheapo-oscillator/25/
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/waveforms-in-a-74ls04-ring-oscillator/25/

Even something as simple as an oscillator,  there are a lot of metrics to consider.  Cost, highest BW, lowest distortion, lowest TC.....  Tighten it too much, you take the fun out of it.   

[Pack34]

I like this idea. It could be good fodder for Dave's YouTube channel. Prizes could be simple stuff like a monthly uCurrent, shirt, or even some of the mail-bag like flair that people send in for him to show off on the blog (widget they just started selling, kickstarter promo, etc.).

Monthly could be fundamental novelty circuits in the spirit of open source. Pulse generators, audio amplifiers, discrete versions of common chips (i.e. 555), etc. Maybe an open-ended yearly contest of a larger system.

Just throwing out thoughts.