Start a Movement Design Challenge is Offering Great Prizes for Unique Designs

Element 14 has launched another challenge, tasking engineers and makers to create unique projects that include motion as a design element. The Start a Movement Design Challenge is looking for 20 participants to build a project of their choice using Analog Devices' TMC5272-EVAL-KIT, along with a QSH4218 NEMA 17 stepper motor and PSU to bring those creations to life.

Analog Devices'' TMC5272-EVAL-KIT provides an excellent base platform for any number of projects and features a TMC5272 smart dual-axis stepper motor controller and driver IC, along with an ADI TRINAMIC evaluation board system, which can also act as a standalone board if needed. It also uses the standard schematic and offers several options to test different modes of operation.

The TMC5272 offers a 2.1 V to 20 V DC voltage range, 4x integrated 20 V H-Bridges, a fully integrated ICS and more. (Image credit: Analog Devices)

According to Analog Devices, the TMC5272 chip can drive two-phase bipolar steppers up to 0.8 A RMS (1.5 A peak). It also comes outfitted with serial communication interfaces (SPI and UART) and extensive diagnostic capabilities and combines a pair of flexible 8-point ramp generators with a reduced jerk for automatic positioning with two smart stepper motor drivers based on a 256-microstep built-in indexer.

The TMC5272 comes equipped with four fully integrated 20 V, 1.1 A MAX H-bridges plus non-dissipative integrated current sensing (ICS) and features diagnostic and protection functions, including such short-circuit protection/overcurrent protection, thermal shutdown, and undervoltage lockout. According to Analog Devices, the TMC5272 is ideal for wearable devices, portable devices, automation, printing platforms and a host of other applications.

The TMC5240-EVAL-KIT comes with one Landungsbruecke (interface board) MCU board with an integrated Freescale MK20 cortex M4 processor, one Eselsbruecke (bridge board) and one TMC5240-EVAL driver board. Everything engineers and makers need to get up and running with their projects.

According to Element 14, 20 selected applicants will be chosen as challengers and will receive the official challenger kit to build their projects. Those who undertake the challenge must blog their build process and the final outcome of their project. Taking advantage of the TMC5272's features and innovative automated movement will be graded more favorably.

The prizes for the top three projects include a KELKART 27.5 Inch Electric Bike, Pedal Assist City E-Bike with 48V 10.4AH Battery (Grand Prize Winner), a Fafrees Electric Bike, 20" Folding Electric Bike for Adults, 36V 16Ah/576Wh Removable Battery Ebike 90KM Mileage Pedal Assist (Runner Up Prize), and a MultiComp Pro Multimeter Set (Finisher Winner).

Grand Prize	Runner Up Prize	Finisher Prize

According to Element 14, The Start a Movement Design Challenge requirements are as follows:

20 Applicants will be chosen to receive the kit above, and these successful applicants will be our sponsored Challengers who must use the TMC5272-EVAL-KIT for their Movement-related project. All challengers are encouraged to regularly post their build progress - with five blogs or more plus a final project update - before the closing date. Posts that are media-rich with Photos, Videos and Code samples will be viewed more favorably in the Judging Process.

More information about the Start a Movement Design Challenge can be found on the Element 14 challenge page here. We are stilling looking for more applicants. To those looking to take on the challenge, good luck and happy building!