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Seeking Your Feedback on a Beat Our Board Design Challenge - Grand Prize $5,000

rscasny

I've been in discussions with a component supplier who would like to sponsor a Design Challenge.

But its vision of the Design Challenge is a little different than how element14 typically administers a Design Challenge. I want to tell you the details below. I would really appreciate you voting in the polls and offering feedback on the challenge. Thanks.

Randall
-element14 Community Team


What is the Beat Our Board Design Challenge?

The goal of PI Beat Our Board Design Challenge is for the participants to design a board that improves or beats the sponsor's DER-953 board. Below, I've posted a short video and a schematic of this RDK, as well as the datasheet.

image

How Applicants are Selected as one of the Top 10

The Top 10 submissions get to advance to the next stage and will be given the DER-953Q plus a $250 shopping cart to buy materials – fulfilled by Farnell. The sponsor or its representatives will judge the finalists. They are awarding $5,000 to the grand prize winner and $2,500 to the 2nd place winner.

The enrollment period will last 6 weeks.

What they need to show to be one of the top 10

To be selected as one of the Top 10, the applicant needs to show the following:
• Topology / switch type
• Transformer size
• Preliminary schematic

The length of the challenge is about 6 months (ends June 2024).

Here are the criteria to win:

• Cannot use InnoSwitch
• Beat the efficiency – 10%, 25%, 50% and 100% no-load
• 40-500 V DC input
• Size/ volume of board must be same size or smaller
• Must meet thermals – 85 degrees Celsius – no heatsink
• No optocouplers
• Component count
• No-load consumption
• Automotive qualified components only
• Transformer exempt
• Up to and no more than a 6-layer PCB
• Specify PCB stack up weight per sq foot- 2oz 1oz 1oz 1oz 2: Maximum copper thickness on top and bottom layers
• Overload power current limit = 8.1 A

What do you think of this challenge? I invite you to offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

I also invite you to vote in the following polls:



Parents

  • As others already stated,I also think that could be better decreasing the overall kits number while increasing design/development support for challengers (for example increased initial budget or sponsored PCBs).
    This design challenge is very cool but also quite hard. I like challenges (and this one is definitely outside my confort zone) but this one I think it will be too hard for me to carry out in a proper way. Also, the test equipment needed to evaluate such design is no joke. Time availability could also play a big role here (and for me it will since I've already scheduled other important things for next year).

    I voted for:
    - "After reading the information provided above, are you interested in joining this challenge?" : Maybe. I'm interested? Yes, I like this challenge. Will I apply? Probably not. (but good luck to all future challengers!)
    -"Are you working as an Automotive Power Design Engineer?" No. I have little experience with some switching converters and motor power stage but I would not call myself a power electronic engineer
    -"On your design workbench, do you have access to at least 40VDC": Yes, my power supply can go up to about 60V if I remember correctly. Still, I don't think that's enough to evaluate this specific design request. A lot of other equipment will be needed too.

Reply

  • As others already stated,I also think that could be better decreasing the overall kits number while increasing design/development support for challengers (for example increased initial budget or sponsored PCBs).
    This design challenge is very cool but also quite hard. I like challenges (and this one is definitely outside my confort zone) but this one I think it will be too hard for me to carry out in a proper way. Also, the test equipment needed to evaluate such design is no joke. Time availability could also play a big role here (and for me it will since I've already scheduled other important things for next year).

    I voted for:
    - "After reading the information provided above, are you interested in joining this challenge?" : Maybe. I'm interested? Yes, I like this challenge. Will I apply? Probably not. (but good luck to all future challengers!)
    -"Are you working as an Automotive Power Design Engineer?" No. I have little experience with some switching converters and motor power stage but I would not call myself a power electronic engineer
    -"On your design workbench, do you have access to at least 40VDC": Yes, my power supply can go up to about 60V if I remember correctly. Still, I don't think that's enough to evaluate this specific design request. A lot of other equipment will be needed too.

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