Bicycle automatic braking system, eye tracking system and GPIB screen saver win top honors for TI's DesignStellaris 2010

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Showcasing how far Stellaris ARM® Cortex™-M3-based microcontrollers (MCUs) can take designs, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today announced that Richard Wotiz's innovative Bicycle ABS Brake System took top prize in the DesignStellaris 2010 contest. Commissioned to inspire technological advancement through healthy competition among engineers around the globe, the challenge was accepted by almost 1,000 contestants from more than 60 countries. Wotiz's Bicycle ABS Brake System leverages the advanced connectivity, data efficiency, motion control features, and performance of TI's Stellaris LM3S9B96 MCU to control brake force to reduce wheel skid. By measuring force applied to a bike's brake levers and the speed of both wheels, the system can detect skipping and then automatically drive a pair of stepper motors that ease up on the brakes. An adjustment knob enables the rider to choose performance settings for various trail surfaces. For more information on the winning projects and to enter a drawing to win a Stellaris LM3S9B96 development kit, go to www.ti.com/designstellaris2010w-pr.

For the challenge, developers used Keil™ Microcontroller Development Kit (MDK-ARM) software tools to create unique hardware- or software-based applications that showcase technologies enabled by TI's Stellaris LM3S9B96 MCU as well as the capabilities of the on-chip SafeRTOS™ real-time operating system from Wittenstein. More than $10,000 in cash prizes and awards were distributed among the top three spots and 16 honorable mentions, and articles featuring the innovative designs will be published in future editions of Circuit Cellar magazine.

Second place went to Osamu Tamura of Japan for the camera-based eye-tracking system that uses the Stellaris MCU as a USB host, Ethernet node and camera controller. The solution switches between calibration and tracking modes via a button on the board, and results can be monitored by multiple PCs on a network. Sylvain Davaine of France took third place with the GPIB Screen Saver that serves as a USB stick-based screenshot capture tool with a direct connection for all GPIB instruments, including lab equipment, to greatly simplify reporting.  Additionally, honorable mentions were awarded to 16 diverse designs including a six-axis articulated robot, a secure ACC PIN reader, a lithium-ion battery module, an electronic motorbike, a 2.4 GHz RC radio system, a networked real-time gas leak detector, a hands-free (eye-tracking controlled) USB mouse, and a handheld pollen sensor.  

TI's broad portfolio of MCUs and software

From general purpose, ultra-low power MSP430™ MCUs, to Stellaris ARM Cortex-M3-based 32-bit MCUs and high performance, real-time control TMS320C2000™ MCUs, TI offers the broadest range of microcontroller solutions. Designers can accelerate time to market by tapping into TI's complete software and hardware tools, extensive third-party offerings and technical support.

Find out more about TI's Stellaris MCUs and DesignStellaris 2010:

• DesignStellaris 2010: www.ti.com/designstellaris2010w-pr
• Stellaris LM3S9B96 MCU: www.ti.com/designstellaris2010w-lms-pr-sw
• Stellaris MCUs: www.ti.com/designstellaris2010w-s-pr-lp
• TI's microcontrollers: www.ti.com/designstellaris2010w-mcu-pr-lp
• TI eStore: www.ti.com/designstellaris2010w-pr-es

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun.  A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through design, sales and manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries.  For more information, go to www.ti.com.

Trademarks

Stellaris and StellarisWare are registered trademarks and MSP430 and TMS320C2000 are trademarks of Texas Instruments Incorporated. ARM is a registered trademark and Cortex is a trademark of ARM Limited. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders.

SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated