RS Components Launches DesignSpark chipKIT Challenge 2013 for Asia Pacific

Launching this month, competition to include use of the simple and inexpensive chipKIT™ UNO32

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the world's leading high service distributor of electronics and maintenance products, today announced full details of its DesignSpark chipKIT™ Challenge , an Asia Pacific-wide competition. Registration and further information can be found at the DesignSpark chipKIT Challenge  website.

The DesignSpark chipKIT™ Challenge is an online competition run by DesignSpark that challenges electronic design engineers, students and hobbyists to produce energy efficient and eco-friendly designs.

Competition entrants will be using the award-winning DesignSpark PCB software tool from RS Components together with the Microchip chipKIT™ UNO32 to perform connectivity functions. DesignSpark PCB is the world's most powerful free electronics design software for schematic entry and PCB layout that can be used to make complex, open-source designs available to engineers. Entrants can download the tool from www.designspark.com , the company's free-to-access online design community, which provides engineers worldwide with trusted and reliable technical information and resources. With over 100,000 registered members, DesignSpark also offers a platform where users can interact and post questions to other engineers and like-minded individuals.

A panel of judges from RS Components will evaluate the projects based on a range of criteria including creativity/innovation, practical use, potential business and Microchip product utilization. Winners from each region stand to win two prizes: a Champion Award of USD$1,100 and an Excellence Award of USD$700.

CM Lim, Head of Product Marketing, Asia Pacific, at RS Components said, "The competition is an excellent opportunity for interested parties such as engineers, hobbyists and students to participate and show their skills to a broad audience. We are proud to provide them with a platform which sparks both creativity and innovation, and look forward to seeing the new and exciting applications that will come out of this competition. I am sure the inexpensive, easy-to-use Microchip chipKIT™ UNO32 , combined with our DesignSpark PCB software will generate some really interesting projects."

Edward Ho, Senior Far East Distribution Manager at Microchip Technology commented, "Microchip is delighted to be a partner in the DesignSpark chipKIT Challenge. The PIC32-based chipKIT board provides a great platform for entrants of all abilities to develop application solutions in a familiar engineering environment. Microchip wishes all entrants the best of luck."

The competition will run from 17th December 2012 to 12th April 2013.