element14, an Avnet community, is teaming up with Cypress Semiconductor and Amazon Web Services to help build a better future with IoT. The “Connected Cloud” design challenge aims to foster the community’s creativity by applying innovative IoT solutions to anything in their world that needs improving, from monitoring traffic conditions, to creating information hubs for their communities, or monitoring flood waters. The latest design challenge from element14 encourages its members to learn new IoT development skills, elevate their designs, and think outside the box to solve everyday problems.

“Learning and advancing skills in IoT is one of the most frequent requests we get from our global community members,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for the element14 Community. “We’re thrilled to partner with Cypress Semiconductor and Amazon Web Services to offer our community members the opportunity to expand their IoT design knowledge using some of the best IoT tools available, all while working on a specific challenge in their world.”

The sky is the limit for what participants can design in this challenge. Sample applications could include:

• Product Monitoring System
• Hospital Information Displays
• Building-Wide Reminder Systems
• Electric Vehicle Charge Monitoring
• Meeting Room Monitoring System
• Interactive Help Systems
• Crowd Counters

Although the “Cloud connect” Design Challenge is open to everyone, element14 Community members can apply to receive one of 20 free PSoC 6 Kits. Challengers can choose a Cypress PSoC 6 WiFi-BT Pioneer Kit (CY8CKIT-062-WIFI-BT) or PSoC 6 WiFi-BT Prototyping Kit (CY8CPROTO-062-4343W) to build their projects. The Pioneer Kit enables designers to evaluate and develop their applications using the PSoC 6 MCU, Cypress’ ultra-low-power PSoC specifically for IoT products and wearables that offers higher flexibility, in-field design tuning, and faster time-to-market. Amazon Web Services will also be providing $25 Cloud Credit per sponsored challenger for their AWS IoT Platform.

All participants are required to post at least 10 blogs about their design process and interface with Amazon Web Services incorporating photos, videos and code samples. Those who complete 10 blog posts and submit a featured project that meets the requirements will receive a Multicomp Pro Multimeter Set. One first prize winner will receive a Desktop 3D Printer and the new, unannounced PSoC6 Kit. One runner up will receive a HTC VIVE Pro Virtual Reality System and the new, unannounced, PSoc6 Kit.

Applications for the free Cypress Kit open on 27^th January and close on 24^th February. The design challenge deadline is 11^th May 2020. Winners will be announced in June 2020.

To learn more about the “Cloud Connect” Design Challenge, please visit www.element14.com/connectedcloud.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, is committed to providing the latest in embedded solutions; stocking an extensive range of products from leading suppliers such as Cypress, Xilinx and NXP as well as an exclusive range of development kits created by its technology brand, element14.

With over 2,500 development kits and accessories in stock, customers can access daughter boards and modules, primary platform development kits, single board computers and development kit accessories such as adaptors, circuit racks, enclosures and sensor kits, all with same day dispatch.

Premier Farnell also works with partners to bring exclusive development kits to customers, helping them get started with new technologies, reduce design time and accelerate time to market.

Premier Farnell's top picks for embedded solutions include:

• Cypress PSoC 6 BLE Pioneer Kit: The perfect way for engineers to get started with next-generation IoT Designs using the new PSoC 6 MCU, which is purpose-built for the IoT. The PSoC 6 MCU is an IoT game changer which eliminates the need for designers to choose between high performance and low power in their IoT project development. The PSoC 6 delivers both, plus the security that next-generation IoT devices demand - all on the famous PSoC programmable fabric.

• Xilinx® All Programmable Devices: Xilinx All Programmable devices provide the designer with a flexible route to system implementation. The blank canvas of the device can quickly be configured by using advanced development tools and libraries to produce a product that does exactly what is needed, providing a faster time to market. By integrating multiple functions in a single device there is a reduced Bill of Materials, making savings in both purchasing and manufacturing.

• Raspberry Pi IoT Learner Kit:  Developed in collaboration with IBM, the kit provides an end-to-end learning solution for makers, hardware and software developers and students looking to get started with IoT development. Built around the Raspberry Pi3 and Raspberry Pi sense hat, the kit can be used in conjunction with IBM’s Coursera course: “A Developer`s Guide to Internet of Things (IoT)” to learn the skills required for IoT development, create projects and bring innovative projects into commercial application.

Premier Farnell is joining Avnet Silica on stand at Embedded World 2018, 27^th February to 1^st March. Visitors to the Premier Farnell booth at the Avnet Silica stand will be able to demo the Raspberry Pi IoT Learner Kit and preview the element14 Development Kit for the Texas Instruments SimpleLink™ Sub-1 GHz Sensor to Cloud Linux® Gateway.

• Development Kit for TI SimpleLink™ Sub- GHz sensor to Cloud Linux® Gateway: Exclusive to Premier Farnell, the kit provides an end-to-end tool to enable a Sub-1 GHz sensor network with an Internet of Things (IoT) gateway and cloud connectivity. The element14 SimpleLink™ Sub-1GHz Sensor to Cloud Linux Industrial Gateway development kit allows developers to get to market faster with an out-of-the-box, end-to-end solution enabling an easy cloud connection for sending and receiving long-range sensor data while maintaining a robust link. The kit contains all the components needed to create a full sensor network, including a gateway design based on the BeagleBone® Black, the BeagleBone Wireless Connectivity Cape, and the TI SimpleLink™ dual-band CC1350 wireless MCU LaunchPad™ development kit acting as the MAC co-processor.

Simon Meadmore, Global Head of Semiconductors and SBC at Premier Farnell said: “As the Development Distributor, we are focussed on providing our customers with the support they need to get their products to market quickly. One way in which we do this is by providing access to the latest embedded devices, all in stock and all available for same day dispatch, supporting design engineers wherever they are on their journey, as they learn, innovate, optimise and bring their products to market.”

To view Premier Farnell’s extensive range of embedded development kits and accessories visit Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in APAC.

To see demos of the Raspberry Pi IoT Learner Kit and element 14 Development kit for the TI SimpleLink™ visit Premier Farnell at the Avnet Silica Stand located in Hall 1, stand 1-370 at Embedded World.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, has announced the availability of the Cypress PSoC 6 BLE Pioneer Kit, the perfect way for engineers to get started with next-generation IoT Designs using the new PSoC 6 MCU, which is purpose-built for the IoT, from Cypress Semiconductor Corp.

“The PSoC 6 MCU is an IoT game changer which eliminates the need for designers to choose between high performance and low power in their IoT project development”, says Simon Meadmore, Global Head of Semiconductors for Premier Farnell: “PSoC 6 delivers both, plus the security that next-generation IoT devices demand - all on the famous PSoC programmable fabric.”

The PSoC 6 MCU solves the challenge of emerging IoT devices that require high-performance processing and low power consumption without any trade-offs. It bridges this gap that exists between power-hungry application processors and low-performance single-core MCUs, in addition to providing the critical security features demanded by the IoT.

The PSoC 6 MCU architecture includes dual-core Arm® Cortex®-M4 and Cortex®-M0+ processors to deliver high-performance processing and power efficiency, built on an ultra-low-power 40 nm process technology with dynamic voltage and frequency scaling for extended battery life and an industry-leading current consumption of 22 µA per megahertz in active power modes.

The system also offers best-in-class flexibility with software-defined peripherals and multiple connectivity options, plus an integrated, hardware-based Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) with secure data storage.

The PSoC 6 BLE Pioneer Kit enables engineers to quickly get up and running with the PSoC 6 MCU and minimise time-to-market for IoT devices. It is an Arduino compatible, easy-to-use development platform with various peripherals such as BLE connectivity and Cypress’ CapSense® capacitive-sensing technology. The board features Cypress’ EZ-PD™ CCG3 USB-C controller for USB power delivery and an E-ink display add-on shield (CY8CKIT-028-EPD) to prototype a variety of different IoT application.

In addition, the kit is supported in the new PSoC Creator 4.2, which is an integrated development environment that enables concurrent hardware and firmware editing, compiling and debugging of PSoC systems. Applications are created using schematic capture and over 150 pre-verified, production-ready peripheral components.

The PSoC 6 BLE Pioneer Kit is available to buy from Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in Asia Pacific.