Cypress and Arrow Electronics Announce PSoC Pioneer Challenge Winners

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cypress Semiconductor Corp., and Arrow Electronics today announced the winners of the PSoC^® Pioneer Challenge, a global design competition that had engineers prototype new Internet of Things applications using Cypress's PSoC 4 BLE Pioneer Kit.

The winner is Chuck Swiger of Charleston, W.V., whose electric bicycle data collection and logging system claimed the $2,500 grand prize. Swiger will showcase his winning design in the Cypress and Arrow booth number 2323 from May 15-17 at the Maker Faire Bay Area expo in San Mateo, Calif. Second place went to engineering student, David Levi, and three colleagues from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, who developed a sensor-based alarm-clock system, named Chipper, that will sound an alarm if the user tries to go back to sleep.

"Thanks to Cypress and Arrow for making this contest possible and for the opportunity to work with some of the most interesting design possibilities I've seen in a while," said Swiger. "PSoC Creator software makes design like working with parts on a breadboard, with an easy-to-program interface too. The possibilities are mind-blowing."

"The PSoC Pioneer Challenge was designed to spark creativity and give innovators the opportunity to define what the 'Internet of Things' means to everyday life," said John Weil, vice president of marketing for Cypress's Programmable Systems Division, which makes Cypress's PSoC 4 BLE Bluetooth^® Smart products. "The makers have shown how they can very easily implement complete systems with PSoC, including Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, to realize their vision of the Internet of Things."

Contest entries were judged based on their novel design, and use of the technical capabilities of Cypress's PSoC 4 BLE solution. Finalists were selected by panel of judges, including the editors of Make Magazine—a publication targeting the maker community and host of the Maker Faire—and by online reader voting. Other notable contest entries included a wirelessly controlled LED lighted sign, an electronic guide dog system, and a remote-controlled spider. More contest entries can be seen at http://makezine.com/psoc-maker-challenge/.

Cypress's PSoC 4 BLE Bluetooth Low Energy solution enables complete systems by integrating a Bluetooth Smart radio, a high-performance 32-bit ARM^® Cortex^®-M0 core with ultra-low-power modes, programmable analog blocks, and Cypress's industry-leading CapSense^® capacitive touch-sensing functionality. This combination of technology delivers unmatched system value for Bluetooth Smart products, with prolonged battery life, customizable sensing capabilities, and sleek, intuitive user interfaces. PSoC 4 BLE delivers unprecedented ease-of-use and integration in a customizable solution for IoT applications, home automation, healthcare equipment, sports and fitness monitors, and other wearable smart devices.

The CY8CKIT-042-BLE Development Kit gives users easy access to the Cypress Bluetooth Low Energy devices, while maintaining the design footprint from the PSoC 4 Pioneer kit. The development kit includes a USB Bluetooth Low Energy dongle that pairs with the CySmart master emulation tool, converting a designer's Windows^® PC into a Bluetooth Low Energy debug environment.

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About Cypress
Cypress CY delivers high-performance, high-quality solutions at the heart of today's most advanced embedded systems, from automotive, industrial and networking platforms to highly interactive consumer and mobile devices. With a broad, differentiated product portfolio that includes NOR flash memories, F-RAM™ and SRAM, Traveo™ microcontrollers, the industry's only PSoC programmable system-on-chip solutions, analog and PMIC Power Management ICs, CapSense capacitive touch-sensing controllers, and Wireless BLE Bluetooth Low-Energy and USB connectivity solutions, Cypress is committed to providing its customers worldwide with consistent innovation, best-in-class support and exceptional system value. To learn more, go to www.cypress.com.

Cypress, the Cypress logo, PSoC and CapSense are registered trademarks and F-RAM and Traveo are trademarks of Cypress Semiconductor Corp. All other trademarks are property of their owners.

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SOURCE Cypress