element14 invites engineers to 'RoadTest' new technologies

UK: element14 has launched a RoadTest Group on its site, providing users the opportunity to trial and review the newest technologies from a variety of industryleading manufacturers. The initial offer is for 50 Freescale RD3803MMA7660FC evaluation kits and 5 Altera Niois II embedded evaluation kits.

element14 will continually update the RoadTest Group, in line with its continued commitment providing electronic design engineers with the latest innovations and new technologies.

Engineers interested in this complimentary offer can sign up to test the product of their choice at http://www.element-14.com/community/groups/roadtest through December 31, 2009. Importantly the group will also offer members a platform to discuss their own experiences with the products on test.

Freescales’ RD3803MMA7660FC is designed to provide the user with a complete out of the box experience to evaluate the MMA7660FC, a low power, 3-axis linear accelerometer with 12C digital output. The kit contains the evaluation board, plus the daughter board, PC application and corresponding device collateral.

Altera’s Cyclone III Edition Nios II kit is a feature-rich, low cost platform that provides a fast and simple hands-on way for embedded designers to assess the Nios II processor, SOPC Builder system design software and custom applications. The kit includes the Nios II Embedded Design Suite, a complete design suite for embedded software development, several tutorials and 10 design examples with full source code.

element14 will be leveraging the power of its Community to highlight the kits from Freescale and Altera, both of whom have their own interactive groups within the web 2.0 site.

element14 is a natural platform for this offering as the website creates a unique online environment, providing the global electronic design engineering community with a vast array of product data, design tools, technology information and the capabilities for public or private collaboration with peers and experts.

"Freescale is excited that the MMA7660 will be promoted in element14’s RoadTest Group, because it's a great way to let design engineers test drive our new products,” said Michelle Kelsey, Marketing Manager, Inertial Sensors, Freescale.

“Freescale’s cost-effective, low-power MMA7660 accelerometer integrates a number of smart motion features such as orientation, shake and tap detection with auto wake-up/sleep detection, in a compact 3x3x0.9mm package.”