Free STM32F103RG (1MByte flash) kit for USA residents (only)

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Free STM32F103RG (1MByte flash) kit for USA residents (only)

(13 posts) (6 voices)

Started 5 years ago by gbulmer
Latest reply from mbolivar

gbulmer
Moderator

I noticed ST are running an STM32 design competition for US residents only.
http://www.stm32challenge.com/

To encourage participation they are offering a free STM32F103RGT6 kit.
"The Discovery Kit for STM32 Design Challenge includes an STM32F103RGT6 (Download Datasheet pdf), STM32F103 XL-Density Performance Line microcontroller with 1 MByte of embedded Flash, and an in-circuit ST-Link debugger/programmer to debug Discovery applications and other target applications."

The datasheet is here http://www.stm32challenge.com/sites/default/files/resource/Datasheet.pdf

Maybe ST could give Leaflabs a large supply of free STM32F103RGT6, and subsidies manufacturing, so we can enter the competition too, but using a reduced cost Maple ?-)

I should add, it annoys me when, in the age of the Internet, a global company like ST Micro, restrict free support to a nation with one of the highest levels of disposable income per/capita in the world. The one nation where the cost of the hardware would be the smallest disincentive.

Oh well, I guess I am just an old woolly liberal who believes in fair opportunity for all, or economic decisions with a rational basis. D'oh!

Posted 5 years ago #
snigelen
Member

Here you can get a stm32 value line discovery kit for free were ever you are. And the chance to win a Harley Davidson!

Posted 5 years ago #
gbulmer
Moderator

sniglen - nice work - thank you very much for the link. I had not seen that. I hope lots of forum members enter.

(I'm not sure I feel as excited about winning a 'Harley as I would be about winning money :-)
That may be a bias because Harley D's have a poor reputation for fuel economy, my granddad had some beautiful old British motor bikes (like an Aerial Square Four ;-), and I don't ride a motor bike (at one time, in the UK, motor cycle riders were 600 times more likely to be injured in a accident than car drivers !-(

I have already bought some STM32VLDISCOVERY boards (based on STM32F100), and hope to find time to fiddle with them.

It is the 1MByte flash STM32F103RG that I was sad that I was excluded from.
IMHO, my ideas are likely to be no worse than those of a USA resident. IMHO, USA vs ROW seems a somewhat arbitrary delineation in a technology-centric Internet connected world.

Also ST Micro are headquartered in Europe, so why exclude their European colleagues? Weird.

Posted 5 years ago #
poslathian
LeafLabs

That is weird. Probably some laws about giving away free stuff for contests. Ehh, actually I have no idea, but its probably a legal thing. I wish you could buy these RG's, can seem to find them anywhere.

Posted 5 years ago #
gbulmer
Moderator

Probably some laws about giving away free stuff for contests.

You may be right, but the laws I am aware of work the opposite way.

If something is claimed to be a competition, you CAN'T insist people MUST buy something off you to enter. Competitions are very easy to set up, pretty much anyone can do it. It is easy to see that no gambing is involved.

Otherwise if you insist folks must buy something in order to enter, it is gambling or a lottery. It is like buying a lottery ticket (with an STM32F103RG inside:-), which comes under a different set of laws, and is gaming and gambling. It is harder to set up, and some of the income must be paid to the government. I think most of this is the same in the USA.

A possibility struck me. The Americas marketing director asked first for the budget to do this, and the other marketing directors weren't quick enough.

It still seems a bit weird as their is the STM32VLDISCOVERY 'competition' running, so their shouldn't be anything fundamental that prevents ST offering the STM32F103RG's to the rest of the world.

Posted 5 years ago #
Silntknight
Moderator

I'll enter. I'm still a little confused about what I am supposed to do, but I'll work that out later. Free stuff and possibly a Harley...

Posted 5 years ago #
gbulmer
Moderator

Silntknight - be quick! if the text is as poslathian suggests, there may be a position to take that entering implies winning (their use of "and").

Free STM32F with 1MByte flash
*and*
free Harley!-)

Posted 5 years ago #
soundcyst
Member

careful, they'll own an irrevocable perpetual license to use your design.

it's not exclusive, but it's worth noting.

and ST had/has a separate design contest for europe and/or asia. it's on hackaday somewhere

Posted 5 years ago #
gbulmer
Moderator

soundcyst - AFAIK they are giving STM32F development boards for registering for the competition. The board is to help folks design something. AFAIK, they don't take it back if you don't succeed (in creating something brilliant).

I know there is an ST competition in Europe.
I am whining because the Europeans get a board with an STM32F100RB, and the Americas get STM32F103RG.

Posted 5 years ago #
Silntknight
Moderator

I registered; it was pretty easy. Yes, you get a board right away (I believe). Also, Soundcyst, I'm not too worried about that. I was going to be open source with my code and PCB anyway, so it makes no difference to me.

Posted 5 years ago #
mbolivar
LeafLabs

careful -- there's a distinction to be made between granting someone perpetual license to use your design and "open sourcing" it, depending on the license you choose. this is no time for a gpl vs. bsd debate (is it ever time?), but you should perhaps familiarize yourself with each to see why.

Posted 5 years ago #
Silntknight
Moderator

What I meant was, I hardly care what happens to it after I design it. I need it for a project. Whatever goes on after is up to chance.

Posted 5 years ago #
mbolivar
LeafLabs

fair enough.

Posted 5 years ago #

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