What’s a Gadget Freak? They are part-time inventors who are students, engineers, retired engineers, educators—you name it. Allied Electronics has been a ling-time sponsor of this group featured in DesignNews .
Just recently, a gathering of over 150 Gadget Freaks attended a Gadget Freak Workshop, just one of the exciting events at Pacific Design and Manufacturing show in Anaheim, CA, to experience the full capability of a seemingly simple PC board “Gadget” inserted into their show badges. Using components by Allied Electronics containing some Microchip components including an 8-bit microcontroller, and a Semtech RF transceiver, attendees will be sporting a name badge around their neck that can light up another Gadget Freak’s badge LEDs within 100 feet when a button is pushed. A cute and novel trinket for these Gadget Freaks who later commented that during this two-day event at the Center Stage area of the show, they had learned how to unlock the power of these boards and the powerful technology they will take home.
Microchip senior application engineer, Brian Bailey, showed the attendees how they could apply the technology to security systems, automotive alarms, RC controllers and door locks with high security levels.
Bailey will be sending the Gadget Freaks, at their request, his source code. They will also be able to purchase the “DM182017-4 Wireless Security Remote Control Development Kit 433.92 MHz Ultimate KeeLoq® on the Allied Electronics site when they return home.
I think you will be seeing electronics being integrated more and more into these UBM Canon events in the future, attracting the electronics design community in addition to the huge audiences that traditionally attend these shows. It’s a great time to be an engineer!
See also this article on EDN:
MD-M-West-steps-up-its-game-through-Allied-Electronics-at-Center-Stage-Gadget-Freak-event
“I think you will be seeing electronics being integrated more and more into these UBM Canon events in the future, attracting the electronics design community in addition to the huge audiences that traditionally attend these shows. It's a great time to be an engineer!”
Steve, I look forward to read about this subject, I absolutely agree with you, there's a huge potential in being an electronic engineer at the present time!