2025: Component Misuse Contest Kicks Off on Our Site - The Competition Ensues!
The Component Abuse Challenge is back, encouraging creators to think outside the box and use electronic components for purposes not listed on their labels. This year's contest, sponsored by DigiKey, offers three $150 gift certificates for the top projects in various categories.
The challenge, running until November 11th, is open for projects that push components to their maximum ratings or beyond. One intriguing category is the Out of Spec, where participants are encouraged to show how hard they can push components before they fail, with a focus on projects dancing on the edge of the abyss and surviving.
In the Bizarro World category, participants are invited to turn components upside down and show what they can do. The Side Effects category encourages creators to turn component spec variations with temperature into useful applications, such as thermometers. A classic example of this is using LEDs as light sensors, an idea that still welcomes new takes.
Diodes, for instance, function as excellent thermometers due to their forward voltage varying with temperature. Similarly, the humble LED can both glow and function as a thermometer. A broken inductor can even be used as a bike chain sensor.
Photo-diodes, on the other hand, are not just photocells but radiation detectors. Carl Bujega's self-soldering four-layer PCB heats up resistors, while [anneosaur] uses the thermochromic paint effect to brighten our days. Daniel Valuch takes the design into the matrix, but the details of his project are yet to be revealed.
The ancient clock of [Sprite_tm]'s lays the foundation for a new design. The winners of the 2025 One-Hertz Challenge, each awarded a $150 gift certificate by DigiKey, were announced but their individual names are not listed in the provided search results. The challenge involved doing something at a frequency of one Hertz, and DigiKey sponsored the prizes.
In addition to the main categories, there are honorable mention categories: Bizarro World, Side Effects, Out of Spec, and Junk Box Substitutions. The Junk Box Substitutions category encourages participants to share their stories of using unexpected parts to achieve their goals.
Projects can be entered on the contest's website. So, if you're ready to push the limits, showcase your creativity, and win some exciting prizes, don't miss out on this year's Component Abuse Challenge!
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