Jon Titus wrote:

Design News Gadget Freak Submission Guidelines

Your project could get you $500 from Design News if we use it in print or online at www.designnews.com. Typical Gadget Freak projects incorporate electric, electronic, or electromechanical components.

Your information should let someone familiar with electronics understand your project and how it operates, and it should include enough details so someone could construct and use your circuit or adapt it to their own design.

Before you submit a Gadget Freak entry, review other Gadget Freak projects on the Design News Website.

To be considered for publication your Gadget Freak submission must include:

1) Description: Please submit five to 10 paragraphs that describe what your project is, what it does, how you built it, and how it works. Readers need a clear description of your project to help them understand how your project operates, and what specific components and modules do, and how they work. If your project requires special materials, gears, assembly instructions, etc., please include the necessary specifications and information.

2) Build Instructions. This information must include a complete schematic diagram and, if applicable, mechanical drawings. Typical problems with schematic submissions include unconnected signals, unlabeled components, incorrect pin or contact numbers, inconsistent connector and component labels, and incomplete circuit information. Supply drawings in a high-resolution format that can be opened as a JPG image or PDF file. Please don't send CAD-output files. (NOTE: ExpressPCB, for example, offers a free schematic-capture program with many electronic symbols).
If you use software, the build instructions should include the program listing. If you use separate hardware and software to program a device, tell your audience what you used, for example, a Microchip PICkit 3 programmer and the MPLAB tools. We strongly encourage well-commented code.

3) A short video of your project in either FLV, AVI, or MOV format, with a maximum run time of about four (4) minutes. (Most phone cameras do not produce acceptable videos.)

4) Color photos to show off your project so people understand how it goes together and how it works. Please send a maximum of 12 high-resolution (300 dpi) images in either a .jpg or .tif/.eps format. (jpg preferred.)

5) A complete parts list. Your parts list, or bill of materials (BOM) must include columns labeled Amount, Description, and Allied Part #. A description MUST include a part's electrical units, such as 10 kΩ Resistor, 10 pF Capacitor, SPST Relay, etc.
For a good sample bill-of-materials template, go here:
Allied Electronics sponsors the Design News Gadget Freak section, so check your BOM against parts in the Allied catalog or website and include Allied part numbers for as many components as possible. Please double check part numbers before submitting.
If you list non-Allied parts, just include the info on the part but don't bother with a link.
DO NOT include non-standard parts described as "from old laptop" or "salvaged from old equipment" unless the part is common enough to be readily available elsewhere or unless the builder can easily adapt another component or part to the project.

6) An entry must include your name, mailing address, physical address, phone number, and email address. The Gadget Freak editor might need to contact you quickly for more information or details.

7) Label your files in a form similar to: Jones Framostan Radio BOM, Jones Framostan Radio Schematic, Jones Framostan Photo 1, and so on. Compress them all into a ZIP file and send the ZIP file to:

Jon Titus, Design News contributing technical editor jontitus@comcast.net Please put "Gadget Freak" somewhere in the subject line. If you have any questions, please contact Jon by email.
If your ZIP file exceeds 8 Mbytes, contact Jon by email for FTP-upload information.