News & Analysis
Applied Power gathering has the look of a winner
Vincent Biancomano
1/7/2002 9:55 AM EST
I've never been much for generating superlatives, especially ahead of time. But from what I've seen so far, I'd say this year's Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition is going to be among the best ever. In the first place, I like their Web site-not only for its good layout and the information it contains but also for what it implies.
Power's not a glamorous subject, and thus not an easy thing to sell to consumers, would-be designers or whomever. Yet my first read at www.apec-conf.org/A> gave me the feeling the session organizers left nothing out in the spectrum of activity for the event, and that it would be a treat to be in Dallas March 10-14 just from the standpoint of the human-to-human connection.
Moreover, the depth of technical coverage is second to none. It looks to be a designer's dream, for everyone from the novice engineer to the expert looking to gain an extra edge.
There will be 15 professional education seminars covering practical power supply design, modeling, alternative energy sources and thermal management, among other topics. There will be 26 technical sessions covering every remaining aspect of practical design, from dc/dc converters and switchers to single-phase and three-phase systems to UPSes and power management. There will be three "rap sessions" (actual session title) for roundtable discussion and a sharing of experiences on the 42-volt automotive bus, building ASICs and contract manufacturing. Last but not least, there will be nearly 150 vendors on the exhibitors' floor to showcase their new products.
Will the show deliver? If the Web site is any indication, I have no doubt it will. When power is carefully and suitably presented, people will come. (Curiously, they say the same for things like jazz, but I've never liked jazz much except for the period from 1950-1965-and Stan Kenton's band was the best, by far!) Unlike jazz, power is a mainstream thing, and whenever you deliver the power goods in an easy, comprehensive way, everyone in the electronics realm finds a natural need and desire to get involved.
