APEC

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PSMA Meeting Schedule at APEC 2023 (PDF)

The Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC2023), to be held in Orlando, Florida, March 19-23, 2023, will feature three Industry Sessions organized by the PSMA Semiconductor Committee. These sessions will include a combined total of 21 presentations from leading experts in the field representing 17 companies and academic institutions.

The series of Industry Sessions will address topics of both interest and concern as designers address the decision to apply GaN and SiC technologies, with each session focusing on one aspect of the topic. The three sessions are as follows:

• IS03: Modern Power Semiconductor Technology Ambitions & Applications
  Session Chairs: Sandeep Bahl, Texas Instruments, and Renee Yawger, Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC)
  Time: Tuesday March 21, 8:30 - 11:55 AM
• IS08:  Integrated WBG Semiconductors - Enhancing Power Density and Reducing Part Count
  Session Chairs: Ajay Hari, onsemi, and Llew Vaughan-Edmunds, Navitas Semiconductor
  Time: Wednesday March 22, 8:30 - 11:55 AM
• IS17: New Challenges and Solutions in Test and Characterization of WBG Power Devices
  Session Chairs: Jaume Roig, onsemi, and Stephanie Watts Butler, WattsButler LLC
  Time: Thursday March 24, 1:45 – 3:25 PM

“The power electronics universe is expanding exponentially through the amalgamation of yesterday with today and tomorrow,” commented Reenu Garg, Co-Chair of the PSMA Semiconductor Committee. Jaume Roig, Committee Co-Chair continued, “Our seasoned speakers are unleashing tomorrow’s technology for power semiconductor devices. Take a seat and be inspired.” Tim McDonald, Committee Co-Chair, expressed his admiration and gratitude to the PSMA Semiconductor Committee members for their time, effort and expertise to organize three outstanding industry sessions.

Reenu, Jaume and Tim encourage everyone to register for APEC and attend these valuable industry sessions and to consider participating in the other PSMA-sponsored Industry Sessions during the week.

PSMA Semiconductor Committee Meeting Notice

All APEC attendees are invited to participate in the PSMA Semiconductor Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in room Salon 13 at the Rosen Centre, Orlando, FL, to plan the program for the coming year.  Participants are also encouraged to participate in the other PSMA-sponsored meetings being held throughout the week.

The PSMA Packaging & Manufacturing Committee is sponsoring an Industry Session at APEC 2023 titled, “Latest 3D-Packaging Technology for Power Electronics.” Featuring speakers from leading industry and research organizations, the session (IS10) will focus on new packaging technologies that can be used to achieve advanced performance in high density power solutions.

The session will take place on Wednesday morning, March 22nd, 2023, from 8:30 - 11:55 a.m. at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

The session includes seven presentations:

• Manufacturing Challenges and Qualification of 3D Packaging; Charles Woychik, Skywater Technology Foundry
• Sintering Innovations for Power Electronics Packaging & Assembly; Gyan Dutt, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions
• Voice of the Customer presentation on Form Factor by IBM; Eric Swenson, IBM
• Aluminium liquid cooled heatsink and Friction Stir Welding (FSW): a high efficiency and low-cost solution for EV thermal management; Laurent Dubourg, Stirweld
• Power Module Packaging Using Direct Write Technology; Mark Poliks, Binghamton University
• Power Electronics Packaging - Engineering Art and System Perspective; Richard Zhang, Virginia Tech CPES
• Scalable Magnetic Thin Film Multilayering Technology for Power Inductor Integration in Laminates; Pulugurtha Raj, Florida International University

John Bultitude, Session Co-Chair, commented, “Interconnect technologies and new materials are important to achieve advanced electrical performance and thermal management. The 2023 session will provide insight into innovative manufacturing processes to assemble these new technologies with a diverse range of presentations describing advanced power packaging through a broad range of power levels.”  Session Co-Chair, Brian Narveson, continued, “This session will provide valuable insights to system and design engineers, program managers and researchers working on projects where decreased size and improved efficiency are required.”John and Brian encourage everyone to register for APEC and attend this valuable industry session and to consider attending the other PSMA-sponsored Industry Sessions during the week.

PSMA Packaging & Manufacturing Committee Meeting Notice

The APEC 2023 Conference Committee met in Orlando last month. The Committee toured the Orange County Convention Center to review and adjust the allocation of meeting rooms for all the sessions and seminars. The meeting also included discussion of the agenda for the Monday afternoon Plenary Session and the selection of the offerings for the Sunday and Monday Professional Education Seminars. The Technical Session Chairs reported on the selection of papers to be presented and the Industry Session Chairs provided an update on the full slate of tracks. In addition, we learned about the plans for three great "Rap Session" that will take place following the close of the exhibits on Tuesday evening. And speaking about the exhibits, the Committee also toured the expansive exhibit space. As of early October, almost 220 exhibitors have signed up and there is every expectation that there will be a sold-out exhibit hall with upwards of 280 companies showing their latest products and services.

Here's a quick rundown of the APEC 2023 program and what attendees can look forward to next March in Orlando:

• March 19-20   Professional Education Seminars

  Once again, this year, these valuable and informative half-day seminars are included in the Full Conference Registration.

• March 20         Plenary Sessions

  Open to all attendees, this year's line-up of presenters is promising to be an event not-to-be missed. The Plenary Presentation hall is being set for an audience of more than two thousand attendees.

• March 20-22    Exhibit Hall

  As always, the opening reception is scheduled from 5-8 PM on Monday evening with hosted food and drinks. And returning this year, the popular Micro Mouse Competition will take place in the Exhibit Hall. In addition, plans are underway to also a robotics competition.

• March 21-24   Technical Sessions

  These peer-reviewed technical presentations will include the latest developments and research. Plan to stay through Thursday so you don't miss any of these great sessions.

• March 21-24   Industry Sessions

  These are always popular sessions featuring the latest in commercial applications and important new trends and products.

• March 22        Rap Sessions

  Three controversial topics will be covered in the Rap Sessions on Tuesday, right after the exhibits close at 5:00 p.m. Grab a cool beverage and bring your questions for the panelists.

• March 23         Social Event

  The event will soon be officially announced, but I can tell you the Conference Committee is planning an event you will want to attend. The Wednesday evening event offers a great opportunity to socialize and network with colleagues the evening before the final day of conference sessions on Thursday.

Registration opened in mid-November with Early Bird Pricing discounts until Monday January 23, 2023. Remember, you need to register to get access to the discounted hotel reservations. These special hotel blocks will sell out well before March.

On the Saturday prior to the start of APEC2023, PSMA and PELS will again be sponsoring two workshops, the 8th High Frequency Magnetics Workshop and the 6th Capacitor Workshop. For more information see the articles on each workshop in this issue of the UPDATE.

Speaking for all of us on the APEC Conference Committee, I invite you to come to Orlando to be part of our annual gathering. You really don't want to miss it.  Check the APEC website for details
.
If you haven't already made plans to attend, don't wait any longer. Be sure you have it in your 2023 budget to attend this exceptional event – truly it is 

 The Premier Event in Applied Power Electronics™

Provided by Greg Evans, APEC 2023 Publicity Chair

The 2022 PSMA Planning Meeting was held on Saturday October 15, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency Orlando in Orlando, FL with 28
attendees, including 5 who attended remotely. The purpose of the Planning Meeting was to review where the Association is today, discuss outstanding issues and to identify possible new programs and projects that promise to bring value to the membership.

President Trifon Liakopoulos, who was in Orlando, welcomed all the attendees and reviewed the agenda for the meeting. Chair Fred Weber, who attended virtually, introduced the Executive Committee for 2022 – 2024 and briefly reviewed the mission and current status of the Association. Fred highlighted some of the successes over the past year including the return to an in-person APEC conference, leveraging new revenue sources, and strengthening PSMA's partnerships with other key industry organizations. He then presented areas for future focus which include increasing membership through multiple channels, encouraging more technical committee collaboration, continued collaborations between the PSMA and iNEMI roadmap efforts, and identifying future special projects that will bring value to our members and the industry.

Following Fred's remarks there were presentations from each of the other Executive Committee members.

Financial Forecast
Tim McDonald, Secretary/Treasurer, presented the latest 6-Quarter financial forecast. Tim indicated that in 2021 the forecast was extended to 10-Quarters due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, but this report returned to a 6-Quarter format as circumstances continue to stabilize. The 6-Quarter forecast projects growth in underwriting revenue in support of the Roadmap, increased dues income from the 2023 rate increase, APEC income recovering, together with continued sponsorship of workshops and conferences.

In summary, the forecast indicates the Association to be on solid financial footing over the 6-Quarter period and poised for growth. Assuming no unforeseen developments, there should be modest funding available to support Special Projects that promise to bring value to the membership and the industry.

KPIs-Metrics that Matter
Renee Yawger, Vice President, reviewed the KPIs – Key Performance Indicators - currently being tracked. KPIs are metrics that matter which provide information on the relative success of current activities, identify opportunities to improve the activities of the Technical Committees, improve the effectiveness of the website, workshops, special projects, and webinars, and hopefully will enhance efforts to attract new membership.  Current KPI areas include Membership - Growth, Retention and Market Share; Special Projects and Events, and Website – Traffic and Behavior.

Tracking KPIs is a new initiative for PSMA, and Renee emphasized that for this effort to provide actionable analytics to help guide us going forward, it will take time and multiple iterations to calibrate target KPIs. She recommended that committees be responsible for setting KPIs that are appropriate to their membership and objectives.

President's Themes
Trifon Liakopoulos reviewed the Executive Committee Vision for 2020 – 2025, including the 4 pillars for sustenance and smart growth – Keep the good stuff; Define and integrate metrics to monitor the parameters that matter; Become more applications and problems oriented; Strategic collaborations; and engage more with stakeholders.

APEC Industry Session Update
Dhaval Dalal, APEC Industry Session Co-Chair, introduced the new APEC Industry Session Co-Chairs, Deepak Veereddy and Laszlo Balogh. He then provided an update on the status of 2023 APEC Industry Sessions.  This year saw a large increase in overall Industry Session submissions, both for individual submissions and full session proposals. Based on this growth, the committee have expanded to 6 parallel tracks. Even with the expanded number of tracks, difficult decisions had to be made due to the overall high quality of submissions received. Dhaval then provided the Industry Session schedule and reviewed the timeline for upcoming deadlines.

Committee Updates
There was a report from each of the PSMA Technical Committees that summarized their accomplishments over the past year and focused on ongoing programs and projects for 2023. Ten of the technical committees have submitted proposals to organize full Industry Sessions at APEC 2023 and all technical committees will be supporting the Power Technology Roadmap effort.

In addition:

• Transportation Committee Co-chair Fred Weber provided a review of the Vehicle Electrification Workshop held virtually in September and lessons learned. The workshop was recorded, and the committee plans to offer access to the presentations and recordings.
• Semiconductor Committee Co-Chair Tim McDonald reported that the committee meets monthly with active participation from member companies. The committee plans to sponsor 3 Industry Sessions at APEC 2023: "Integrated WBG Semiconductors: Enhancing Power Density & Reducing Part Count," New Challenges and Solutions in Test and Characterization of WBG Power Devices," and "Modern Power Semiconductor Technology Ambitions & Applications."
• Brian Zahnstecher and Crystal Yannarella, Reliability Committee APEC Industry Session Co-chairs, reported on the Industry Session the committee is organizing for APEC 2023, "Meeting Reliability Objectives for each application is an art with no universal solution." The committee is currently looking for Co-Chairs since Brian Zahnstecher stepped down as Chair earlier in 2022.
• Dhaval Dalal, Power Technology Roadmap Committee Co-chair, reported that the committee published the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report earlier this year and thanked everyone who contributed to the report. He reviewed some of the lessons learned from the 2022 PTR and the future outlook. The committee is considering organizing a focus group during APEC 2023. The 2022 PTR webinars have recently resumed, and they are looking for additional webinar topics and presenters from the other PSMA Technical Committees.
• The Packaging & Manufacturing Committee Co-chairs John Bultitude, Brian Narveson, and Ernie Parker submitted a report that was presented by John Horzepa. There are 10-15 participants typically attending the monthly committee meetings, as well as committee members serving on the Steering or Technical Committees for the workshops the committee supports including 3D-PEIM, IWIPP and PwrSoC. The committee is interested in a special project Technology Report on "Integrated and Embedded Magnetics for Power Sources." They will submit a special project proposal when resources allow.
• Marketing Committee Co-Chair Chris Whaling provided a summary of the committee activities over the past year. He reported that the committee is currently actively working on strategies to increase PSMA membership and engagement. A 6-month Social Media Special Project was recently approved to support this effort and the mission of PSMA. The committee will be tracking KPIs and is planning several initiatives to support this project.
• Magnetics Committee Co-Chair George Slama reported the committee is organizing the 8th High Frequency Magnetics Workshop the day prior to APEC 2023. The committee is interested in expanding their activities beyond the workshops and Industry Sessions, including updating the website forum and increasing engagement with others, including inviting presenters from academia and industry to monthly meetings, engaging with TTA, and collaborating with other PSMA committees.
• John Horzepa presented the Industry-Education Committee report prepared with Gerry Moschopoulos, Committee Chair. The committee has been quite active in 2022. They continue to support the APEC Student Attendance Support program, which, together with PELS and IAS, provided up to a total of $40,000 for expenses for student presenters to attend APEC 2022 and will continue the program for APEC 2023. The committee collaborated with IEEE PELS on the 2021-2022 Young Professionals Seminar Series, and participated in the Young Professionals and Women in Engineering events at APEC 2022 and ECCE 2022.
• Energy Storage Committee Co-chair Victor Boyadzhan reported that the committee includes representatives from academia and industry and continues to cooperate with the Capacitor, Energy Management and other technical committees since energy storage is recognized as a critical technological focus for the overall power sources industry.
• Energy Management Committee Chair David Chen reviewed the activities of the committee. The committee will be sponsoring a webinar series on Appliance Energy Efficiency Regulations starting in October 2022. The committee recently submitted a comment letter to the DoE on EPS Conservation Standards.  They also continue to support the Energy Efficiency Data Base which tracks a growing list of countries and agencies involved with energy efficiency regulations.
• Brian Zahnstecher, Energy Harvesting Committee Co-chair, reported that the committee meets monthly with an average of 12 attendees on each call, including new guest(s) most months. Brian shared some of the highlights from EnerHarv 2022 Workshop recently held in Raleigh, NC. Committee Members are active participants in collaborations with other committees, including contributing speakers for Industry Sessions, providing a Keynote on Low Power Telemetry at 3D-PEIM-2023, as well as outside groups including the EU Project. Mike Hayes, Committee co-chair, expressed his disappointment about the Thursday slot the committee has been assigned for an Industry Session at APEC 2023.
• Andrew Mikulski, Capacitor Committee Co-chair, reported that the Committee has 3 new co-chairs, sharing the committee responsibilities. He leads the organizing of the annual APEC Industry Session, Frank Puhane is responsible for the annual pre-APEC workshop, and Stephan Menzel is responsible for webinars. The committee meets monthly, with 10-12 people typical on each call, although recent meetings have not been well attended. The committee is planning their 6th pre-APEC workshop in 2023. They also plan to restart the Capacitor Fundamentals webinar series with all new material.

During the Committee Reports a number of issues and possible future activities were identified and discussed. These issues will be the focus for PSMA over the next year (and beyond). The Executive Committee will summarize these ideas and the proposed initiatives for 2023.

PTR Cycle Length Proposal
Dhaval Dalal, Power Technology Roadmap Committee Co-Chair, presented the committee's proposal to move to a 3-year cycle. He provided an overview of the history and evolution of the PSMA Power Technology Roadmap which began in 1994 and was published on a 3-year cycle until 2009, moved to a 2-year cycle from 2009 – 2019, and then was postponed from 2021 to 2022 due to the Pandemic effect. Dhaval outlined some of the key benefits of returning to a 3-year cycle, including increased webinar contact and a greater ability to truly capture emerging trends, as well as reducing the burden on volunteers and allowing for a better survey effort. He also addressed some of the concerns that may arise from this change including the perception of reduced value to members and potential for missing major technology transitions.

During the discussion on this topic, there was overall agreement on the proposal to move to a 3-year cycle and several ideas were proposed to address potential concerns and to provide content to PSMA members during the off years.
 
PSMA members can view the minutes of the Planning Meeting on the "Members Only" section of the PSMA web site.

Prior to the PSMA Planning Meeting, the APEC Technical Program Committee for APEC 2023 met in the morning and were joined by many of the PSMA members in attendance. Based on the results of the work of the APEC Technical Program Committee,  we can all look forward to a very interesting and a successful APEC 2023.

Attendees of the Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC) will converge in Orlando, FL, March 19-23, 2023. It's been 11 years since APEC was last held in Orlando and it should be great to return to this mecca of family fun and entertainment.

Preparations for our annual world-class, global power electronics conference are well underway. The conference committee is tasked with selecting the nearly 600 peer-reviewed papers from all of those submitted for presentation. A full suite of Industry Sessions as well as a complete schedule of half-day Professional Education Seminars are also being assembled. The Plenary Session Committee is lining up a great selection of industry luminaries to keynote our conference. The Tuesday evening Rap Sessions will again provide entertaining and informative debates.  And, of course, the Exhibit Hall, starting with the hosted reception on Monday evening and continuing Tuesday and Wednesday, will provide attendees with opportunities to speak to manufacturers about their latest product advances. 

Remember, you need to register to get access to the discounted hotel reservations. These special hotel blocks will sell out well before March.

On the Saturday prior to the start of APEC2023, PSMA and PELS will again be sponsoring two workshops, the eighth High Frequency Magnetics Workshop and the sixth Capacitor Workshop. For more information see the articles on each workshop in this issue of the UPDATE.

Speaking for all of us on the APEC Conference Committee, I invite you to come to Orlando to be part of our annual gathering. You really don't want to miss it.  Check the APEC website for details
.
If you haven't already made plans to attend, don't wait any longer. Be sure you have it in your 2023 budget to attend this exceptional event – truly The Premier Event in Applied Power Electronics™

Provided by Greg Evans, APEC 2023 Publicity Chair

Over 40 PSMA members and guests attended the PSMA Annual Meeting, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. The buffet breakfast before the meeting start provided attendees an opportunity for networking and meeting colleagues. The outgoing Chair Mike Hayes officially opened the meeting by welcoming all the attendees and asked each to briefly introduce themselves. Among those present were many of the recipients of the APEC Student Attendance Support. This is the eleventh year the support was provided jointly by IAS, PELS and PSMA.

After the introductions and approval of the 2021 PSMA Annual Meeting Minutes, Treasurer Tim McDonald reviewed the current financial status of PSMA with the current challenges resulting from the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic impacted on the revenue from PSMA sponsored workshops and conferences. As a result of the reductions in income, the Board of Directors have introduced a number of actions to minimize expenditures and generate additional income.

One new revenue generator introduced in 2021 is an Underwriting Program for the Power Technology Roadmap Webinars. To date the program has had moderate success and will be continued for the next Power Technology Roadmap Webinar series that will begin in third Quarter 2022. Meanwhile there has been a hold on financial support for Special Projects by the Technical Committees until the financial situation improves. In addition, the Board is considering an increase in Member Dues starting in 2023 as a way to increase revenues to support Special Projects.

Tim McDonald presented the assumptions for the six-quarter financial forecast and included two scenarios, with and without a dues increase, to show the potential financial impact to the Association. He emphasized that it is important to have the funding to support Special Projects for the benefit of the membership and industry.  

Next on the agenda was the election of four people to the Board of Directors. The following candidates were elected to the Board of Directors for the three-year term (2022-2025):

• Thomas FoulkesPacergy LLC (Affiliate Member)
• Reenu GargMicrochip Technology (Regular Member)
• Trifon LiakopoulosEnaChip Inc. (Regular Member) – second term
• Llew Vaughan-EdmundsNavitas Semiconductor  (Regular Member)

Mike thanked outgoing board members Stephen Oliver, Ralph Taylor and Matt Wilkowski. Mike Hayes and the attendees congratulated and welcomed all four members to the board.

Mike Hayes, reflected on the actives and progress of the Executive Committee over the past two years including more clearly defining the roles of each Executive Committee member, implementing the Power of the Pillars and strengthening our relationship with other industry organizations.
 
Mike then reviewed some of PSMA's major successes over the past year including:

• The 2022 Power Technology Roadmap publication
• Improved branding (new logo, new web site, new PowerPoint templates)
• Creation of the Energy Storage Committee and additional focus of the Industry-Education Committee
• Successful conferences and workshops (APEC, 3D-PEIM, PwrSoC, WiPDA, and EnerHarv coming soon)
• Publication of the Energy Harvesting White Paper
• Prudential financial management that allowed PSMA to weather the Covid-19 storm to date.

Mike then discussed PSMA's strategic direction – IoT, Energy Storage and Smart Mobility. Mike underlined that PSMA's success comes mainly from the efforts of the technical committees. Volunteers are the greatest assets of PSMA and Mike thanked everyone for their contributions.

After his presentation, Mike introduced the newly elected Executive Committee for the term 2022-2024:

• Chair                           Fred Weber
• President                     Trifon Liakopopolos
• Vice President             Renee Yawger
• Secretary/Treasurer     Tim McDonald

Fred Weber, Incoming Chair, thanked Mike for his excellent leadership during the difficult period of the pandemic and his innovations and expanded roles of the Executive Committee. Fred expressed his desire to continue the growth and progress made over the last two years. In his remarks, he highlighted that a number of the Technical Committees need additional leadership support going forward especially the Reliability and Safety & Compliance Committees that currently do not have chairs. He also discussed the need for increased cross collaboration between the Technical Committees.

Fred then briefly reviewed the Power of the Pillars noting that this will be continued as a key focus of the Executive Committee with Trifon Liakopoulos, President, leading the effort for the next 2 years.

Trifon Liakopoulos reported on the current efforts to create and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Focus areas include Membership Growth, with a target of 3% or more annually, Market Share to help to understand what areas should be targeted for increased growth, and member and industry engagement with PSMA Special Projects, Workshops and Webinars. Trifon reviewed membership trends since 2017, broken down by membership category. Renee Yawger, Vice-President, will be leading the KPI effort for the new Executive Committee.

The Chair recognized the contributions of Steve Carlsen, Frank Cirolia, Ed Herbert and Matt Wilkowski for their outstanding leadership and contributions to Technical Committees over the past several years and presented each with a plaque to express the appreciation of PSMA for their service and continued contributions to the Association. He also recognized and presented a Recognition Award to Stephen Oliver for his contributions and more than 10 years of service on the PSMA board. Finally, Mike Hayes was recognized and received a Special Recognition Award with Gavel for his contributions and leadership as the outgoing PSMA Chair.

Each of the PSMA Committees presented their report for the past year and future plans. You can read more about these in the separate article.

Omer Onar, General Chair for APEC 2022, provided an update on the overall conference. APEC 2022 marks the return to an in-person conference, the first one since 2019. APEC 2022 has a full program of events. Paper submissions were down from previous years due to both that APEC 2021 was held in June rather than March and the continued impact of COVID-19.  The schedule includes 45 Technical Sessions, 30 Lecture Sessions and 15 Poster Sessions, 25 Industry Sessions and a full complement of Professional Educational Seminars as well as 3 Rap Sessions, 215 exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall and a Social Event. As of Sunday, there were 2600 total registrations with around 950 paid registrations, this represents about 60% of the most recent pre-pandemic attendance numbers. Pradeep Shenoy will be the General Chair for APEC 2023 which will be held at the March 19-23, 2023 in Orlando, Florida.

The invited speaker at this year's Annual Meeting was Matt Kelly, Chief Technologist of IPC. The title of his presentation was "Factory of the Future and Advanced Packaging for Power Electronics: Needs and Collaboration Opportunities."  Matt introduced IPC to the attendees and highlighted their work in standards and how IPC and PSMA can work together for the betterment of the industry.  His presentation was very well received with an energetic Q&A session following the formal presentation.
 

Before adjourning, Chair Fred Weber asked the attendees for their comments and any suggestions for the future directions and activities for Association that would increase the value of their membership. A number of areas were discussed and will be considered by the Board. Fred thanked all presenters and attendees for their participation and invited interested individuals to attend the March meeting of the PSMA Board of Directors, which immediately followed.

The minutes from the PSMA Annual Meeting have been posted in the Members Only area of the PSMA web site together with the charts from the presentations.

The Annual Meeting, PSMA Committee meetings, as well as the technical sessions, seminars, Industry Presentations, exhibits and other events kept PSMA members busy all the week. The APEC social event gave everyone a chance to relax and enjoy themselves.

There was a full exhibit hall at APEC 2022. Many of the PSMA member companies exhibiting participated in a "Passport" game in which attendees who visited their booths had their passport booklets stamped. Attendees turned in their completed passports for a chance to win prizes donated by Passport Sponsors Rubadue Wire, Premier Magnetics, Microchip and Navitas Semiconductor as well as bonus prizes provided by Power Integrations. Traffic to members' booths was brisk and the lucky winners were very happy with the prizes.

Each of the PSMA Technical Committees provided updates on the recent activities of their committees at the Annual Meeting that was held at APEC 2022 in Houston, TX. In addition, each Committee also held individual face-to-face meetings during the week of APEC 2022.

Fred Weber, Capacitor Committee Co-Chair, reported that the committee meets monthly with 10-12 people attending. The 3 Capacitor Committee co-chairs are each responsible for different activities: APEC Industry Sessions, webinars and organizing the annual Capacitor workshop.

The committee organized and held a successful in-person workshop prior to APEC2022 and has organized a4-Speaker APEC Industry Session The committee made contributions to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap and to the associated Webinar Series. They plan to restart the Capacitor Fundamentals Educational Webinar series with updated material.

Mike Hayes and Brian Zahnstecher, Energy Harvesting Committee Co-Chairs, reported that committee membership continues to grow, and they now have over 50 members from 4 continents, including adding 8 new members in the past year. One of the key activities for the committee this year was the publication of a White Paper, Energy Harvesting for a Green Internet of Things, which was published  in September of 2021. The White Paper was very well received and has been cited in several industry publications since being released.

The Committee also provided several contributions to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report and associated Webinar Series. For APEC2022 they have organized an Industry Session including both presentations and live demos. Finally, the Energy Harvesting Committee has organized and will host the 2022 EnerHarv Workshop in Raleigh, NC two weeks after the conclusion of APEC.

David Chen, PSMA Energy Management Committee Chair

David Chen, Energy Management Committee Chair, reported that the committee meets monthly and has 35 people on the distribution list, with about 12 active members. The committee supported and contributed a webinar to the 2022 Power Technology Report and has organized a six presentation Industry Session for APEC 2022.

The Committee is currently working on an Appliance Energy Efficiency Regulations Roadmap project which is intended to be a slide-deck presentation with staged releases as part of a 2022 webinar series. Committee collaborations include the PSMA Transportation Electronics Committee and the Emerge Alliance. In addition, the Committee oversees both the Energy Efficiency Database and the Safety and Compliance Database which have had continued growth.

Energy Storage Committee Co-Chair Ed Herbert reported the committee began as a subcommittee of the Capacitor and Energy Management Committees and became an official stand-alone Technical Committee in 2021. The Committee organized Industry Sessions for APEC 2021 and APEC 2022. Committee meetings include participation from IEEE PELS TC 5 and Tyndall National Institute which help strengthen PSMA's relationships with other organizations involved with Energy Storage.

John Horzepa reviewed the objectives of the Industry-Education Committee to promote interaction between students and the power electronics industry, to promote opportunities in power electronics to university and pre-university students, and to support young power electronics professionals entering the industry. The committee has been very active over the past year with activities including the APEC Student Attendance Support Program and providing resources on the PSMA website including Student Resumes, University Resources, and Educational courses. The committee initiated a Seminar Series in 2021 with IEEE PELS, with 3 sessions held to date focused on providing helpful information geared to young professionals and more planned for 2022. The Committee will also participate in Young Professionals outreach at APEC 2022 including the IEEE PELS and IAS Young Professionals Social Event and the Women in Engineering Breakfast sponsored by IEEE PELS. 

Ed Herbert, Magnetics Committee Co-Chair, reported that the committee has held monthly meetings this past year with an about 15 committee members attending. The Committee provided several contributions to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report including 3 webinars. The committee has organized an Industry Session for APEC 2022. 

Under the leadership of Matt Wilkowski, George Slama and Ed Herbert, the committee, with technical support from IEEE PELS, organized the seventh pre-APEC high frequency magnetics workshop. The workshop returned to an in-person format in 2022 after holding virtual workshops the past 2 years. An eighth workshop is being planned for APEC 2023.

Greg Evans, PSMA Marketing Committee Co-Chair

Greg Evans, Marketing Committee Co-Chair, provided an overview of the committee and highlighted some of the activities on its current agenda. The main focus of the committee recently has been to increase PSMA membership. Chris Whaling, Committee Co-Chair, is leading a sub-committee focused on this effort. The Committee has been leveraging social media to promote PSMA events and activities without incurring the expense for press releases. The committee has also been involved in giving input and review for the new PSMA website. The committee updated and printed a new PSMA Membership Brochure and continued the Passport Program for Exhibitors at APEC2022.

Power Packaging and Manufacturing Committee Co-Chair, John Bultitude, reported that the committee has about 25 active members, with 10-15 attending each monthly meeting. The Committee has organized a seven presentation Industry Session for APEC 2022 and is also supporting several upcoming Workshop events, including IWIPP 2022, 3D-PEIM 2023 and PwrSoC 2023. Committee members continue to participate in the collaborative efforts between PSMA and IPC and iNEMI. The Committee also contributed to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report and Webinar Series.

The Packaging and Manufacturing Committee sees a need in the industry for a Special Project Technology Report focused on Integrated and Embedded Magnetics for Power Sources. This Special Project could be a done in conjunction with the Magnetics Committee when financial resources become available.

Dhaval Dalal and Conor Quinn, Power Technology Roadmap Committee Co-Chairs, reported that the committee has completed work on the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report which has been published and will be distributed to the membership. In support of the Roadmap, the committee organized a record 22 Technical Webinars with excellent attendance. The 2022 Report includes a new section on DC-AC inverters and some existing sections were revamped.

At APEC2022, there will be a Plenary Presentation presented by Ritu Sodhi on the evolution of the PSMA Power Technology Roadmaps. Conor and Dhaval extended their appreciation to all who helped make the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap a success. The committee will be meeting during APEC2022 to discuss plans for the next Roadmap effort.

Brian Zahnstecher, Reliability Committee Chair, reported that the committee meets monthly with 17 members on the committee distribution list. Brian announced that he is stepping down as Chair and a new Chair is needed.  He thanked everyone on the Committee and the PSMA Board for their support during his time as Chair. The Committee recently sponsored an EPSMA webinar that was very well attended and has facilitated the collaboration with IPC for a new Standard (IPC 2701) with and in person meeting scheduled for the week of APEC. The Committee also contributed to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report and Webinar Series.

John Horzepa reported that the Safety & Compliance Committee is currently dormant and in need of new leadership. The Committee hosted two webinars in 2021on EMC that were presented by Recom Power which were well received with excellent attendance.  A Committee meeting is scheduled during APEC to see if there is interest in reviving the committee.

Reenu Garg, PSMA Semiconductor Committee Co-Chair

Reenu Garg, Co-Chair of the Semiconductor Committee, reported the committee meets monthly and has been very active this past year. The committee has organized three Industry Sessions for APEC 2022, "Integration in WBG Semiconductors: Increased Power Density and Advanced Functionalities at Application Level," "SiC and GaN Product and Technology Reliability, Robustness and Qualification" and "Power Devices – Performance, Achievements and Road Ahead" The sessions include a total of 18 presentations.

The committee has also provided support to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap including organizing a component section and contributing several webinars to the Roadmap Webinar Series. The committee supports the Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications (WiPDA) which was held virtually in 2021 and plans an in-person workshop in Redondo Beach, CA in 2022.

Fred Weber, Transportation Electronics Committee Co-Chair, reported the committee meets monthly with 12-15 people attending each meeting. The committee has been very active this past year and has organized an Industry Session for APEC 2022 "Transportation Electronics, Faster, Cheaper, Lighter." The Committee is currently planning a virtual Workshop on Vehicle Electrification to be held in 2022. The workshop is collaborating with IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference (ITEC) to cross promote both events. A critical focus for the Committee is to extend their reach into Autonomous Vehicle Technology.

More information about the PSMA committees was made available during the week at the individual committee meetings. PSMA members and guests were encouraged to attend these meetings to learn more about the committees and to help plan activities for the coming year.

All PSMA Technical Committee meetings are held via a monthly one hour webconference and are open to individuals interested in learning about and participating in the work of the committees. You can see the schedule of upcoming meetings at https://www.psma.com/news/meeting-schedule. This is an excellent way to network with others and to influence the technical direction of the committees.

APEC 2022 marked a return from the pandemic to an in-person event, and PSMA partnered with IEEE PELS and IEEE IAS to engage with Young Professionals and Women in Engineering during the conference. On Tuesday, March 22 representatives of several PSMA Technical Committees and the PSMA Office attended the IEEE IAS/PELS Young Professionals Reception.  The event provided an opportunity for IAS, PELS and PSMA committee representatives to interact with young professionals excited to attend the in-person conference. PSMA was represented by Mike Hayes, Energy Harvesting Committee; Frank Puhane, Capacitor Committee; Jaume Roig, Semiconductor Committee, Brian Zahnstecher, Reliability Committee; and John Horzepa, PSMA Office.  On behalf of PSMA, Mike Hayes provided attendees with an introduction to PSMA at the beginning of the event.  After the introductions of each organization, the reception provided the Young Professionals an informal opportunity to network and mingle. All of the PSMA representatives were impressed by the Young Professionals they met and felt they had good conversations with this next generation of Power Electronics Professionals. They look forward to future engagements in the PSMA committees with these Young Professionals.

The next morning, March 23, PSMA was invited to attend the Women in Engineering (WiE) breakfast sponsored by IEEE PELS.  John Horzepa of the PSMA office and PSMA Vice President Renee Yawger represented PSMA.  Stephanie Watts-Butler, WiE Steering Committee Member, introduced the various organizations represented and encouraged the attendees to talk to as many groups as possible.  John and Renee had several good conversations with the women (and men!) attending the breakfast and encouraged all of them to become active in PSMA committees and activities.  There was a lot of interest in what PSMA is doing and how the attendees can engage.

Both events were a welcome opportunity to be out and interacting with new potential members in a live face-to-face setting instead of via a Zoom call.  There was a lot of excitement from the attendees to understand what PSMA is doing and how PSMA can help them advance their careers.

We look forward to continuing the interactions with these groups during APEC2023.

Since APEC 2016 was being held in virtually our back yard, Cherokee International founder and president Ganpat Patel and I drove to Long Beach to attend the 30th annual Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC).

This year's event was held inside the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center (located adjacent to the Hyatt Regency Hotel). Having served as the APEC Publicity Chairman (1991-96 & 1998-2004) I wanted to meet some former committee colleagues and to see what new products are being developed and introduced. APEC, sponsored by the IEEE PELS and IEEE IAS Societies and the Power Sources Manufacturers Association, PSMA, is "recognized by many as the leading conference for practicing electronics professionals."

In addition to 21 3-1/2 half hour educational Seminars that commenced on Sunday, APEC 2016 offered over 500 technical papers in 45 different Sessions which started on Monday afternoon and concluded on Thursday March 24. 

APEC is truly an International Conference. 1212 Technical Session abstracts, received from 45 different nations, were peer reviewed last fall. Abstracts from 30 of these countries were selected for inclusion in this year’s record setting event. Case in point, engineers traveled from as far away as Australia and New Zealand to share their latest design concepts. Speakers from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan represented Asia. Representing South and Central America, speakers travel from Brazil and Columbia. From the Middle East there were presentations from Egypt, Israel, and Qatar. Representing Europe were speakers from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, German, India, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and the Ukraine. Let me not overlook the speakers from Canada, Ireland and the U.K.

Complementing the technical presentations, the APEC exhibit hall contained 370 booths with a wide array of products. “Feed them and they will come” always works. APEC set up multiple serving stations with great entrees and beverages as well as ice cream stations for the 5,100 plus attendees to keep them from leaving the exhibit hall at the Convention Center.

And what was happening with the PSMA you might ask? A lot. There were 24 two to three hour technical committee meetings scheduled, ranging from a workshop on High Frequency Magnetics that started at 7:30 on Saturday morning to a three-hour session addressing Safety and Compliance issues and another three-hour session on Semiconductors advances that were held on Thursday. I would be remiss not to point out that the very popular Power Technology Roadmap Committee met for two hours on Tuesday. We did look into the Packaging Technical Committee meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday evening attendees could select from three desirable Rap sessions including: Future of Semiconductor Technology Development, Power Electronics for Internet of Things: Will it Happen and Advanced Refueling Technologies for EVs.

In quizzing some of the attendees we were told that the new hot item is Gallium Nitride semiconductors. Another area to be aware of is IoT. "Internet of things" where you will be told when you are running low on milk, your coffee is ready and other smart power alerts. "The Internet of Things” is the network of physical objects—devices, vehicles, buildings and other items—embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity that enables these objects to collect and exchange data."

Larry Gilbert, Mohan Mankikar, and Pat Patel

Where is everyone from my past? We did find representatives from firms dating back to the 70s and 80s. Many of the others have merged, sold outright or folded in a very competitive environment.

Provided by Larry Gilbert,  former APEC Publicity Chair  (1991-96 & 1998-2004)