POWER ELECTRONICS SPECIAL: Forums powering ahead

Some exhibitions get too large and lose their focus, others are too small to deliver on their purpose. Others still have too many visitors for the number of exhibitors or, far more likely, too many exhibitors and not enough visitors. Conference style events can sometimes struggle to find the right balance between technical and practical, without being a sales pitch. Design engineers do not necessarily want to learn about the bleeding edge of electronics research if it is technology that may not be realised for many years to come, but they do need to know about the latest available technology. Equally, suppliers would rather talk to engineers who are looking to use these latest technologies, rather than those with no more than a passing interest. Fortronic and its UK partner motiv8, believes it has a balance that meets everyone's needs. Firstly, it has a relatively narrow subject area – Power and Power Management is the topic of the Forum on 22 October. Secondly, it has a tightly defined audience and list of sponsor companies, so that every conversation or presentation during the day is a relevant one, with presentations vetted by the organiser;s technical team. Thirdly, the venue – the Williams F1 Conference Centre near Oxford – provides a fascinating setting (even if you only have a passing interest in Formula 1) and is of finite size. The event cannot grow too large to lose its value for either sponsor or delegate. The last Forum in June addressed 'RF and Wireless Design', which attracted the maximum number of 130 preregistrants. Registration is free to these events, but you do need to qualify – that is, be a relevant engineer. This Forum looks at many aspects of the design cycle including pcb layout, thermal management, digital power system management, system architectures and design techniques, software control and power measurement. The morning session will feature short technical presentations, with confirmed topics including: 'The principal benefits of digital power system management in reducing design cost and achieving a faster time to market', from Linear Technology. In power management applications, inductor choice has a great impact on solution size and performance, Coilcraft will present and hold an interactive demonstration of a complete set of inductor selection and performance analysis tools for 'Optimising Inductor Selection'. The afternoon programme allows delegates to select their choice of 50 minute workshops from a range of manufacturers that will include Linear Technology, Arrow Electronics and Murata Power Solutions, with more to be confirmed. The event, now in its third year, is supported with an informal networking and exhibitor area, giving delegates an opportunity to discuss their technical requirements with engineers from around 20 suppliers from the power and power management industry, including: Arrow Electronics; Codico; Coilcraft; COSEL; Linear Technology; Mouser; Murata Power Solutions; Outsource Electronics; seri Group; and Yokogawa. For more about the event and to register, go to www.fortronicforums.com.