IEEE Alaska -- Audit Committee 

Power flow control techniques have been practiced, from using inductors, capacitors, transformers and load tap changers in the earlier days of electrical engineering to power electronics-based solutions in recent years. Even though the costs and complexities of the available solutions vary widely, the basic underlying theory of power flow control is still the same as it has always been. The question is which solution one should employ. The answer depends on knowing what the true need is. The power industry’s pressing need for the most economical ways to transfer bulk power along a desired path may be met by building new transmission lines, which is a long and costly process. Alternately, it may be quicker and cheaper to utilize the existing transmission lines more efficiently. The key is to identify the underutilized transmission lines and harness their dormant capacities to increase the power flows to the lines’ thermal limits using the most cost-effective and time-tested solutions.

The presentation is designed to provide the basic principles of power flow control theory, an overview of the most commonly used power flow controllers, and future trends. The audience will hear from an expert who actually designed and commissioned a number of power electronics-based FACTS controllers since their inceptions in the 1990s. Two reference books are as follows.

1. Introduction to FACTS Controllers: Theory, Modeling, and Applications (ISBN: 978-0-470-47875-2), IEEE Press and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2009
2. Power Flow Control Solutions for a Modern Grid using SMART Power Flow Controllers (ISBN: 978-1-119-82435-0), IEEE Press and John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2022.

Abstract: In the U.S., there are at least 500 municipal, electric co-operative, and publicly owned utilities
with local hydropower in their generation portfolio. Ideally, these hydropower plants can play a crucial role
of local grid resilience and support critical loads in the event of weather affected transmission failure or bulk
power system black out. Yet, many of them lack the capability of local grid and critical load’s stable
restoration due to their small (at most 10 MW) size. Energy storage, such as Li-Ion battery or ultracapacitor
can theoretically stabilize such small hydro based local grid restoration, but such proof-of-concept must be
demonstrated before any storage deployment is decided. Field demonstration of integrating an energy
storage with an actual hydropower plant, black start, and critical load restoration is time sensitive, and
coordination among multiple stakeholders for such execution can be overwhelmed. This presentation will
share the challenges faced, de-risking strategy applied, lessons learned, and ongoing activities based on
two INL-led black start field demonstrations. The presentation will also introduce the entire team and
collaboration behind these demonstrations.

Bio: S M Shafiul Alam is a research scientist in the Power & Energy Systems Group of INL’s Energy &
Environment Science & Technology Directorate. His work primarily focuses on technical assessment,
experimentation, and demonstration of hybrid energy systems such as hydropower with energy storage to
enhance operational flexibility while upholding reliability and resilience. Shafiul served as the Technical
Lead of 1) planning, and execution of ultracapacitor hardware-in-the-loop simulation, 2) onsite deployment
of micro PMU and data management for the preparation of April 2021 Idaho Falls Power Black Start Field
Demonstration. He also led the laboratory experiment and other technical activities in preparation of the
July 2023 Fall River Electric Cooperative Black Start Field Demonstration. Additional information on his
research activities is available through Google Scholar.

* The brewing will begin at 4:45 with the topical discussion starting at 5:00 and ending at 5:45 to allow for post-presentation conversations. The event will adjourn at 6:00. Finger food will be provided to keep the stomachs from growling .

IEEE SSCS Oregon Chapter May Meeting and Seminar

Join us for a (virtual) talk from SSCS Distinguished Dr. Tim Piessens from ICsense, Leuven, Belgium, on Thursday, May 16th. The seminar will be held from 9:00am to 10:30am (PST) via a Virtual format. Please register for the meeting link and information.

Register via the included Zoom link. You need to register via Zoom (not vTools) to be able to join the meeting.

Topic:

Challenges in Battery Monitoring Systems for Electrical Vehicles

Abstract:

Electrical vehicles will become the standard in private transport the coming decade. Since the battery is still the main component that will determine cost and driving range, a good battery control is the main component in an eV system.

A battery management system consists of 2 components : a current measurement system and a voltage monitoring system. Both have their own specific problems.

We will first discuss the different techniques to measure current : using a shunt, a Rogowski coil or using a magnetic sensor.

Next the voltage measurement chain will be tackled including techniques for dealing with the high voltages of a battery pack.

Speaker Biography:

Tim Piessens received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, in 1998 and 2003, respectively. During his Ph.D., he focused on a new type of power amplifier/line driver for xDSL applications. In 2004, he co-founded ICsense, where he is the CTO and is responsible for the technical content of projects in the medical, automotive and consumer fields.

His current research interests include analog sensor readouts, non-linear system design, power management, high-voltage design and low-power, low-noise analog front-end design.

From 2014 till 2021, he was a member of the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference Technical Program Committee. He was a member of the ISSCC EU leadership, the ISSCC executive committee and the ISSCC vision committee from 2019 till 2021 and ITPC EU chair in 2021. From 2020 on, he is a member of the ESSDERC-ESSCIRC Steering Committee.

Learn about opportunities and the research challenges in the development of 100-300GHz wireless communications and imaging systems.

Pike Solar is the largest solar facility in the Coloado Springs Utilities electric system, consisting of 400,000 photovoltaic panels. Through our Power Purchase Agreement with Juwi, we are able to use the 175-megawatts generated by the solar plant to power approximately 46,300 homes a year.

Steve Schaarschmidt, PE. Transmission Operations engineer with Colorado Spring Utilities, will describe this system and distribution systems needed to support this new renewable resource.

This presentation will begin with an introduction to the grid-following inverter, then explore the medium-voltage collection system and the interconnection to the high-voltage transmission system. It will cover the operating characteristics of utility-scale solar generation, experience to date between the array owner and the hosting utility, as well as some problems that come along with these installations.

Presentation will be both in-person and virtual.  Attendees can attend both in-person or virtually. The virtual presentation will be via zoom. The zoom link to join the presentation will be sent to all registrants who have indicated on the registration form that they are attending the meeting virtually. The link will be sent out shortly before the meeting.

Parking for In-Person Presentation: When arriving at the Mesa Rd. facility please park in the back (east side) of the building and enter through the doors labelled “Mesa Conference Room

Refreshments: Pizza, soda and water will be provided for the in-person presentation.

Solar Field Site Visit: Colorado Springs Utilities is in the process of arranging an on-site visit to the solar field for the day after the presentation, May 16, at 6:30PM. A separate event notice will be sent out to all registered attendees (or given out at the presentation) if the on-site visit can be successfully arranged. 

In October 2020, the government of Japan committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. In October 2021, they announced a goal of reaching a renewable energy sources (RES) ratio of approximately 36-38% by 2030. Achieving these targets through national research and development projects is accompanied by high expectations, with a solid emphasis on overcoming grid constraints and maintaining system stability to utilize RES as the primary power source.

One of these projects is a New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) initiative called "Future-generation Power Network Stabilization Technology Development for Utilization of Renewable Energy As the Major Power Source (STREAM)." This project aims to develop technologies for practical applications of inverter-based resources (IBRs) with synthetic inertia and the motor-driven synchronous generator (M-G sets) powered by RES as countermeasures against low inertia and short-circuit capacity reduction and to verify these effects.

This webinar showcases 1)the current status and future goals of RES integration in Japan, 2) technical challenges in power system stability (grid constraints) for achieving the aforementioned goals, and 3)an overview and preliminary results of the STREAM Project.

Thin-film magnetic metals are workhorses in nanomagnetic devices, including sensors, memory, and
oscillators. Yet, even for the most widely used ferromagnets, we still do not fully understand the
mechanisms of key phenomena — such as magnetic damping and spin-orbit torques — for critical
device applications. This lecture will highlight progress in revealing rather counterintuitive
mechanisms of magnetization dynamics in thin films, especially those based on iron. Depending on the
audience, I will delve into one or both of the following recent findings: (1) a fundamental damping
mechanism from “procrastinating” electrons in clean iron films; (2) spin-orbit torque from subtle
symmetry breaking in iron-nickel alloy films. I aim to convey that even seemingly mundane magnetic
metals can exhibit intriguing foundational science, offering fresh perspectives on materials for
nanomagnetic devices.

This event will be available live at SEMI, as well as over Zoom. Get to SEMI by 6:30pm to network – and enjoy great pizza and refreshments! All attendees MUST register using the Eventbrite form (see link).

Counterfeiters are more active than ever, making products that are clever imitations that consumers cannot easily discern from the real thing. Estimated at .5 trillion annually and approximately 3% of world trade, it is the largest criminal enterprise in the world. American consumers tend to purchase the highest share of counterfeit goods at around 60-80% of all counterfeit goods sold. Counterfeits go way beyond consumer end-products to include components used in the automotive, electronics, aerospace, and defense industries.

In this talk, CNSV member Rosemary Coates will detail how counterfeiters have attained this huge foothold in the world market, as well as how Amazon and Chinese retailers such as Alibaba, Taobao, JD, and others are aggressively tracking and eliminating counterfeits on their platforms through new technologies such as invisible pigments, QR codes, photo mapping, and RFID. She will also discuss why industrial products and electronic components are harder to track, and the ties that counterfeiting enterprises have with terrorist organizations, international arms dealers, and drug cartels. With billions of dollars to be made through counterfeiting, the problem is expected to continue its daunting growth.

Every second Tuesday of the month is our ExCOm/OpCOm section meeting. 

In today's engineering environment the need for requirements and requirements management is a given. Any industry can benefit from the use of Systems Engineering. Good requirements help keep projects on track, ensure the needs of the customer/user are met, and provide a baseline for the V&V team. A good process and tool can prevent scope creep as changes are managed and traced. This talk will describe best practices in getting started with requirements management tools. While many tools are introduced as silver bullets, the reality is that the introduction of a process and tool takes time and effort to learn and impacts processes. Schedules will likely expand and not compress on the first project to use a tool. I'll walk through an example of how introducing SE can help a company focus on results and create an efficient process to document projects and build the required deliverables.

EXCOM Meeting

Abstract: 

The built environment has a data problem. The buildings, cities, water treatment plants, and other human-made systems produce more data now than ever before, opening new possibilities of using data to optimize operation, reduce energy consumption, predict performance, and identify faults. However, the complexity, heterogeneity, and high degree of churn of these systems makes it expensive and difficult to develop software for them. Models, control sequences, data analytics, and other software-based solutions must often be rewritten from scratch for each environment in which they will be deployed. The process of discovering and accessing data is further exacerbated by the lack of standardized structured representations of built environment systems. These challenges significantly impede the adoption of data-driven sustainable practices at societal scale.

This talk will explore the use of semantic knowledge graphs to normalize descriptions of the built environment, specifically smart buildings, and reduce the cost of developing and deploying data-driven software in these settings. First, I will describe how ontologies can constrain knowledge graphs to produce useful abstractions of complex cyber-physical systems, as typified by the Brick ontology for smart buildings. Elements of this work are being adapted into new knowledge graph standards for buildings. Next, I will show how knowledge graphs enable novel programming models for "portable software" where programs can adapt their own operation to individual environments, based on queries against the knowledge graph. The talk will also show how these emerging use cases for knowledge graphs contrast with prevailing approaches towards knowledge graph maintenance and management and give rise to new methods for specifying and repairing knowledge graphs. Finally, I will show how these new technologies enable novel applications for smart buildings.

Monthly exec meeting

This is a great chance to meet other section and chapter officers!

There will be two separate meetings, with some joint sessions

   Section Officers, Starts at 9:00 AM

   Student Branch Officers, Starts at 10:30 AM

Special Talk

The Long and Circuitous Path of One Small Fabless Semiconductor Company
         John Cheng, IEEE member
John discusses the trials and tribulations of his career journey as an entrepreneur in the semiconductor sector.  Somewhat unique amongst engineers, John right out of college (UCI BSEE 1989) started as an one man shop, having to learn along the way business and management skills through errors and trials as the startup grew.  His business focused in analog IC design and incorporated in 1996 (www.customsiliconsolutions.com).  Over the years some recognizable clients served included Rockwell Semiconductor, Western Digital, Broadcom, Qualcom, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, L3 Harris, and many more.  John was responsible for more than 300 "tape-outs" in his career.  He will also highlight the major challenges a small semiconductor concern faces in the current environment.

SEE THE PRELIMINARY AGENDA BELOW

In the first part of the meeting, Dr. Zhang will cover the senior elevation process (why becoming senior, senior member requirements, application process, how to find references, how to calculate number of years of experiences, and how to prepare application materials,  etc.).

In the second part,  Dr. Don Tan will cover the Fellow program.  Under Don’s leadership, the IEEE Fellow Committee has planned a full implementation of the BoD approved improvements, particularly specific measures for geographical and technical diversity measures and DE&I. The IEEE fellow grade is a prestigious recognition by the IEEE Board of Directors to a single individual for his or her technical accomplishments and contributions impacting society at large. It commands global acclaim and is a prestigious honor eagerly pursued by individuals worldwide. How do you answer the question then:   Am I qualified to be considered for an IEEE fellow, particularly, as a member from industry? What is the best way to prepare a nomination package? This talk by Dr. Tan will provide a unique perspective from an IEEE Fellow Committee Immediate Past Chair's viewpoint. It aims to demystify the fellow nomination and evaluation process. He will discuss on recent fellow statistics (Particularly those for Region 6 ), nomination package preparation, contribution category selection, references, endorsements, and qualification matrix details. A few samples from past successful nominations will be presented and discussed as well.

Join us as we learn how IEEE-USA represents the engineering profession to the US government by helping shape American technology policy for the benefit of IEEE members, the technology professions, and the broader American public. 

Monthly ExCom meeting. All Section members welcome.

Dinner will be provided for per person. Please give cash to Matt Sahara on the day of. Students do not need to bring payment.

Abstract- 

SETI, or the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, attempts to answer one of humanity’s oldest questions: Are we alone in the universe? While astronomers have devoted significant effort to finding exoplanets and trying to observe evidence of remote astro-biology, a parallel exploration involves observation of “technosignatures”, or radio signals that originate outside the solar system with characteristics suggesting an intelligent source.

In many ways radio SETI is a special class of communications problem in the realm of electrical engineering, with aspects of game theory in the mix. Consider the challenges: the signal is unknown, and may be intentional (a beacon) or unintentional (involving navigation or communications). The transmit frequency is unknown. If a limited message is sent, the modulation will be unknown, and even if bits are produced, the message must be decoded. Energy or geometry may limit persistence, so only a small fraction of observations in any pointing direction will have a chance at detection. Without knowledge of the signal, matched filtering is not possible. Link budgets may force limits on the signal bandwidth (narrowband tones) or time duration (pulse trains).

This talk will introduce the SETI problem and describe the scope of efforts underway in the radio SETI community. Search strategies to maximize detection rate will be described, and narrowband SETI algorithms will be introduced. In recent years, SETI search capabilities have vastly improved with the use of interferometric arrays covering GHz-class bandwidths, commensal observing, and the use of racks of GPU-enhanced servers, significantly raising the potential for new discoveries.

     HALF-DAY SEMINAR MAY 9:  WiFi/UWB

IEEE Spokane is proud to co-sponsor an educational and comprehensive Half-Day Seminar on WiFi and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technologies – a no-cost event, including a complimentary lunch, co-sponsored by the Rohde-Schwarz Corporation and IEEE Spokane.   

Founded 90 years ago, Rohde-Schwarz has expanded worldwide over time, today including innovative divisions ranging from electronic test and measurement equipment to quantum computing to cyber-security.

This event, presented by Rohde-Schwarz experts, will first explore current developments in two key areas of today’s wireless communication, WiFi and UWB, and will then address unique specialized use cases for the two technologies.  Device testing topics will also be included -- and the event will conclude with a useful hands-on session in WiFi and UWB testing.

>> NOTE: Parking is free at the Spokane Public Library (SPL) Liberty Park Branch event location.

NVIDIA graphics AI and embedded systems for robotics will be discussed.

Discover How Chat GPT Can Transform Your Job Search!

Did you know that only 24% of Americans harness the power of Chat GPT? Surprisingly, this tool is most popular among the 18-24 age group. However, many users disengage within just 7 minutes of interaction.

In 2024, leveraging Chat GPT for your job search holds incredible potential. Elizabeth's presentation offers innovative strategies to maximize this tool's effectiveness in your quest for employment. Join us to explore expert tips, unconventional methods, and tailored prompts that will revolutionize your approach to job hunting.

IEEE Alaska Executive Committee Meeting

May 7, 2024 START TIME 6:30 pm

Zoom Only 

Please join us for a QUICK (1 hr) IEEE PHX SECTION May 2024 EXECUTIVE OPERATIONS & COMMUNICATIONS MEETING (EXCOM)

Purpose:

IEEE PHX Section Executive Operations & Communications Meeting (ExCom) February.  In this meeting we will discuss the PHX Section’s overall 2023 Goals, Strategy & starting calendar.  We will also discuss and move forward with the Section's old & new business including events, volunteer needs.  IEEE Student Chair/Leads, PHX-based IEEE Society Chair/Leads & PHX-base Affinity Leads are expected to attend or send a delegate, however any IEEE Member is welcomed.

Agenda 
Chair Reports
   - Schedule Updates
  -Upcoming events
New Officers Intro and Call for open volunteer positions

CSUSB CSE and WiE groups hosted an RC Car Workshop as part of a multi-part series that has students get familiar with the Arduino Uno, soldering, circuit building, and other essential skills for building their own RC Car! There were about 15 students in attendance, and each had some time to work on their projects as a team!

Electric power sources are frequently located away from population centers. Therefore, the electricity must be transported from the power sources to consumers through transmission and distribution lines. The voltage changes its magnitude and phase angle at any point along a line due to the voltage drop across the line impedance, which is caused by the flow of current in the line. However, the voltage at a point-of-common-coupling with a load must be maintained within the regulatory limits. Voltage regulation techniques have been practiced in power grid applications with the use of inductors, capacitors, transformers and load tap changers (LTCs) since the earlier days of electrical engineering. However, the latest trend is to use more and more power electronics-based solutions. Even though the costs of the available solutions vary widely, the basic underlying theory of voltage regulation is still the same as it has always been. The voltage control techniques are applicable in electric transmission lines as well as various other applications, such as motor drives, flicker control, harmonic mitigation, and so on. In examining the various solutions for voltage regulation, the presenter discusses how these solutions address both functional needs and cost demands.
The presentation is designed to provide the basic principles of voltage regulation theory, an overview of the most commonly used voltage regulators, and future trends.

Join us for an inspiring morning of professional growth and networking at our "Connect & CLASH: IEEE Young Professionals Networking Hour." Whether you're an early-career engineer, a student, or an industry enthusiast, this event provides an ideal platform to connect with like-minded professionals, exchange insights, and stay informed about upcoming IEEE events. Over casual board games at the lovely Saranac Commons, we'll discuss exciting opportunities, share ideas, and build valuable networks. 

As an added bonus, at the end of the hour, our Young Professionals officers will be hosting their meeting. All attendees are welcome to listen in, learn more about our initiatives, and even get involved in shaping the future of our community.

We look forward to seeing you there as we connect, CLASH and collaborate to boost your professional journey!

Sponsored by Black Label Brewing Company

Welcome to the 10th annual Oregon STEM Week!

Join us in a statewide celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities. We invite K-12 educators to share their exciting STE(A)M activities with fellow Oregonians. Each activity is registered and will appear on Oregon STEM Week 2024 Map. Each registered activity will be entered into a drawing giving Oregon's STEM Teachers an opportunity to win STEM supplies for their classroom.

Thank you for being a part of this inspiring movement to promote STEM education in Oregon!                                  

Join us for a fascinating event right in the heart of one of the planet’s areas most affected by the effects of climate change: Alaska! You will learn about climate change induced impacts, indigenous experience, state of the art local research programs, remote sensing, land and oceanic field studies, and new and developing technologies for transitioning energy systems. You will debate with your colleagues ways to prioritize technology development to address challenges caused by the changing Arctic ecosystem. You will become part of a growing expert community dedicated to building IEEE technology roadmaps to return our planet to sustainability.

Check-in Thursday, May 2. Meetings Friday and Saturday, May 3-4. Check-out Sunday, May 5.

The Lakefront Anchorage Hotel, Anchorage Alaska

IEEE has secured a block of rooms at The Lakefront Anchorage Hotel . To book your room, please use this IEEE Room Block Link . The room block extends from check-in on Wednesday 5/1 to check-out on Monday 5/6, at a rate of 9 per night. Additional nights can be requested at the same rate. Credit card information will be requested but no payment applied until you check out.

The hotel is located at 4800 Spenard Road, Anchorage, Alaska. Free airport shuttle is provided by the hotel. Meals and snacks on Thursday evening, Friday morning and lunch, Saturday all day, and Sunday breakfast are provided by IEEE. Friday evening is free time for you to explore the area, with free hotel shuttles available to take you to dinner downtown Anchorage.

Registration is open until April 21, or, for in-person attendance, until all slots fill-up (maximum: 30 participants). Don’t delay registering to secure your spot! You may participate in-person or remotely each day as needed to fit your schedule. Please fill out the registrations form(s) below according to your choice(s). For example, you may register in person for one day and remotely for another day, or in-person for the entire workshop, or remotely for the entire workshop:

The Oakland/EastBay Life Members Affiliate Group Executive Committee met via Zoom on May 2, 2024.   Attending were Maureen Vavra, Chair, Mickey Mantle, Vice Chair; Larry Moon, Secretary; and Karl Yang, Treasurer.

Curt Rowe, the new webmaster for the OEB Section, also attended and was introduced by Maureen.  There followed some discussion of future use of our web site being developed.  Larry mentioned that he had several power point presentations from past events that he has not been able to upload to the existing site. 

Maureen asked that committee members upload a photograph for inclusion in the web page.  (mug shot)

Karl gave a treasurer’s report showing our bank balance at 05.

Most discussion centered around the upcoming event on June 5th.  There was agreement to plan on a buffet style format reverting to ordering from the menu if the facility’s minimum requirement of 25 persons was not met.  A price of for IEEE members and for non-IEEE members was agreed upon.  It was thought that attendees from other Sections could be charged the non-member rate.  Subsequently Larry discovered that there was no way to differentiate between geographical units, the options being between membership grades, and non-members.

It was  recognized the vTools announcement was becoming overdue and Mickey offered to reach out to the speaker and get the information needed by Monday.  In the meantime Larry will put out an eNotice announcing the meeting subject and date, pending creation of the event in vTools.

There was some discussion of future events.  Something involving AI, and an event at the Hornet, were mentioned. The time frame for the next event is late third or early fourth quarter.

There was some discussion of joint sponsorship of events and more collegiality between groups and sections. Larry suggested that this was a topic that should be discussed at the Bay Aria Council level, there appearing to be little contact between Sections at this time.

The next executive committee meetings will be June 6th then July11th.

The purpose of this meeting was to connect Metro LA Members with the Caltech student branch to network with each other, the IEEE meeting hosts, and learn more about IEEE. Dr. Chris Mattmann and the board of the IEEE Caltech Student branch spoke to the members about IEEE and its value.

Join us Thursday, 2 May, for a Special IEEE-USA Washington Update to learn about how the Creating Resources for Every American To Experiment with Artificial Intelligence Act of 2023 (CREATE AI Act) shapes AI development. Our special guest, Katerina (Katie) Antypas from the National Science Foundation, will delve into the establishment of the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR)—a vital hub for AI researchers and students.

Monthly Consultants Network Meeting

Prof Mary (Missy) Cummings (Director of the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) at George Mason University, USA) will present "Self-Driving Cars: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" at 6pm (UTC+1) / 1pm EDT on 30 April '24. Click here to convert to your local time

IEEE UK and Ireland SSIT Chapter and SSIT IST-Africa SIGHT are cooperating with a number of IEEE OUs including: New Jersey Coast Section SIGHT; New Jersey Coast IM/Computer Joint Chapter;  IEEE Region 1; IEEE Region 2;  Vancouver Section Jt. Chapter,TEM14/PC26/E25/SIT30; North Jersey Section SSIT Chapter; Susquehanna Section Computer Chapter; Southeast Michigan Section  Vehicular Technology Chapter; Phoenix Section Computer Chapter;  Vancouver Section Jt Transportation Chapter, UK and Ireland Computational Intelligence Chapter; UK and Ireland Computer Society Chapter, UK and Ireland Vehicular Technology Chapter UK and Ireland Oceanic Engineering Chapter, Chicago Section Computer Society Chapter and  Vehicular Technology Chapter to organise this SSIT Lecture as a joint Webinar on 30 April '24. 

Registration

IEEE and SSIT Members as well as non-IEEE Members are invited to Register and participate. 
IEEE Members should include their IEEE Membership Number when registering.

Access to online Meeting

Registered participants will be provided with the link prior to the event.

Guest Lecture Focus
Self-driving cars have been a dream from almost the time the automobile was invented. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), this dream has seemingly become reality with driverless commercial operations already taking place in a handful of cities around the world. However, the recent tragic accident involving a pedestrian and a Cruise self-driving car, as well as a number of high-profile Tesla crashes, raise the possibility that such 
systems may not actually be as capable as envisioned, and questions have arisen about their safety both nationally and internationally. Given these concerns, it is important to step back and analyze both the actual safety records of these vehicles and just why AI is struggling to operate safely under all conditions in autonomous vehicles.

This lecture will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of AI in self-driving cars, as well as in all safety-critical applications, and lay out a roadmap for safe integration of these technologies on public roadways.

Join our Phoenix IEEE Section and support your fellow IEEE'ers for Science Stories In partnership with NPR’s The Story Collider for a GROWN-UP Night of Science and Fellowship (age restriction of 21+ only). You *MUST* register directly with the AZ Science Center, but once you are at the event you will see familiar IEEE friends : ) Registering with VTools doesn't guarantee your spot!!!

The following are details from the AZ Science Center:

If you love podcasts, live storytelling, science and craft cocktails—this special edition Science With a TWIST is not one to be missed! In partnership with The Story Collider, join Arizona Science Center for an evening filled with real, personal science stories from Arizonans during this LIVE storytelling show. The evening will begin with happy hour exploring the Center’s galleries, then will move into the Center’s Irene P. Flinn Giant Screen Theater for the LIVE storytelling show portion of the evening.

This special edition Science With a TWIST includes general admission into Arizona Science Center, OceanXperience and live show. Cocktails will be available for purchase.

Last meeting of the 23-24 school year. The student branch held an election. Zach Epperson became the chair, Connor Nutz became the vice chair, Lamin Sanneh became the secretary, and Steven Piper became the treasurer. 

Tucson Section EXCOM Meeting April 2024, Minutes

Real-world examples of examples and demos in using AI-assisted tools are introduced to increase your productivity. 

These tools include actual use of these AI-assisted tools during education week to promote events like Digital Privacy, AI Design Automation, AI Supply Chain Management, and AI-assisted Tutoring as well as for increasing awareness of these events, resulting in significant savings in time and money.  Specifically, some of the features to be demonstrated are:

• Use of ChatGPT for Idea Generation:  Sample prompts to generate ideas for generating AI images for the above events.
  • Text-to-Speech
• Text-to-Image AI generation:  Example prompts using image generation tools such as Midjourney and Fotor. If time permits a free design tool using Canva that was used to create a sample newletter
  • These include developing consistent characters for creating stories for k-12 in explaining why STEM fields are meaningful careers.
    • Especially, engineering where it is a challenging program but a rewarding discipline.
    • Offering many career paths not necessarily in engineering: such as legal, medical, and entrepreneurial career paths.
  • AI-powered design assistance such as Canva (if time permits, may just describe its AI features)
  • Edited features such as mass background removal for a bulk of images.
  • With Midjourney, you can collaborate or gather ideas from other users.
• An introduction to text-to-video AI generation:   A demo example of using video creation and AI assisted software to generate videos resulting in reduced production time and cost using automation in the video creation process (if not enough time and if there is interest then future a presentation on this exciting topic are planned
  • Easily create professional-looking videos without technical expertise
  • Voiceover and Text-to-Speech in adding your narration in multiple languages for a personal touch to the videos
  • Access to vast library of stock images, videos, and music to enhance videos

Overall, the AI-assisted tools are designed to empower users to create visually appealing and engaging multi-media content with ease. Whether users are working on personal projects or collaborating with a team, you can use various platforms and achieve professional results. By leveraging AI technology, customizable templates, collaboration tools, an image library, and a user-friendly interface, users can unleash their creativity and bring their design visions to life effectively.  This presentation is only a glimpse of what AI can do.

This flyer will be updated providing links to help you come up with your own creative ideas that will be given below.  I will try to post most of the ideas at the IEEE Pikes Peak Section website at: https://site.ieee.org/pikespeak

Artificial Intelligence for Increased Productivity

Master the Perfect ChatGPT Prompt Formula (in just 8 minutes)!

This is an event in our Corporate Liaison Program of Santa Clara Valley Section Industry Spotlight Series. This time we will showcase the Megatrends Report by the IEEE Future Directions Committee Industry Advisory Board. It will be presented by some of the 54 authors of the report. The Megatrends Report is a comprehensive analysis of the top technological advancements and trends set to shape the industry in the coming decades.

Panelists: Dejan Milojicic, Jeewika Ranaweera, Liliane Peters, Kirk Bresniker

Megatrends Report 2024 is a hybrid event so when you register please select whether you will be attending in person or via Zoom. In person seating is limited so register today to take advantage of this opportunity to learn, network and socialize. Beverages, pizza and snacks will be served before and after the panel. The panel will be held in the 2nd floor conference room. The in person event will begin at 5 pm PST. The zoom event will begin at 6 pm PST and go until 7:15 pm.

This talk provides a comprehensive overview of Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) for Hybrid Bonding in semiconductor manufacturing. CMP is defined as a technique that combines chemical and mechanical forces to planarize films. The role of CMP in hybrid bonding (HB) is explored, emphasizing its significance in achieving controlled dishing and surface roughness. Key challenges in CMP for HB, such as scratches, dishing, and loading are addressed along with strategies for managing them. The talk concludes by emphasizing the importance of co-optimization of CMP for HB and its implications in semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging.

Installing Energy Storage Systems (ESS), Photovoltaic (PV) and Electric Vehicle (EV) equipment into power distribution systems can be complicated and expensive. However, Power Control Systems (PCS) introduced into the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC Article 705) now allow more ESS + PV connected power to new or existing services while minimizing bus sizes, thus making retrofits easier and optimizing new installations.  Also, UL3141 (new in 2024) and UL1741 are safety and performance standards which are used to certify PCSs, smart inverters, converters, and the interconnection of EV and Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) in the system. 

This presentation offers a brief review of NEC 705, and the PCS which meets UL listing requirements.  Though applicable to power systems in general, the presentation offers a residential home as an application example of the value of a PCS.  The presentation discusses how it affects busbar loading and offers a way to integrate an ESS into existing or new systems.

In summary, the PCS, and associated standards make it easier for engineers and installers to maximize the use of multiple energy inputs for efficiency and cost, while ensuring safety and reliability.

Parking

Please use the main entrance (Palm Drive) from 500 El Camino Real.  After you pass the guard house you will take a left toward the Visitor Parking lot.  We plan to have 1-2 students or chapter members stationed at the Visitor Lot to provide parking passes to registered attendees from roughly 5:45 to 6:15 pm.  After that you will need to pick up a parking pass at the Security Office which is behind the Parking garage.  Parking is free for 2 hours.  You are visiting the IEEE talk hosted by Prof. Maryam Khanbaghi in Heafey 129.

See flyer for parking map.

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Join us in touring AdvRs Facilities and seeing what it would be like to have a career in their field.

*US Citizenship is REQUIRED to attend*

The annual Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show will be held at the Del Mar Fair and Exposition Center. 

The IEEE Consultants' Network of San Diego and the San Diego IEEE Section will both be hosting booths.  The San Diego chapter of IEEE Women in Engineering will be joining us as well.

A  number of IEEE members will be presenting on a variety of topics at the show.  Check out the schedule of speakers for interesting topics.

Come to the show and stop by the IEEE booth's to visit when you are there.  Register for the show today.

In today's rapidly changing global landscape, engineering managers are faced with unprecedented challenges in managing supply chains efficiently and effectively. The ongoing crisis has further exacerbated these complexities, putting immense pressure on manufacturing processes, inventory management, and customer service.

However, there is a solution that can revolutionize supply chain management and provide engineering leaders with the tools they need to navigate through the chaos. Cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, like Oracle, leverage the power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to generate accurate forecasts, optimize inventory levels, and streamline operations.

Join us as we delve deeper into how modern ERP systems are transforming traditional supply chain practices and helping engineering managers overcome the hurdles of the current market environment. Discover how AI-powered capabilities are driving profitability, efficiency, and competitiveness in today's ever-evolving landscape, ensuring that your organization stays ahead of the curve.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to revolutionize your supply chain operations and drive success in the face of adversity. Join us in exploring the innovative solutions provided by cloud-based ERP systems and take the first step towards transforming your supply chain management for the better.

Recent interest in joint radar-communications (JRC) has led to the design of novel signal processing techniques to recover information from an overlaid radar-communications signal as well as transmit a common signal for both systems. In this talk, we focus on two important tools for the design and signal processing of JRC systems: learning and sparsity. The interest in learning-based JRC is driven largely by the need to solve difficult nonconvex optimization problems inherent in a JRC design as well as to address the highly dynamic channel environments. Toward fully realizing the coexistence/co-design of both radar and communications, the optimization of resources for both sensing and wireless communications modalities is crucial. But the optimization-based approaches suffer from high computational complexity and their performance strongly relies on factors such as perfect channel conditions, specific constraints, and mobility. In this context, learning techniques provide robust performance at an upfront training cost. We discuss applying learning to various JRC aspects including channel estimation, antenna selection, resource allocation, and wideband beamforming. The second half of the talk focuses on exploiting sparsity in a general spectral coexistence scenario, wherein the channels and transmit signals of both radar and communications systems are unknown at the receiver. In this dual-blind deconvolution (DBD) problem, a common receiver admits a multi-carrier wireless communications signal that is overlaid with the radar signal reflected off multiple targets. The communications and radar channels are represented by continuous-valued range-time and Doppler velocities of multiple transmission paths and multiple targets. We exploit the sparsity of both channels to solve the highly ill-posed DBD problem by casting it into a sum of multivariate atomic norms (SoMAN) minimization. Toward the end of the talk, we focus on highlighting emerging JRC scenarios, particularly at mm-Wave and THz frequencies, vehicular applications, distributed radar-communications networks, intelligent surfaces, and aerial channels.

Session topics:

• Creating value for yourself in an interview so you can land the position and money you deserve
• How to ask for a raise by building your case and turbo charging your resume while you’re at it
• How to methodically pursue a new position, in addition to applying to job postings
• Internal recruiters versus outside recruiters – everything you ever wanted to know about a recruiter but was afraid to ask
• The art of references (conduct reference checks for yourself or have somebody do it for you)

Material to be provided:

• Interview Preparation
• Resume expander

Join us in touring Vision Aerials facility and see what it would be like to have a career in their field.

Computing with Quantum Systems : Making it a reality

Abstract:

Quantum computing is a field that has garnered significant attention as an alternative method of
computation. In contrast to the classical computing paradigm of the past 50 years, quantum
computing relies on quantum superposition and quantum entanglement to facilitate great speedup in
certain computations. In this talk, I will introduce the fundamental ideas of quantum computing,
describe the potential uses of quantum computers, and give an overview of the Intel Quantum
computing research effort and the current state of the field.

Shavindra P. Premaratne 

Shavindra is a Quantum Systems Engineer and Research Scientist, working in the Applications & Quantum Architecture group at Intel Labs. His primary focus is on the integration of the quantum computing full stack. Broad experience in quantum device control & design, quantum & device simulations, systems modeling, automating measurements, and data analysis combined with expertise in the physics of quantum computing is crucial to his work conducted at Intel labs.

Shavindra holds a PhD and MS in Physics from University of Maryland – College Park (USA), a BSc in Physics from University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka), and a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from University of Colombo (Sri Lanka).

IEEE Spokane Section is proud to join with the Eastern Washington University IEEE Student Branch and the Rohde-Schwarz Corporation, to present an educational and entertaining Electronic Measurement Instrument Introduction & Hands-On Workshop -- on Friday afternoon, April 19th at the EWU Catalyst Building in Spokane’s U-District.

This event, presented by Rohde & Schwarz experts, will describe and explain some highlights of today’s electronic measurement equipment, and then go on to hands-on discovery and learning sessions focused on real-world applications -- like searching for RF interference to wireless mikes.   Several current instruments in the Rohde-Schwarz portfolio will be available for hands on interaction, including current oscilloscopes and spectral analyzers.

The IEEE Foot Hill Section and The IEEE Foothill Student Chapters are organizing the second

Come join us and compete with multiple IEEE member groups in an autonomous/ remote pilotless vehicles car race and an IoT Arcade Project and Contest. There will be prizes for both the Car Race and the IoT Arcade Competitions
First place: 0 Gift Card
Second place: 0 Gift Card
Third Place: 0 Gift Card
In addition to technical discussions, presentations, and lots of fun!!!

use the following QR code or link to register for the competition. 

Join us for an exciting virtual event on "AI for Electronic Design Automation," where we will delve into the revolutionary applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence in the field of electronic design. Our featured speaker, Priyank Kashyap, a Hardware Engineering Specialist at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, will showcase the use of generative adversarial networks in modeling high-speed receivers, addressing complex multi-physics problems like thermal analysis of PCBs and 3D-ICs, and exploring the potential of current models like LLMs in electronic design flows. This event promises to be a captivating deep dive into the cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of electronic design!