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With IMS 2015 finally upon us, one thing you can look forward to seeing (besides IEEE ribbons, plastic badge holders, and fishbowls full of wrapped candy) is a great representation of the key technology trends for industry: The Internet of Things, the Drive to 5G, and the Acceleration of Wireless.

As the world gets ready for the expansion of The Internet of Things (IoT), you can expect to see IMS members driving solutions to handle the great increases in demand for wireless and microwave capable devices. Not only is the demand for the array and volume of these devices increasing, but the pressures to reduce time to market and cost for devices are increasing as well. We'll look to the solutions and discussions at IMS 2015 to see how designers, testers, and manufacturers alike are handling these pressures through improved software, components, and platforms.

At Murrietta Circuits, we have exhibited in our share of trade shows over the last few years, so when our friend Judy Warner, of Zentech Manufacturing, recommended we check out IMS we were very open-minded. Once we reviewed the website, we quickly agreed with Judy that this would be the perfect venue to showcase Murrietta Circuits and the eSurface technology that we offer.  http://www.murrietta.com/licensed-esurface-manufacturing.html

We are “newcomers” to IMS and with that comes new opportunities.  We have been in business for about 35 years and during that time we’ve been involved in programs for the military; drones and wireless communications, aerospace; satellites and radar, medical; implantable devices and controllers for devices.  These are all very interesting and exciting programs and we take great pride in the quality of service we provide our customers.  

As of the date of this post, IMS2015 has 48 new companies contracted to exhibit. There is quite a mix of international and domestic companies. The types of companies include local service companies, innovative start-ups, and some well known multinational corporations.

Let’s make these first timers feel welcome and help them experience everything that makes IMS the premier event of our industry! To help introduce them to our community, I reached out to a few of the new exhibitors and asked them a few questions. See below for my interview with Neal Mellen at ON Semiconductor – if you consider Q&A over email, an interview.

First Time Exhibitor Spotlight – ON Semiconductor, Booth 410, Neal Mellen

We will be promoting our discrete and integrated passive RF devices for low cost, high performance RF components and fixed matching networks, as well as tunable matching solutions for handheld devices. In addition our low cost, low power SoC products for ZigBee 802.15.4 and IoT will be on display.

(…You Were Going to be an Engineer?)

When the IMS steering committee met for the first time last November in Phoenix, to begin putting the wheels-in-motion for IMS 2015, those of us on the publicity committee thought it would be fun to get a glimpse of the history and humanity behind some of the talented RF/Microwave engineers that attend IMS each year. Additionally, we thought that these stories would inspire and resonate with the STEM students that will be involved in this year’s conference. No doubt, these stories will be full of surprises and a bit of humor, too.

So, when did you know you were going to be an engineer? Was it your obsession with Legos? Was it because you wanted to know how everything worked? Was it because you were a whiz at Math and Science? Was it because you kept deconstructing and reconstructing things? Was it that chemistry set you got for Christmas—or that Science fair you won? No doubt, every story is unique, and that “aha” moment came in different ways, at different ages for every one of you that chose an engineering profession.

At IMS2014 in Tampa, the IMS executive committee chose to start a new tradition, the “Kick-off Celebration!” Registered attendees enjoyed food, live music, beer tents, and cocktail stations sponsored by companies that exhibit at IMS. And who can forget the water skiing show!

The IMS2015 executive committee and sponsors have a wonderful plan to provide you with an amazing experience in Phoenix! This year’s event will take place at the Arizona Science Center. The Arizona Science Center’s areas of focus include: Health & Medicine, Energy & Environment, Technology & Innovation, and Early Childhood Education. There are 300 exhibits in seven themed galleries, including the “My Digital World” exhibit on communications technologies.

The “My Digital World” exhibit has a permanent installation called the Ham Shack for you ham radio enthusiasts. Those that want to know more about ham radios, can connect to Hamfests.