This is an annotated list of seminars that might be of interest to the switching-mode power supply designer and others in power electronics. Virtually all professors teaching a power electronics subject are also willing to teach in-house seminars and, in general, are not listed here. Also, almost anyone giving a public seminar is available to give in-house seminars. If you do not see your favorite seminar here or have corrections or updates, please use the contact information. The seminars are listed in alphabetical order.
Applied Technology Institute (ATI)
Applied Technology Institute (ATI) since 1984 has specialized in short course technical training in space, communications, defense, sonar, radar, and signal processing. Usually they have a course on Space Power Systems and may have other power supply related courses.
Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES)
The Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES), established in August 1998, is one of the nation's relatively few National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers. Its vision is to provide the nation with the capabilities to become a world leader in power electronics. A consortium of five universities, they usually offer a series of short courses every year.
Short courses and seminars for the space technology professional often has courses on Spacecraft Power System Design and Analysis and related subjects. Follow the link on training.
Caltech Professor R. David Middlebrook's famous course on Structured Analog Design has been presented in both the USA and internationally, both publicly and in-house. The viewgraphs for this class are not free in PDF format from Dr. Middlebrooks website. Although not specifically a power electronics course, the techniques taught in this class have led to many of the breakthroughs in the analysis of power converters as reported in a three volume set of papers (Vol I & II, Vol III). The philosophy and tools taught -- design-oriented analysis, low-entropy algebra, doing the algebra graphically and on the circuit schematic, the extra element theorems, and especially, starting with a simple model and adding complexity only as needed (as determined by measurement or simulation) has had a very strong influence on my personal approach to design. Becoming Professor Emeritus (1998), Dr. Middlebrook founded the power electronics group at Caltech, is a fellow of IEEE and IEE (UK), and was awarded the Richard P. Feynman Prize for Excellence in Teaching, Caltech's highest teaching award. His talent in making complex subjects understandable comes through in this justly famous class.
Dr. Ray Ridley frequently gives seminars at power electronics conferences and these are available for in-house presentation. But even more unique is his hands-on workshops in his Atlanta, GA facility where the student gets to actually design magnetics and converters, analyze them on computer, and measure the components and circuit breadboards. A description of these workshops is available on his web site. Ridley Engineering has been a sponsor of this website.
K. Kit Sum, author of Switch Mode Power Conversion - Basic Theory and Design and editor of Recent Developments in Resonant Power Conversion, offers courses in Switch Mode Power Conversion.
For years (since 1983), Unitrode has presented internationally a seminar on power electronics about every eighteen months. The tradition is continuing after their acquisition by TI. This series is reasonably priced and is always worth while. Even if your company will not send you, you can usually afford to take a day off and pay for it yourself -- time well spent. After the seminar series is complete, they are archived on the website. TI also has a series of free online courses on power supply design products. Finding this information from the TI home page is often a challenge, but worth the effort -- and navigation is getting better with time.
Venable Industries conducts regional seminars at conferences and trade shows throughout the United States. The seminars provide the latest technical information and updates to those engaged in feedback-loop circuit design. They also provide a series of custom training options. The information is on their customer services page.
Dr. Wood offers a three-part Engineering Management Seminar which is designed to improve the effectiveness of engineers and engineering managers. Part I covers The Essence of Engineering. Part II covers The Essence of Engineering Management. Part III covers The Essence of Thoroughness. He recommends engineers and managers take all three parts of the seminar.