Call for Papers

The nanoPower Forum (nPF ‘09) will be held on May 18 – 20, 2009 in San Jose, California. This focused three day international conference will serve an audience of decision makers who are interested in learning about and contributing to the latest practical advancements related to the use of the emerging area of “ultra-low power” electronics, primarily in wireless applications such as mesh networks, wireless sensor and control applications, microelectromechanical (MEMs) systems, and so on. Energy harvesting, energy storage and power management technologies are a major issue in terms of the commercial rollout of next-generation ultra-low-power systems. Participants will have an opportunity to meet and talk with top executives and technical professionals in the fields of energy harvesting, advanced rechargeable batteries, power management, ultra-low power RF technologies, networking protocols, and related fields.

Mesh networks, wireless sensor and control systems, industrial/building automation and a variety of medical, military and other applications depend on the latest advances in ultra-low power electronics and MEMs technologies. nPF ’09 will focus on solutions to the increasing complexity of wringing out the maximum performance from tomorrow’s advanced ultra-low power devices. It will bring together component suppliers and system designers and will address the latest advances in this rapidly emerging field. Regardless of the energy harvesting technology (piezoelectric, photovoltaic, thermo-electric, and so on) or the energy storage technology (battery or fuel cell, primary or secondary), the critical aspect of designing a ultra-low power wireless device is the complete power management solution and efficient energy utilization. Designers will not wait for the "ultimate" energy harvesting or energy storage solution; it may never arrive. And, even if an improved energy harvesting and/or energy storage solution arises, the emphasis will remain on getting the maximum possible performance from the device, and that implies continued focus on developments in advanced power architectures, sophisticated power management and efficient energy utilization.

Submissions sought for:

1) Technology Advances

Topics may include: energy harvesting technologies, thin-film batteries, long-life secondary batteries, energy storage, advanced power conversion, micro fuel cells, optimizing system energy efficiencies, and so on.

Application areas: Ac-dc battery chargers and dc-dc converters, voltage regulators, power system architectures, inverters, battery management and fuel gauging, and so on.

2) Case Study Examples

Topics may include: mesh networks, wireless sensor and control systems, industrial/building automation, system integration issues, RF powering considerations, system architectures, and so on.

Application areas: Wireless networking and communications systems, computing, digital imaging, portable entertainment, industrial, medical, and other applications.

Types of Presentations:

  • Case Studies/Industry Examples: outstanding examples of recent applications of advanced power system architectures, power management and efficient energy utilization, including field tests as well as full commercial systems.
  • Design Techniques and Tools: detailed and specific discussions of how portable power management and efficient energy utilization are implemented, with emphasis on practical, real-world examples of current commercial solutions, including integration issues involved with combining advanced power system architectures with state-of-the-art energy efficient system components.
  • Technology Developments: projections and forecasts for changes in core power electronic technologies, new energy-efficient devices, including new designs or implementations, new applications and new methods for implementing solutions.

Key Dates:

Proposals are due: February 13th, 2009

Acceptance notification: February 20th, 2009

Final Paper due: April 20th, 2009

Conference dates: May 18th - 20th, 2009

Submission Guidelines:

Note: Abstract of proposed presentation will be accepted only electronically by email. Send your proposal as an attachment to your email to Linnea Brush, linnea@darnell.com.

The Proposal:

Each proposal should be a maximum of 1,000 words and include:

  • Abstract of proposed presentation
  • Proposed format of presentation
  • Brief description of the presentation for the conference program (100 words)
  • Presenter’s profile

Presentation Format Options:

  • Individual paper from industry
  • Collaborative industry/academic paper
  • Lead a panel discussion

Presenter’s Profile:

  • Presenter biography and list of affiliations
  • Presenter profile for the conference program (50 words)
  • Contact information: name, title, company, address, office phone & fax, e-mail and website (if applicable)

Deadline for Proposals: February 13th, 2009

Notification and Acceptance Requirements:

Notification of acceptance will be announced on or before February 20th, 2009.

Acceptance will not be complete until at least one of the authors has registered to attend the conference and present the paper.

Final Paper/Presentation Submission:

The formal paper will be included in the proceedings and consist of a maximum of six pages in a two-column format, or a maximum of 24 pages of PowerPoint slides (one slide per page).

Deadline for Final Submissions: April 20th, 2009

Note: Final paper submissions will be accepted only electronically by email. Send your paper as an attachment to your email to Traci Shepard, tshepard@darnell.com.