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Delving Into Special Sessions at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
May 28, 2024 | Happy Holden, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Once again, we were back at IPC APEX EXPO for another show and conference, and back to gathering in the Anaheim Convention Center. With Disneyland just across the street, there were tourists everywhere.
This APEX EXPO was bigger than ever, with more activities, Professional Development Courses, standards committee meetings, and the 16th Electronic Circuits World Convention. I really enjoyed walking around and seeing everything the show had to offer.
After an excellent keynote on Tuesday by Paul Bailey titled “The Art of the Impossible,” the show opened, and a large crowd surged in. I spent the day walking the aisles and looking at all the technologies. One factor that kept recurring was the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a catchphrase. It was difficult to really understand what part of AI was being employed, but it was the use of rule-based learning of errors that could then be used to correct the root causes. Many of the Real Time With… interviews conducted in the I-Connect007 booth discussed the prevalence of AI.
One of the highlights for me was the Taiwan High-Tech Forum on Wednesday, presented by the Taiwan Printed Circuit Association (TPCA). TSMC provided opening remarks about the super-IC fabrication for the world. They showed a very slick video about their processes and packaging. Other Taiwan luminaries, including the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), gave an overview of its research for IC packaging and critical materials. This was followed by key Taiwan packaging substrate suppliers like Unimicron and Kinsus Interconnect Technology Corp., where leaders reviewed their technologies, capabilities, and materials. As the day went on, it seemed that the presentations were increasingly about marketing rather than technical presentations, as very few facts and data were presented; it was more about products and capabilities.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the 2024 issue of Show & Tell Magazine, click here.
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