Microwave Journal
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The Book End

November 1, 1997

The Book End

Microwave Engineering, Second Edition
David M. Pozar
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
716 pages; $101.95

Much has changed in microwave engineering since the first edition of this reference text was published. Microwave applications have changed with the increased emphasis on the commercial use of microwave technology. Hence, some of the older, out-of-date material from the first edition have been sacrificed to make way for new material on active microwave designs and devices, and practical uses of today's design tools and procedures.

Chapter 1 provides a solid basis for conducting further work by presenting electromagnetic theory and an introduction to microwave engineering. Chapter 2 covers transmission line theory with a discussion of wave propagation from both a circuit theory approach and from Maxwell's equations. Chapter 3 focuses on transmission lines and waveguides and their practical use today. Different wave propagation types and modes are analyzed. Chapter 4 explains microwave network analysis in modern terms, relating to the behavior of an entire microwave component system.

Chapter 5 deals with impedance matching and tuning, and the practical application of microwave theory. Chapter 6 describes microwave resonators and their applications in filters, oscillators, frequency meters and tuned amplifiers. Chapter 7 examines power dividers and directional couplers. Chapter 8 explains the design and use of microwave filters. Some of the more common filter types are described.

Chapter 9 presents the theory and design of ferromagnetic components, describing these types of materials and their use in microwave components. Chapters 10 and 11 detail active microwave circuits with a discussion on detectors and mixers, PIN diode control circuits, microwave ICs and sources. An analysis of amplifiers and oscillators is presented. Chapter 12 provides an introduction to microwave systems.

This updated version is a valuable reference text that covers a broad spectrum of microwave technology. The subjects are explained in clear and simple terms that can be easily understood by microwave students and engineers at all levels.

To order this book, contact: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158 (212) 850-6336 or (800) 225-5945.

Introduction to Radio Propagation for Fixed and Mobile Communications
John Doble
Artech House Inc.
189 pages; $69, £55

This book offers basic insight into the propagation effects encountered by fixed-link (microwave line-of-sight) and mobile radio systems. The book is divided into two parts, comprising fixed links and mobile systems. Chapter 1 discusses the atmosphere's radio refractive index and analyzes why this characteristic varies with height. Chapter 2 discusses signal fading in microwave systems, including frequency-independent and frequency-selective fading.

Chapter 3 investigates the pros and cons of the various diversity reception methods. Chapter 4 emphasizes problems of interference and describes deep fading and route planning. Signal attenuation caused by rainfall along the signal path is detailed in Chapter 5. The available sources for rain-rate data are identified and two approaches to predict fade depth are discussed. Chapter 6 covers system performance targets and outage modeling. Chapter 7 describes system planning techniques for ensuring performance objectives. Link budgets are presented and a planning exercise is offered.

Chapter 8 discusses various mobile radio services and the frequency bands used. Chapter 9 examines path loss predictions in rural, urban and suburban areas. Practical path loss and delay measurements are described. Chapter 10 details the principal characteristics of analog and digital equipment. The advantages of cell splitting and sectorization are explained. Chapter 11 considers communications into and within buildings, and defines penetration loss and height gain. Chapter 12 examines the underlying factors that cause differences in fixed-link and mobile radio propagation.

This book provides the reader with a good understanding of radio propagation characteristics and the problems associated with developing propagation models. The book is especially useful for engineers who are becoming familiar with mobile communications and for graduate-level students in communications engineering.

To order this book, contact: Artech House Inc., 685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062 (781) 769-9750, ext. 4002; or Portland House, Stag Place, London SW1E 5XA, UK +44 (0) 171 973 8077.