Microwave Journal
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The Book End

August 1, 2003

Electromagnetics Explained: A Handbook for Wireless/RF, EMC and High Speed Electronics

Ron Schmitt
Elsevier Science
359 pages; $34.99
ISBN: 0-7506 7403-2


This book is mainly intended as an introductory guide and reference for engineers and students who need to apply the concepts of electromagnetics to real-world problems in electrical engineering. Germane disciplines include radio-frequency (RF) design, high speed digital design and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Electromagnetism is the theory that underlies all of electronics and circuit theory. With circuit theory being only an approximation, many problems, such as those of radiation and transmission line effects, require a working knowledge of electromagnetic concepts. Practical tips and examples of real applications of electromagnetic concepts are included to help the reader bridge the gap between theory and practice. Those readers interested in RF or electromagnetics in general will find the entire book useful. While Chapter 1 serves as a good introduction for everyone, Chapters 2, 3 and 4 cover the basics and may be unnecessary for those who have some background in electromagnetics. Those readers whose discipline is digital design are directed to focus on Chapters 1, 7, 8 and 12. These four chapters cover the important topics that relate digital circuits and electromagnetic compatibility. EMC engineers, too, should focus on these four chapters and will also be interested in the chapters that cover radiation (Chapter 5), shielding (Chapter 9) and antennas (Chapter 11). Chapter 6, which covers relativity and quantum theory, is probably not necessary for a book like this, but these topics have been included because they provide a different perspective of the electromagnetic field. This book can be utilized by anyone learning electromagnetics or RF theory, be they scientists, engineers or technicians. It can serve well as a companion text for a traditional class on electromagnetics or as a companion text for classes on RF or high speed electronics.

To order this book, contact: Elsevier Science, 225 Wildwood Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801-2041 (781) 904-2500.


Fourier Transforms in Radar and Signal Processing

David Brandwood
Artech House Inc.
199 pages; $99, £69
ISBN: 1-58053-174-1

The Fourier transform is a valuable theoretical technique used widely in fields such as mathematics, statistics, physics and engineering. The relationship between a function and its transform is given by an integral, and a tedious integration may be required to obtain the transform in a given application. The aim of this book is to present the rules and pairs approach to Fourier transforms, first proposed by Woodward, and to illustrate its use.

The rules and pairs themselves are presented in Chapter 2, but before they are given, the notation in which they are expressed is described, providing an introduction to the method and showing how easily some useful and important results can be obtained. All the following chapters provide examples and illustrations of the use of the technique. Chapter 3, on pulse spectra, covers one of the most natural applications of the technique. Sampling, particularly relevant for signal processing, is studied in Chapter 4. The question of deriving a series of samples offset in time from the original series is considered in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 is devoted to the problem of compensating for spectral distortion. Compensation for delay (a phase error that is linear with frequency) is achieved by a technique similar to interpolation, but amplitude compensation is interesting in that it requires a new set of transform pairs, including functions derived by differentiation of the sinc function. Finally, in Chapter 7, array beam forming is studied, considering the fact that there is a Fourier transform relationship between the illumination of a linear aperture and its beam pattern. It concentrates on a regular linear array rather than a continuous aperture. Two forms of the problem are offered: the low side-lobe directional beam and a much wider sector beam, covering an angular sector with uniform gain.

To order this book, contact: Artech House Inc., 685 Canton St., Norwood, MA 02062 (781) 769-9750 ext. 4030; or 46 Gillingham St., London SW1V 1HH UK +44 (0) 207 596-8750.