| This text is intended to be a populist book.
With so many complex equation–filled engineering books lining the shelves of our bookstores, perhaps you are wondering whether the science of microwaves and RF is ready for a text that can be understood by those who do not speak Latin or wear black robes. We believe so. The goal of a populist book is to appeal as much to the academic at a highbrow university as to the practitioner working in today’s frantic production environment. We hope you will find this text as relevant to your work of teaching others as to improving your own skills.
This book is written for practicing engineers and for those who would like to become one. And these days, who can afford not to keep learning? Whether you are a student at your final year of college, an engineer in industry who has just been assigned your first RF design project, or a seasoned veteran of the magic of microwave design, we hope that you will all find something useful in these pages. Even if you are a microwave or RF industry guru with most of the answers already, our experience in writing this has been that there is still a thing or two out there that needs explaining. If you cannot find anything that seems inexplicable, then at least you will have the satisfaction of reassuring yourself that you have indeed been right all these (long!) years.
We do not suggest you throw away your other excellent text books that explain semiconductor transport equations, Green’s functions, or the complex mathematics of filter design; just that this effort might make those paperweights all the more relevant. Do not misunderstand us—we do not imply that anyone can become a high-grade RF circuit and system designer without using any complex algebra. We feel strongly, however, that you do not need as much of it as some of the courses you have taken before may have included.
About the Authors
Rowan Gilmore is an experienced consulting engineer who introduced the world’s first commercial harmonic-balance CAD simulator while he was vice-president of engineering at Compact Software. He has held numerous design and management posts in industry, including Central Microwave, Schlumberger, Telstra, and SITA. A senior member of the IEEE, he holds a D.Sc. and an MSEE from Washington University in St. Louis, and a B.E. in electrical engineering from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. He has nearly 15 years of teaching experience with Besser Associates and CEI Europe.
Les Besser is the chairman of Besser Associates, a continuing education organization. He is a Life Fellow of the IEEE, in which he has held various offices and received awards and recognition for past accomplishments. He holds a Ph.D., an M.S., and a B.S. in electrical engineering. Dr. Besser authored the first commercially successful microwave circuit optimization routine, COMPACT, and founded Compact Software (now part of Ansoft), a pioneer group in RF/MW CAE. A master lecturer, he is currently heading an organization dedicated to continuing education through instructor-led and Internet-based short courses, and CD and videotaped presentations. His company has trained nearly 50,000 engineers and managers since the mid-1980s. |
