Product Description
This book covers the theory and practice of spectrum and network measurements in electronic systems. Intended for readers who have a background in electrical engineering and use spectrum or network analyzers to characterize electronic signals or systems, this classic volume successfully consolidates the pertinent theory into one comprehensive treatment of frequency domain measurements. The book's thorough coverage of critical concepts, such as Fourier analysis, transmission lines, intermodulation distortion, signal-to-noise ratio and S-parameters enables the reader to understand the basic theory of signals and systems, relate it to measured results, and apply it when creating new designs.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 5 reviews)

Excellent "manual" for the working man

If you find yourself working in an RF-related field but don't have much of an "elmer" to "show you the ropes," get this book! It takes the theory you learned in school about distortion, modulation, impedance mismatches, etc. and ties them all together with practical examples of why you care (e.g., from IP2 or IP3 it's trivial to estimate harmonic power levels) -- and oftentimes some historical explanations of why common standards/techniques are the way they are when, given contemporary technology, it's no longer obvious.

I like the level of math used in this book... if you haven't gone through the "hard core" RF classes in school, they're enough to motivate the results without getting bogged down in lengthy derivations, whereas if you go through all the math in school, you'll find many "old friends" that have been somewhat simplified to keep the analysis only complicated enough to obtain useful results. (E.g., there's little point 99.9% of the time worrying about distortions models above say, 3rd order.)

I had this book on my shelf for several years before I had a chance to sit down, crack it open, and prepare myself for a dry (albeit useful, based on prior recommendations) tome. I was pleasantly surprised to find just how readable the book is -- Witte is a gifted author, being able to clearly explain sometimes-complicated topics.

September 12, 2008

Great book for the engineer who works in the frequency domain

This book is a must-read for the engineer who needs to better understand the theory and basics of spectrum and network analysis. The nice thing is that the author starts off with detailed theory of the measurements; but with just enough math to properly ground the reader with the measurement basics. The concepts are easy to grasp and the examples are plentiful. Detailed usage of spectrum analyzers and network analyzers follow with many examples of how to make specific measurements. This is the ideal book for the beginner or advanced engineer who needs to measure in the frequency domain. Highly recommended.
August 03, 2008

Excellent. Concepts explained with minimum math.

This book was a joy to read. When I recommended it to co-workers who have been working with lab equipment for years, they still found it very useful and immediately bought it. It is amazing how the author can simplify the concepts and with minimum math explain the essence of various lab measurements. Every EE should understand every page of material covered in this book! In some sections the book might have benefited from more rigor and sometimes it's a little sloppy, but for a short introduction to the subject it's hard to beat this book.

This is a repeat of an old review under the name "A reader"

May 20, 2007

Excellent coverage of spectrum/network analysis

This book does a fine job of explaining the theory behind spectral analysis and relating it to real measurements. The book connects mainstream electrical engineering concepts such as Fourier analysis, distortion and modulation to practical results. There is enough math, but not too much. It is good to see this classic book back in print.
March 31, 2002

Excellent. Concepts explained with minimum math.

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