At Artech House, we ask our authors what problems their books can help readers solve. In this series, we share what our authors aim to do in their writing. Read on to see what Matthew Morgan, who wrote Principles of RF and Microwave Design, has to say about his book:
‘From student to RF circuit design practitioner’ – a great book for everyone
This comprehensive resource provides a thorough introduction to the principles of electronic circuits operating in the radio, microwave, and millimeter-wave frequency ranges. The book highlights the fundamental physical laws of classical electromagnetics using a foundation of Maxwell’s equations to give insight into the operating principles of circuit elements of all kinds, from lumped elements to transmission lines, waveguides, optical fibers, and quasi-optical structures. Standard passive system components like filters, splitters, couplers, hybrids, baluns, and antennas are explained to acclimate the reader to considering multiple technological solutions for common design problems.
A basic overview of active circuit designs, such as amplifiers, mixers, and multipliers is also provided, along with discussion of the performance characteristics of electronic systems, including noise and linearity. Emphasis is placed on visualization and understanding of how and why electronic circuits of all frequencies are built and operate the way they do.
Readers learn how to match an amplifier for optimum noise performance over the broadest bandwidth with the fewest number of elements and how to visualize the coupling of various modes in a mixed waveguide-type structure and avoid resonances due to trapped, higher-order modes. The book provides the tools needed to design and optimize a launcher from microstrip into waveguide, and whether the best characteristics can be achieved by incorporating matching elements in the microstrip section, the waveguide section, or both. Packed with references and examples, readers learn not only how to do the math but what the math means.
Features and benefits for engineers
Feature: Clear illustrations and interpretive discussion of electromagnetic phenomena.
Benefit: An accurate mental picture of how things work.
Feature: Comprehensive development of all types of circuit elements (e.g. lumped, distributed, wave-guiding, and quasi-optical).
Benefit: Ability to select the best approach for a given application under any specific constraints.
Feature: Detailed summary tables and appendices.
Benefit: Invaluable quick-reference material on a wide range of topics.
Feature: Advanced subjects not covered in most competing textbooks on microwave electronics (e.g. renormalization formulas, Floquet modes, optical fiber, gaussian beams, reflectionless filters, etc.).
Benefit: A book that the reader can ‘grow into’ throughout their career, as a familiar resource for exotic subjects that are less frequently taught but nonetheless indispensable when needed.
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Jerome Clayton from Atkins Global on ‘Principles of RF and Microwave Design’
Principles of RF and Microwave Design is a great book that is useful to anyone irrespective of where they are in their RF (radio, microwave, mmWave) career, from student to RF circuit design practitioner.
The book is well structured and starts off with a strong and comprehensive introduction to fields and waves using Maxwell’s equations. At this early stage, the author also introduces the reader to the mathematically rigorous and illustratively rich approach that is continued throughout the book. Matthew A. Morgan builds on these fundamental equations by deriving and explaining a wide range of relevant laws and theories which goes on to guide the reader through a diverse toolbox of standard circuit elements and practices that simplifies RF design by not having to painstakingly work through Maxwell’s equations for every design. He also explains how certain design changes can lead to different RF behaviours.
The next few chapters explains the application of circuit elements and building: lumped elements; transmission lines; network parameters; transformations and identities; impedance matching; waveguides; launchers and transmissions; antennas and quasitropes. The last chapters of the book delve into information on how energy transfers between the previously described circuit elements along with their applications in designs. These chapters are: flat frequency components; frequency selective components; amplifiers; and frequency conversion.
‘An invaluable resource to any RF and microwave design engineer’
An important aspect of the book is how the author provides a balanced view between lumped elements and transmission lines, encouraging the reader to choose the most appropriate idealisation based on the application they are designing for.
As you would expect from a book in this field, there are a good amount of drawings which assist the reader, including circuit diagrams, signal‑flow graphs, component diagrams, performance graphs and Smith charts. These are further accompanied by tables containing useful formulae and expressions.
Despite the book’s versatility, it helps if the reader has a basic understanding of vector calculus, different coordinate systems and Maxwell’s equations as this can help grasp the concepts explained within. There are appendices which provide information on mathematical identities; integral theorems; vector identities; vector operator forms; delta‑wye identities; transmission line identities; and special functions such as Chebyshev polynomials and Bessel functions.
Each chapter concludes with a collection of problems to be solved and references.
Overall, this book is an invaluable resource to any RF and microwave design engineer.
