Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, Fourth Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)Just to make this clear, I'm writing this as somebody who does NOT have a degree in Electrical Engineering. I've been trying to get into electronics for years and have tried many different books.
I'll break this review into three sections as I think this book needs three different ratings.
1. 5 stars for teaching basic electronics theory and concepts. The majority of the theory is in the first two sections of the book. After wrestling with "The Art of Electronics" and the 1st edition of "Practical Electronics for Inventors" for years this was the book that finally made sense. The chapters are well paced and the tests are a good way to help think about what you've learned.
2. 3 stars for Section 3. This is an issue because section 3 is where the book starts with diodes, transistors, and electronics circuits. As far as helping us understand electronics, this section is not even near the level of the first two sections of the book. More importantly, the author does not adequately explain the circuits presented.
3. 1 or 2 stars for teaching "Practical" skills. After moving through almost 3 sections of this book, I understand a lot of theory but can't understand what is going in a basic circuit when I look at one. This book is completely lacking in the practical aspect. I assumed all this would be explained in the third section but it isn't.
I think this would be a great first book. You will, however, need other books to learn some practical skills, which is why you wanted to get into electronics in the first place.

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Learn the hows and whys behind basic electricity, electronics, and communications without formal training
The best combination self-teaching guide, home reference, and classroom text on electricity and electronics has been updated to deliver the latest advances.Great for preparing for amateur and commercial licensing exams, this guide has been prized by thousands of students and professionals for its uniquely thorough coverage ranging from DC and AC concepts to semiconductors and integrated circuits.
Written by Stan Gibilisco, an electronics legend and McGraw-Hill's most popular TAB author
Perfect for hobbyists, students, and those of you who want to get ahead in tech-related careers
Packed with everything needed to enhance learning: 600+ illustrations, practical examples, and hundreds of test questions

NEW TO THIS EDITION:Updated to reflect the latest technological advances in: * Computers * Robotics * Artificial Intelligence * Amplifiers * Transmitters * The Internet * High-fidelity
EXPERT HOW-TO GUIDANCE ON SOLVING PROBLEMS SUCH AS:
Simple current-voltage-resistance determinators
Power calculations
Designing acoustical and audio systems
Designing circuits and systems

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30 Arduino Projects for the Evil Genius Review

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(More customer reviews)Simon Monk provides Arduino newbies a guide that goes way beyond "Getting Started With Arduino", yet deals with the subject in an easy to read, accessible format. His projects are also far more practical eg he deals with flashing a simple led (like every other Arduino text) but then scales this up to high power Luxeon leds in various different applications but based on similar circuitry. This lead me to adapting one of his circuits to a real-world interest of mine, involving led lamps.
I look forward to a sequel where he might take us into the (so far) murky world of timers and interrupts, an area not covered very well (yet) in the Arduino world.

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30 Ways to Have Some Computer-Controlled Evil Fun!
This wickedly inventive guide shows you how to program and build a variety of projects with the Arduino microcontroller development system. Covering Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, 30 Arduino Projects for the Evil Genius gets you up to speed with the simplified C programming you need to know--no prior programming experience necessary.
Using easy-to-find components and equipment, this do-it-yourself book explains how to attach an Arduino board to your computer, program it, and connect electronics to it to create fiendishly fun projects. The only limit is your imagination!
30 Arduino Projects for the Evil Genius:
Features step-by-step instructions and helpful illustrations
Provides full schematic and construction details for every project
Covers the scientific principles behind the projects
Removes the frustration factor--all required parts are listed along with sources

Build these and other devious devices:
Morse code translator
High-powered strobe light
Seasonal affective disorder light
LED dice
Keypad security code
Pulse rate monitor
USB temperature logger
Oscilloscope
Light harp
LCD thermostat
Computer-controlled fan
Hypnotizer
Servo-controlled laser
Lie detector
Magnetic door lock
Infrared remote

Each fun, inexpensive Evil Genius project includes a detailed list of materials, sources for parts, schematics, and lots of clear, well-illustrated instructions for easy assembly. The larger workbook-style layout and convenient two-column format make following the step-by-step instructions a breeze.
Make Great Stuff!TAB, an imprint of McGraw-Hill Professional, is a leading publisher of DIY technology books for makers, hackers, and electronics hobbyists.

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Making Things Talk: Practical Methods for Connecting Physical Objects Review

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(More customer reviews)When I first heard about this book, I assumed it was about projects for speech synthesis. When I read the details on the publisher's site I was somewhat disappointed - talking meant communications in this case. However, I ordered it anyway and was quite delighted by the results. The book is well illustrated, well written, and contains 26 very interesting projects. If you are teaching networking to high schoolers or even to college students, these projects might make interesting case studies to drive home some of the points being studied.
There is one thing I would caution you on though. Don't expect the lead-you-by-the-hand electronics-heavy methodology of most other project books. This book - although apparently targeted at electronics hobbyists - goes into painstaking detail on hardware needed and assembly. However, it oddly assumes the reader doesn't need much coaching on the Processing programming language or PHP. Of course, this book would be an unwieldy tome if tutoring on those subjects were included, but just be warned that you'll need some outside sources if you are not already familiar with either of these languages. The following is the list of contents of the book along with the names and locations of the 26 included projects.
1. The Simplest Tools
2. The Simplest Network
Project 1 - Monski Pong
Project 2 - Wireless Monski Pong
Project 3 - Negotiating in Bluetooth
3. A More Complex Network
Project 4 - A Networked Cat
4. Look Ma! No Computer
Project 5 - Hello Internet
Project 6 - Networked Air Quality Meter
5. Communicating in (Near) Real Time
Project 7 - A Networked Game
6. Wireless Communication
Project 8 - Infrared Transmitter-Receiver Pair
Project 9 - Radio Transmitter-Receiver Pair
Project 10 - Duplex Radio Transmission
Project 11 - Bluetooth Receivers
7. The Tools
Project 12 - Reporting Toxic Chemicals in the Shop
Project 13 - Relaying Solar Data Wirelessly
8. How to Locate (Almost) Anything
Project 14 - Infrared Distance Ranger Example
Project 15 - Ultrasonic Distance Ranger Example
Project 16 - Reading Received Signal Strength Using XBee Radios
Project 17 - Reading Received Signal Strength Using Bluetooth Radios
Project 18 - Reading the GPS Serial Protocol
Project 19 - Determining Heading Using a Digital Compass
Project 20 - Using an Accelerometer
9. Identification
Project 21 - Color Recognition Using a Webcam
Project 22 - 2D Barcode Recognition Using a Webcam
Project 23 - Reading RFID Tags in Processing
Project 24 - RFID Meets Home Automation
Project 25 - IP Geocoding
Project 26 - Email from RFID
A. And Another Thing
B. Where to Get Stuff
C. Program Listings

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Building electronic projects that interact with the physical world is good fun. But when devices that you've built start to talk to each other, things really start to get interesting. Through a series of simple projects, you'll learn how to get your creations to communicate with one another by forming networks of smart devices that carry on conversations with you and your environment. Whether you need to plug some sensors in your home to the Internet or create a device that can interact wirelessly with other creations, Making Things Talk explains exactly what you need. This book is perfect for people with little technical training but a lot of interest. Maybe you're a science teacher who wants to show students how to monitor weather conditions at several locations at once, or a sculptor who wants to stage a room of choreographed mechanical sculptures. Making Things Talk demonstrates that once you figure out how objects communicate -- whether they're microcontroller-powered devices, email programs, or networked databases -- you can get them to interact. Each chapter in contains instructions on how to build working projects that help you do just that. You will:

Make your pet's bed send you email
Make your own seesaw game controller that communicates over the Internet
Learn how to use ZigBee and Bluetooth radios to transmit sensor data wirelessly
Set up communication between microcontrollers, personal computers, and web servers using three easy-to-program, open source environments: Arduino/Wiring, Processing, and PHP.
Write programs to send data across the Internet based on physical activity in your home, office, or backyard
And much more
With a little electronics know-how, basic (not necessarily in BASIC) programming skills, a couple of inexpensive microcontroller kits and some network modules to make them communicate using Ethernet, ZigBee, and Bluetooth, you can get started on these projects right away. With Making Things Talk, the possibilities are practically endless.

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Make: Arduino Bots and Gadgets: Six Embedded Projects with Open Source Hardware and Software (Learning by Discovery) Review

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(More customer reviews)Make: Arduino Bots and Gadgets is a heavily illustrated guide to incorporating the Arduino platform into six projects which illustrate embedded systems concepts. The author's stated ultimate goal is to teach the reader how to build prototypes, and in that they are largely successful. A secondary mission is to allow the reader to "learn embedded systems in a week"; here I'm not so sure they reach the objective.
The format of the book is excellent, combining a lucid narrative with clear photos of the work underway. Parts lists at the start of each project chapter list precisely the materials and tools necessary to complete that project, usually including potential sources of the materials and part numbers in many cases.
One consideration for potential readers is financial. Some projects require components that are relatively expensive, considering that the Arduino Uno can be purchased for about $30. As an example, the first project uses a Ping))) ultrasonic sensor, which costs about $30; another project in the book uses three of these sensors. This is not a massive outlay of funds, but should be factored in if you plan to actually build these projects.
You will also need some foundation tools and skills, such as a digital multimeter, soldering iron, the ability to solder, etc. Fairly generic stuff, but these are not "snap-together" projects.
Overall, this is a great read and an easy introduction to Arduino and embedded systems. Exceptionally clear instructions and excellent supporting photography make it a joy to use.

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Want to build your own robots, turn your ideas into prototypes, control devices with a computer, or make your own cell phone applications? It's a snap with this book and the Arduino open source electronic prototyping platform. Get started with six fun projects and achieve impressive results quickly. Gain the know-how and experience to invent your own cool gadgets. With Arduino, building your own embedded gadgets is easy, even for beginners. Embedded systems are everywhere--inside cars, children's toys, and mobile phones. This book will teach you the basics of embedded systems and help you build your first gadget in just a few days. Each learn-as-you-build project that follows will add to your knowledge and skills. Experiment with Arduino, the popular microcontroller board Build robots and electronic projects with easy-to-follow instructions Turn your ideas into working physical prototypes Use Android phones as remote controls in your projects Work with an uncomplicated programming language created for artists, designers, and hobbyists Get everyone involved, with projects that even beginners can build.

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Radio Handbook, Twenty Third Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)The late Bill Orr, W6SAI, was a legend to many of us old timer hams. His books were always practical and helpful. Radio Handbook is no exception. This is a reprint of an older edition of Radio Handbook so its technology looks like 80's vintage. (Get the ARRL Handbook for recent stuff.) This book's strength is tube-type linear amplifiers. That's why I bought it and I'm happy with it. Very practical help and ideas. His general radio theory sections are quite clear as well. For other circuits and devices, I found the material rather dated. But for amps, it's my book!

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Written for the advanced engineer, technician, or advanced radio amateur, this popular guide to radio communications presents complete documentation on many technical topics.It studies HF, VHF, and UHF spectrums, covers theory and equipment design in detail, and explains construction techniques. For engineers, technicians and advanced radio amateurs.HF, VHF, and UHF spectrums.Detailed theory and equipment design.

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Simulation and Software Radio for Mobile Communications (Artech House Universal Personal Communications) Review

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(More customer reviews)Harada & Prasad provide a very good working-level
understanding of how to simulate communication systems
using MATLAB. This book will appeal to advanced
undergraduate and beginning graduate electrical
engineers. It emphasizes nuts&bolts simulation, and
assumes a good working knowledge of communication
system analysis. Professionals who use MATLAB to
analyze communication systems for a living will find
the coverage fairly basic - even shallow - but the
authors well meet their goal of giving beginners a
better leg up on the process. Including their MATLAB
source code on a CD with the book may make the purchase
worthwhile all by itself.

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This resource gives professionals a comprehensive understanding of the simulation and evaluation methods used in the design and development of today's mobile communication systems. Professionals get in-depth discussions on digital modulation techniques, transmission schemes, discusses multiple access protocols, cellular telecommunication systems, and cutting-edge software radio communication systems.

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Software Radio: A Modern Approach to Radio Engineering Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a one-stop source for everything you need to know about Software Radio. So, this is an excellent text-book for a 1-semester course on software radio. Some of the concepts such as analog-to-digital conversion are discussed in detail, although the relevance of a 70 page chapter on smart antennas in a Software Radio book still eludes me. A good introduction to RF implementation issues is provided. There isn't too much Math in this book, which is both good and bad. My only complaint is that there are lot of errors, both conceptual and typographical, in this book and many of these errors are not addressed in the webpage maintained by the author. Otherwise, it is a very good book.

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IS-95 CDMA and cdma2000: Cellular/PCS Systems Implementation Review

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(More customer reviews)This is definitely not the right book if you do not know anything about wireless communications and you just want to have an idea of this topic. In order to understand most of the chapters you need quite a strong background on analog (AMPS) and TDMA systems(GSM). If this is the case, this book is helpful to understand all the main features of the IS-95 CDMA standard and the differences between this systems and the previously mentioned ones. The book is complete, well organized and structured even though sometimes it exceeds in details and becomes heavy to read. But if you are not interested in the mathematical parts you can easily skip to the following section without losing anything.

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The Next Generation: Wireless Communications for Multimedia and Beyond Of all wireless technologies for personal communications, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) offers the best combination of good signal quality, high security, low power consumption, and excellent system reliability. Features added in the IS-95 standard means this impressive list now also includes Third Generation (3G) data capabilities that will allow CDMA providers to offer Internet and intranet services for multimedia applications, high-speed business transactions, and telemetry. The upcoming cdma2000 standard will further expand usable bandwidth without sacrificing voice quality or requiring additional spectrum. In this book by an experienced telecommunications authority, you will learn how to maximize the power of CDMA, migrate existing systems to the newest standards, and prepare for a smooth transition to features yet to come. IS-95 CDMA and cdma2000: Cellular/PCS Systems Implementation covers all aspects of up-to-date CDMA implementation and operation, including: Coding and architecture Radio interface and call flow Physical, data link, and signaling layers Handoff and power control System security Wireless Data Reverse and Forward Link Capacity RF Engineering and network planning Evolution to Third Generation systems Practicing engineers and their managers will benefit from the in-depth coverage of IS-95 systems, RF engineering, and capacity planning. Students will appreciate the forward-looking approach that offers a look at the future of the industry where they are preparing for careers. IS-95 CDMA and cdma2000: Cellular/PCS Systems Implementation offers both practical applications information and conveniently organized reference materials for anyone interested in the next generation of wireless telecommunications.

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Designing Audio Power Amplifiers Review

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(More customer reviews)When I heard that Bob Cordell had written a book on audio power amp design, I advance-ordered it immediately. Everything I'd seen of his work over the years had been eminently coherent and elegantly conveyed. The book arrived today and is well worth the wait.
I'm going to have to be careful about how much time I spend with this, as it could easily keep me up into the wee hours and lead to an impractical day following. But everything I've sampled is accurate, concise, and a pleasure to read. Much like Floyd Toole's recent magisterial tome, Sound Reproduction, Cordell calmly but decisively demolishes flawed audio mythology at every turn. Part 5, toward the end, is itself well-worth the price of admission. The discussion on negative feedback in particular is recommended.
But the book is not all about skewering shibboleths, and dipping into to earlier chapters reveals a keen and compassionate ability to convey crucial insights into real design. The balance between the maths, simulation results, and real-world experience is well-wrought. Again, I've not read but a fraction, but the flavor comes through readily from all of the excerpts I've perused.
As well, the book appears to be astonishingly typo-free. There must be a few, but I haven't found any yet.
Having heard directly from Toole how arduous the production of his book was, the fights with incompetent editors and so forth, and the negligible compensation he's receiving, I am mightily impressed with this book, and thank Bob Cordell for expending the enormous effort it has doubtless required. And I sense a fundamental decency about the man, somehow.
Very highly recommended.

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Master the art of audio power amplifier design
This comprehensive book on audio power amplifier design will appeal to members of the professional audio engineering community as well as the hobbyist. Designing Audio Power Amplifiers begins with power amplifier design basics that a novice can understand and moves all the way through to in-depth design techniques for the very sophisticated audiophile and professional audio power amplifier designer. This is the single best source of knowledge for anyone who wants to design an audio power amplifier, whether for fun or profit. Develop and hone your audio design skills with in-depth coverage of these and other topics:
Basics of audio power amplifier design
MOSFET power amplifiers and error correction
Static and dynamic crossover distortion demystified
Understanding negative feedback and the controversy surrounding it
Advanced negative feedback compensation techniques
Sophisticated DC servo design
Audio measurements and instrumentation
Overlooked sources of distortion
SPICE simulation for audio amplifiers, including a tutorial
SPICE transistor modeling, including the EKV model for power MOSFETs
Thermal design and the use of ThermalTrak transistors
Four chapters devoted to class D amplifiers

Supplemental material available at www.cordellaudio.com includes:* Ready-to-run amplifier simulations * Key transistor models * Other bonus materials
Make Great Stuff!TAB, an imprint of McGraw-Hill Professional, is a leading publisher of DIY technology books for makers, hackers, and electronics hobbyists.

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RF and Digital Signal Processing for Software-Defined Radio: A Multi-Standard Multi-Mode Approach Review

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(More customer reviews)Some obvious errors worry me. For instance, the equations in Section 7.3.1 (Loop Detector) are not consistent with the diagram of the system on which they are based: Figure 7.9 (the AGC Loop). One glaring problem is that a signal sample v(n) enters a delay z^-1 and comes out as a future sample v(n+1). This does not inspire confidence. Furthermore, trying to correct an author's errors while trying to learn the material is unwanted, extra and misapplied effort.

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RF Circuit Design, Second Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)RF design can either be understood from first principles through Maxwell's equations (wave theory) or from circuit analysis through the basic passive and active electronic components. This book takes the latter approach because it is much easier and far more practical for building actual circuits. Also the mathematics can be held to a minimum with this approach. One of the main reasons the first edition of this book was so popular was the emphasis on reading and understanding Smith charts. This provides a very quick visual entry into RF design without the heavy emphasis on differential equations and boundary conditions.
The book under review is the second edition, which updates the (now more than 25 years old) first edition with two new chapters on RF Front-End Design (chapter 8) and RF Design Tools (chapter 9). Chapter 8 covers modern radio front-end design including sections on intermodulation, receiver architecture and software defined radios. Chapter 9 gives an overview of design tools before going into a detailed case study of IEEE 802.11a in CMOS using Analog Office software.
It is instructive to see both how many things have changed and yet how the basic principles have remained the same. Even though the individual NPN transistors mentioned in the original chapters are long gone (replaced by highly integrated op-amps and LNAs), the passive components are still used in designs every day. And the transistor design issues (S parameters, transistor biasing) still apply today in the multi-GHz range just as they did in the MHz range a quarter of a century ago. Today's integrated designs might include an on-chip inductor created with rectangular traces wrapped into a "coil" instead of an actual physical coil and on-chip capacitors and resistors, but the principles remain the same. In fact, the performance of passive on-chip capacitors and inductors is normally orders of magnitude worse than is required for high performance designs. Thus the physical components are still widely used today.
There are a number of RF circuit design topics missing from this book, including oscillators, distributed elements, microstrip and slot line designs for GHz ranges and advanced integrated circuit topics for CMOS and GaAs radio design, but these would not fit into an introductory text such as this one. Another item the book doesn't emphasize is the wide variety of online tools available now for RF designers. The website http://rf.rficdesign.com/ has consolidated a number of links to free tools covering many aspects of RF design mentioned in this book, including a Pi Network calculator, S parameter utility and Smith chart Java tool.
In conclusion, this book is ideal for either the RF design hobbyist or professional digital designer who needs to design front end circuits without going back to school. The book has a companion website with high resolution versions of many of the Smith charts in the book, http://books.elsevier.com/companions/defaultindividual.asp?isbn=9780750685184


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RFID Sourcebook (paperback) Review

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(More customer reviews)RFID Sourcebook by Sandip Lahiri is a very well done title that you should investigate if you're starting to look into how RFID technology might be used in your organization...
Contents: Technology Overview; Advantages of the Technology; Limitations of the Technology; Application Areas; Privacy Concerns; RFID Versus Bar Code; The RFID Strategy; Creating Business Justification for RFID; Designing and Implementing an RFID Solution; Standards; Closing Thoughts; RFID Vendors, News Sources, and Conferences; Passive Tag Manufacturing Overview; Glossary; Index
I found this book to be the type that you could legitimately use in order to plan your company's approach to RFID. It's not a "rah rah" book that pretends that RFID is a panacea to all the manufacturing problems that exist. It's an even-handed coverage of the subject, and he doesn't have any qualms about covering the pros and cons that you'll have to consider if you use RFID. There's a degree of technical information in the book, but not so much that a higher-level decision maker would get bogged down in details. I guess I'd consider it more of a strategic book to make good fundamental initial decisions, and to get your project moving in the right direction early.
If RFID is something that your organization or industry is pursuing, grab this book to get grounded in the fundamentals.

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The realistic, no-hype guide to RFID evaluation, planning, and deployment Approaching crucial decisions about Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology? This book will help you make choices that maximize the business value of RFID technology and minimize its risks. IBM's Sandip Lahiri, an experienced RFID solution architect, presents up-to-the-minute insight for evaluating RFID; defining optimal strategies, blueprints, and timetables; and deploying systems that deliver what they promise. Drawing on his experience, Lahiri offers candid assessments of RFID's potential advantages, its technical capabilities and limitations, and its business process implications. He identifies pitfalls that have tripped up early adopters, and shows how to overcome or work around them. This must-have resource can also act as a reference guide to any nontechnical person who wants to know about the technology. From building business cases to testing tags, this book shares powerful insights into virtually every issue you're likely to face.Coverage includes*RFID "reality check": getting beyond the hype and the counterreaction *Aligning RFID strategy with business strategy *Assessing applications, both prevalent and emerging *Identifying opportunities to use RFID beyond supply chain applications *Choosing between RFID and barcodes *Realistically assessing potential ROI, one step at a time *Designing solutions that leverage RFID's advantages while overcoming its performance limitations *Understanding business flows impacted by a potential RFID deployment *Defining realistic roadmaps and timelines *Addressing oft-neglected real-world issues, from tag validation through managing expectations *Dealing with standardsRFID Sourcebook will help you ask the tough questions...build the right applications...avoid costly mistakes...work more effectively with suppliers and partners...time your initiative...even find alternatives to RFID when that makes sense. Whatever your role in RFID strategy, planning, or execution, have Sandip Lahiri's experience and knowledge on your side: You'll dramatically improve your odds of success. A A(c) Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Wi-Fi(TM), Bluetooth(TM), Zigbee(TM) and WiMax(TM) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book because it promised broad coverage of the currently most important non cellular, wireless technologies. We'll it delivers on the breadth of information but this is an extremely difficult book to read. Here's why:
1. It's coverage of the wireless subjects seems spotty and disorganized in that it jumps around between hardware and software subjects in an almost aimless way. Generally, the book does not provide sufficient and clear coverage of the system level or architectural issues for a given technology before deep diving into selected areas of technical detail. There tends to be too much detail in many specific technical areas without sufficient discussion of how the pieces work together.

2. It's written in broken English (actually seems to be poorly translated from French);
3. It is very poorly edited (includes many incorrect references to figures and tables, incomplete and broken sentences);
4. It suffers from death by acronyms. The book introduces the words behind the acronym once then never seems to use the "words" again, only the acronym. Unless you're already an expert in the subject, reading requires you to access the 16 page acronym dictionary after reading every few sentences. This is doable but makes reading difficult and clearly distracts the reader from appreciating the technical concepts being communicated.
Although the book seems to have a good deal of useful information. I would recommend that potential buyers look around for other coverage of the material before buying this hard to read book.

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The book provides a complete and detailed description of the recent wireless technologies including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee and WiMAX. These technologies are considered to be important topics in the telecommunication industry in the next decade. Some critical subjects are particularly developed such as security, quality of service, roaming and power conservation. The book also includes some chapters on practical aspects.

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Short-range Wireless Communication, Second Edition: Fundamentals of RF System Design and Application (Communications Engineering Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a good book to give you an overview of the topic, but do not expect any indepth coverage. There is also a demo version of Mathcad, useful with the worksheets provided.

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CDMA RF System Engineering (Artech House Mobile Communications) Review

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(More customer reviews)Samuel Yang's "CDMA RF System Engineering" is a small but complete, accurate, and to-the-point treatment of the IS-95 version of CDMA. It is the best introductory text on the RF system engineering aspects of CDMA networks I have seen. After a quick but comprehensive review of the CDMA processes, radio propagation models, and sundry fundamentals of digital radio techniques; the author turns to the important details of the IS-95 protocol that must be understood in order to consider the RF engineering matters that take up the last third of the book. These system details include: QPSK and OQPSK, power control, handoffs, link structures, access techniques, and call processing. With the system aspects thus covered in an intuitive but rigorous way, the author gets right to the point as he considers the difficulties of RF system engineering: system design, PN management, noise management, and a thorough treatment of general network management techniques. The book is an excellent introduction to the broad subject of CDMA RF engineering for those new to the field.

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Drawing upon his experience in building the first major CDMA network in North America, Samuel Yang explains the essentials of CDMA wireless technology, helping the reader acquire the knowledge needed to engineer and implement an IS-95 based CDMA system. Examining both the theoretical and practical side of CDMA engineering, this guide is designed for practicing RF and system engineers who should find the modular-oriented chapters on spread-spectrum multiple access technique, design and performance engineering, CDMA traffic engineering, and regulatory implications especially useful.

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SolderSmoke - Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics (U.S. version) Review

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(More customer reviews)SolderSmoke: A Global Adventure in Radio Electronics, by Bill Meara, N2CQR, takes the reader on a journey into the magic of radio and the essence of the amateur radio hobby. The book is both a personal journal and a workbench notebook. Bill weaves together his exploration of radio through both his experiences since joining the hobby as a boy and the continual development of his conceptualization and resulting understanding of the basics of electronics. With a liberal arts education, Bill's exploration of electronics becomes a passionate pursuit driven by questions not easily explained by standard text book answers. Anyone who has enjoyed listening to a SolderSmoke podcast knows that Bill is a wonderful storyteller. His narrative traces his development in the hobby: early years as a boy, an Army private at Fort Gordon, GA experiencing the Signal Corps school, his reemergence in the hobby upon the start of a State Department posting in the Dominican Republic, followed by tours in the Azores, London, and Rome. Bill's interests in amateur radio covers many of its facets. He makes contact with a Russian OSCAR satellite, talks to an astronaut aboard MIR, and catches the homebrewing bug - building an AM rig, a dual side-band rig that he uses on 17M and other completely homebrewed projects. His job with the State Department allows him to enjoy the hobby from exotic locations around the globe. The fellow hams he meets (both on air and locals) adds to his adventures. Whether a fellow homebrewer is sending him a hard to get part or he works a local ham in the Dominican Republic via a satellite-based VHF repeater, Bill brings to life the camaraderie of the amateur radio fellowship. His journey takes him beyond the basic equations of electronic theory and explores some of the fundamental questions behind the formulas. I would recommend this book for anyone who views amateur radio gear as more than just a collection of transistors, capacitors, diodes, and solder. SolderSmoke (the book) is one man's journey into the soul of ham radio. It is a wonderful, amazing quest to unlock the magic of the electron.

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RF Microelectronics (2nd Edition) (Prentice Hall Communications Engineering and Emerging Technologies Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I first bought this book, I was very hopeful. The book seemed to cover a lot of relevant material, in a concise fashion. When I tried to read it however, I found it a little bit too much on the concise side. I have read very complicated books with a lot of math before, and I could follow them easier than this "easy" writing style. Almost every subject is covered in other books in more detail and better. Sometimes it's nice to have a simpler book which is an introduction, and that is what I was hoping for, but this just didn't do it for me.I donated the book to the library,as I felt I would never really get too much out of it. This didn't stop me from buying Mr. Razavi's "Design of Analog CMOS ICs " and I liked his tutorial in the IEEE Phase Lock Loop book he edited.I know he can do a better job.

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The Acclaimed RF Microelectronics Best-Seller, Expanded and Updated for the Newest Architectures, Circuits, and DevicesWireless communication has become almost as ubiquitous as electricity, but RF design continues to challenge engineers and researchers. In the 15 years since the first edition of this classic text, the demand for higher performance has led to an explosive growth of RF design techniques. In RF Microelectronics, Second Edition, Behzad Razavi systematically teaches the fundamentals as well as the state-of-the-art developments in the analysis and design of RF circuits and transceivers.Razavi has written the second edition to reflect today's RF microelectronics, covering key topics in far greater detail. At nearly three times the length of the first edition, the second edition is an indispensable tome for both students and practicing engineers. With his lucid prose, Razavi nowOffers a stronger tutorial focus along with hundreds of examples and problems

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