book reviews Analog and Digital Electronics for Scientists
Basil H. Vassos and Gnlen W Ewing, Seton Hall University. Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1972. x + 405 pp. Figs. and tables. 15.5 x 22 em. $12.95. The authors have written this book as a basic text for an undergraduate or graduate semester course in electronics and instrumentation for scientists. It is intended to develop a n ability to understand circuitry rather than design it. Specific types of commercial components are not described because of the rapid turnover in the field. The latter feature was put to the test since this review occurred two years after the book was published. There was negligible obsolescence noted. The basic pedagogical approach used throughout the book is to consider all components, be they electrical components or transducers, as input/output devices and focus on the graphical or mathematical nature of the transformation they perform rather than analyze in detail how this transformation occurs. The point here' being that commercial electrical components have become so modularized in their packaging that this is all that is needed to understand them. This approach simplifies the material that has to be covered and a t the same time necessitates some interesting shifts in emphasis. Thus, out of the nearly 300 pages of text less than five
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are devoted to the characteristics of a transistor, while a t least 50 pages are devoted to the development af the mathematical tools for understanding transformations. The book divides the material into ten simple chapters covering Passive Devices, Semiconductors, Signal Processing, Feedback, Operational Amplifiers and their use for Simulation and Control. Logic Systems. Flip Flops and Transducers. There is also an optional, 11th chapter whieh covers more advanced mathematical topics such as Laplace transforms and camplea variables using the vector or phasor method. There are two considerations of this book whieh I believe are important for possible class use. First it is very clearly written. The authors have the ability to describe complex systems simply. This is a book that can be used a t the unergraduate level. Secondly it is my belief that an author's understanding of a subject and his imaginative use of it can be seen in the problems or questions he produces. This book has good problems. They are not merely substitutions into formulas but are employed as a vehicle to take the reader beyond what was covered in the aecampanying chapter. Furthermore, carefully worked out solutions appear for all of them. One-hundred pages are devoted to appendices and solutions to the nearly 150 problems. I found only a few minor errors, e.g. the extra problem solutions in Chapter 5 far which there are no questions. One could question minor omissions. For example, in the logic section DeMorgan's rule is not
mentioned or used, nor is negative logic mentioned so that the reader has the impression that logic "1" and +5V are always equivalent. And finally, far a book that covers so many topics it was disappointing to find less than two dozen references or suggested readings cited in it. A five-page appendix constitutes the experimental laboratory section of the book. Ironically nearly all of the 11 suggested experiments are design-and-construct-aninstrument whieh would appear to belie one of the original intentions of the authors. Yet a reader of the text would be in a position to accomplish these projects which, though briefly stated, are the type of real life instrumental problems faced in the laboratory. I believe that the authors have achieved the goals they set. The book wauld serve as an excellent text far a n introductory, semester undergraduate course. Malmstadt, Enke, Crouch, and Horlik's (MECH) total book would be too long and the individual modules would give in depth coverage of some areas but nothing in others. Vassos and Ewing clearly cover the fundamental topics of instrumentation electronics in a manageable form. MECH's book would serve as a goad reference as would Sacks and Mark's book. For a year course or an advanced course MECH would be an obvious choice. Frederick D. Tabbutt Evergreen Slate College Olympia. Washington 98505
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