ATUAN

Understand Amplifiers

Understand Amplifiers
By Owen Bishop

Publisher: Newnes
Number Of Pages: 180
Publication Date: 1998-08-18
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 0750637439
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9780750637435
Binding: Paperback

This is a readable introduction for those with little previous knowledge of the subject. The theme of amplification is central to many branches of electronics. Consequently there is a large and confusing array of amplifier types intended for a wide range of applications. This book describes amplifier types, how they work, their properties, advantages and disadvantages, and applications. Amplifiers are treated with the minimum of mathematics and lots of illustrations.

Owen Bishop is a prolific author of books for those interested in electronics, including experimenters, students and practising engineers.

Essential introduction to a key subject for students and circuit designers.
Complements Newnes titles on audio amps from Duncan, Self, Jones & Hood.
Concise and practical: a book you can really read cover to cover.

Summary: surprisingly poor book
Rating: 2

book description says “This is a readable introduction for those with little previous knowledge of the subject.” This is absolutely untrue.

The book does not start from first principles. It assumes the reader already has a good working knowledge of amplifiers and wants to refresh his memory of basic performance characteristics.

New terms are introduced throughout without proper definition. One chapter even makes reference to a future chapter to explain something.

He says that FETs are easiest to understand (!) and covers those first. I don’t agree – vacuum tubes are easiest to understand. They’re based on very simple physical principles. A useful topic order might have been tubes, p-n junctions and semiconductors, BJTs, JFETS & MOSFETS, Op-amps etc. He doesn’t cover power supplies which would have been relevant in the context.

There should have been a separate chapter on semiconductors and p-n junctions but these are left as cursory asides.

Future readers:

If you want a qualitative description of solid state amps read Electronic Principles by Albert P. Malvino.

If you want a qualitative description of tubes (aka valves) read Basic Electronics by Van Valkenburgh, Nooger & Neville, Inc., published by Rider or Hayden or Sams, 1954 or 1955.

Some more books on tubes: Module 6 of the United States Navy Electricity & Electronics Training Series (NEETS) covers elementary tubes. The entire 24 part series is excellent. Module 7 covers solid state devices and Module 8 is entitled “Introduction to Amplifiers”. Tubes are also covered in chapter 7 of Basic Electronics by U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel (ISBN 0486210766). Its sister book is Basic Electricity (ISBN 0486209733).

For a v. nice description of BJTs read “Electronics” (Wiley Self-Teaching Guides) by Harry Kybett

If you want a more comprehensive intro to amplifiers use “A Practical Introduction to Electronic Circuits” by Martin Hartley Jones.

If you want university level books try “Principles of Electronics: Analog and Digital” by Lloyd R. Fortney (calculus based) and/or “Introduction to Modern Electronics” by J.C. Sprott (ISBN 0471058408; OOP now so buy it used)

Finally, I don’t understand the title of this book. It should have been “Understanding Amplifiers” (i.e. present participle) don’t you think?

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