Designing Circuits: RF & Sensor Basics for Self-Study

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To design RF and sensor circuits independently, foundational knowledge in analog and digital circuits is essential. Starting with the ARRL handbooks is recommended for understanding RF principles, as they cater to a wide audience from beginners to professionals. While "The Art of Electronics" is valuable for analog and digital design, it lacks depth in RF topics. For sensor circuits, application notes from companies like Analog Devices and National Semiconductor provide practical insights. Combining resources like Bowick's RF circuit design and Gonzalez's microwave transistor amplifiers can enhance understanding and skill in RF engineering.
Winzer
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I have taken both Analog circuits and Digital Circuits. These are the only EE courses I can take with my curriculum--I will have to self-study. If am looking to design RF and sensor circuits, where do I start?
I look at a radio transmitter schematic and am dumbfounded on how the designer would start from scratch.
 
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RF design is very elegant, and can be difficult. Just pick up some books on this subject, ARRL handbooks are good place to start.

The schematic of a radio transmitter for instance might appear enigmatic, put its principle of operation is the same as just about any transmitter. There are many ways to design the same thing. But if you can recognize the building blocks then understanding it will be a breeze.
 
waht said:
RF design is very elegant, and can be difficult. Just pick up some books on this subject, ARRL handbooks are good place to start.

The schematic of a radio transmitter for instance might appear enigmatic, put its principle of operation is the same as just about any transmitter. There are many ways to design the same thing. But if you can recognize the building blocks then understanding it will be a breeze.
Thanks waht. I will look into a good RF book as well as the ARRL handbooks.
 
By the way. I here that "The Art of Electronics" is a good book. Is it good for general circuit design?
 
Winzer said:
By the way. I here that "The Art of Electronics" is a good book. Is it good for general circuit design?

The "The Art of Electronics" is a very enlightening book, mostly in analog and digital circuit design, but not so much in in RF.

The ARRL handbook is a collection of high quality articles covering the principles of RF in a manner that conveys clarity to a broad audience spanning from beginners to professionals.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872591395/?tag=pfamazon01-20
 
waht said:
The "The Art of Electronics" is a very enlightening book, mostly in analog and digital circuit design, but not so much in in RF.

The ARRL handbook is a collection of high quality articles covering the principles of RF in a manner that conveys clarity to a broad audience spanning from beginners to professionals.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872591395/?tag=pfamazon01-20
Great, thanks. How about sensor circuits, or is that too generic?
 
For sensor circuits, checkout application notes from Analog Devices, National Semiconductor, Linear Technology, etc. You can find some good general ones on practical issues of using amplifiers and some application specific ones for different types of sensors.
 
The two books I own about RF design are:

RF circuit design by Bowick,
Microwave transistor amplifiers: design and analysis by Gonzalez.

The reason I own these two is because they work well together. The Bowick book is an excellent introduction and quick and dirty guide to RF engineering. The gonzalez book is an extremely difficult read (for me), but opened many a few doors for me. So much interesting stuff in that book

cheers
 
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