Electrical Engineering 101: Everything You Should Have Learned in School but Probably Didn't [Paperback]

Darren Ashby (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 27, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0750678127 | ISBN-13: 978-0750678124

The formal education of an electrical engineer is primarily mathematics and theory, with little practical information taught. Every beginning engineer needs a mentor to teach them the things that aren't taught in engineering school, but often lacks such a guide. This book fills that gap between theory and practice. Written by an expert electronics engineer who enjoys teaching the practical side of engineering, it covers all the subjects that a beginning EE needs to know: intuitive circuit and signal analysis, physical equivalents of electrical components, proper use of an oscilloscope, troubleshooting both digital and analog circuits, and much more.

The accompanying CD-ROM contains a reference library of electronics information, with demo simulation software and engineering calculators.

*Covers the engineering basics that have been either left out of a typical engineer's education or forgotten over time

*No other book offers a wealth of "insider information" in one volume, specifically geared to help new engineers and provide a refresher for those with more experience

*The accompanying CD-ROM contains a reference library of electronics information, with demo simulation software and engineering calculators

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ashby takes a very practical approach, including a chapter on using tools, and he doesn't leave off on how to use soldering irons. He encourages the strenuous use of people as well-especially of field-applications engineers, which I didn't know existed until I became one upon graduation."
- Rick Nelson, Chief Editor, Test & Measurement World

"This softcover book is aimed at those of you who want a refresher course in electrical engineering or those of you who need to bone up on the subject but don't have the background in it." - Melanie Martella, Sensors Magazine

"One of the best parts of the book is what is termed 'Touchy Feely' and is based around recognising different types of people and how to relate to others, especially your managers and co workers. There is lots of great advice, the first implied bit is recognising who you are and having the honesty to admit it." - Barry Kirby CEng MIET, The IET

Book Description

This book gives new graduate engineers, as well as experienced engineers who need a refresher,
a leg up with their on-the-job training.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Newnes (December 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750678127
• ISBN-13: 978-0750678124
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,076,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 76 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Overwhelmed by Horowitz and Hill? Ashby to the Rescue .. April 14, 2006

By James Q. Smith

Format:Paperback

If Horowitz and Hill have got your perplexed [ISBN: 0521370957], you need to read Ashby first. Without a firm grasp of the fundamentals delved by Ashby, a reader could be very lost. This is a book you can read BEFORE an electronics course, to guide you through what could be a confusing maze. This book is not focused on design, but on a faster way to understand fundamentals in electronics by developing intuition and removing as much math jumble as possible. Included are chapters for dealing with EE management and other EE related companies.

This book is also exceedingly helpful for those in a non-Engineering track electronics courses, who maybe overwhelmed by the depth and audacity of a non-Engineering text like Horowitz and Hill.

Here are its key points:

Pros

Very easy to read, user friendly;

Easy to comprehend;

Key concepts summed as rules of thumb on a side bar [ I use all regularly since I graduated in 1980 to this very day];

Superb editing, I noticed but one typo p. 166 "Let'ss";

Helps EE students focus on the essentials of key fundamental component function;

Broad audience, applicable to the technician level versus EE;

Touchy feely chapter works in many fields beyond EE;

Helpful tidbits in the EMI chapter were superb!

Cons

Not enough material to get a design together, some assumption one has tried design and knows some in-outs;

Need examples of a "putting it all together" using rules in sample design problems;

No surface mount tips for a book written for the 21st Century EE?

No catalog of manufacturers for construction?

No tips on free samples?

No tips on free evaluation boards?

In my view, the hallmark of a good electronics student is the capacity to design a working electronic device. True design skills gives students the insight to fix, alter, salvage or improve most anything made in electronics even if a student never ever builds a device from scratch ever, after graduation. However, the reverse is not true, a student raised on "fix-it" can not necessarily design.

Comments:

While praise is heaped on the LM324 as an historical op amp, I believe it was the LM741 that clearly made op amps the workhorse of analog design. Much has improved since in op amps, but understanding the 741 is to understand them all. The 324 was a popular chip due to single rail supply but the 741 set the specs to beat. No mention is made about the 555 timer, although one can always build a RC oscillator with just an op amp.

The CD:

The enclosed software is extremely useful, to me. However, its enclosed PCB123, a routing PC board designer, is more likely for EE 202 than 101. I think students need to learn to do layout by hand at least once, just as they need to know how to do math +/-*

functions by hand even if they use a calculator throughout life.

Filter Pro is also in the same vein, EE 202. Very useful software but not discussed much in the text. At least one type of each has to be designed by hand: hi, lo, bandpass, band reject from all passive, then to active, before contemplating automation.

Conclusion:

Although passive components and isolated op amp designs are less practical these days, it absolutely necessary to grasp the fundamentals of RLC to make any electronics as easy as 1-2-3, from Course 101 to 999. One must not be lost in details.

Ergo: Crawl before walk, even if running is all we really do in the real world ;) we walk a lot too, and we can always crawl if we need to.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good review of fundamentals December 1, 2006

By Steven J. Marrano

Format:Paperback

This is a great book because the author is taking basic theory and providing the reader with some good intuitive tools to gain a foothold on how components work.

Many textbook authors in the circuit analysis arena (or electrical engineering as a broader area) tend to do one of 3 things;

a) Over explain a concept until the reader loses track of what he is doing

b) Skip too many steps in showing the derivation of a formula or the solving of a problem.

c) Place more emphasis on the mathematics associated with specific problem rather than the problems significance.

The author clearly avoids these traps. His text is reminiscent of a bygone era where engineering books actually sought to explain concepts and their significance.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book for the beginner... May 12, 2006

By Mark A.

Format:Paperback

This book is well written and relatively easy to understand for beginning students or those that would like to refresh their knowledge. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in electronics. This book helped me understand concepts that I struggled with in class and for years after school.