The primary goal of this text is to better prepare electronics students for their first job, supplying them with the practical tools that will enhance their ability to perform. The text was developed using the author's industry and teaching experience. Key Features and Benefits: bull; bull;The text covers a six-step process for solving engineering problems that provides a logical sequence for students to follow while completing electronics projects. bull;Design requirements and methods of printed circuit board design and component selection are presented. bull;Concurrent engineering and good project management techniques are emphasized throughout the text. bull;Electrical noise and ambient temperature effects on electronic circuits are explored in detail. bull;All of these topics are discussed as an actual design project is completed as an ongoing example throughout the text.

Brian Fagan is one of the leading archaeological writers in the world and an internationally recognized authority on world prehistory. He studied archaeology and anthropology at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, and then spent seven years in sub-Saharan Africa working in museums and in monument conservation and excavating early farming sites in Zambia and East Africa. He was one of the pioneers of multidisciplinary African history in the 1960s. Since 1967, he has been Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he has specialized in lecturing and writing about archaeology to wide audiences.

Professor Fagan has written six best-selling textbooks: Ancient Lives: An Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory; In the Beginning; Archaeology: A Brief Introduction; World Prehistory; Ancient Civilizations (with Chris Scarre); and this volume-all published by Prentice Hall-which are used around the world. His general books include The Rape of the Nile, a classic history of Egyptology; The Adventure of Archaeology; TimeDetectives; Ancient North America; The Little Ice Age; and Before California: An Archaeologist Looks at Our Earliest Inhabitants. He was also General Editor of the Oxford Companion to Archaeology. In addition, he has published several scholarly monographs on African archaeology and numerous specialized articles in national and international journals. He is also an expert on multimedia teaching and the recipient of the Society for American Archaeology's first Public Education Award for his indefatigable efforts on behalf of archaeology and education.

Brian Fagan's other interests include bicycling, sailing, kayaking, and good food. He is married and lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and daughter, four cats (who supervise his writing), and last but not least, a minimum of four rabbits.

Since the release of the first edition of Electronics: Project Management and Design,much has changed. The economic boom of the 1990s has turned to the bust of the new millennium, and the view of the world situation and globalization have been altered drastically. The telecommunications revolution has sputtered, at least temporarily, but technological advances continue. In this second edition, the concepts that promoted the original book have become even more critically important: to better prepare electronics professionals to begin their careers by giving them the preliminary tools needed to be productive in their first week on the job. The foundation strategies used to accomplish this remain as follows: Review the operation of a company. Discuss teamwork and the role of the electronics professional. Present methods of project management. Define an engineering problem-solving process. Discuss the practical aspects of an electronic project. This second edition release has been reviewed completely, and general improvements, additions, and deletions have been made to all chapters. The most significant additions are: Chapter 2: The definition of Total Quality Management (TQM) has been expanded and improved and a more complete discussion has been added. Chapter 3: References to the new National Electrical Code 2002 are included, as well as an expanded discussion of ISO 9000 certification and its newly released requirements. The section on UL approval reviews various UL approval categories. Chapter 8: An updated and expanded discussion of circuit simulation software elaborates on many of the data analysis capabilities of the latest versions of these software packages. Chapter 9: A new section on digital displays has been added that discusses all types of LED, LCD, and VFD display devices. The basic theory of operation of each is included along with key design considerations. Chapter 10: A discussion on the limitations of various breadboard techniques has been added. The first edition included a six-month evaluation copy of Microsoft Project 2000software. Because evaluation software is available from many suppliers of project management software, a sample software CD has not been included with this edition. The topics are presented in the simplest possible terms as this book is intended for use at many levels, but a basic understanding of electronics is assumed. The broad subject area addressed limits the depth to which any concept can be explored. Each chapter starts with an introduction that highlights the topics to be covered. In each section, examples are provided, wherever practical, to enhance topic discussions. Each chapter concludes with a summary and exercises that will vary depending on the chapter topic. This information is discussed as an actual design project is completed in an ongoing example throughout the book. The project example is included as a separate section at the end of each chapter, starting with Chapter 4. The book is targeted as a textbook for electronic project management, senior project, or applied electronics courses. It can also serve as a resource and reference that can be used as an accessory text throughout a complete curriculum. It is most applicable to four-year programs in electrical engineering and electrical engineering technology but is also well suited for use in the second year of two-year programs in these areas of study. The first three chapters are a preliminary to electronic project discussions. The Six Steps, a process for solving engineering problems, are presented in Chapter 4. The Six Steps are then applied to electronic projects, one step at a time, in the ensuing Chapters 5 through 13. Three appendixes are supplied as a reference to the project information covered in the main body of the book. Appendix A includes component reference information such as color codes and packaging information, Appendix B is a general reference for test equipment, and Appendix C includes information for professional organizations, periodicals, and approval agencies. An instructor''s resource manual is available with answers/solutions for the end-of-chapter exercises. As we pass through the first decade of the new millennium, there will be increased pressure for adequately trained electronics professionals and high requirements for completing successful projects on time. There are many important problems that our society must resolve, and electronics technology will continue to be part of the solution. Raising the bar even further are issues such as diminishing natural resources, increasing world population and pollutants, a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, the ongoing threat of terrorism, and diminished trust in big business. As always, the continuing challenge is to take a small step in the right direction. To accomplish this, all we need is a defined problem, a plan, project leadership, a team of accomplished players, and the fortitude to get it done.