Here we will provide reviews on some of the available books that can help you in your microwave engineering career. There are hundreds of titles out there, so this is going to take some time to come up with the best.
We also have a page where you can download some Free books, and a separate page of Engineering History Books
Now, on to the traditional, hardcover, technical books. We've linked the image of each book to Amazon pages for those who might want to buy them, but you can also find some of these books in the library at universities with engineering programs. Got a favorite book on this topic? Send us a book review, and win a pocket knife!
Microwave Integrated Circuit Components Design through MATLAB® (2019)
by Dr. S. Raghavan
Dr. Raghavan from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India wrote this book on using MATLAB to design microwave circuit components. In it, he explains microwave circuit theory and its comparisons, transmission line networks, S-parameters, ABCD parameters, basic design parameters of planar transmission lines, and much, much more.
Engineering Words: Communicating Clearly in the Workplace (2023)
by Sharon Burton and Bonnie Graham Gonzalez
Yeah, we get it. Words are hard, and you're an engineer who has more important things to worry about. HOWEVER, as the authors of this book point out from the very beginning, it doesn't matter how brilliant your ideas may be if you can't communicate them to other people such as your boss, your co-workers, your customers, and your employees. Authors Sharon and Bonnie know what they're talking about. In addition to working in the technical communication field for decades, they have also been teaching communication skills to engineers through the University of California since 2005. This book covers everything from the basics of clear writing to résumés to cover letters to requirements documents to presentations and much more. It's available in both paperback and Kindle editions.
RF Circuits and Applications for Practicing Engineers (2021)
by Mouqun Dong
This book is about the theory of RF circuits and systems and the practice of designing them. It is primarily intended for practicing RF engineers who are involved in PCB-based circuit designs and system integrations. This book is aimed at amplifier designers that use printed circuit boards but would be useful in other efforts. The author provides rigorous stability analyses, shows you how to develop matching network designs on the Smith Chart, including Q considerations, and discusses noise in RF systems. All of this is followed up with practical examples of amplifier designs. There is discussion of many of the metrics of wireless system design (topics which are mostly missing on Microwaves101!) such as modulation schemes, peak-to-average ratio in transmitters, phase noise, error vector magnitude (EVM), spectral regrowth, and intermodulation from external signals. There is some good discussion of passive components and how to model them. There's related material on switch designs, including power handling considerations. If you want to upgrade your library of books on practical microwave design, consider picking up a copy today!
RF & μWave Measurements: For Design, Verification and Quality Control (2019)
by Shiv Prasad Tripathy, Candlestick Consulting LLP
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Here's a brand new book on measurements, specifically intended as a single source of desktop ready-reference on most-often-used used RF/ microwave measurement parameters. Take a look, and let us know what you think!
Satellite Communications System Engineering (Wiley 2017)
The first edition of Satellite Communications Systems Engineering (Wiley 2008) was written for those concerned with the design and performance of satellite communications systems employed in fixed point to point, broadcasting, mobile, radio navigation, data relay, computer communications, and related satellite based applications. This welcome Second Edition continues the basic premise and enhances the publication with the latest updated information and new technologies developed since the publication of the first edition.
Phased Arrays for Radio Astronomy, Remote Sensing, and Satellite Communications (2018)
by Karl Warnick, Rob Maaskant, Marianna Ivashina, David Davidson, and Brian Jeffs
This book just came out in 2018 published by Cambridge University Press, and includes some of the latest advances in phased array analysis methods, including many examples of analysis using modern computational electromagnetic tools. It's primarily focused on pulling together the wide range of disciplines that have invested in radio astronomy research over the years, and forming a single approach to phased array research. As the authors say in their Preface: "Our goal is to gather in one place recent advances in the mathematical framework for phased array analysis and create a book for which the theorteical treatment reflects the state-of-the-art in the academic literature and is equal to the task of designing antenna arrays for applications with demanding performance requirements". There are plenty of references for those who want to investigate the topics further, and even some problems at the end of each chapter for those who want to use it as a textbook.
From the Unknown Editor: If you are looking for a deep-dive into phased array theory, the math behind it, and how to use computational elecromagnetics to model response, this book gives a thorough treatment to all of that. It is a well-organized textbook providing hundreds of references, as opposed to some books that are merely a collection of published papers. You won't find cartoons or vacation pictures here, like you might from other authors. As the title suggests it focuses mainly on receiving arrays for astronomy and remote sensing, so don't expect a lengthy treatment of transmitters, radar or military equipment. Hardware is treated as black boxes, this is not an instruction manual on how to build a phased array. It is a great textbook for antenna systems designers.
Reflectionless Filters (2017)
by Matt Morgan
Matt is the inventor of a new class of filter, where the energy outside the pass-band is absorbed instead of reflected back. This solves the age-old receiver design problem... remember when you tried to cascade two filters and get twice the rejection, and ended up with a big mess? You can get a taste of reflectionless filters on this Microwaves101 page.
Microwave Spectroscopy
by Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow
Here's a book from Charles Townes, our latest Hall of Fame inductee, and another Nobel Prize winner, Arthur Schawlow. Need more info? Check out our new page on masers over in the MW101 Encyclopedia.
Essentials of RF and Microwave Grounding (2006)
by Eric Holzman
There is perhaps no subject that seems so simple but is so fraught with perils than RF grounding. Here's a great resource on the topic by Eric Holzman. Just for fun, you can also read Ode to Greentape, an engineer's words of warning for LTCC packaging.
RF and Microwave Coupled-Line Circuits (2007)
by R.K. Mongia, I.J. Bahl, P Bharta and J. Hong
First published in 1999 and updated in 2007, this book provides essentially everything you need to design coupled structures and coupled-line filters. Topics include forward- and backward-wave couplers, non-uniform couplers, improving microstrip couplers, tandem couplers, interdigital capacitors, spiral inductors, baluns and much, much more. We have used it on Microwaves101 to create three-section symmetric couplers.
Microwave Circulator Design, Second Edition
by Douglas K. Linkhart
Ferrite circulators are a stone-age technology that has no replacement in today's solid-state world: you still need them! An isolator does for RF, what a diode does for DC...
This book presents theory, information and design procedures to enable engineers and technicians to build circulators successfully. Even managers can learn how to specify a circulator; in chapter 2 you will learn about their different types and what is possible and what is not.
Modern Antenna Design (2nd ed.)
by Thomas A. Milligan
Here's a review that won Jari from the Finnish Defence Forces Research Centre the coveted Microwaves101 knife. We've heard from other people that Milligan's book is a good one.
An exceptional book on antenna design. It is very design oriented, easy to read and does not contain long derivations of anything - the stuff we antenna designers would skip anyway. The book deals with basic theory (of course), basics of numerical methods, arrays and array synthesis, all the basic radiator types, and phased arrays. In my opinion, only relevant information for practical design work is included in the book, no more to confuse you or make your reading experience tedious. That is why I like it. I have used that book a lot and found it exceptionally useful.
Another excellent reference, by the way, for practical antenna engineer is "Antenna Engineering Handbook" (R. C. Johnson), which is a new version of legendary book from Henry Jasik.
Thanks, Jari!
Broadband Microstrip Antennas
by Girish Kumar and K.P. Ray
Here's a book on microstrip antennas and the many ways to increase bandwidth. We found it easy to understand even for non-antenna types.
Advanced Electronic Packaging
by Richard Ulrich and William Brown
This book is by a team of professors from University of Arkansas. It's crammed with useful info on materials properties, and even though it is not specifically about microwave packaging it has a lot of good microwave stuff in it!
Microwave Tubes
by A.S. Gilmour
Microwave Tubes by A.S. Gilmour was published in 1986, so it isn't really new, but it is one of the best written microwave books we have come across. It includes some great microwave history, including tidbits about the Varian brothers, Kompfner, Pierce, Boot and Randall. It also describes the math behind why 50 ohms was chosen way back when. This is a must-have book if you want to learn about tubes.
Microwave Filters, Impedance-Matching Networks, and Coupling Structures
by Matthaei, Young, and Jones
If you are at all serious about designing microwave filters, you'll need to pick up a copy of Microwave Filters, Impedance-Matching Networks, and Coupling Structures, which is still in print more than four decades after it was first published. We like the book so much we put MY&J in the Microwave Hall of Fame! Remember, Matthaei rhymes with paté. Update September 2012: this book is available for free as a scanned pdf in our download area. It is in the public domain so there is no harm in grabbing a copy! On the other hand, if you prefer paper to pixels, you can still find copies on sites like Amazon:
The RF and Microwave Circuit Design Cookbook
by Steven Maas
Steven Maas' book on microwave mixers is a great resource on this topic, and his Cookbook will really get you cookin'.
Introduction to Radar Systems by Merrill Skolnik
Introduction to Airborne Rader by George Stimson
If you are interested in radar, we have two recommendations. Merrill Skolnik's Introduction to Radar Systems is a good reference, and George Stimson has made radar understandable even to non-technical people in Introduction to Airborne Radar.
Microwave Engineering
by David M. Pozar
The most-required book for microwave students is David M. Pozar's Microwave Engineering, published in 1996, but he's got two others as well. Warning, these books actually derive formulas using calculus, which has been known to induce sleep in baby-boomers! Pozar is now in the Microwaves101 Hall of Fame!
Practical RF Circuit Design for Modern Wireless Systems
by Les Besser
Les Besser's two-book series is titled Practical RF RF Circuit Design for Modern Wireless Systems. You can even get volume one as a digital download, though here at Microwaves101, we prefer the hard copy. Great books, both.
Stripline Circuit Design
by Harlan Howe
Harlan Howe's book on stripline circuit design, first published in 1974, is a little long in the tooth, but belongs on every stripline engineer's bookshelf.
Coplanar Waveguide Circuits Components & Systems
by Rainee N. Simons
A great coplanar waveguide book is Coplanar Waveguide Circuits Components & Systems by Rainee N. Simons.
Communications Receivers: Principles and Design
by Ulrich L. Rohde and T.T.N. Bucher
Communications Receivers: Principles and Design by Ulrich L. Rohde and T.T.N. Bucher is a good reference on receivers.
Microwave Theory and Applications
by Stephen F. Adam
Stephen F. Adam wrote this book, sponsored by Hewlett Packard, in 1969. It has historic value in that it explains slotted lines and wavemeters, but it also is a great book for hands-on microwave experimenters.
Computer-Aided Design of Microwave Circuits
by Gupta, Garg, and Chadha
Here's another oldie but goodie: Computer-Aided Design of Microwave Circuits is full of useful formulas on all manner of transmission line structures.
Microwave Engineering: Passive Circuits
by Peter Rizzi
We recently started referring to this book by Peter Rizzi, and we really like it for basic theory. Buy it and place it next to Pozar's book. Often if you don't find what your looking for in one, it's in the other. Those Massachusetts professors know how to write!
Books about Finlines
by Bharathi Bhat
Professor Bharathi Bhat was one of the principal researchers in establishing the theory and application of finline. She's also a recent addition to our Hall of Fame!