Title: Biological Effects of Microwaves
Authors: S Baranski and P Czerski
Published by: Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Inc., Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. (1976)
Pages: 234
ISBN: 0-87933-145-3
Electromagnetic Radiations emanating from various communication systems and devices like Radio and TV broadcasting, satellite communication, cell phones, microwave ovens and electrical and electronic appliances have now become unavoidable area of our life. Microwaves constitute a significant part of electromagnetic radiations and contribute t “electro-pollution” as research indicates that microwaves affect living organisms. The book ‘Biological Effects of Microwaves’ by S. Baranski and P. Czerski presents the detailed research work done in this field and is one of the earliest books on the subject. It will prove helpful for the biologists, physicians, physicists as well as budding and practising electronic engineers.
The content of the book is organized in seven chapters.
Chapter number one is the ‘introduction’ with the subject. At the beginning of this chapter the authors make our concepts clear about the important terms like microwave radiation, ionizing radiation, non ionizing radiation and radioprotection. Before dealing with the microwaves we must know about the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. There are figures, illustrations and tables describing the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, the wavelengths (cm), energy (eV) of different waves like radiofrequencies, microwaves, visible light, UltraViolet Rays, X rays and Gamma rays and explaining some examples of typical uses of equipment generating radio-frequency and microwave radiation. It explains the uses of different ranges of frequencies, their respective applications, their occupational exposure and some examples of potential exposure i.e. general population hazards. This chapter also explains the microwave transmitter valves such as magnetron, klystron – Reflex klystron and multi cavity klystron and travelling wave tube briefly with their schematic representations.
Second chapter is about the ‘Physical Characteristics of Microwaves’. This chapter is designed in such a fashion that the reader who wants to enter in this field but have forgotten some of the basic concepts of physics related to the microwaves. This chapter is important and helpful to grasp the further concepts. It includes the basic phenomenon of formation of electromagnetic wave, set of parameters that characterize the electromagnetic waves such as frequency, velocity, wavelength, Electric and magnetic field vectors, relation between the two and the characteristic impedance. Coaxial transmission line, coaxial cable and wave guide are also explained to understand how the waves are propagated.
After getting introduced with the microwaves and going through their physical characteristics, in the third chapter we study the interaction of microwaves with the living systems. Biologists and physicians studied the interaction of microwaves with the living systems and they came to the result which had three phenomena like penetration of microwaves into a biological target and their propagation within it, secondly the primary interaction of microwaves with living matter and the secondary effects induced by the primary interaction. The three layered semi-infinite slab model of a biological target (which is made up of skin, fat and muscle) illuminated by simple wave front is explained and may be used for solving various problems relative to the medical use of shortwave and microwave diathermy. In the later subsections primary and secondary effects of microwave interaction are studied. There are illustrations of the primary and secondary effects of microwaves on different levels of organizations ranging from molecular level to highly organized living systems.
The fourth and the most praiseworthy chapter of this book is titled ‘Biological effects of Microwaves (Experimental Data)’. It presents the collection data found in literature on experimental facts and observations on biological effects of microwaves. Various results of experiments done on different animals like mice, dog, rats, guinea pigs and cat are illustrated. Effects of microwaves on nervous system, cardiovascular effects, effects on endocrine and metabolic effects, effects on genital system, foetal development, chromosomal effects, possible genetic effects and cellular effects, effects on internal organs like abdominal cavity, chest and digestive track, effects on blood and the blood forming system, cataractogenesis are presented with experimental details. In the last section of the chapter some comments on experimental studies on the interaction of microwaves with living systems are done which are very useful while doing such experiments.
Chapter Five is about the ‘health status of personnel occupationally exposed to microwaves and the symptoms of microwave overexposure’. In this chapter the outcome experiments and conclusions of literature survey of various authors are given. At the end of the chapter the main points which are the outcome of all the survey of the literature are collected.
Microwaves are the boon for the mankind and improve our quality of life in so many ways and it is prudent to be aware of and adopt safety standards to protect ourselves as well as the environment form the adverse effects of microwaves. Chapter Six is about the ‘Safe exposure limits and prevention of health hazards’ with analysis on the safe exposure limits of microwaves. The basic principles which may be used while determining the safe exposure limits are elucidated. At the end of the chapter prevention health hazards are given which are very much important while dealing with the microwaves.
The last chapter of the book summarises the work presented in the previous chapters and the important developments in the field till the writing of this book. The authors suggest integrated co-ordinated interdisciplinary efforts of biologists, physicians, physicists and electronic engineers. The authors have done extensive literature survey for this book and cite more than 600 references which may prove helpful for the reader for further studies in this subject. Though not recent, this book is an important reference work in its area and will prove useful for those who are doing research in this field.
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Book Review
Authors: Peter Checkland and Sue Howell
John Wiley & Sons (1988)
ISBN 0-471-95820-4
[Reviewed by Vikram Waman Karve]
Information Technology ( IT ) is the buzzword of today.
IT is ubiquitous; almost everyone is connected with IT in some way or the other.
A few years ago, till the nineteen eighties, there were courses in Electrical, Electronics, Communications and Telecommunications Engineering and later in Computer Science and Engineering, but now there are dedicated courses in Information Technology, and almost all Engineers, and even others, irrespective of their specializations, are rushing to take up jobs in IT and IT Enabled Services.
The Management guys have also joined the fray and added a “management” dimension to IT by offering MBA courses in “IT Management”.
What exactly is IT?
Maybe the phrase “IT” was coined to mark the convergence of two technologies that had been traditionally separate: “Computing” and “Communications” and the confluence of several streams of development including electronics, microelectronics, computer science, telecommunications, software engineering and systems analysis.
There are a large number of books and extensive literature on the content of IT.
This book is a significant treatise on the context of IT.
The principal author Peter Checkland is a pioneering researcher in the field of Systems Engineering and Management and has developed breakthrough concepts like Soft Systems Methodology [SSM] and written the seminal classic “Systems Thinking, Systems Practice”. The co-author Sue Holwell has a rich and varied professional experience in systems design and implementation, information strategy and communication networks.
This book has eight chapters arranged in four parts.
In the first part on “The Field of Information Systems and its Problems” the authors deliberate on the basic concepts pertaining to Information Systems [IS] and Information Technology [IT], distinguish between the “Hard” (objective positivistic scientific) and “Soft” (subjective interpretative) schools of thought in the context of Management Information Systems [MIS], and introduce the reader to the fundamentals of Soft System Methodologies [SSM].
The “meat” of the book is in Part Two whose two chapters elucidate on the application of the developed Information System Management concepts to organizations and describe the “information continuum” – the linkages between data, information and knowledge. Parts Three and Four substantiate these hypotheses with experiential examples from as early as World War II and drives home the point that the evolution and development of the science of Information Systems [IS] owes nothing to computers which did not exist in 1940, makes it clear that IS is not the same as IT, reminds us that computers are a mere means of IS, and cautions us against falling into the trap of “technological determinism” resulting from the prevalent propensity to overly focus on computer-based IT and allow technology to take charge of our actions.
The book is aptly adorned with simple illustrations which facilitate ease of understanding. As the dust jacket says, the book is a work of conceptual cleansing and presents a well-argued account of IS and IT which is both holistic and coherent. I recommend this remarkable book to IT, Engineering and Management students and professionals – reading it will certainly enhance their conceptual understanding of Information Systems and Technology.
( Book Review by Vikram Waman Karve )
Thursday, June 11, 2009
RADAR - A Book Review
BOOK REVIEW
Here is a rather amusing book review by Prachi Deshmukh, a bright young engineer who works with me. It was written quite some time back and I like her rather droll friendly style and, hence, I have intentionally not edited the review too much, so that the writing retains its original refreshing youthful flavour. So here is the book review E & OE :-
Name of the book: Radar
Authors: P.S. Hall, T.K. Garland-Collins, R.S. Picton and R.G. Lee
Publication: Brassey’s , (UK), 1991
Pages: 170
ISBN: 0 – 08 – 037710 – 6
[Reviewed by Prachi A. Deshmukh]
It was a bright morning, and I was enjoying my first tea of the day. Usually, I do not take tea without having a glance on the newspaper. There were plenty of news showing the fall of the top Indian software companies, the falling share market and there were overflowing columns discussing about the global recession. I was getting somewhat bored by reading them, and suddenly a news attracted me, which was about the bravery of a pilot in USA who saved the life of nearly 160 passengers. The brave man did land the plane in a frozen river to rescue the passengers in the plane and saved it from crash, which could happen because of a bird approaching towards the plane. Hats off to the presence of mind of the pilot! At the same time, we should not forget to say thanks to the radar technology, which had helped the pilot to detect the presence of the approaching bird.
After reading this, I became curious about the RADAR technology. ‘RADAR’ is the abbreviation of ‘Radio Detection and Ranging’. I went to the library in search of the book which will make me familiar with this RADAR technology. There were number of books available there, out of which, I selected one book, which I think was best suitable for a reader who is interested in to know the basic operation of RADAR, but does not have detailed knowledge of electronics or RADAR system, but is interested to know about the modern warfare. The book about which I am talking is ‘Radar’ by P.S. Hall et al, Brassey’s Publication, UK. ‘RADAR’ is the 9th volume of the series ‘Land Warfare: Brassey’s New Battlefield Weapons Systems and Technology Series’.
The content in the book is well arranged in 10 chapters, each having plenty of supporting diagrams, equations as well as photographs. The first chapter introduces us with radar. We enter in the world of radar with knowing the importance of radar, its history, i.e. origin of radar, motivation behind it, its first use in army etc. We also go through the technical history of radar. At the end of the first chapter, we become familiar with the types of radar such as primary and secondary radar, monostatic, bistatic and multistatic radar. The last figure of this chapter shows the electromagnetic spectrum and the radar bands in it.
The chapters 2 to 4 deal with the radar principles and technology. It is advised that the readers who wish to strengthen their fundamentals should study these chapters carefully. For those who are new to this field or want the comprehensive view, all the chapters are recommended. Those who understand the basics but wish to update themselves on the current state of battlefield radars chapter no. 5 to 9 are there.
Chapter 2 is about the ‘Principles of Radar Operation’. This chapter introduces us with the basic principles of radar operation such as basic action of the Pulse Radar Operation, Pulse Repetition Frequency, evaluation of the performance of radar , how to design the antenna, the maximum detection range and the radar equation etc. At the end of the chapter we gain the knowledge about the detection of radar signals, radar resolution, velocity resolution, radar accuracy and how to choose the frequency of radar.
Chapter 3 is an interesting one. Here we become familiar with the Doppler radar, Doppler processing in pulse radars, blind and ambiguous velocity. Besides these concepts, there are some other important radar techniques also, such as methods of target discrimination, Rain Clutter suppression by circular polarization, pulse compression, scanning and tracking radars, synthetic aperture radar. After going through this chapter, we find that we have acquired enough fundamentals to thoroughly understand the radar technology.
The fourth chapter is ‘radar technology’. Here we have to make use of the knowledge which we have gained in the previous chapters. At the beginning of this chapter we have a look on what are radar transmitters and receivers, what is magnetron, Klystron, Travelling wave tube, solid state transmitters etc. Without the knowledge of the components of radar, we can not understand what the system actually is? The common microwave transmission lines such as waveguide, co-axial, line, microstrip, triplate stripline are illustrated in brief. Antennas are the important sense organs for the radars. Here are the different types of antennas such as reflector antennas, adaptive antennas, multiple beam antennas as well as the phase arrays, frequency scanned arrays. Digital processing and displays are also explained in brief. If the displays could have been explained in detail, it would be better.
With chapter 5, we move towards the battlefield surveillance radar. First the authors introduce us with the requirement of the battlefield surveillance radar. Mainly there are two classes of battlefield surveillance radar i.e. Short range battlefield surveillance radar and airborne battlefield surveillance radar. In Short range battlefield (BSR) radar, there are different points which should be taken into consideration while studying BSR. The important points are frequency of operation and resolution. The block diagram is there to understand the working of the BSR. There are some examples of current BSR such as RASIT radar and MSTAR radar. The photographs give us the idea about the systems. The second important type is the airborne battlefield surveillance radar. Here we go through the Stand-Off Radar (SOR) which stand well back and use long range sensors. Again we gain knowledge about the principle of SOR, SOR resolution, target imaging and displays. At the end of the chapter there are two practical systems also.
Chapter 6 is about the weapon locating radars. The purpose of the weapon locating radar is to detect the launch of an enemy projectile or missile and to establish the segment of the trajectory of projectile.
The general technical requirements, principle of back track location provide us with base to understand the fundamentals. Here are some practical systems, recently introduced systems, near future outlook and possible future systems.
Chapter 7 is about the Air Defence Radar. In this chapter the important types such as strategic radars, long range radars, medium range radars and short range radars and surveillance and tracking of each of the type are studied. All the four types are presented very nicely with enough diagrams and photographs.
In chapter 8, there is collection of some other types of battlefield radars. To mention few are: balloon tracking radar, free flight rocket correction radar, unmanned aircraft radar, remotely piloted vehicle tracking radar, tank Automatic defence radar , as well as radar anti–tank homing missiles and projectiles and passive radar homing missiles. At the end of this chapter, we acquire some command on the radar systems.
Chapter 9 is about the electronic warfare. Here the authors have introduced us with the Electronic Warfare (EW). This chapter gives a brief idea about the electronic warfare. Electronic Counter Measures (ECM), Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and Electronic Counter Countermeasures (ECCM), jamming are some of the important concepts of EW. Here we get a brief knowledge of the tactical aspects, antenna systems, and jammers. Comparisons between ESM and radar confrontation, tracking radar and threat borne jammer, tracker and repeater target borne jammer help to make our concepts clear.
Last but not the least, chapter 10, which is the conclusion of the entire exercise. This chapter tells us about the importance of radar in battlefield, as well as it shows us the future of this technology. It includes the comparison of radar and other surveillance and target acquisition methods, the importance of the EW and its impact on radar, the future technical trends, adaptive radar, Artificial intelligence, and future military trends. This chapter is the most important one as far as the warfare is concerned.
For the sake of convenience of the keen reader who wants to see the particular diagrams, there is a chapter wise list of illustration at the beginning of the book.
In simple words, ‘Radar’ is a book which gives us sufficient information of radar systems and makes us familiar with the Electronic Warfare also. This is a good example of a technical book. This book can be used by the students for reference who are studying Radar for academic purpose, as well as this will prove simple and helpful for those readers who do not have detailed knowledge of electronics or radar system. But reader must be from technical background and should have at least the basic knowledge of physics and electronics.
Here is a rather amusing book review by Prachi Deshmukh, a bright young engineer who works with me. It was written quite some time back and I like her rather droll friendly style and, hence, I have intentionally not edited the review too much, so that the writing retains its original refreshing youthful flavour. So here is the book review E & OE :-
Name of the book: Radar
Authors: P.S. Hall, T.K. Garland-Collins, R.S. Picton and R.G. Lee
Publication: Brassey’s , (UK), 1991
Pages: 170
ISBN: 0 – 08 – 037710 – 6
[Reviewed by Prachi A. Deshmukh]
It was a bright morning, and I was enjoying my first tea of the day. Usually, I do not take tea without having a glance on the newspaper. There were plenty of news showing the fall of the top Indian software companies, the falling share market and there were overflowing columns discussing about the global recession. I was getting somewhat bored by reading them, and suddenly a news attracted me, which was about the bravery of a pilot in USA who saved the life of nearly 160 passengers. The brave man did land the plane in a frozen river to rescue the passengers in the plane and saved it from crash, which could happen because of a bird approaching towards the plane. Hats off to the presence of mind of the pilot! At the same time, we should not forget to say thanks to the radar technology, which had helped the pilot to detect the presence of the approaching bird.
After reading this, I became curious about the RADAR technology. ‘RADAR’ is the abbreviation of ‘Radio Detection and Ranging’. I went to the library in search of the book which will make me familiar with this RADAR technology. There were number of books available there, out of which, I selected one book, which I think was best suitable for a reader who is interested in to know the basic operation of RADAR, but does not have detailed knowledge of electronics or RADAR system, but is interested to know about the modern warfare. The book about which I am talking is ‘Radar’ by P.S. Hall et al, Brassey’s Publication, UK. ‘RADAR’ is the 9th volume of the series ‘Land Warfare: Brassey’s New Battlefield Weapons Systems and Technology Series’.
The content in the book is well arranged in 10 chapters, each having plenty of supporting diagrams, equations as well as photographs. The first chapter introduces us with radar. We enter in the world of radar with knowing the importance of radar, its history, i.e. origin of radar, motivation behind it, its first use in army etc. We also go through the technical history of radar. At the end of the first chapter, we become familiar with the types of radar such as primary and secondary radar, monostatic, bistatic and multistatic radar. The last figure of this chapter shows the electromagnetic spectrum and the radar bands in it.
The chapters 2 to 4 deal with the radar principles and technology. It is advised that the readers who wish to strengthen their fundamentals should study these chapters carefully. For those who are new to this field or want the comprehensive view, all the chapters are recommended. Those who understand the basics but wish to update themselves on the current state of battlefield radars chapter no. 5 to 9 are there.
Chapter 2 is about the ‘Principles of Radar Operation’. This chapter introduces us with the basic principles of radar operation such as basic action of the Pulse Radar Operation, Pulse Repetition Frequency, evaluation of the performance of radar , how to design the antenna, the maximum detection range and the radar equation etc. At the end of the chapter we gain the knowledge about the detection of radar signals, radar resolution, velocity resolution, radar accuracy and how to choose the frequency of radar.
Chapter 3 is an interesting one. Here we become familiar with the Doppler radar, Doppler processing in pulse radars, blind and ambiguous velocity. Besides these concepts, there are some other important radar techniques also, such as methods of target discrimination, Rain Clutter suppression by circular polarization, pulse compression, scanning and tracking radars, synthetic aperture radar. After going through this chapter, we find that we have acquired enough fundamentals to thoroughly understand the radar technology.
The fourth chapter is ‘radar technology’. Here we have to make use of the knowledge which we have gained in the previous chapters. At the beginning of this chapter we have a look on what are radar transmitters and receivers, what is magnetron, Klystron, Travelling wave tube, solid state transmitters etc. Without the knowledge of the components of radar, we can not understand what the system actually is? The common microwave transmission lines such as waveguide, co-axial, line, microstrip, triplate stripline are illustrated in brief. Antennas are the important sense organs for the radars. Here are the different types of antennas such as reflector antennas, adaptive antennas, multiple beam antennas as well as the phase arrays, frequency scanned arrays. Digital processing and displays are also explained in brief. If the displays could have been explained in detail, it would be better.
With chapter 5, we move towards the battlefield surveillance radar. First the authors introduce us with the requirement of the battlefield surveillance radar. Mainly there are two classes of battlefield surveillance radar i.e. Short range battlefield surveillance radar and airborne battlefield surveillance radar. In Short range battlefield (BSR) radar, there are different points which should be taken into consideration while studying BSR. The important points are frequency of operation and resolution. The block diagram is there to understand the working of the BSR. There are some examples of current BSR such as RASIT radar and MSTAR radar. The photographs give us the idea about the systems. The second important type is the airborne battlefield surveillance radar. Here we go through the Stand-Off Radar (SOR) which stand well back and use long range sensors. Again we gain knowledge about the principle of SOR, SOR resolution, target imaging and displays. At the end of the chapter there are two practical systems also.
Chapter 6 is about the weapon locating radars. The purpose of the weapon locating radar is to detect the launch of an enemy projectile or missile and to establish the segment of the trajectory of projectile.
The general technical requirements, principle of back track location provide us with base to understand the fundamentals. Here are some practical systems, recently introduced systems, near future outlook and possible future systems.
Chapter 7 is about the Air Defence Radar. In this chapter the important types such as strategic radars, long range radars, medium range radars and short range radars and surveillance and tracking of each of the type are studied. All the four types are presented very nicely with enough diagrams and photographs.
In chapter 8, there is collection of some other types of battlefield radars. To mention few are: balloon tracking radar, free flight rocket correction radar, unmanned aircraft radar, remotely piloted vehicle tracking radar, tank Automatic defence radar , as well as radar anti–tank homing missiles and projectiles and passive radar homing missiles. At the end of this chapter, we acquire some command on the radar systems.
Chapter 9 is about the electronic warfare. Here the authors have introduced us with the Electronic Warfare (EW). This chapter gives a brief idea about the electronic warfare. Electronic Counter Measures (ECM), Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and Electronic Counter Countermeasures (ECCM), jamming are some of the important concepts of EW. Here we get a brief knowledge of the tactical aspects, antenna systems, and jammers. Comparisons between ESM and radar confrontation, tracking radar and threat borne jammer, tracker and repeater target borne jammer help to make our concepts clear.
Last but not the least, chapter 10, which is the conclusion of the entire exercise. This chapter tells us about the importance of radar in battlefield, as well as it shows us the future of this technology. It includes the comparison of radar and other surveillance and target acquisition methods, the importance of the EW and its impact on radar, the future technical trends, adaptive radar, Artificial intelligence, and future military trends. This chapter is the most important one as far as the warfare is concerned.
For the sake of convenience of the keen reader who wants to see the particular diagrams, there is a chapter wise list of illustration at the beginning of the book.
In simple words, ‘Radar’ is a book which gives us sufficient information of radar systems and makes us familiar with the Electronic Warfare also. This is a good example of a technical book. This book can be used by the students for reference who are studying Radar for academic purpose, as well as this will prove simple and helpful for those readers who do not have detailed knowledge of electronics or radar system. But reader must be from technical background and should have at least the basic knowledge of physics and electronics.
Monday, January 26, 2009
ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILTY REFERENCE BOOK
A Comprehensive Reference Book for IT, Electronic, Telecom and Electrical Engineering and Design Professionals
Title: EMC for Product Designers
Author: Tim Williams
Elsevier [Fourth Edition, 2007] 498 pages
ISBN – 13: 978-0-75-068170-4
ISBN – 10: 0-750-68170-5
Most of us consider a number of factors, exoteric and esoteric, while designing [or selecting] our homes and in the configuration of the numerous modern technological devices and domestic appliances, most of them electrical and electronic, therein.
Recently I saw a programme on TV where a Vastu Shastra expert was advising viewers not only regarding the various aspects of designing and building living environments that are in harmony with the physical and metaphysical forces but also specifying optimal locations and layouts for various electrical and electronic appliances and devices in both residential homes and workplaces.
I listened with intriguing interest as he gave precise directions and specified exact locations for positioning of Televisions, Computers, Communication Devices, Microwave Ovens, Music systems and other appliances, and fascinated by the congruence between principles and aspects of Vastu and Electromagnetic Compatibility [EMC] and wondered whether the expert in reality was actually an EMC Design Engineer in addition to being a Vastu Shastra Specialist.
When you design or select or configure your house or office I am sure you consider various aesthetic, architectural, financial, utilitarian, geographical, interior and exterior design and other practical aspects, maybe even incorporate the principles of Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, but do you give even a fleeting thought to EMC?
In today’s world with the increasing use of electrical, communication, electronic and information technologies we are under continual exposure to Electromagnetic Field [ EMFs ], both inside and outside our homes, in our workplaces and even in the open wherever we go, radiating from radiating from electricity power lines, household wiring, microwave ovens, computers, monitors, televisions, communication devices, cellular phones, electrical, electronic and IT appliances.
“Electro-pollution” is an increasingly serious form of Environment Pollution and merits serious consideration, as much as, if not more than, other well-known forms of pollution.
Electro-pollution seems to be omnipresent. Apart from hazards to our health, Electromagnetic Interference [EMI] is detrimental to the proper functioning of most electrical, electronic, IT, ITES, communication and technology-based systems and may cause malfunctions and even potentially disastrous and fatal accidents.
The book being reviewed – EMC for Product Designers by Tim Williams – is one of the most comprehensive reference books I have read on the subject of the Design Management aspects of Electromagnetic Interference and Electromagnetic Compatibility [EMI / EMC].
The book comprises sixteen chapters arranged in three parts [Legislation and Standards, Testing and Design] the author lucidly covers most micro and macro aspects of EMC Management in meticulous detail.
The logical sequence of topics, clear diagrams, tables and illustrations facilitate easy understanding of this complicated subject.
The Design Checklist, interesting Case Studies and useful mathematical formulae in the appendices and the extensive bibliography add value to this reference book.
Whilst the earlier chapters provide an excellent understanding of the EMC Standards and the basic theoretical principles of EMI / EMC, the “meat” of the book lies in the chapters on Systems EMC and EMC Management which encapsulate all relevant facets of EMC in a holistic manner.
I wish the author had included a detailed chapter on Electromagnetic Health Hazards and mitigation techniques. This most vital topic concerning all of us humans seems to have not been accorded the due importance it deserves and I hope the author presents a more holistic and systemic view of EMC and includes a comprehensive chapter on pertinent aspects of Bio-electromagnetics, Thermal and Athermal EMR Hazards and their mitigation in the next edition.
I commend this book – it is an excellent reference book for Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and IT Engineers and Managers, Designers, Students, practising professionals in the field and, with the increasing awareness and compliance requirements of EMC Standards worldwide, this book will prove a valuable addition to the shelnves of engineering and technical libraries.
[EMC for Product Designers - Book Review by VIKRAM KARVE]
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
vikramkarve@sify.com
vikramkarve@hotmail.com
Title: EMC for Product Designers
Author: Tim Williams
Elsevier [Fourth Edition, 2007] 498 pages
ISBN – 13: 978-0-75-068170-4
ISBN – 10: 0-750-68170-5
Most of us consider a number of factors, exoteric and esoteric, while designing [or selecting] our homes and in the configuration of the numerous modern technological devices and domestic appliances, most of them electrical and electronic, therein.
Recently I saw a programme on TV where a Vastu Shastra expert was advising viewers not only regarding the various aspects of designing and building living environments that are in harmony with the physical and metaphysical forces but also specifying optimal locations and layouts for various electrical and electronic appliances and devices in both residential homes and workplaces.
I listened with intriguing interest as he gave precise directions and specified exact locations for positioning of Televisions, Computers, Communication Devices, Microwave Ovens, Music systems and other appliances, and fascinated by the congruence between principles and aspects of Vastu and Electromagnetic Compatibility [EMC] and wondered whether the expert in reality was actually an EMC Design Engineer in addition to being a Vastu Shastra Specialist.
When you design or select or configure your house or office I am sure you consider various aesthetic, architectural, financial, utilitarian, geographical, interior and exterior design and other practical aspects, maybe even incorporate the principles of Vastu Shastra and Feng Shui, but do you give even a fleeting thought to EMC?
In today’s world with the increasing use of electrical, communication, electronic and information technologies we are under continual exposure to Electromagnetic Field [ EMFs ], both inside and outside our homes, in our workplaces and even in the open wherever we go, radiating from radiating from electricity power lines, household wiring, microwave ovens, computers, monitors, televisions, communication devices, cellular phones, electrical, electronic and IT appliances.
“Electro-pollution” is an increasingly serious form of Environment Pollution and merits serious consideration, as much as, if not more than, other well-known forms of pollution.
Electro-pollution seems to be omnipresent. Apart from hazards to our health, Electromagnetic Interference [EMI] is detrimental to the proper functioning of most electrical, electronic, IT, ITES, communication and technology-based systems and may cause malfunctions and even potentially disastrous and fatal accidents.
The book being reviewed – EMC for Product Designers by Tim Williams – is one of the most comprehensive reference books I have read on the subject of the Design Management aspects of Electromagnetic Interference and Electromagnetic Compatibility [EMI / EMC].
The book comprises sixteen chapters arranged in three parts [Legislation and Standards, Testing and Design] the author lucidly covers most micro and macro aspects of EMC Management in meticulous detail.
The logical sequence of topics, clear diagrams, tables and illustrations facilitate easy understanding of this complicated subject.
The Design Checklist, interesting Case Studies and useful mathematical formulae in the appendices and the extensive bibliography add value to this reference book.
Whilst the earlier chapters provide an excellent understanding of the EMC Standards and the basic theoretical principles of EMI / EMC, the “meat” of the book lies in the chapters on Systems EMC and EMC Management which encapsulate all relevant facets of EMC in a holistic manner.
I wish the author had included a detailed chapter on Electromagnetic Health Hazards and mitigation techniques. This most vital topic concerning all of us humans seems to have not been accorded the due importance it deserves and I hope the author presents a more holistic and systemic view of EMC and includes a comprehensive chapter on pertinent aspects of Bio-electromagnetics, Thermal and Athermal EMR Hazards and their mitigation in the next edition.
I commend this book – it is an excellent reference book for Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunication and IT Engineers and Managers, Designers, Students, practising professionals in the field and, with the increasing awareness and compliance requirements of EMC Standards worldwide, this book will prove a valuable addition to the shelnves of engineering and technical libraries.
[EMC for Product Designers - Book Review by VIKRAM KARVE]
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
vikramkarve@sify.com
vikramkarve@hotmail.com
Monday, January 5, 2009
Information Systems
Book Review by Vikram Karve
Title: Information, Systems and Information Systems – making sense of the field
Authors: Peter Checkland and Sue Howell
John Wiley & Sons (1988)
ISBN 0-471-95820-4
Information Technology [IT] is the buzzword of today.
IT is ubiquitous; today you are connected with IT in some way or the other, and everyone seems to be rushing to join the IT bandwagon.
A few years ago, till the nineteen eighties, there were courses in Electrical, Electronics, Communications and Telecommunications Engineering and later in Computer Science and Engineering, but now there are dedicated courses specifically in Information Technology, and almost all Engineers, and even pure scientists and others, irrespective of their specializations, are rushing to take up jobs in IT and IT Enabled Services.
The Management guys have also joined the fray and added a “management” dimension to IT by offering MBA courses in “IT Management”.
What exactly is IT?
Maybe the phrase Information Technology or “IT” was coined to mark the convergence of two technologies that had been traditionally separate: “Computing” and “Communications” and the confluence of several streams of development including electronics, microelectronics, computer science, telecommunications, software engineering and systems analysis.
There are a large number of books and extensive literature on the content of Information Technology. This book is a significant treatise on the context of Information Technology.
The principal author Peter Checkland is a pioneering researcher in the field of Systems Engineering and Management and has developed breakthrough concepts like Soft Systems Methodology [SSM] and written the seminal classic “Systems Thinking, Systems Practice”. The co-author Sue Holwell has a rich and varied professional experience in systems design and implementation, information strategy and communication networks.
This book has eight chapters arranged in four parts. In the first part on “The Field of Information Systems and its Problems” the authors deliberate on the basic concepts pertaining to Information Systems [IS] and Information Technology [IT], distinguish between the “Hard” (objective positivistic scientific) and “Soft” (subjective interpretative) schools of thought in the context of Management Information Systems [MIS], and introduce the reader to the fundamentals of Soft System Methodologies [SSM].
The “meat” of the book is in Part Two whose two chapters elucidate on the application of the developed Information System Management concepts to organizations and describe the “information continuum” – the linkages between data, information and knowledge.
Parts Three and Four of the book substantiate these hypotheses with experiential examples from as early as World War II and drives home the point that the evolution and development of the science of Information Systems [IS] owes nothing to computers which did not exist in 1940, makes it clear that IS is not the same as IT, reminds us that computers are a mere means of IS, and cautions us against falling into the trap of “technological determinism” resulting from the prevalent propensity to overly focus on computer-based IT and allow technology to take charge of our actions.
The book is aptly adorned with simple illustrations which facilitate ease of understanding. As the dust jacket says, the book is a work of conceptual cleansing and presents a well-argued account of IS and IT which is both holistic and coherent.
I recommend this remarkable book to Information Technology, Engineering and Management Students and Professionals – reading it will certainly enhance their conceptual understanding of Information Systems and Technology.
[Book Review by Vikram Karve]
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
vikramkarve@hotmail.com
vikramkarve@sify.com
Title: Information, Systems and Information Systems – making sense of the field
Authors: Peter Checkland and Sue Howell
John Wiley & Sons (1988)
ISBN 0-471-95820-4
Information Technology [IT] is the buzzword of today.
IT is ubiquitous; today you are connected with IT in some way or the other, and everyone seems to be rushing to join the IT bandwagon.
A few years ago, till the nineteen eighties, there were courses in Electrical, Electronics, Communications and Telecommunications Engineering and later in Computer Science and Engineering, but now there are dedicated courses specifically in Information Technology, and almost all Engineers, and even pure scientists and others, irrespective of their specializations, are rushing to take up jobs in IT and IT Enabled Services.
The Management guys have also joined the fray and added a “management” dimension to IT by offering MBA courses in “IT Management”.
What exactly is IT?
Maybe the phrase Information Technology or “IT” was coined to mark the convergence of two technologies that had been traditionally separate: “Computing” and “Communications” and the confluence of several streams of development including electronics, microelectronics, computer science, telecommunications, software engineering and systems analysis.
There are a large number of books and extensive literature on the content of Information Technology. This book is a significant treatise on the context of Information Technology.
The principal author Peter Checkland is a pioneering researcher in the field of Systems Engineering and Management and has developed breakthrough concepts like Soft Systems Methodology [SSM] and written the seminal classic “Systems Thinking, Systems Practice”. The co-author Sue Holwell has a rich and varied professional experience in systems design and implementation, information strategy and communication networks.
This book has eight chapters arranged in four parts. In the first part on “The Field of Information Systems and its Problems” the authors deliberate on the basic concepts pertaining to Information Systems [IS] and Information Technology [IT], distinguish between the “Hard” (objective positivistic scientific) and “Soft” (subjective interpretative) schools of thought in the context of Management Information Systems [MIS], and introduce the reader to the fundamentals of Soft System Methodologies [SSM].
The “meat” of the book is in Part Two whose two chapters elucidate on the application of the developed Information System Management concepts to organizations and describe the “information continuum” – the linkages between data, information and knowledge.
Parts Three and Four of the book substantiate these hypotheses with experiential examples from as early as World War II and drives home the point that the evolution and development of the science of Information Systems [IS] owes nothing to computers which did not exist in 1940, makes it clear that IS is not the same as IT, reminds us that computers are a mere means of IS, and cautions us against falling into the trap of “technological determinism” resulting from the prevalent propensity to overly focus on computer-based IT and allow technology to take charge of our actions.
The book is aptly adorned with simple illustrations which facilitate ease of understanding. As the dust jacket says, the book is a work of conceptual cleansing and presents a well-argued account of IS and IT which is both holistic and coherent.
I recommend this remarkable book to Information Technology, Engineering and Management Students and Professionals – reading it will certainly enhance their conceptual understanding of Information Systems and Technology.
[Book Review by Vikram Karve]
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/
vikramkarve@hotmail.com
vikramkarve@sify.com
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