Electronic Devices and Circuit Theory, 11th edition

Book Preface

The preparation of the preface for the 11th edition resulted in a bit of reflection on the 40 years since the first edition was published in 1972 by two young educators eager to test their ability to improve on the available literature on electronic devices. Although one may prefer the term semiconductor devices rather than electronic devices, the first edition was almost exclusively a survey of vacuum-tube devices—a subject without a single section in the new Table of Contents. The change from tubes to predominantly semiconductor devices took almost five editions, but today it is simply referenced in some sections. It is interesting, however, that when field-effect transistor (FET) devices surfaced in earnest, a number of the analysis techniques used for tubes could be applied because of the similarities in the ac equivalent models of each device.

We are often asked about the revision process and how the content of a new edition is defined. In some cases, it is quite obvious that the computer software has been updated, and the changes in application of the packages must be spelled out in detail. This text was the first to emphasize the use of computer software packages and provided a level of detail unavailable in other texts. With each new version of a software package, we have found that the supporting literature may still be in production, or the manuals lack the detail for new users of these packages. Sufficient detail in this text ensures that a student can apply each of the software packages covered without additional instructional material.

The next requirement with any new edition is the need to update the content reflecting changes in the available devices and in the characteristics of commercial devices. This can require extensive research in each area, followed by decisions regarding depth of coverage and whether the listed improvements in response are valid and deserve recognition. The classroom experience is probably one of the most important resources for defining areas that need expansion, deletion, or revision. The feedback from students results in marked-up copies of our texts with inserts creating a mushrooming copy of the material. Next, there is the input from our peers, faculty at other institutions using the text, and, of course, reviewers chosen by Pearson Education to review the text. One source of change that is less obvious is a simple rereading of the material following the passing of the years since the last edition. Rereading often reveals material that can be improved, deleted, or expanded.