The science of metrology is fundamental to all branches of engineering. Before one can engineer a high-performance system, or improve an existing system, one needs to know how to quantitatively measure its performance. After all, if performance cannot be measured in some manner, how will you know if it has improved? In fact, the measurement of physical parameters goes much deeper than performance improvement; in the words of Lord Kelvin, a famous 19th century physicist:

"In physical science the first essential step in the direction of learning any subject is to find principles of numerical reckoning and practicable methods for measuring some quality connected with it. I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely in your thoughts advanced to the state of Science, whatever the matter may be"

Popular Lectures and Addresses, vol. 1,

"Electrical Units of Measurement", 1883

The area of test and measurement is therefore a key component of every engineering discipline, and many test instruments provide fascinating examples of engineering ingenuity and precision. Modern microwave test equipment such as spectrum analyzers are often the "hot rods" of the RF world.

This book is devoted to the techniques and equipment used for the test and performance measurement of IEEE...