Book excerpt: This unique and comprehensive resource offers you a detailed treatment of the operations principles, key parameters, and specific characteristics of active and passive RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave components. The book covers both linear and nonlinear components that are used in a wide range of application areas, from communications and information sciences, to avionics, space, and military engineering. This practical book presents descriptions and clear examples and of the best materials and products used in the field, including laminates, prepregs, substrates; microstrip, coaxial and waveguide transmission lines; fixed and rotating connectors; matching and adjusting elements; frequency filters; phase shifters; and ferrite gates and circulators. Moreover, the book offers you in-depth discussions on microwave switches and matrices, including MEMS technology, solid state and vacuum amplifiers, mixers, modulators and demodulators, and oscillation sources. You also find coverage of the stable frequency synthesizer structure and sources of modulated or noisy signals. Greatly adding to the usefulness of this volume is the inclusion of more than 700 Internet addresses of manufacturers from across the globe.