BOOKS

Some books authored or co-authored by members of ALCIOM’s team :

The Darker Side

Gathering all the articles of the “off-circuit” series written by Robert Lacoste, Elecktor published in August 2019 the book : Piercing the mysteries of electronics.

The world of electronics is both vast and… very small! Here is a book that confirms these two contradictory findings. Indeed, in electronics, everything touches everything, in one way or another. The smallest detail can have the biggest consequences, and not always the ones we would expect.

The purpose of the author of this series of stand-alone articles entitled Out of the Boxes, gathered here in one book, is not to hold your hand. Robert Lacoste, a top-level professional electronics engineer, gives you clues to help you understand what seems mysterious. He guides you just enough to allow you to progress on your own. With him, not only will you push your own limits, but you will also be able to detect the limits of the hardware and software you use. By inviting you to go back to the basics of physics, it will allow you to separate the real technical progress from the commercial laïus.

The basics can go a long way

Where does the sensitivity of a radio wave receiver come from? Why is it much slower to download a video to your mobile phone in the countryside than in the city centre? If the technical answer to questions like these (and many others that you may not even dare to ask yourself) is not obvious to you, this book will help you get a clearer picture. Yes, one can be comfortable with microcontrollers, but confused by the behavior of a simple transistor. Do you feel concerned by such questions? This book is for you: without any mathematical formula that is not within the reach of a high school student, it covers the entire field of electronics, from analog to digital signal processing, including the dreaded high-frequency domain. The theory never deviates much from Ohm’s law! With simple words, the author explains how it works, why sometimes it doesn’t work the way you want it to, and how to better use different techniques in your own projects to make it work.

Available from Elektor, Decitre, Fnac , or Amazon

The Darker Side

A reference book by Robert Lacoste, founder and director of Alciom was published in October 2009 by Elsevier/Newnes : Practical Applications for Electronic Design Concepts from Circuit Cellar

Robert Lacoste’s The Darker Side column has quickly become a must read among Circuit Cellar devotees. His column provides readers with succinct theoretical concepts and practical applications on topics as far reaching as digital modulation to antenna basics. Difficult concepts are demystified as Robert shines a light on complex topics within electronic design. This book collects sixteen Darker Side articles that have been enriched with new, exclusive content from the author. An intro into The Darker Side will give examples of material that can enhance and optimize the way you design. A Scilab tutorial along with Scilab software and all project material will be included with this package so that all projects can be tackled hands-on. Bonus Circuit Cellar content will be included on the CD for FREE! It’s time to stop being afraid of the dark, let this book easily guide you through the time-draining, problematic elements of your application design.

Audience : Electrical and Electronics Engineers; Electronics Designers; System Engineers; Hardware Engineers; High-level Hobbyists and Students

Available from Elsevier, Elektor or Amazon

« I have read and used much of the material in Roberts book. I recommend it as required reading by all engineers. I have verified the accuracy and content of the FIR filters and use of Scilab for the digital modulations. Robert is at the top of World Class Engineers, especially for those who apply this work into practice every day. Thanks Robert. »
Michael Stolzle, Amazon feedbacks

« It’s refreshing when the content of a book doesn’t treat you like a child. I’m going to be re-reading this book for a long time. This author definitively knows circuit design. I won’t be skimming through this one.”
Amazon feedbacks

Electronic Eco design

Robert Lacoste, Founder and Director of ALCIOM is, together with Michel Robiolle (Captronic) and Xavier Vital (Codde/Veritas), co-author of a reference book on ecodesign, published by Dunod in March 2011.

Designers of products that include electronics have a major role to play in the choices they make upstream in reducing the environmental impact of products. The aim of this book is to meet their expectations, whether they are engineers, decision-makers in companies, manufacturers of electronic boards or teachers and students in the electronics or electrical engineering professions.
Through numerous examples, it proposes benchmarks and methods, and explains the importance of a global approach over the entire product life cycle.
The regulations that impose ecodesign rules but also the sector initiatives, which are real standards in application, are also widely presented.
Title : Electronic ecodesign
Authors: Robert Lacoste, Michel Robiolle, Xavier Vital
Collection: Technique and Engineering, Dunod
March 2011 – 224 pages – 170×240 mm
EAN13: 9782100548927

Available by  Dunod