This is a book for the engineer, technician or student who wants to understand how real-life circuits are developed. It introduces the essential concepts and techniques that underlie the design of useful electonic circuits, especially microprocessor boards and their peripherals. No previous knowledge of electronics is assumed: the book concentrates on helping the reader to acquire and understand the few, relatively simple elements and techniques from which complex circuits are built up. After an introduction to the groundwork of electronic circuits - digital and analog components, op-amps and PALs - the reader goes on to discover how microprocessors work and how they are used in bus-based systems. The emphasis is on techniques that are actually used in industry. Subjects that, with advances in technology, are now only of textbook interest are avoided. Michael Spinks uses real industrial circuits as examples including some with specialized applications - and includes a chapter on practical problems such as debugging.