An introduction to Surface-Acoustic-Wave (SAW) devices—their operation, advantages, and applications—is presented. The process of design and realization of high-performance SAW filters is examined from initial specifications to final device operation. Several techniques drawn from a variety of disciplines illustrate the implementation of finite impulse response SAW frequency functions. Material properties, transducer weighting, and computer-aided design are treated. An example of the design and testing of a 321-MHz 0.35-percent bandwidth, 65-dB sidelobe, 15-dB insertion loss filter is presented. Copyright © 1979 by The Institute Of Electrical And Electronics Engineers, Inc.