Digitally Excited Reconfigurable Linear Antenna Array Using Swarm Optimization Algorithms

This paper describes the synthesis of digitally excited pencil/flat top dual beams simultaneously in a linear antenna array constructed of isotropic elements. The objective is to generate a pencil/flat top beam pair using the excitations generated by the evolutionary algorithms. Both the beams share common variable discrete amplitude excitations and differ in variable discrete phase excitations. This synthesis is treated as a multi-objective optimization problem and is handled by Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm duly controlling the fitness functions. These functions include many of the radiation pattern parameters like side lobe level, half power beam width and beam width at the side lobe level in both the beams along with the ripple in the flat top band of flat top beam. In addition to it, the dynamic range ratio of the amplitudes excitations is set below a certain level to diminish the mutual coupling effects in the array. Two sets of experiments are conducted and the effectiveness of this algorithm is proved by comparing it with various versions of swarm optimization algorithms.