Dynamic Thinning of Antenna Array Using Genetic Algorithm

Thinning is a technique by which the total number of active elements in an antenna array is reduced without causing major degradation in system performance. Dynamic thinning is the process of achieving this under real time conditions. Stochastic techniques have been useful in the design of thinned arrays. However while applying the technique to large 2-D arrays, under changing conditions problems arise due to the very large and rugged solution space. Also, evaluation of the objective function in such cases requires large computational resources, thus reducing the rate of convergence. This paper suggests a technique using Genetic Algorithm which is useful for overcoming these problems. After discussing the basic concept involving dynamic thinning and application methodology, simulation results of applying the technique to linear and planar arrays are presented.