Array pattern synthesis approach using a genetic algorithm

Abstract

In this study, a new array pattern synthesis approach using a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed. The proposed approach has a unique set of objectives to be achieved by exploiting the GA optimisation capabilities. These objectives are: (i) steering the pattern main lobe in the direction of the signal of interest, (ii) minimising the side lobes level, (iii) steering pattern nulls in the directions of jammers and interferers, (iv) forcing the pattern nulls to have prespecified values in order to insure sufficient elimination of jammers and interferers and (v) the whole pattern synthesis will be done by changing the amplitudes and phases of the array elements' complex weights without any physical changes in the array; thus the method will be suitable for adaptive processing applications in which the array pattern will be dynamically adapted to the environments. Numerical examples will be used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed array pattern synthesis approach using a uniform linear array of isotropic elements. Finally, the effect of changing the array number of elements and the weighting factor will be investigated using numerical examples.