Synthesis of nonuniformly spaced arrays using genetic algorithm

In many engineering situations, nonuniformly spaced arrays are necessary or useful due to feed network structures, actual system constraints and so on. Other than many conventional synthesis methods, the genetic algorithm (GA) can be used to synthesize such arrays to reach the requirement of the sidelobe level. The optimized variables in the nonuniformly spaced array are usually chosen as the element positions. In the application of digital beamforming antenna systems, the optimized variables may be chosen as element positions, amplitudes, phases or some combination of them, which provide more degrees of freedom to the synthesis of arrays than before. Simulation results show that this method is valuable.