MIMO Antenna Design with Pixelated Radiator Surface for WLAN applications

In this paper we describe a method for the design and optimization of MIMO antennas. A rectangular grid of pixels adjacent to a ground plane with hardwired connections between pixels are used as a design surface for the multiport MIMO antenna. Genetic Algorithm optimization is used to find the optimal configuration of connections between pixels and multiple input port locations under the constraints of good impedance matching across all ports and high isolation between ports over the desired frequency band. As an example results for a 4-port MIMO antenna that operates from 5-6 GHz with dimensions of 41mm X 25mm connected to a 40mm X 75mm ground plane are provided. The proposed antenna is investigated by simulation and measurement and results demonstrate that MIMO antennas can be designed and optimized effectively using Genetic Algorithms.