Elements Failure Detection and Radiation Pattern Correction for Time-Modulated Linear Antenna Arrays Using Particle Swarm Optimization

Array elements failure detection and pattern correction for time-modulated linear array antennas (TMLAA) are investigated in this paper. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to detect the locations of failed elements from their damaged radiation patterns. A minimization of mean square error (MSE) between the original and calculated radiation pattern is employed to estimate the on-time duration of the TMLAA. Various failure scenarios for the elements are considered. The correction of damaged radiation pattern is achieved via reconfiguring the on-time instants and durations of the RF switches connected to the array elements. The correction method involves using PSO, which compares the damaged pattern with an optimized pattern through the minimization of the MSE. Two correction methods are investigated using original Chebyshev pattern and two levels mask with side-lobe level (SLL) of - 35 dB. The capability and efficiency of the proposed methods will be demonstrated through 32-elements TMLAA with Dolph-Chebyshev excitation. Single and multiple faults are detected, and the radiation pattern are corrected using the PSO.