Using a Genetic Algorithm to determine an optimal position for an antenna mounted on a platform

Determining an optimal position of an antenna on a platform is not always intuitive. This paper examines the implementation of a genetic algorithm (GA) within XFdtd, a finite difference time domain (FDTD) solver, for its effectiveness in determining an optimal antenna position when compared to a brute force method. XFdtd uses the FDTD method to solve general electromagnetic problems. Built into XFdtd is the concept of feature based modeling (FBM), which uses relative coordinate systems to position antennas in a geometry in relation to other parts. The GA, written in C++, is available to XFdtd's Scripting API. Through scripting a user specifies the antenna to move and provides bounded regions where the antenna can be located for maximum efficiency.