Particle Swarm Optimization of Microstrip Antennas for Wireless Communication Systems

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied as a design tool for a parasitically coupled microstrip antenna array. The antenna is characterized by a unique non intuitive design which results from an application of PSO with no constraints implemented on the shape of the array during optimization apart from the maximum dimensions. The design incorporating passive parasitically coupled sub patches is described for the IEEE 802.11a WLAN 5-6 GHz band to achieve a reflection coefficient of , an omnidirectional radiation pattern and satisfactory gain. The design was fabricated and experimental results obtained that confirm the simulations.