Improved CAD for the design of novel microstrip antenna structures

A finite difference time domain (FDTD) model is developed and validated against measured data for rectangular microstrip antennas. The FDTD model is then used as the fitness function in a genetic algorithm (GA). The GA-FDTD code is used to optimise a known patch antenna configuration and to evolve the same configuration starting with very limited knowledge. This was carried out to study the 'search' properties of the GA. The various fitness values obtained from the FDTD output data are used in a novel way to improve the search.