Amplitude-only null positioning in linear arrays using firefly algorithm

Beamforming is a serious problem in wireless communication. On one hand it involves in observing deep nulls in the direction of the undesired signal and, on the other hand, it involves in positioning the main beam in the direction of the desired signal. Many deterministic and numerical techniques are proposed to achieve this objective. However, the application of evolutionary computing techniques produced better results over many existing conventional methods. In this paper, one such attempt of applying a novel nature-inspired technique known as Firefly algorithm (FFA) to demonstrate beamforming in linear arrays. The desired objectives of the synthesis process are defined as sidelobe level (SLL) suppression and null positioning. The optimal set of amplitude distribution for the elements in the linear array is obtained using the technique in order to achieve the desired objectives. The results are evaluated in terms of radiation pattern plots.