Linear Array Antenna Diagnostics Through a MUSIC Algorithm

The problem of detecting defective elements in antenna arrays from near-field measurements by a MUSIC method is addressed. It is shown that, owing to the rank deficiency of the involved correlation matrix, MUSIC is indeed no better than back-transformation or matrix methods. In order to restore MUSIC performance, a rank recovering procedure is required. Therefore, here, we introduce a rank recovering method which is properly tailored to address the pertinent near-field configuration. Numerical examples, obtained for 2D scalar cases and linear array antennas, show the effectiveness of the method.