Null placement in linear antenna arrays with a novel boundary condition of PSO

In the research of past one decade it has been quite convincingly shown that the boundary conditions in particle swarm optimizers are an important algorithmic part which restricts the particles within the solution space thereby increasing their scope of participation in solution finding process. Usually, velocities of the particles are regulated to bring them back to solution space; here a different fundamental approach of regulating the position of particles is taken, particles which go out of solution place are relocated inside by maintaining symmetry about the boundary. A six element linear antenna array is taken as the optimization target for the placement of nulls in some specified angles and an overall reduction of side lobes in the radiation pattern. Results show better performance of this boundary condition over other established ones in terms of quicker convergence and obtaining better optimization solution.