Using a Genetic Algorithm to Determine an Optimal Position for an Antenna Mounted on a Platform

Determining an optimal position of an antenna on a platform is not always intuitive. This paper examines the implementation of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) within XFdtd, a Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) solver, for its effectiveness in determining an optimal antenna position when compared to a brute force method.XFdtd uses the FDTD method [1] to solve general electromagnetic problems. Built into XFdtd is the concept of Feature Based Modeling (FBM), which uses relative coordinate systems to position antennas in a geometry in relation to other parts. The GA, written in C++, is available to XFdtd's Scripting API. Through scripting a user specifies the antenna to move and provides bounded regions where the antenna can be located for maximum efficiency.