Neural Network Based Particle Swarm Optimizer for

Design of Dual Resonance X/Ku Band Stacked Patch

Antenna
S.K.Jain*, A. Patnaik , S.N.Sinha,
Electronics and Computer Engineering Department
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Roorkee, India-247667
satishjain.jain@ieee.org , apatnaik@ieee.org , sn_sinha@ieee.org

Abstract—With the increase in number of layers in a stacked
patch microstrip antenna, for multiband operation, the number
of parameters, deciding the frequency of operation, increases.
Then it becomes a difficult task to optimize all the parameters
simultaneously for specified frequencies of operation. In this
paper, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) based algorithm
have been developed to decide the patch dimensions of dual band
square stacked patch antenna (SPA) operating in the X/Ku band.
The cost function for the PSO is evaluated with the help of
trained neural network (NN) to reduce the lengthy simulation
time. The results from this PSO based CAD model have been
cross verified with the experimental results for some typical
stacked patch antennas.
Keywords-stacked patch antenna; neural network; paricle
swarm optimization;
I. INTRODUCTION
Multilayer stacked microstrip antennas are used in a wide
range of application like mobile communication, satellite
communication and missile tracking by remote, which
demands multi-band and/or wide band frequency operation. In
microstrip antenna technology, stacked configuration is one of
the easy and viable solution for getting multiband, because in
this, the size of the structure doesn't increase in the planar
direction, giving flexibility in making microstrip antenna
arrays. But with the increase in the number of layers in stacked
configuration, the design parameters deciding the frequency of
operation of the antennas, also increases. From designers point
of view, it becomes a difficult task to decide the optimized
values of all the design parameters for the antenna to have
specified operating frequencies. Commercially available
packages for microstrip antenna design are computer
intensive and require large number of computer resources. In
order to reach to a final optimized structure, it might need
several simulations. In order to reduce this time of
computation, some commercially available packages are now
coming with optimizer, but for this also, number of
simulations are required.
In recent past, several softcomputing based methods have
been applied for analysis and design of microstrip antennas [1-
5]. As far as our understanding goes, these techniques have not
been used for stacked patch antenna analysis and design. As
the number of design variables are more in stacked patch
Indian Space Research Organization India.
antenna as compared to single layer antenna, the role of soft-
computing based methods becomes important as compared to
the available analytical methods. In this paper design aspect of
dual layer, dual patch stacked square patch antenna have been
considered, using softcomputing based methods viz. NN and
PSO, for satellite communication application.
With the congestion in the lower frequency range for
satellite communication application, space scientist are now
looking for higher frequency bands for their use. There was a
requirement to make dual frequency planar antennas in
stacked patch form to work in X/Ku band. The further
stringent requirements for this dual band antenna was that
there should be sufficient frequency gap (of order of 4.5 GHz)
between two resonant frequencies for uplink and downlink
use. In order to design these antennas, we have used the PSO
optimizer in conjunction with NN technique. The role of PSO
is to find the optimized dimensions of the two radiating
patches along with the height of air gap for specified
frequency of operation, whereas the role of NN is to find out
the instantaneous resonant frequencies of the stacked patch
antenna to use in the cost function of the PSO. The validity of
the developed model was cross checked with experimental
results.
II. ANTENNA STRUCTURE
In the antenna structure (Fig.1), lower patch was the
activated patch whereas the upper patch, that is hanging from
the superstrate, is parasitically coupled. In the design problem
of SPA, for the specific frequencies, usually the dielectric are
supplied (so εr, h is fixed ) and the designer have to find out
the dimensions of the radiating patch. We have introduced air
gap between two radiating patches. This gives another degree
of flexibility in controlling frequency band positions and
width as well. The initial dimensions of this structure were
calculated using cavity model [6].
h2(İr2, air)
h3(İr3)
h1(İr1) L1 L2
2r
feed
Figure 1. Dual patch coaxial feed stacked microstrip antenna.

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 III. PROBLEM FORMULATION
The entire problem was divided in two phases, (i)ANN
vn = w × vn + c1 × rand () × ( pbest n − xn ) + c2 × rand () ×
implementation and (ii) PSO. In first phase a trained NN was ( g best n − xn ) (1)
developed for finding the resonant frequencies of the SPA.
The output of this trained NN was used to formulate the cost xn = xn + Δt × vn ( 2)
function for the PSO.
where vn is particle velocity, xn is particle position, pbest is
A. ANN Implementation particles personal best, gbest is global best, w is inertia weight,
The role of NN is basically to form a black box model c1 and c2 are the acceleration coefficients in (1) and (2). In (1),
between the dimensional parameters of the antenna with its rand () generates random values between 0 and 1. In case of
resonance frequencies. The inputs to the networks were the explosion of particle velocity, it was restricted as per the
length of square patches ( L1,L2) and height of the air gap (h2) following:
as shown in Fig.2. The permittivity of the lower dielectric if vn > vmax ; then vn = vmax ; vmax = xmax
substrate and the upper dielectric superstrate were fixed at a
lower value of 2.2, in order to reduce the surface wave, that
usually exists in high permittivity dielectric substrates. These The following cost function was minimized for the
input parameters were varied and IE3D [7] simulation were optimization process.
done to create the data set for the NN training. A multilayer ª ( f − f + 4.5)º
perceptron trained in the backpropagation mode has been used F = «[(FR1 − fr1)2 + (FR2 − fr2 )2 ]× r2 r1 » (3)
for the training of the NN [8]. The parameters of the trained ¬ ( fr2 − fr1) ¼
NN is shown in Table I.
In (3), fr1 and fr2 are two resonance frequencies during
B. PSO Implementation
heuristic search when FR1 and FR2 are the two target (desired)
PSO is a form of evolutionary computational technique resonant frequencies that are given as inputs. The purpose of
based on the movement and intelligence of swarm [9]. This first term of cost function is to locate the two frequencies at
technique has already been applied in the field of their desired positions. and second term in the cost function
Electromagnetics [10]. helps in maintaining the gap between two resonant
In this technique, it has a population of random solutions. frequencies. This cost function is minimized w.r.t. W1,W2 and
Each potential solution is called a ‘particle’. These particles h2 . A flow chart for the PSO algorithm is shown in Fig.3. Here
are allowed to fly within the solution space, which is the it may be noted that, we have not taken the feed position as a
optimum range of variable, where solution is sought to exist. varying parameter.
While in journey, particle can keep track of previous best
position and corresponding fitness. The previous best position IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
is called ‘pbest’ and one ‘gbest’ is selected, which is a best value After several iterations of the PSO loop, the optimized
among all ‘pbest’. Each particle accelerates towards its ‘pbest’ values of the varying parameters W1,W2 and h2 were stored.
and ‘gbest ‘locations in every time step. Velocity and positions These parameters were then used to simulate structures in
of the particle can be updated as per the following basic IE3D and for antenna fabrication purpose. The return loss
mathematical equations. plots from IE3D were observed to note the frequency of
operation of the optimized structures. Fabricated antenna
structure were measured for its resonant frequencies using HP
L1 Lower resonant frequency
h2 ANN 8720B VNA. Numerical results of some typical antenna
L2 Upper resonant frequency structures are given in Table II. Fabricated antenna return loss
plot and corresponding IE3D return loss plot, for one of the
Figure 2. ANN Model. optimized structures are shown in Fig.4 and Fig.5 respectively.
From the figures, the close resemblance of the optimizer
output with the experimental values can be marked clearly.
TABLE I. NEURAL NETWORK PARAMETERS
Antenna VI. CONCLUSION
Parameter Values
No.
An NN assisted PSO algorithm was developed for
1 No. of layer in network 2
2 designing dual band stacked patch antenna to work in X/Ku
No. of hidden layer neurons 8
3 No. of output layer neurons 2 band. A suitable cost function was framed to satisfy the
4 Training algorithm Backpropagation requirements for the antenna to be used in satellite
5 Learning rate 0.72 communication applications. This developed methodology
6 Momentum 0.71
drastically reduces the lengthy simulation time to land up with
an optimized structure.

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 Initialize population with Range of ACKNOWLEDGMENT
random position(x) and W1, W2 and Authors wish to thank ISRO-India for granting a
velocity (v) vectors h2
technology development project under which, this work is
done.
Each set of W1, W2 and h2
REFERENCES
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[6] C.A Balanis, Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design, 3rd ed., New York,
Figure 3. PSO flow chart. 2003, Wiley Inc. pp.826–842.
[7] IE3D Zelnad Software Inc.
[8] S.Haykins, Neural Networks- A Comprehensive Foundation, 2nd ed.,
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Figure 4. Fabricated antenna return loss plot.

Figure 5. IE3D return loss plot.

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 TABLE II. PSO PERFORMENCE COMPARISION WITH IE3D AND FABRICTED ANTENNA

Desired frequencies PSO outputs

Simulator Resonant Experimental Resonant
(Optimizer inputs) (mm)
Ant. No. frequencies frequencies

fr1(GHz) fr2 (GHz) L1(mm) L2 (mm) h2 (mm) fr1(GHz) fr2 (GHz) fr1 (GHz) fr2 (GHz)

1 10.2 14.3 9.45 12.28 16.36 10.26 14.52 10.14 14.32

2 12.2 16.5 8.56 8.7 5.17 12.12 16.52 12.33 16.34
3 10.2 14.4 9.62 9.14 11.91 10.28 14.14 10.34 14.36
4 11.2 15.9 8.62 10.83 11.33 11.39 16.04 11.52 16.28
5 13.2 17.5 8.04 8.81 4.30 13.05 17.57 13.21 17.22
6 12.4 16.6 8.60 7.05 9.24 12.32 16.40 12.53 16.80

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