Optimizing Antenna Activation for Even Power Distribution in Multi-Beam Satellite Systems Using Genetic Algorithm

TL;DR

This paper presents a genetic algorithm approach to optimize beamforming in multi-beam satellite systems, ensuring even power distribution and avoiding over-saturation of antenna elements at 28 GHz for CubeSat applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel GA-based method for optimizing beamforming coefficients with activation constraints, improving power distribution in satellite antenna arrays.

Findings

Efficiently meets beam pattern requirements.

Ensures uniform activation distribution across antenna elements.

Applicable to 16x16 DRA patch arrays at 28 GHz.

Abstract

Recent advancements in onboard satellite communication have significantly enhanced the ability to dynamically modify the radiation pattern of a Direct Radiating Array, which is essential for both conventional communication satellites like GEO and those in lower orbits such as LEO. This is particularly relevant for communication at 28 GHz, a key frequency in the mmWave spectrum, used for high-bandwidth satellite links and 5G communications. Critical design factors include the number of beams, beamwidth, and SLL for each beam. However, in multibeam scenarios, balancing these design factors can result in uneven power distribution, leading to over-saturation in centrally located antenna elements due to frequent activations. This paper introduces a GA-based approach to optimize beamforming coefficients by modulating the amplitude component of the weight matrix, while imposing a constraint on activation instances per element to avoid over-saturation in the RF chain. The proposed method, tested on an 16x16 DRA patch antenna array at 28 GHz for a CubeSat orbiting at 500 km, demonstrates how the algorithm efficiently meets beam pattern requirements and ensures uniform activation distribution. These findings are particularly relevant for emerging satellite systems and 5G networks operating in the mmWave spectrum.