Response-correction-based fault detection in small linear microstrip patch arrays using magnitude-only far-field pattern samples

Abstract

We present a computationally efficient method for detecting faulty elements in a small linear microstrip patch array from samples of the array's far-field magnitude radiation pattern (here represented by realistic EM simulations). Regardless of the array size, our method requires only one expensive full-wave entire-array simulation—compared to, e.g., the 696 required by the previous best method (Patnaik et al., IEEE Trans Antennas Propag 55 (2007), 775–777) for a 16-element array. This one simulation gives the accurate far-field magnitude pattern of the original defect-free array, and is used in conjunction with the defect-free array's analytical array factor to formulate a response correction function, which can then be used to construct an accurate approximation of the EM-simulated pattern of any arbitrary faulty array at very low cost. The low cost and high accuracy of these approximations make possible an enumeration strategy for identifying the faulty elements, which would have been computationally prohibitive were EM-simulated patterns to be used. Our method was robust in handling arrays of double the size considered in Patnaik et al., IEEE Trans Antennas Propag 55 (2007), 775–777, while expanding on (Patnaik et al., IEEE Trans Antennas Propag 55 (2007), 775–777) by also addressing partial faults and measurement noise. Accuracies in detecting up to three faults (including partial ones) in arrays of 16 and 32 elements exceeded 97% under noise-free conditions, and were above 93% in the presence of 2 dB measurement noise. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 26:683–689, 2016.