Reconfigurable Antennas and Configuration Selection Methods for MIMO Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we quantify the performance enhancements that can be provided by reconfigurable antennas in an ad hoc network where all nodes employ multiple input multiple output communication techniques. We present two types of reconfigurable antennas: a reconfigurable printed dipole array (RPDA), and a reconfigurable circular patch antenna (RCPA). The RPDA and RCPA have a different number of configurations as well as different degrees of pattern diversity between possible configurations. To effectively use these antennas in a network, we introduce and quantify the performance of centralized and decentralized antenna configuration selection schemes for reconfiguration at one or both link ends. We use the sum capacity of the network as a metric to quantify the performance of these antennas in measured and simulated network channels.