Fractal Antenna Systems Announces State-of-the-Art Computational
Capability in Genetic Optimizer PC-Cluster
June 26, 2002
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2002 --Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc., a leading innovator of antenna and electronic innovation, today announced the launch of its third generation "GO Cluster" facility for solving problems in antenna and electronic design. The new capability offers unprecedented access to speedy solutions and embodies the power of fractals in optimization, as initially applied to antenna and electronic design.
Fractals are intricate patterns built up in repeated steps from simple forms. Fractal antennas have, in the last two years, become the most successful hardware example of the power of fractal geometry in real world applications.
HOW IT WORKS
The firm’s GO Cluster is a hybrid of efficient hardware and software. At the heart of the hardware is a PC-based supercomputer similar to a "Beowulf" PC-cluster. The GO Cluster employs a dozen PCs (with the capability to add dozens more) and proprietary software to divide the problem into smaller parts that each PC attacks in parallel under master computer control.
In 1994, scientist
Dr. Randy Haupt introduced the use of genetic algorithms (GA) to antenna
and electromagnetic design. GAs mimic natural selection,
in algorithmic form, to find the best solution to a defined problem. Although
dramatically successful as a tool, genetic algorithms are difficult to apply
to complex problems and slow to execute because of the sheer number of parameters
that need to be defined and explored. Fractal’s CTO Dr. Nathan
Cohen, reported a way in 1997 to compress the number of parameters substantially
by using a method called ‘fractal coding.’ This makes solving
complex optimization problems–whether in antenna design or in any other
field requiring optimization—tractable with a fewer number of parameters.
Cohen referred to the method as ‘fractal coded genetic optimization’ or
FRAGO, and gave examples of application to antenna problems.
In the last few years, Fractal’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Robert Hohlfeld,
melded the FRAGO approach to efficient software codes in antenna and electronic
simulation. Along with the cluster hardware, the combined GO Cluster now
possesses unique capabilities. “On the surface, it just looks like
a rack of PCs”, said Dr. Nathan Cohen. “But when you see that
it is solving problems in hours which, just a couple of years ago, took half
a year, it is a humbling tower of computational power.”
POWER TO SOLVE
The GO Cluster has been primarily tasked with difficult antenna problems. In a matter of a few weeks the GO cluster has produced and assessed over 300,000 antenna designs to match best performance with application. Not only does it perform as a superlative design tool, it demonstrates real science, too. Notes Fractal’s Dr. Hohlfeld: “Antenna engineering is evolving towards more complex designs. But there are always a few stalwarts who hold out against the odds, criticizing fractal design. By using the GO Cluster, which starts with simple non-fractal shapes, one can show that the better antenna—the one that meets the real application needs—incorporates fractal shapes. This is true for all but the simplest requirements. Such an unbiased assessment is a powerful verification of a new approach.”
Dr.
Hohlfeld also notes that the GO Cluster is a more universal method to solve
most optimization problems very rapidly, a common goal of many applied
science disciplines, such as biotechnology, economics, and many others.
The firm will also be using the GO Cluster in-house to solve electronic design
problems, and will license the method and apparatus to companies outside
its areas of interest.
Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. has applied for patents on its GO Cluster
method and apparatus.
ABOUT FRACTAL
Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc. is a next-generation antenna and electronics company that provides the Fractal Advantage(TM): solutions, products and IP licensing to OEM manufacturers of wireless products. The company was founded in 1995 and now holds 3 U.S. patents (with 2 additional NOA's) as well as many pending patents, including foreign patents pending, on fractal antenna and electronics technology. The firm has seen high growth as fractal antenna technology becomes more widely known as the superior choice in the smaller-cheaper-multi/broadband environment of wireless, telecom, RFID, and other fields. On the web at http://www.fractenna.com.
CONTACT
Fractal Antenna Systems, Inc.
David Moschella, 617-381-9595
SOURCE: FAS
Copyright © Fractal Antenna Systems Inc. All rights reserved.
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