Du Plessis, Warren Paul2017-01-232017-01-232016-12Du Plessis, WP 2016, 'Efficient computation of array factor and sidelobe level of linear arrays', IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine, vol. 58, no. 6, Art# 7763887, pp. 102-114.1045-9243 (print)1558-4143 (online)10.1109/MAP.2016.2609802http://hdl.handle.net/2263/58590The implementation of code to efficiently compute the array factor and sidelobe level (SLL) of linear antenna arrays in MATLAB and GNU Octave is considered. The use of a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to compute the array factor is shown to be more efficient than other approaches. The automatic determination of the sidelobe region as a necessary step to computing the SLL is addressed. A number of codeoptimsation techniques in MATLAB and Octave are evaluated, including vectorisation, memory allocation and the use of built-in functions. Finally, an efficient function which can be used for the computation of the array factor and SLL of linear arrays in MATLAB and Octave is presented.en© 2016 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.Linear arraysAntenna radiation patternsSoftware librariesSidelobe level (SLL)Ant-colony optimisation (ACO)Covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy (CMA-ES)Central processing unit (CPU)Discrete Fourier transform (DFT)Fast Fourier transform (FFT)Genetic algorithm (GA)Particle swarm optimization (PSO)Simulated annealing (SA)Postprint Article