Optics Software - List
Scott Evenson
For those of you who are interested I have attached a list of software
dealers who supply optical design/optimization software (in
alphabetical order by product name), along with a brief write-up of
whatever product information I had available (and could summarize
conveniently).
I have (by no means) tried all these programs and am supplying this
list for your convenience only. Furthermore, this list is not
exhaustive (I am still receiving new information), and I will post
subsequent (up-dated) lists if it appears that anyone is interested.
If you have something to add to the list or notice a change or
correction that needs to be made, please notify me (with the
correction) and I will re-post the changed list.
Please note that I have removed the names of the various "netters" who
supplied me with information (to protect the innocent). Thank you to
everyone who responded to my posts - I greatly appreciated your input!
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OPTICAL DESIGN PACKAGES:
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REFERENCES:
"How to select lens-design software" by George Lawrence,
Laser Focus World, July 1993, page 111-119.
"Optical Design/analysis software" by the Editors,
Laser & optronics, July 1991, page 31-40.
Physics Today, Laser Focus World - Buyers guide or Laser Photonics
laser magazines (Advertisements).
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ASAP - optical analysis tool
- PC version US$9900; SUN version US$15000
- 50% educational discount available
- built for non-sequential rays and beams optics
- incoherent or coherent
- can be used for acoustics and x-rays also
Available from:
Breaul Research Organization
6400 East Grant Road - Suite 350
Tucson, AZ 85715
1-800-882-5085
(602) 721-0500 VOICE
(602) 721-9630 FAX
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BEAM - Optical Ray Tracers
The essence of the BEAM packages is graphic display of outputs
generated by simple spreadsheet inputs of optics, rays and glasses. It
is highly intuitive/interactive, *provided that you know what you are
doing*.
BEAM ops are rather like programming in Assembler. Very powerful, but
you must know what you are doing - - at the higher levels anyway. On the
other hand, at the lower levels, BEAM is as good as a child's primer on
optics.
If you are still learning about geometrical optics, then buy BEAM TWO
for a paltry US$89. The highest level, BEAM FOUR, at US$889 is vastly
more sophisticated.
BEAM TWO US$89
- for students and educators
- traces coaxial systems
- lenses, mirrors, irises
- exact 3-D monochromatic trace
- 2-D onscreen layouts
- diagnostic ray plots
- least squares optimizer
- Monte Carlo ray generator
BEAM THREE US$289
BEAM FOUR US$889
Available from:
Stellar Software
PO Box 10183
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 845-8405 VOICE
(510) 845-2139 FAX
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BPM-CAD - waveguide optics modeling software system
- 2D and 3D BPM CAD
- modelling of integrated and fibre optics guided wave problems
- uses Finite Difference Method (Crank-Nicholson scheme for 2D BPM and
Baracat-Clark scheme for 3D BPM) and Transparent Boundary Conditions
- runs on 386 with 80387 coprocessor or 486 computer
- priced from US$9800
- 50% university discount
- price includes one year support and upgrades
Available from:
Institut National D'Optique
Parc technologique du Quebec metropolitain
369, rue Franquet
Sainte-Foy, (Quebec)
CANADA G1P 4N8
(418) 657-7006 VOICE
(418) 657-7009 FAX
email: jaku...@ino.qc.ca
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CODE V
- available on SUN, VAX and 486/386 DOS
- time sharing possible
Available from:
Optical Research Associates
550 N. Rosemead Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91107
(818) 795-9101 VOICE
(818) 795-9102 FAX
or 945 Concord St.
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 872-6001 VOICE
(508) 626-0748 FAX
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FILM STAR
- optical thin film software
Available from:
FTG Software Associates
PO Box 579
Princeton, NJ 08542
(609) 924-6222 VOICE
(609) 924-5169 FAX
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GENESEE
- numerous packages: GENII, GENII-PLUS, OPTICS ANALYST, COOL/GENII,
OPTICS TOOLBOX, FILMS, AerIS and PARAXIA
- for 386/486 DOS/Windows, Macintosh or SUN 4
Available from:
Genesee Optics Software, Inc.
3136 Winton Road South
Rochester, NY 14623
(716) 272-9944 VOICE
(716) 272-8192 FAX
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GEURAP V
"GEURAP V is a comprehensive, versatile software tool for propagating
optical radiation through imaging and non-imaging opto-mechanical
devices. GEURAP V includes the effects of scattering, diffraction and
absorption as well as reflection and refraction."
The system requires you to build a 3D model of the system you wish to
simulate. It has various basic geometric surfaces including planes,
cones, cylinders, spheres, ellipsoids, paraboloids, hyperboloids, and
toroids, as well as general second order surfaces in 3D.
Output is typically in the form of one of the following ... 2D light
intensity distribution; ray count distribution; radial intensity
distribution; pathlength-resolved intensity; scattered/absorbed flux;
spatial/angular exit surface intensity; bulk absorption listing;
general raytrace summary & error listing; ray histories.
- will do non-sequential ray tracing
- suited to non-imaging optics and waveguide applications
- full package is US$3950 low cost package available at US$1950 (same
functionality but reduced capacity)
- 25% educational discount available
Available from:
Lambda Research Corporation
PO Box 550
274 Main Street
Groton, MA 01450-0550
Phone (508) 486-0766
Fax (508) 448-2348
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OPTEC
- several package levels available
- available for windows-based desktop computers
- priced from under US$1.5K to US$4395
Available from:
Sciopt Enterprises
PO Box 20637
San Jose, CA 95160
(408) 268-8934 VOICE
(408) 268-9050 FAX
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OPTICAD
- 3D CAD format
- handles imaging and non-imaging systems
- uses non-sequential ray tracing
- pricing from US$1995
Available from:
OPTICAD Corporation
PO Box 10123
Santa Fe, NM 87504
(505) 988-7883 VOICE
(505) 265-7054 FAX
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"The Optical Companion"
"Model optical systems, trace rays, design thin films, beamsplitters,
zoom systems and more. US$39.95 (tax and shipping incl.) Includes
QuickBasic source code at no extra charge.
Available from:
ENGINEERING CALCULATIONS
1377 E. Windsor Rd., # 317
Glendale CA 91205
(818) 507-5705 VOICE
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OPTIC
Optical design program << OPTIC >>
Version 3.1 1989-93 Moscow,Russia
Integrated optical design program << OPTIC >> is intended for the
design and optimization of the various optical systems. The program
may be used under DOS (3.3 or later) at IBM PC/AT or compatible
computers with EGA/VGA display and hard disc.
"OPTIC" contains:
- ray trace routine;
- optimization routine (various methods and targets of optimization,
control of paraxial properties, linked parameters, limitations on
parameters of construction, etc.);
- table of influence of parameters for aberrations;
- geometrical and diffraction MTF (mono - and polychromatical, for
centered and decentered systems with all types of surfaces and
limitations, central obstruction, etc.)
- geometrical and diffraction point spread function (mono - and
polychromatical, for centered and decentered systems with all
types of surfaces and limitations, central obstruction, etc.)
- calculation of tolerances;
- auxiliary calculations;
- glass catalog (user can modify it and add new glasses);
- distribution of energy from spread sources (line,circle,rectangle,
set of dots) and summary distribution for the systems with variable
parameters of construction;
Auxilliary calculations:
- location of the autocollimation dots;
- parameters of the aspheric surfaces;
- paraxial rays trace;
- lens scale;
- termobarical defocussing;
- inversion the system;
- calculation the sagitta of surface at arbitrary height.
The program allows to calculate the centered and decentered (including
spatial) systems with up to 99 spherical and aspherical (three types of
equation) surfaces (both refractional and reflecti - onal). Each surface
can be limited by the screen of various shape and can have central
obstruction.
Image plane and object position can be as at infinity as at a finite
distance. For focal systems user can define wished image position. If
this value equal zero, OPTIC will use Gauss plane (with defocus).
The program allows to calculate up to 5 nonaxial rays beams (axial by
default), every of which may include up to 15 rays.
Five types of ray data are provided (normal,relative,automatically
calculated,entrance cosine and coordinates on first surface).
Telecentrical ray trace is also supported.
Calculation of the monochromatical and polychromatical aberrations is
possible. User can define the refraction indices and wavelengths by
their conventional signs (including defined by user).
Up to 40 parameters of construction may be used for optimization (up to
200 functions with their targets and weights).
The program draws optical scheme with ray trace and aberration curves.
Output of the results may be realized to display or printer. 105
materials are entered in modify glass catalogue at delivery moment. If
you wish to add a new material to glass catalogue or modify existing
glasses, you will have to use CATALW program.
There is build-in HELP for basic modes and errors diagnostic system.
For contacts: e-mail: d...@mbn.msk.su (Internet)
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OSLO
- three packages available (Basic, Professional and Expert)
- available for windows-based desktop computers
- priced US$1k to US$16k
Available from:
Sinclair Optics
6780 Palmyra Road
Fairport, New York 14450
(716) 425-4380 VOICE
(716) 425-4382 FAX
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SIGMA
- available for PC or Macintosh
Available from:
Kidger Optics Ltd.
9A, High Street, Crowborough
East Sussex TN6 2QA, England
(*44) 892 663 555 VOICE
(*44) 892 664 483 FAX
or Michaela Lepicovsky (USA)
(216) 899-9910 VOICE
(216) 899-9920 FAX
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SIGRAPH-OPTIK and CAOS
SIGRAPH-OPTIK
- layout editor for integrated optics
- interfaced to CAOS
CAOS - computer aided optical simulation
- BPM simulator for integrated optical circuit analysis
- priced from US$10000 to US$45000
- university discounts available
Available from:
SIEMENS-NIXDORF AG
BU ES CAE 12
Alfons Daiderich
Otto-Hahn-Ring 6
81739 Munchen
Germany
+49 89 636 48763 VOICE
+49 89 636 43939 FAX
email: Alfons.D...@mch.sni.de
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SYNOPSYS - Lens design tool
Available from:
Breaul Research Organization
6400 East Grant Road - Suite 350
Tucson, AZ 85715
1-800-882-5085
(602) 721-0500 VOICE
(602) 721-9630 FAX
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ZEMAX - Optical Design Program
- three packages available (ZEMAX-SE, XE and EE)
- priced from US$900 to US$2400
Available from:
Focusoft, Inc.
PO Box 756
Pleasanton, CA 94566
(510) 426-1835 VOICE
(510) 426-0719 FAX
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Best regards,
Scott.
Scott Evenson.
eve...@cs.sfu.ca
School of Engineering Science
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia
V5A 1S6
(604) 291-7310 (home)
(604) 291-4951 FAX