ORA Announces CODE V 9.4
December 2003 - ORA is pleased to announce CODE V® release 9.4, which adds powerful
system visualization capabilities to this popular optical design
program. The
new Interactive 3D Viewing feature empowers users to create
detailed 3D renderings (solid, translucent, or wireframe) of
an optical system, which can be dynamically rotated, panned,
and zoomed. Within the interactive 3D model, surface properties
can be viewed and changed with a mouse click, allowing the designer
to efficiently modify system parameters. The ability to rapidly
visualize and explore system characteristics provides a more
powerful means of diagnosing design issues and visualizing complex
system geometries.
CODE V 9.4 also provides closer integration with the opto-mechanical
design process with the introduction of STEP, SAT, and enhanced
IGES file export capabilities for data sharing with CAD solid
modeling programs. These new capabilities are particularly useful
for complex optical assemblies, such as off-axis systems with
folded geometries, lens arrays, and densely packed systems.
CODE V 9.4 is scheduled to ship in December 2003. For more information,
please send an email to info@opticalres.com.
ORA Announces CODE V 9.3
May 2003 - The latest release of CODE V® optical design
software adds significantly more powerful modeling and programming
capabilities, designed to benefit a broad range of users in
a variety of industries, such as aerospace, consumer electronics,
microlithography and telecommunications.
CODE V 9.3 delivers a new Application Programming Interface (API)
that enables execution of CODE V commands from any application
supporting the Windows® COM architecture, such as Microsoft® Visual
Basic®, Microsoft Office Applications, C++, or MATLAB®. This API
facilitates the creation of user-defined functions and simplifies
data sharing with other programs, improving user productivity.
Numerous enhancements have also been made to CODE V’s modeling
capabilities, including the ability to apply diffractive properties
to any substrate shape, and the ability to create user-defined
surface properties. This provides users with more flexibility
when specifying surface parameters such as coating characteristics,
transmittance/reflectance properties, and polarization effects.
CODE V 9.3 also expands the ability to model multi-configuration
systems, such as scanners, by increasing the number of allowable
system positions in a model to 99.
CODE V 9.3 is scheduled to ship in June 2003. For more information,
please send an email to info@opticalres.com.
Dr. Kevin Thompson Elected SPIE FellowApril 2003 - Dr.
Kevin Thompson, Vice President of Optical Engineering Services
at ORA, has been promoted to SPIE Fellow. Each year SPIE (the
International Society for Optical Engineering) recognizes distinguished
individuals in the field of optics and optoelectronics through
its Fellows program. Dr. Thompson's significant contributions
to the field include the development of new capabilities in
optical design software, particularly for nonsymmetrical optical
design, sensitivity analysis methods for one-of-a-kind optical
systems, holographic optical design tools, and the enhancement
of user environments for improving flexibility for state-of-the-art
design problems. Dr. Thompson has also played a valuable leadership
role, performing as an integral member of small working teams
formed to provide state-of-the-art optical hardware functioning
in complex, demanding, customer-defined scenarios. As well,
Dr. Thompson was the principal optical designer for pioneering
designs in EUV lithography, Generation III night vision systems,
high performance targeting FLIRs, prototype HMDs with binary
optics, and many others. His service to the optics community
includes a key optical design role in developing the optical
tests for the all of the new mirrors used in the COSTAR and
WF/PC II instruments in the first Hubble Servicing Mission in
addition to his earlier work on the Space Telescope Fine Guidance
System. Dr. Thompson has authored numerous papers for SPIE conferences
and served as a conference cochair and proceedings coeditor
for the 1998 International Optics Design Conference, cosponsored
by SPIE.
For a complete list of 2003's SPIE Fellows, see the OE Magazine Web site.
Kidger Optics Associates to Represent CODE V and LightTools in the United Kingdom and Ireland
January 2003 - Optical Research Associates is pleased to announce that Kidger Optics Associates
will represent ORA software, including the CODE V and LightTools products,
in the United Kingdom and Ireland, starting in January 2003.
Kidger Optics Associates is based in East Sussex, England, and
is a provider of high quality, expert optical design services,
with more than 40 years of experience in both educational and
professional services.
ORA is pleased
to be working with Kidger Optics Associates. For more information,
please visit Kidger Optics’ Web site, www.kidger.com,
or contact them directly by email: info@kidger.com.
ORA Announces CODE V Interface to OptiBPM
July 2002 –The
newest release of CODE V, version 9.20, introduces an input/output
interface that enables the program to exchange data with
OptiBPM, a waveguide optics modeling system. Optiwave Corporation,
a leading supplier of waveguide design and modeling software,
has plans to support this interface in their OptiBPM software.
With
this new interface, users can exchange complex optical field
data between CODE V and OptiBPM. The data can be used as input
to or output from the free space beam propagation calculations
in CODE V. This is particularly useful for users who are performing
optical simulations used to design photonics components.
CODE V 9.20 is anticipated to ship in August 2002. For more information,
please send an email to info@opticalres.com.
ORA Announces CODE V 9.20
June 2002 - The
newest release of CODE Voptical
design software adds a number of features and enhancements
that deliver more control and flexibility to designers
of photonics systems, such as those used in optical
telecommunications. For
example, CODE V 9.2 provides a streamlined procedure
for analyzing and optimizing fiber optic coupling efficiency,
and a more accurate and powerful method for determining
Gaussian beam propagation parameters.Beam
propagation analysis capabilities are further improved
with the introduction of a new input/output interface
that enables CODE V to exchange data with other
software applications for photonics component simulation.
CODE V 9.2 also provides an expanded range of output options
that deliver the software’s results in a format that is
easier to understand, more usable, and more readily communicated
to others.In
particular, a completely new Gaussian beam visualization
option plots the cross section of a Gaussian beam as it
propagates through a system, simplifying the determination
of beam waists and limiting apertures.Output
summary tables have also been added to improve the organization
and clarity of beam propagation data.
CODE V 9.2 is anticipated to ship in August 2002. For more
information, please send an email to info@opticalres.com.
ORA Announces LightTools 3.3
May 2002 - LightTools 3.3 adds
important features that simplify and streamline the modeling
of complex optical systems. For
example, a new 3D Textures command facilitates the creation
of repetitive texture patterns on a surface (i.e., bumps
or grooves). This
feature is particularly valuable for modeling the scattering
surfaces typically used in backlit LCD displays, such as in
cell phones and PDAs.
LightTools 3.3
also adds a new Applications Programming Interface (API) that
enables the creation of macros in any software package that
supports Microsoft's COM technology, such as Visual Basic,
Microsoft Excel and Matlab. This
new API offers the programmer a wide range of development
tools, supports greater functionality, and also delivers superior
performance. Third-party software products can share and manipulate
data seamlessly with LightTools’ COM API. A JumpStart library
of macros supplied with the program provides existing routines
to simplify the creation and analysis of sophisticated systems.
This new version also introduces the LumViewer, an advanced illumination
analysis charting capability. LumViewer
displays 3D illuminance charts that can be easily manipulated
(rotated, zoomed, and panned), and provide the user more ready
access to both qualitative and quantitative views of illuminance
data.
LightTools 3.3 is anticipated to ship at the end of May 2002.
ORA Presented
with the "Arizona Spirit of Success" Award
February 2002 - ORA was presented with
the 2002 Arizona Governor's "Spirit of Success" award,
in recognition of ORA's contributions to Tucson's optics industry.
ORA opened an office in Tucson in February
2001. The Tucson office focuses on providing optical design
and engineering services.
The Governor's "Spirit of Success Award" is
given annually to companies in Arizona based upon their economic
impact to the state.
ORA's Expansion Continues with Tucson Office Growth
September 2001 - Continued strong growth
in the company’s software and engineering services businesses
has prompted ORA to hire key new personnel in its Tucson, Arizona
facility. This represents a major expansion for ORA. Many of
the recently hired personnel are from the Tucson area.
Jasmin Cote has been hired as a Senior Systems Engineer in
Optical Design, and is the lead engineer for photonics engineering
services. Cote received his Ph.D. in Optical Science from the
University of Arizona. Most recently, Cote was a Lead Optical
Engineer at Chorum Technologies in Tucson.
Byron Taylor has been hired as a Systems Engineer in Optical
Design, and is developing tools for advanced lithographic applications.
Byron received his Ph.D. in Optical Science from the University
of Arizona. Most recently, Taylor was Section Manager at Raytheon
Missile Systems in Tucson, providing support for equipment required
to test CCD-based optical seekers.
Les Foo has been hired as a Senior Systems Engineer in Optical
Design, and is focusing on the design of advanced EUV lithographic
systems. Foo received his M.S. in Optical Science from the University
of Arizona. Most recently, Foo was involved in the design of
laser scanning systems at ETEC Systems in Tucson.
Bryan Stone has been hired as a Senior Systems Engineer, and
is developing innovative algorithms for modeling the propagation
of light through optical systems. Stone received his Ph.D. in
Optics from the University of Rochester. Most recently, Stone
was a Staff Scientist at Corning Tropel in Rochester, New York.
The number of full-time employees at ORA is now 80, which is
a record for the company.
European Training Sessions: CODE V and LightTools
Strasbourg, France, November 5-8, 2001
Optical Research Associates, in association with its European
representatives, Optoprim (France) and OEC (Germany), is pleased
to announce four days of software training for ORA's European
customers. With the cooperation of the Laboratoire des Systèmes
Photoniques, these sessions will be held at the Département
d'Education Permanente de l'Université Louis Pasteur de Strasbourg
(DEPULP), which is located at 21 rue du Maréchal Lefebvre F-67100
Strasbourg.
In order to accommodate the needs of CODE V and LightTools customers
of various interests and levels, several different activities
are planned. The first day will be an all-day CODE V Users’
Group which is free for all CODE V customers. The remaining
days will be split into parallel sessions for CODE V and LightTools training,
which are described in more detail below. These seminars will
include hands-on workshop sessions on PCs. The cost for either
of these seminars will be 300 Euros per person, per day (900
Euros for all three training days). Lunch and refreshments will
be supplied on all four days.
ORA Releases Next-Generation CODE V
 August 2001 -- The ease of use of advanced
optical design software takes a major step forward with the
release of CODE V® version 9.0 by Optical Research
Associates (ORA®). Specifically, this new version
of
CODE V unveils a completely new user interface designed to make both
novice and advanced users more productive and efficient.
The new interface presents an environment
familiar to users of other popular Windows®-based
applications, and includes functionality such as multiple windows,
undo, context-sensitive help, right-click menus, and copy and
paste capabilities. Data entry spreadsheets, tool bars, and
interactive output windows help simplify and organize the often-complex
tasks of optical system modeling, analysis and optimization.
A New Lens Wizard aids newer users by automating the creation
of optical systems, and provides access to a library of over
2,000 patents and other samples that serve as design starting
points. Advanced optical designers can take advantage of extensive
customization features, which enable menus, tool bars and other
interface elements to be modified to meet specific user needs
or preferences. CODE V's command line interface and macro programming
language are also fully integrated with the graphical user interface,
allowing simplified access to these powerful tools.
CODE V 9.0 will be available in September
2001.
ORA awarded
International SEMATECH contract to advance 157nm microlithography
system modeling
July 2001 - International SEMATECH has
contracted with Optical Research Associates (ORA®)
to extend the capabilities of their CODE V optical design
software to support analysis of advanced optical systems for
157 nm microlithography. Specifically, this will involve
the development of novel algorithms for the modeling of birefringent
crystalline materials.
The existing capabilities in CODE V allow
the simulation of uniaxial birefringent crystals and symmetric,
stress-induced birefringence. This contract calls for ORA to
extend these capabilities to accurately simulate the inherent
behavior of transmissive materials such as CaF2.
These materials exhibit complex, multi-axial, angle dependent
birefringence effects at 157 nm. Because of the extreme
performance demands placed on 157 nm microlithography systems,
this level of increased modeling accuracy is critical in enabling
the semiconductor industry to successfully transition their
process to this wavelength. Work is scheduled for completion
in November, 2001.
LightTools 3.2 Expands
Backlit Display Modeling
July 2001 -- LightTools® Version
3.2 is the latest release of ORA's popular illumination design
and analysis software package. This version incorporates a host
of new features specifically aimed at strengthening the program’s
modeling and analysis capabilities for backlit displays, such
as those used in automotive instrument clusters and LCD panels
for computers, cell phones and PDA’s. For example, this release
adds the ability to simulate the scattering of light throughout
the volume of a material, rather than just on its surface. Materials
may be modeled as Mie scatterers or with a user defined function.
Typical applications that will benefit from this include modeling
of the lightpipes used in automobiles and the plastic diffusers
utilized in LCD backlights.
This latest version also adds the ability to
specify the absorption characteristics of a material as a function
of wavelength. This enables the accurate modeling of colored
and tinted materials, such as those used in color filters in
an automotive instrument cluster. Another related new feature
in LightTools Versions 3.2 is the ability to produce
an accurate RGB output display for a model. The ability to view
system output in true color (rather than in arbitrarily assigned
false colors) is particularly valuable for designers of instrument
panels, projection displays, and architectural lighting systems.
ORA Named
a Key Optics Infrastructure Provider by U.S. Bancorp Piper
Jaffray
June 2001 - Optical Research Associates
(ORA®), Pasadena, CA, has been named by U.S. Bancorp
Piper Jaffray as one of 12 key optics infrastructure providers
in the emerging optical networking market. In the U.S. Bancorp
Piper Jaffray report, "Optics Manufacturing & Capital
Equipment Equity Research: Key Enablers in the Tera Era," ORA
is the only company included that provides tools for free-space
optical component design.
"Receiving this recognition from an organization
as respected as U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray reaffirms ORA’s leadership
position in the rapidly developing optical telecommunications
industry," stated ORA President and CEO Robert Hilbert. "We
believe that, as ORA continues to develop innovative technologies
and to expand and diversify its customer base, we will remain
a technology leader in this highly competitive and exciting
market."
Gregory Konezny, vice president and senior Optical and Electronic
Manufacturing Technologies analyst at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray
authored the in-depth industry piece. Konezny expects the companies
featured in the report "to grow rapidly as optical component
and networking vendors increasingly look to third parties for
technologies and services to improve manufacturing throughput
and yields." The report was published this year; more information
is available on U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray’s research Web site
at www.gotoanalysts.com.
ORA is the world's leading developer of optical
software, providing users with the CODE V® and LightTools® software
packages. ORA is also the largest independent supplier of optical
design and engineering services, with more than 4,000 completed
projects since the company was founded in 1963.
About
U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray
U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, a subsidiary of
Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp, provides a full range of investment
products and services to businesses, institutions and individuals.
The company’s investment banking business has grown exponentially
in the last several years by focusing on the needs of growth
companies in the health care, technology, financial institutions,
consumer and industrial growth sectors. U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray
has a national reputation for its expertise in fundamental research
and equity and debt financing. U.S. Bancorp offers a comprehensive
range of financial solutions through U.S. Bank, First American
Asset Management, U.S. Bancorp Libra Investments and U.S. Bancorp
Piper Jaffray. Securities products and services offered through
U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, Inc., member SIPC and NYSE, Inc.,
a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp.
OPTOPRIM to Represent ORA Software in France
February 2001 - Optical Research Associates
is pleased to announce that OPTOPRIM will represent ORA software
in France, starting March 1, 2001. OPTOPRIM is based in the
Paris suburb of Malakoff and specializes in the distribution
and support of optically related products. Their staff includes
an optical engineering graduate of the Insitut d'Optique, who
will be the primary contact for CODE V and LightTools.
ORA's previous representative in France, Photonetics,
was acquired in late 2000 by the Danish company GN Nettest,
and has changed its business focus from optical product distribution
to fiber optics systems. OPTOPRIM has experience with a variety
of technical products for optical applications, including software.
ORA is pleased to be working with OPTOPRIM. For
more information, please visit OPTOPRIM's web site, www.optoprim.com,
or contact them directly by email: info@optoprim.com.
ORA Opens Tucson Office
February 2001 - To support continued and
vigorous growth of business opportunities, Optical Research
Associates (ORA®), headquartered in Pasadena, CA,
has opened a new, fourth office in Tucson, Arizona. This office
will focus on providing optical design and engineering services.
Officially opened on February 5, 2001, ORA Tucson is currently
involved in projects centering on semiconductor microlithography,
optical telecommunications, and remote sensing.
"Having a presence in Tucson will enable
us to develop closer ties to local photonics companies, as well
as with the University of Arizona Optical Sciences Center and
its staff, which is an excellent center for innovation with
superbly trained graduates," said ORA CEO Robert Hilbert.
LightTools 3.1 Ships
March 2001 -- Optical Research Associates
has shipped LightTools version 3.1.0 to all customers.
ORA demonstrated the capabilities of this release at the recent
Society of Automotive Engineers Conference in Detroit. This
latest version of ORA's powerful LightTools illumination
software has many features that apply to automotive and
other applications. These include:
- Ability to apply special "optical property zones" to simulate textured surfaces as used in back-lit displays
- Probabilistic ray splitting for faster and more accurate analysis of light pipes
- Source definition by spectral range, for more accurate polychromatic illumination simulation
- Chromaticity (CIE) calculations and display, important for display analysis
- Receiver data filtering, to view illumination data based on source, wavelength, angle, and many other factors
This version also includes numerous improvement in the areas of user interface, complex surface modeling, macro language features, and supplied utility macros for various applications.
CODE V 8.60 Ships
March 2001 - Optical Research Associates
has shipped CODE V 8.60 to all customers. ORA demonstrated CODE
V 8.60 at the recent OFC conference in Anaheim. This release
has a number of new features aimed at optical telecommunications
component design and analysis. These features include:
- Diffraction-based coupling efficiency analysis that includes polarization effects
- Pre-defined error function for direct optimization of coupling efficiency
- Pre-defined coupling efficiency criteria for tolerance analysis
- Improvements to diffraction beam propagation including the ability to track energy losses
ORA has also introduced a new CODE V manual, "The CODE V Photonics Modeling Guide." This brief tutorial and case-study document is aimed specifically at new users of CODE V who wish to design and analyze components for telecom systems. An introductory chapter of this manual has been placed on-line as the CODE V Photonics FAQ.
OEC Represents CODE V and LightTools in Germany
February 2001 - ORA has established a relationship with Optics & Energy
Concepts (OEC) of Munich, Germany, to represent
CODE V throughout Germany and other German speaking countries.
OEC is a company that specializes in optical software and
design engineering services. They have been applying this
expertise to the support of ORA's LightTools software
since last summer, and with the addition of new staff members,
they are now prepared to support CODE V customers at the same
high level.
Our previous representative in Germany, Photonetics GmbH, was
acquired in late 2000 by the Danish telecom firm GN Nettest.
As a result, they have changed their business focus to telecom
and away from product distribution and support. We are pleased
to be able to extend our relationship with OEC to include CODE
V. OEC can now offer its customers a full range of optical software
and engineering services. Please contact OEC for
more information.
Doug Nutter Joins ORA as Vice President of Business Development
January 2001 - Doug Nutter has joined
ORA as Vice President of Business Development. In this position,
he will be involved in identifying and leveraging value-added
business opportunities building on ORA’s diverse activities
in CODE V® and LightTools® software
products, engineering services, and intellectual property development. "ORA
has a proven leadership position in solving world class optical
challenges. We are well positioned to target solutions at the
optical needs of the growing telecom industry," said Mr.
Nutter.
Mr. Nutter has 23 years of experience in high
technology business marketing, operations and management with
GE. Recently he served as President of Exatec, LLC, a joint
venture between GE and Bayer A.G. He holds a B.S. in Physics
from MIT.
"Doug's broad range of skills and experience
will be invaluable to us as ORA continues to expand and diversify," stated
ORA CEO Robert Hilbert. "His guidance and energy will be
critical in helping us take advantage of the extraordinary business
opportunities now present in the optics field."
ORA Forms
New Photonics Systems Engineering Group
December
2000 - ORA has announced the formation of a new Photonics
Systems Engineering (PSE) group within its Optical Engineering
Services Group. The PSE group will focus primarily on supplying
optical design and consulting services to the telecommunications
market. The group will be led by Dr. John Rogers. Dr. Rogers,
formerly Assistant Director of the Optical Engineering Services
Group, has been promoted to Director of Photonic and Imaging
Engineering in recognition of his leadership in this area.
He holds a Ph.D. in Optical Sciences from the University
of Arizona, and has extensive experience in the design and
testing of micro-optics and diffractive components.
"Over
the past year, we’ve experienced tremendous growth in the
demand for telecommunications and other photonics system design
services," notes ORA CEO Robert Hilbert. "However,
we’ve found that the telecommunications market segment has
unique needs and characteristics, in terms of both technological
expertise and service. Forming this new group enables us to
optimize our support for this increasingly important market."
ORA® Wins $1.1M NIST Award for Photonics Software Development
October
2000 - Optical Research Associates (ORA®),
Pasadena, CA, has been awarded over $1.1 million for
the development of advanced optical analysis software algorithms
by the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The ATP, which
selects recipients through an annual award cycle, provides
cost-shared funding to industry for high-risk R&D projects
that have the potential to spark important, broad-based
economic benefits for the United States. In granting the
award, the ATP acknowledged that the ORA proposal, entitled "Fundamental
Algorithms for Free Space Photonic Component Design and
Tolerancing" could reduce manufacturing costs for photonics
components by an average of about 3 percent, or $100 million
annually, on a national basis through improved designs.
The
primary focus of ORA's research will involve the development
of faster, more accurate software tools with comprehensive
capabilities for working with advanced photonic systems, particularly
those found in next-generation telecommunications networks.
This includes developing tools that can accurately simulate
and increase the yields of photonic components, analyze and
assign fabrication and alignment tolerances, and evaluate
the impact of new technologies and component designs. A central
challenge will be to write algorithms that take into account
the full range of materials and optical effects; for example,
no tools presently exist to accurately model, in a practical
computing time, the propagation of polarized light through
birefringent and gradient index (GRIN) materials. The new
algorithms will address free space (versus guided-wave) propagation
in both sequential and nonsequential analysis modes (in which
one input beam can propagate along one or many possible paths).
This effort will also include the development of simulation
tools for physically larger objects, where Finite Difference
Time Domain (FDTD) methods are proving to be too computer
intensive to be practical.
"The
great thing about the Advanced Technology Program is that
it attracts visionary projects: the challenging, difficult-to-achieve,
potentially far-reaching technologies that well may be the
foundations of new industries or American products," noted
Commerce Secretary Norman Y. Mineta in announcing the awards. "In
partnering with industry on this research, the ATP is making
a real contribution to the technological advances that fuel
our economy."
"We’re
proud that our proposal was one of the 54 accepted, from over
400 submitted," said ORA President Robert Hilbert. "Recently,
telecommunications has emerged as one of the most economically
significant applications for photonics technology. We believe
that this development work will play a significant role in
keeping the United States at the forefront of this technology."
Robert Hilbert Elected CEO of ORA®
October 2000 - Robert S. Hilbert has
been elected Chief Executive Officer of Optical Research Associates
(ORA®), Pasadena, CA. Hilbert has been with the company
for 25 years, and has served as President since 1991. Hilbert
succeeds Thomas I. Harris, who founded ORA in 1963, and has
been its senior officer since that time. While retiring as CEO,
Harris will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors, and plans
to continue making technical contributions to ORA's products
and services on a part-time basis.
"I'm extremely pleased to pass the leadership
of ORA to Bob Hilbert," stated Thomas Harris. "He’s
been an important member of our team for many years, and deserves
credit for much of the growth that ORA has enjoyed. Most important,
he understands the core values that have always driven ORA,
and will continue to emphasize customer success as our highest
goal."
 August 2000 - LightTools 3.0 has been shipped to all
current customers. LightTools 3.0 incorporates a new
OpenGL rendering engine for faster, more realistic display of
3D models. Also included in this version is the ability to use
the mouse to rotate, pan, and zoom the LightTools 3D
display. Version 3.0 also features more general scattering capability
in the form of BSDF support (bi-directional scattering distributions
function). This allows modeling of anisotropic scattering, and
features have also been added for aim areas to support importance
sampling in regions of interest for analysis. This can greatly
improve the speed of ray tracing for models incorporating scattering
surfaces, making the program more useful for stray light as
well as general illumination applications. Spline-surface ray
tracing has also been speeded up, and methods for defining splines
directly within LightTools are now available (previously
splines were supported only through CAD imports). LightTools 3.0
also ships with several useful new macros, including a macro
to define a coating as a multi-layer stack, automatically creating
the performance-based coating files that the program uses.
In the LightTools Illumination module, improvements
have been made in plotting, with Cartesian as well as polar
plots now available. Various modifications to illumination simulations
now allow them to be more efficient, by specifying aim areas
and weighting factors for importance sampling.
With these improvements, LightTools can now model more
optical systems than ever while becoming even easier and faster
to use.
August 2000 - Optics & Energy Concepts (OEC),
the Munich-based company which represents LightTools in
Germany, has a new web site. In addition to information
about LightTools, the web site, http://www.oec.net,
also describes OEC's research and engineering capabilities in
non-imaging optics. It also contains valuable educational background
material and references on these and related topics. Most
of the web site is in English and would be useful to anyone
with an interest in non-imaging optics.
July 2000 - Optical Research Associates will have a
substantial presence at the SPIE Annual Meeting in San Diego,
July 30 through August 4, 2000. Highlights will include:
- Exhibit booth where the latest versions of ORA's software
will be presented, LightTools 3.0 and CODE V
8.50. Information on optical engineering services will also
be available.
- Announcement of winners of
ORA's first optical design contest for students.
- Presentation of technical papers by staff engineers Keith
Doyle and Eric Fest.
- Three SPIE optics education sessions by Mark Kahan.
- SPIE short course "Design of Efficient Illumination
Systems" by Bill Cassarly.
- Presentations at the Lens Design Technical Group by Matthew
Rimmer (modeling fiber optics systems in CODE V) and Bill
Cassarly (modeling light pipes and fibers in illumination
systems).
Additional details on many of these activities can be found
below. We hope you will stop and visit our booth in San
Diego and attend any of the presentations that may interest
you. For more information, contact ORA.
July 2000 - CODE V Version 8.50 will be released soon.
This new version offers a number of technical improvements that
are especially valuable in photonics and telecommunications
applications. The fiber coupling efficiency calculation (CEF)
has been expanded to allow user definition of the input wave
front by several methods, in addition to the original PSF calculation.
Now you can define the fiber input as a Gaussian beam, with
general intensity and phase distributions (.INT files), or with
complex field data from the diffraction beam propagation option
(BPR).
User-defined tolerancing has also been improved. This tolerancing
method allows you to use any quantity that CODE V can calculate
in a macro as a tolerance performance criterion. Manufacturing
errors could be chosen from a large pre-defined set, but new
types of errors could not be defined. Since photonics systems
often include specialized devices such as Faraday rotators,
the new user tolerancing routines allow the definition and inclusion
of new macro-defined manufacturing errors (such as change in
retardance of a polarizer) as well. Graphical output has also
been added.
Other improvements include new types of INT files (two-dimensional
data distributions used to define phase, intensity, and other
properties). These now include coating thickness variation files
as well as files to vary birefringence as a function of surface
position. Polarization ray tracing is now usable in optimization,
not only in diffraction analysis. Gradient index can now be
defined in a global coordinate system, simplifying modeling
for devices such as beam-splitter cubes where the index distribution
of several surfaces must match up precisely.
These technical improvements continue to expand the range of
optical systems that can be modeled, designed, and analyzed
with CODE V.
July 2000 - In a paper to be presented at SPIE in San
Diego, ORA's Keith Doyle and William M. Bell of Topsfield Engineering
Services perform a multi-tool analysis of a photonics device
called an optical circulator. The paper, "Thermo-elastic
wavefront and polarization error analysis of a telecommunication
optical circulator," is based on simulations performed
in MSC's NASTRAN and in C&R's Thermal Desktop software,
with optical analysis done in CODE V.
NASTRAN was used for thermal and thermo-elastic analysis, with
results converted into Zernike polynomial .INT files for import
to CODE V. CODE V was used for both transmission analysis (including
stress birefringence .INT modeling, new in CODE V 8.50) and
fiber coupling efficiency. CODE V's ability to import surface
deformations and stress birefringence changes combined with
its polarization modeling capabilities to allow very sophisticated
analysis of the perturbed system. This is a good demonstration
of ORA's engineering and software capabilities for telecommunication
device design and analysis. This paper is part of the session "Current
Developments in Optical Engineering IX."
Stress Distribution in beam
splitter cube (NASTRAN model)
July 2000 - ORA's Eric Fest and David Jenkins will present
a paper at SPIE in San Diego on the scattering methods developed
for LightTools 3.0. The paper, entitled "Modeling
Anisotropic Scattering Surfaces in Illumination Software," is
part of the session "Scattering and Surface Roughness III." Here
is a brief abstract of this paper:
Many surfaces scatter light in an anisotropic way, that is,
for a normally incident beam, the distribution of scattered
light varies as a function of the azimuthal angle of the scattered
direction. Examples of surfaces with anisotropic scattering
characteristics are brushed metal reflectors and certain types
of diffusers. A model, based on an anisotropic scatter model
proposed by Ward, is introduced. The ability to fit this model
to various sets of measured BSDF data is investigated. Ray tracing
simulations are performed using the fitted parameters, and the
results are compared with experiments.
July 2000 - ORA has always supported optics education
at all levels. ORA's Mark Kahan will present three short courses
at SPIE in San Diego, one aimed at teachers, another at intermediate
age students, and a third intended for younger students. All
three short courses will cover the fundamentals needed to understand
basic optical concepts. They will also show some examples of
how these concepts are used in various applications, as well
as how they can be demonstrated in the classroom. The sessions
will concentrate on concepts and understanding, not math, and
will use simple experiments to show how to demonstrate the basic
properties of light and light sources, and the fundamental properties
of lasers.
July 2000 - ORA has a new representative for LightTools in
Germany and Austria. Optics & Energy Concepts (OEC)
is a Munich-based company which specializes in non-imaging illumination
and light transfer solutions. One particular specialty
of OEC is the design of free-form surfaces, including the development
of unique design methods and specialized software. Because
of their interest in non-imaging optical design, OEC is very
well suited to represent and support LightTools and LightTools Illumination
in the German-speaking areas of Europe. OEC will also
offer optical engineering design services to its clients (these
services are independent of ORA's engineering services and are
contracted separately from LightTools software). The
combination of illumination design capabilities and LightTools software
will allow OEC to tailor their services to the needs of each
customer.
Note that Photonetics GmbH will continue to provide sales and
support for CODE V in German speaking areas of Europe, though
they will no longer offer LightTools. You can reach OEC by
email, or find complete contact information for both OEC and for Photonetics GmbH on the international information page.
February 2000 - To highlight some of the capabilities of CODE V for
photonics device modeling, ORA will be participating in a software workshop
at OFC 2000 (Optical Fiber Communications Conference) at the Baltimore
Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. This workshop (W205) is entitled "Simulation
tools for system, device and network modeling" and will take place from
8:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, March 6, 2000 (note that this special software
workshop is part of the technical program, not part of the exhibits --
ORA will not have a booth at this conference). ORA will be one
of a number of software companies making brief presentations of their
programs' photonics capabilities. This will be followed by discussion
and demonstrations for attendees in a poster/tabletop format.
Photonics devices include fiber optic couplers, optical interconnects,
filters, multiplexors and other devices that are used in optical communications
and electro-optical applications. CODE V has several capabilities
specifically oriented to the design of such systems, including
gradient index, diffractive optical elements, multi-layer coatings, polarization,
non-sequential surfaces, and diffraction beam propagation. CODE V's powerful
macro language also helps in specialized modeling and analysis of photonics
devices. ORA will present and demonstrate some of these applications
at the OFC workshop.
ORA has prepared a white paper that provides examples of photonics
components that can be modeled with CODE V. You can download
this paper as an Adobe Acrobat file.
January 2000 - ORA will be presenting at the Society
of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2000 World Congress on Wednesday,
March 8, 2000. ORA will present two technical sessions:
- "Analysis of Single Lens Arrays Using Convolution," by
Andrew Riser and William J. Cassarly
- "Automated Design of a Uniform Distribution Using
Faceted Reflectors," by William J. Cassarly, Stuart
R. David, David G. Jenkins, Andrew Riser, and Thomas
L. Davenport (Univ. of Arizona)
The conference will be held in Detroit, Michigan from March
6 to 9, 2000. ORA will also be exhibiting at this conference. Please
visit our booth to learn more about our technical presentations,
and to find out about new macros and applications for LightTools Illumination.
For more information about SAE exhibits, please see http://www.sae.org/congress.
News items from 1995 to
1999, including applications of LightTools for
plastic optics, recognition by NASA of
ORA's contributions to the U.S. space program, early awards
for LightTools, recognition of educational value
of ORA's "Optics for Kids" web
site, and more.
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