ENGINEERING: OPTICS ➤ On a multicore machine, individual
threads can be run on different cores; even better, many ZEMAX analysis windows and tools are inherently multi-threaded and so split up over multiple cores automatically, and the utilisation of multiple cores in a machine is transparent to the user. ZEMAX and the operating system negotiate the optimum threading level to use. Note, too, that each thread must include
a full copy of all lens data. If every feature spawned multiple internal threads, the amount of memory would quickly rise. Instead, computationally demanding features are internally multi-threaded. This includes (but is not limited to) optimisation, global optimisation, tolerancing, Huygen’s calculations, diffraction calculations, physical optics and non-sequential ray- tracing. Many individual analysis features are also internally multi-threaded. ZEMAX manages the multi-threading to ensure optimal use of the resources in the machine for the task in hand.
Combining power Another supplier, Optical Research Associates, has been busy combining some of the previously mentioned features into its software. The company develops two optical engineering software products: CODE V is used to design and analyse imaging optical systems such as cameras, microlithography systems, optical communications systems and space telescopes, while LightTools is used to design and analyse illumination optical systems such as cell phone displays, LEDs, automotive headlights, and street lighting. Both provide features that help accelerate the design process. As for the first, LightTools supports distributed ray trace simulations where the compute-intensive task of tracing rays is split among available CPUs to shorten calculation times for complex models. Next, the SolidWorks Link Module (SLM) enables engineers to link SolidWorks 3D optomechanical models to LightTools where they can assign optical properties to model components and optimise the overall design. SLM provides full parametric interoperability so that all changes made to the model in LightTools are automatically updated in SolidWorks. LightTools data- exchange capabilities support the import or export of models using product-specific and
26
One approach to parallel processing is to split a screen up and send various segments to separate cores for processing as done in ZEMAX
industry-standard CAD formats including IGES, STEP, SAT and CATIA. As for other capabilities to accelerate
the design process, the LightTools COM interface provides access to program commands and data that allows engineers to extend LightTools capabilities using Excel VBA, Visual Basic, MATLAB, Mathematica or other COM-enabled clients. In addition, the package provides a supplied library of high-level functions for rapid development of solutions. LightTools leverages this interface with application- focused utilities that are integrated into the program and assist engineers in creating, analysing and modifying their designs. Moving on to CODE V, in terms
of interoperability, its data-exchange capabilities support the export of models in industry-standard formats including IGES, STEP and SAT. It also interfaces with third-party vendors to support import and export of interferometric, optical modelling, coating and optical properties data.
Aerospace-engineering environments CODE V is also included as part of Comet Solutions’ Performance Engineering Workspace, which is a collaborative systems engineering environment for the design of aerospace systems. Comet’s workspace combines the developer’s in-house tools along with other commercial CAD and CAE tools into a single, multi-disciplinary project environment. When it comes to parallel processing,
CODE V supports up to 16 cores for both local and global optimisation of designs. Optimisation convergence controls can speed design optimisation by an additional
SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WORLD DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011
two to four times. CODE V’s beam synthesis propagation feature, which provides accurate modelling of diffracted wavefronts propagating through an optical system, also supports up to 16 cores; this capability is now available in a preliminary release and will be generally available in early 2011. Further, CODE V’s wavefront differential tolerancing gives users the accuracy of a Monte Carlo analysis of thousands of trials, but in a fraction of the time. They thus have a practical way to compare as-built performance of different design forms or competing compensation approaches to determine the best system configuration that includes the impact of manufacturing and alignment issues. Like LightTools, the CODE V COM interface provides access to program commands and data that allows engineers to extend the package’s core capabilities using Excel VBA, Visual Basic, MATLAB, Mathematica or other COM- enabled clients.
Even more multithreading Other recent announcements illustrate how popular multithreading is becoming in optics engineering. For instance, TracePro 7.0, the latest release from Lambda Research, increases ray tracing speed up to 10 times compared to the 6.0 version thanks to new multi-threading algorithms. They ray trace on all the cores in Intel or AMD multi-core CPUs. Simulations done on a dual quad core machine demonstrate such ray tracing improvements over previous releases when simulating LED, lighting, display, biomedical and aerospace systems. On the CAD side, Lambda has updated
its TracePro Bridge to make it compatible with SolidWorks 2009 and 2010. This add- in to Solidworks enables users to assign, view and save optical properties directly in a Solidworks model including source, material and surface definitions. These complete opto-mechanical models are subsequently easily exported to TracePro ready for optical design, ray tracing and analysis. Says Rich Hassler, executive VP: ‘The Bridge allows engineers to utilise the geometric modelling capabilities of SolidWorks and the powerful ray tracing of TracePro in a synergistic way. Engineers can explore larger design spaces more quickly with the coupling of these two powerful software tools.’
www.scientific-computing.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36