CODE V is designed to minimize the amount of data required to define a lens. CODE V provides default values for most user omitted data items (some specialized data is simply optional and requires no default value). In the early stages of a design, a simple lens model may suffice, for which many CODE V defaults may be quite adequate (e.g., detailed aperture and edge information can always be entered, but default circular apertures are often accurate enough for early design and analysis). Tolerances, coatings, and polarization specifications are other examples of data that can be omitted until needed for detailed analysis or fabrication support.
In later stages of design, CODE V provides great flexibility in defining detailed and specialized features. By providing such additional details, you can refine the lens model into a closer simulation of the behavior and physical properties of the real lens that may be built from the design data. This allows you to make better predictions of diffraction performance, packaging limitations, lens performance in production, etc.
The following requirements must be met if CODE V is to consider a lens to be complete and ray traceable:
Although not required to establish a minimally acceptable lens, practical applications almost always require additional lens data.
When specialized features of CODE V are used, additional requirements may apply. For example, use of holographic optical elements (HOE surface) requires definition of construction wavelength and geometry information for each HOE surface. Such requirements are defined in detail in this chapter for each special feature.
Excerpted from the CODE V Reference Manual. (c) Copyright 2002 by Optical Research Associates. Excerpted by permission of Optical Research Associates. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from Optical Research Associates.
Maintained by John Loomis, last updated 24 June 1999