Updated Release of LightTools Illuminaton Software

By DE Editors

A major new release of the illumination design and analysis software from Optical Research Associates (ORA; Pasadena, CA) broadens its set of system modeling tools and improves optimization capabilities.

LightTools 6.0 now includes a user-defined optical properties feature that offers more flexibility in creating specialty optical components, allowing modeling of application-specific proprietary elements such as specialty polarization components, grating components (with efficiency calculations), scattering surfaces (including anamorphic scatterers), and coating definitions.

In addition, LightTools 6.0 has the capability to allow modeled elements to be immersed in one another in multiple levels, which would be useful when modeling, for example, the embedded phosphor and epoxy covering in an encapsulated LED.

Although it has been available in beta form in previous versions, LightTools 6.0 brings the first formal release of the optimization module. ORA has expanded the optimizer from previous releases; in particular, it now permits optimization of a given illumination distribution (e.g., uniform or Gaussian) while simultaneously maximizing optical power.

LightTools also adds functionality for evaluating how sensitive a system is to variations in specific parameters. 

For more information, go to opticalres.com.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.