|
The design of modern optical systems is not a trivial task; even more difficult is the requirement for an opticker to accurately describe the physical constraints implicit in his design so that a mechanical designer can correctly mount the optical elements. Typical concerns include setback of baffles, obstruction of clear apertures by mounting hardware, location of the image plane with respect to fiducial marks, and the correct interpretation of systems having odd geometry. The presence of multiple coordinate systems (optical, mechan-ical, system test, and spacecraft) only exacerbates an already difficult situation. A number of successful optical design programs, such as CODEV (1), have come into existence over the years while the development of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) has allowed a number of firms to install "paperless" design systems. In such a system, a part which is entered by keyboard, or pallet, is made into a real physical piece on a milling machine which has received its instructions from the design system. However, a persistent problem is the lack of a link between the optical design programs and the mechanical CAD programs. This paper will describe a first step which has been taken to bridge this gap. Starting with the neutral plot file generated by the CODEV optical design program, we have been able to produce a file suitable for input to the ANVIL (2) and GEOMOD (3) software packages, using the International Graphics Exchange Standard (IGES) interface. This is accomplished by software of our design, which runs on a VAX (4) system. A description of the steps to be taken in transferring a design will be provided. We shall also provide some examples of designs on which this technique has been used successfully. Finally, we shall discuss limitations of the existing software and suggest some improvements which might be undertaken.
|
