INTEGRATION OF OPTICAL CAD WITH OPTICAL CAM

THE INTEGRATION OF OPTICAL CAM SYSTEM PARAMETERS DIRECTLY INTO OPTICAL CAD PROGRAMS IS EXAMINED. WITH OPTICAL CAM SYSTEMS EMERGING, IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THE FAMILY OF SURFACES WHICH CAN BE PRODUCED ON THE OPTICAL CAM IN AN OPTICAL CAD PROGRAM. MATHEMATICAL MODELS WILL BE DERIVED WHICH REPRESENT THE POSSIBLE OPTICAL SURFACES IN TERMS OF A CAM SYSTEM'S OPERATING PARAMETERS. SENSITIVITY OF AN OPTICAL SYSTEM'S PERFORMANCE TO THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS CAN THEN BE INCLUDED DIRECTLY INTO THE OPTICAL SYSTEM DESIGN PROCESS. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH ARE FAR-REACHING IN SIMPLIFYING OPTICAL SYSTEM DESIGNS, INCREASING RELIABILITY, AND MINIMIZING TOTAL OPTICAL SYSTEM PRODUCTIONS COSTS.