The FRED Optical Engineering Software is capable of simulating the propagation of light through any optomechanical
system by raytracing, by handling as many sources, optical components, mechanical structures and rays that are needed.
Its capability to propagate both incoherent and coherent light means that FRED can be used for a diverse range of
applications that include stray light, laser applications, illumination and non-imaging optics, imaging systems,
multi-wavelength systems, and thermal imaging.
There are two versions of FRED: FRED and FRED Optimum.
FRED includes the following features:
User-friendly interface
• 3D graphical interface for model rendering, construction and verification
• 25 surface types, 9 curve types and lens, mirror, prism elements
• 15 primitive solids with boolean operation capability
• Vendor catalogs for import of lenses, mirrors and prisms
• IGES/STEP import and export
• Lens import from ZEMAX®, CODE V® and OSLO®
• Ability to array geometry in a rectilinear coordinate system
Realistic modeling
• 7 coating types, including polarization and thickness variations
• 12 surface scatter models and 2 volume scatter models
• 6 importance sampling specifications for efficient scatter calculation
• Catalog, GRIN, birefringent, formula and sampled materials definitions
• Diffraction gratings with unlimited orders and efficiencies
• Detailed source construction by control of ray position/direction, wavelength,
coherence, polarization, and power
• Spectra definition for sources and detector response functions as Gaussian,
Blackbody or Sampled
Comprehensive analysis tools
• Non-sequential AND sequential raytracing capability
• Coherent beam propagation
• Raytrace controls for specification of power, splitting and intersection
• Ray manipulation utilities for export, import and filtering operations
• 35+ default ray analysis utilities
• Ability to perform analyses on planar surfaces and 3 types of non-planar surfaces
• Photometric and radiometric units
Designed for the professional
• BASIC scripting language
• Digitization tool for data extraction
• COM capability for server/client communication
• Multi-threading on up to 4 CPU cores
FRED Optimum includes all of the above features AND:
• 64-bit architecture for expanded memory access capability
• Multi-variable optimization capability with multiple local and pseudo-global algorithms
• Parameter Sensitivity Analysis
• System Configurations Manager
• Parameter Pickups
• Multi-threading on up to 32 CPU cores
Areas of Application:
Laser Systems
FRED uses the proven method of Gaussian Beam Decomposition (“GBD”) for propagating coherent fields through
optomechanical systems.This technique allows for general modeling of coherent fields and makes it possible to
simulate laser systems, interferometers, holographic systems, fiber coupling and even some specific applications of
partial coherence. Various source types are available including collimated plane waves, point sources, Gaussian TEM00
mode laser beams and astigmatic Gaussian laser diode beams.
Stray Light Analysis
FRED is the proven optomechanical analysis software for performing accurate stray light analysis and provides engineers
with multiple stray light utilities for quick diagnosis of causes of stray light.
Accurate specification of the system is accomplished by using the 13+ surface and volume scatter models, 18 material
definition types and 7 coating types, all of which can be applied to any geometrical object in the model to produce realistic simulations of light interaction.
After a raytrace FRED can compile a list of scatter and ghost paths from source to a specified detector, and these paths can be re-drawn to the 3D view for visualization.
Additionally, these raytrace paths can be interrogated using any of FRED’s built in or user-customized analysis routines.
An effective optical design and analysis program must not only have the proper tools available, the user must be able to
accurately and confidently use those tools in practice.FRED’s combination of usability and accuracy make it the industry standard for stray light analysis.
Illumination
No other optical systems design and analysis package offers more flexibility than FRED for prescribing a starting ray distribution.In addition to its default source types,
users have the ability to precisely control ray positions, directions, power, wavelength, and polarization.
The built in multi-variable optimization capability of FRED Optimum allows rapid design convergence for a variety of merit functions with access to every geometrical
parameter in the model. Source power can be defined radiometric or photometric with spectra in order to perform accurate irradiance, intensity, illuminance, luminous intensity,
and color image calculations, among others.
Biomedical
Human skin models are valuable aids in the design of non-invasive diagnostic devices as well as in the development of modern dermatological instruments. FRED offers
the Henyey-Greenstein volume scatter model, which is recognized by the biomedical community as being representative of scattering in human tissue and a catalog of over
50 different human tissue definitions are included for the users convenience.
FRED can model the physical process of fluorescence by reassigning ray wavelengths based on a specific emission spectrum in a realistic manner.
