https://cdn.gophotonics.com/news/700375_4__639124306127159180.webp712370
Breault Research Organization, a leader in optical engineering software, offers the Advanced Systems Analysis Program (ASAP), a powerful simulation platform designed to model, analyze, and optimize complex optical systems with high accuracy and efficiency. ASAP is built around a non-sequential ray tracing engine, enabling realistic simulation of how light interacts with optical components in any order and across multiple interactions. This allows engineers to study complex optical phenomena such as scattering, diffraction, polarization, and ghost reflections, providing results that closely match real-world system performance.
The software is widely used for designing imaging and illumination systems, including applications in automotive lighting, displays, medical devices, and laser-based systems. By enabling virtual prototyping, ASAP helps reduce the need for costly physical prototypes while accelerating product development cycles.
A key strength of ASAP lies in its flexible modeling environment, which combines scripting with an intuitive graphical interface. The built-in scripting language allows users to automate simulations, perform parametric studies, and optimize designs efficiently, while features like the Optics Manager provide a CAD-like interface for building and visualizing systems without extensive coding. The platform also supports parallel and distributed processing, enabling simulations to run across multiple CPU cores and even across networked systems. This significantly improves computation speed, allowing users to trace millions of rays and analyze large, complex optical models in a fraction of the time required by conventional tools.
ASAP integrates seamlessly with industry-standard CAD tools, supporting imports from formats such as IGES, STEP, and native CAD environments, as well as compatibility with optical design tools like CODE V and Zemax. This interoperability ensures smooth workflows between design, simulation, and manufacturing stages.
In addition to its core capabilities, ASAP includes advanced features such as optimization tools, macro management, extensive material and source libraries, and over 800 example models, enabling users to quickly develop and refine optical systems. By combining high-fidelity simulation, flexible workflows, and powerful computational capabilities, ASAP continues to serve as a critical tool for engineers and researchers working on next-generation optical technologies.
