Photonic Design Automation and Optical Equipment Configuration
VPIphotonics first coined the term Photonic Design Automation (PDA) in 1998 to describe the design methodologies, software tools and services used to engineer complex photonic networks and products. PDA helps optical component and system vendors to manage intellectual property and reduce operating expenses by streamlining processes, from R&D to technical sales and marketing.
Today, VPIphotonics offers a flexible software environment to support requirements in optical component and systems design as well as cost optimization of equipment choices leading to performance reports and bill of materials.
Figure 1:Integration of optical component design, systems design and equipment configuration
(click on the product names for more details)
Figure 1 shows the interrelationships between the design and optimization tools. Our customers choose sub-sets of this matrix according to their core business. This choice is in the secure knowledge that interfaces are available to the tools used by their suppliers and customers, third-party software (such as electronic design and passive component design), laboratory equipment, and existing databases.
Products Overview
VPIphotonics' tools embed expert knowledge in flexible working environments, providing you with the most powerful numerical algorithms tailored for your application:
- VPIlinkConfigurator™ takes link requirements as input; and converts them to item lists using integer-optimization algorithms, customizable design strategies, databases of commercially available equipment and components, and data on existing plant such as pits, huts and dark fiber. VPIlinkConfigurator is ideal for deploying large numbers of point-point links (including OADMs).
- VPItransmissionMaker™Optical Systems can fully verify link designs at a sampled-signal level to identify further cost savings, investigate novel technologies, or fulfill specialist requirements. Links can be automatically imported from VPIlinkConfigurator for detailed design and optimization. VPItransmissionMaker is widely used as an R&D tool to evaluate novel component and subsystems designs in a systems context, investigate and optimise systems technologies (e.g. coding, modulation, monitoring, compensation, regeneration).
- VPIcomponentMaker™Optical Amplifiers allows optical amplifiers to be designed, and their performance abstracted for systems-level simulations with VPItransmissionMaker. New doped-fiber amplifier and laser technologies can be developed, bidirectional multi-pump Raman amplifiers can be optimized, and hybrid Raman/EDF solutions for wideband amplification can be found.
- VPIcomponentMaker™Active Photonics allows active and passive devices to be designed, and their performance abstracted for systems-level simulations with VPItransmissionMaker. New means of optical signal processing using semiconductor optical amplifiers (wavelength conversion, clock recovery, partial regeneration) can be investigated, and the performance of semiconductor lasers (fixed or tunable) in conjunction with integrated modulators can be assessed.
- VPIplayer™ is a fully featured photonic simulation engine that runs a ready-made dynamicDataSheet™ (DDS) for free. It allows R&D experts to easily exchange ideas with people who don't have access to professional design software.
VPIphotonics' integrated design and configuration solution brings efficiency gains as it supports a streamlined design process by:
- enabling true collaborative design through supply chains,
- stimulating innovation by expanding design resources and possibilities,
- reducing the need for physical experimentation with virtual prototyping,
- capturing and distributing knowledge of design processes,
- establishing and supporting robust decision-making processes.
VPIphotonics has defined a common standard for electronic data exchange that is the backbone of collaborative design. The industry has demonstrated the benefits from the cost-savings associated with professional PDA and Optical Equipment Configuration solutions. Many new advantages emerged for the benefit of end-users that have only been envisioned several years ago.