Optical Research Associates
Optical Research Associates (ORA®) is the industry's leading supplier of imaging and illumination design/analysis software: CODE V® and LightTools®. Our Engineering Services group is the largest independent supplier of optical systems design with more than 4,500 completed projects in imaging, illumination, and optical systems engineering.
ORA was founded in 1963 to provide leading-edge optical design services. ORA's primary vision -- to accelerate the development and adoption of optical technology throughout the world -- has led to its definitive role as an innovative solutions supplier to the optics industry. ORA employs over 50 engineers, including members of a dedicated technical support staff available to all users of its software products. ORA's success also lies in the expertise of its employees, 16 of whom hold Ph.D.'s, 11 in Optical Sciences or Optics.
In 2001, ORA increased its presence in the optical solutions (design, fabrication, assembly, and test) market by making a strategic investment in CommOptics Corp., located in Irvine, CA. CommOptics was formed in 2000 to produce precision micro-optics and other subassemblies.
ORA's Products and Services
CODE V is the industry's leading software for the design, analysis and tolerancing of optical systems, enhancing user productivity throughout the design and fabrication cycle. CODE V has unique capabilities in MTF-based tolerancing, Global Synthesis?, environmental analysis, partial coherence analysis, gradient index and DOE/HOE support, polarization ray tracing, and lens cost appraisal. It is unmatched in function, quality, accuracy, ease-of-use and technical support. Starting in 2000, over 50% of new customers have been using CODE V to design and analyze optical telecom systems using Beam Propagation and other new features. LightTools is a revolutionary illumination design program based on interactive 3D solid modeling. It combines full optical accuracy with powerful optical and illumination analysis features and a fully interactive graphical interface. Users can model optical components, light sources, and mechanical parts, and account for all light paths (including splitters, scattering, and multi-order diffraction) in a physically realistic manner. The Core Module supplies a full range of optical modeling options and ray tracing capabilities. The Illumination Module uses Monte Carlo ray tracing to evaluate illumination systems. The Data Exchange Modules support import/export of industry-standard CAD formats (STEP, SAT, or IGES). Although it is most often used in illumination applications, LightTools is flexible enough to solve many other types of problems, from packaging studies to stray light analysis.
ORA is the world's largest independent provider of optical design/engineering services, providing imaginative, cost-effective solutions across the entire spectrum of optical design. The engineering team's background includes optical fabrication, assembly, and test of precision optical systems, as well as design and fabrication of systems based on plastic optical components. Our engineers have experience in the development and integration of high-performance optical systems for ground, aerial, and space-borne applications from X-ray wavelengths to the long infrared. Optical design projects cover a wide range, including light bucket collectors and illumination systems for imaging applications, optical systems with as-built performance requirements of better than one-hundredth of a wave RMS, and optical telecom systems. ORA works to complement your team with just those services needed to make your system work the first time, on-time, and on-budget.
