Optical  System  Simulation  Software

Platforms, Pricing, and Service Policy

• System Requirements
• Availability and Pricing
• Addressing Your Special Requirements and Enhancements
• Displays and Graphics
• Consulting and Support Services
• Links to the rest of DIFFRACT and the MM Research, Inc. site

The latest version of DIFFRACT (8.4) runs under Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, NT, Vista and Windows 7. (The latest DOS version 7.6 is also available upon request.) We recommend using a machine with a Pentium processor. Typical applications of DIFFRACT require at least 16 Mbytes of random access memory, although high-resolution applications may run better with 64 Mbytes of RAM or more. A very high-end application may require as much as 256 Mbytes of RAM.

The minimum requirement for disk space is 10 Mbytes, but to save the many graphic/data files created by the program, we recommend allocating 20 Mbytes of disk space.

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DIFFRACT is available in its General Edition for professional users in the industrial, research, and development environments. A Student Edition is also available for use in educational institutions by teachers and their students. The Student Edition of DIFFRACT may be used to supplement classroom teaching in the area of classical physical Optics; alternatively, it may be used for self-study by professionals and students alike. DIFFRACT provides you with the computational power to experiment with complex optical systems. DIFFRACT's General Edition is priced at $7500 (without Graphical User Interface or GUI) and $9300 (including GUI). The Student Edition is available for only $450 (without GUI).

The package includes:

1. An executable code that runs under Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP and NT on Pentium PCs. Unless specified otherwise, the software will be supplied on a CD-ROM.

2. Each package contains a hardkey that restricts the software to a single user at any given time. The user may specify either a parallel-port key or a USB key at the time of purchase.

3. A 400-page manual which describes the steps to follow in order to install the software, the internal structure of the program, and the user interface. The manual provides a detailed description of the various menu options in DIFFRACT. It also includes a set of Test Runs and their associated command.dat and session.dat files. Additional copies of the manual may be purchased for $200 per copy ($100 for educational institutions).

4. For the General Edition, a Graphical user Interface (GUI), priced at $2000, may be purchased either at the time of ordering DIFFRACT or at a later time (a $200 discount applies to the complete DIFFRACT+GUI package). The GUI and its manual are shipped on a CD-ROM and work with the same hardkey as DIFFRACT.

5. A set of Test Runs: These Test Runs and their associated command.dat files may be used as a starting point for your experimentation with DIFFRACT. You can use the Test Runs to familiarize yourself with the various features of the program, and learn the many ways in which simple options can be combined to create complex systems. You may also modify these files to satisfy your particular needs, thereby using them as short cuts. Note: the set of Test Runs is included with the General Edition but is optional for the Student Edition; it may be ordered from MM Research, Inc. at the time of purchase or at a later date. The price of Test Runs is $250 per copy ($125 for educational institutions).

6. Six weeks of technical support via fax and e-mail. We want to ensure that you use DIFFRACT in an efficient and effective manner. Therefore, through our fast-turn-around e-mail and fax support services, we will help you to quickly set up the simulations according to your requirements. Should you need technical support beyond the first six weeks, extended support and consulting services are also available (see the segment on Consultation and Support Services below). All questions should be sent to MM Research, Inc. at the following e-mail address info@mmresearch.com, or faxed to (520) 299-7996.

Each order will be shipped (by express mail) within three days of receiving the purchase order. Shipping and handling charges range from $20 to $100, depending on location. The following prices are in effect as of March 1, 2004.

Note: The Student Edition of DIFFRACT may be purchased by students and non-students alike. In fact, if you are an optical scientist/engineer wondering what DIFFRACT can do for you, here is an excellent way to get started. Simply order a copy of the Student Edition now and begin to simulate your system of interest on a small scale. If you were satisfied with DIFFRACT's capabilities and decided to purchase the General Edition, we will give you a $450 credit towards the purchase of the General Edition (provided that your order is placed no later than six weeks after the date of the original purchase, and that you return the Student Edition's CD-ROM and hardkey).

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MM Research, Inc. strives to enhance and improve DIFFRACT based on your input and according to your needs. In special cases we might be able to work with you to include enhancements satisfying your particular needs. Depending on the extent of the modifications required by you a cost may be involved.

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DIFFRACT displays on the computer monitor (both in color and in gray- scale) the various cross-sectional patterns of the beam throughout the simulated optical system. You may then choose to save these patterns as TIFF and/or ASCII data files. TIFF files can be readily imported to other environments (such as the Microsoft Word) and integrated with text and graphics. ASCII files can be read by several commercially available graphics packages (such as Matlab, Origin, Mathematica, etc.) and rendered as 3-D plots, contour plots, color-coded plots, and so forth.

DIFFRACT's Graphical User Interface (GUI) has a complete graphics package for producing 3D and bitmap plots (both color and gray-scale) of the beam's cross-sectional patterns. In addition to displaying the layout of the simulated system in 3D, the GUI also allows 2D renditions of Geometric-Optical Systems.

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For many applications, DIFFRACT can simulate the optical system under consideration exactly as it is. Some complex applications, however, require modeling of the actual system in terms of the components available in DIFFRACT. Usually, there is more than one way to simulate a given system, and choosing the most efficient method may require some experience with DIFFRACT. MM Research, Inc. provides fax and email support for DIFFRACT for the first six weeks after your original date of purchase. Extended support and consultation is also available. For an annual fee of $2500 you can become a member of our DIFFRACT user's group. You will receive free updates and application notes, and your questions will be answered by our experts in a timely fashion using fax or email. For those who wish dedicated technical support, MM Research, Inc. provides consulting services at fixed hourly and daily rates.

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