5.1 The Process

In this chapter we are concerned with the actual process of determining the component powers and spacings to produce a system which will satisfy the requirements of whatever application is at hand. Our solution will consist of a set of component powers ( etc.) and a set of spacings ( D _a , D _b , etc.). It may also include aperture or field stops and the diameters of the components and stops. This is a "thin lens" solution, and it is a (necessary) preliminary to the lens design process.

The process outlined here is intended to be quite general and broadly applicable. As such, the outline surely will suffer from overinclusiveness, and it will probably be more extensive than any single project will require. My apologies for this, but I hope it will serve the reader as a checklist or perhaps even as a source of ideas.

The process can be broken down into four steps:

1. Define

2. Restate

3. Solve

4. Optimize

A discussion of each step follows:

Define. 1. The process should always begin with the system definition, i.e., a listing of the required system characteristics and the tasks which the system is to perform. Appropriate items might include: