Case Study: Quantifying surface error using the ASI

The new stitching algorithms developed for the ASI allow the final stitched map to be output at significantly higher resolutions than were previously possible; in this case, a 1k x 1k stitch is displayed. This permits analyzing a surface for tooling marks or other midspatial errors that might translate to blur in the final performance of an optical system. Designers are increasingly including surface specifications that require these errors to be quantified. The ASI outputs a single, full aperture surface map with sufficient resolution to analyze an entire aspheric surfaces against slope or power spectral density (PSD) specifications. . Armed with this information, your manufacturing process chain (grinding/polishing) can be optimized to minimize such features while reaching specification in the most cost-effective way.