Article Abstracts | December 2007
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Using Software to Validate Assumptions in Projector Design
Software can help a design move quickly from proof of concept to production.
by Michael Zollers, Optical Research Associates
Designers often are faced with the daunting task of translating vague requirements for a complex device into a set of design specifications for individual components. Then they must use those specifications to create a working design. Each decision must be weighed carefully because early decisions affect the design space of components specified later.
How would you proceed if you were asked to design a small, but bright, projector system? Would you use a digital micromirror device (DMD) or liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to spatially modulate the light? What type of light source would you use?
A DMD is a good choice because the polarizers needed for proper operation of the LCD introduce a 50 percent or more reduction in the amount of light that gets through the system. A high-luminance source such as an arc lamp is required to compensate for this loss. The requirement for a small system means that using a source large enough for use with LCDs isn’t possible. Depending on the source, one DMD can be used, or a three-DMD system is possible — one of each color channel (red, green and blue)...
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