LightTools Enewsletter

Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer: Next-Generation Parameter Sensitivity Utility with Enhanced Functionality

LightTools 8.5 introduces the Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer (PSA) as part of its Optimization features. The Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer can efficiently scan selected variables over a range of values to analyze their impact on selected parameters or merit functions. This lets you explore the design space, locate suitable starting points for optimization, and select the most important variables for optimization.

PSA is the next generation of the Parameter Sensitivity Utility (PSU) and introduces important new capabilities. In previous versions of LightTools, PSU could scan up to six variables in uniform increments over a specified range of values. The new PSA extends these capabilities with two new modes: list and configurations. List mode lets you sample numeric variables in non-uniform increments, and allows you to include string parameters such as optical properties as variables for the analysis. Configuration mode treats the configuration number as a variable and makes it easy to perform side-by-side comparisons of different configurations of a model.

You can learn more about the features of the new Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer in Chapter 5 of the LightTools Optimization Module User’s Guide. There are also videos on the Customer Support Portal demonstrating the use of PSA:

• Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer Webinar Part 1: Overview
• Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer Webinar Part 2: Basic Analysis in Uniform Grid Mode
• Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer Webinar Part 3: Configuration Mode
• Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer Webinar Part 4: List Mode and Using Non-Numeric Parameters

This tip shows an example of using PSA in Configuration mode. The Examples Model Library contains a model with four configurations representing two different LEDs, each in two different locations relative to the LED collimation lens. (The model can be loaded from Tools > Example Model Library, expand Program Features, select ConfigurationManager, and load ConfigurationManagerExample_End.1.lts). 

The variable for PSA will be the configuration number; for the parameters, add the illuminance mesh total flux and maximum illuminance as merit function items.

In addition to the two numeric parameters, we’ll want to monitor the appearance of the distribution on the receiver. Select the Analysis > Illuminance Display > LumViewer menu to open the chart in LightTools.

Now select the Optimization > Parameter Sensitivity menu. On the Variables tab of the Main window, click on the Analysis Mode dropdown list and select Configurations.

Switch to the Parameters tab, click on each of the Merit Function database items, and click the >> button to add them to the Database Parameters.

Under Views, select Chart_Receiver_5_Forward_Illuminance, and click >> to add it to the Design/Chart Views. Click the Test View button to verify the capture, then click OK to close the screen view window.

Click the Run Analysis button  on the menu. The Parameter Sensitivity Analyzer will evaluate each configuration, running a simulation and saving the requested parameter values and charts. When it completes, click on the Analysis tab on the left side of the window. In the top part of the window, you can select which parameter to view as a function of configuration.

In the bottom part of the window, you can view the corresponding illuminance charts. 

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