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Chapter 8
Decentered Systems

Tilted and decentered systems are quite common, and CODE V provides features that
simplify the modeling of such systems. The basics of coordinate breaks and the
various types of decentrations are discussed and illustrated here.

Contents

A Fold Mirror Example ............................................................................................184

Basic Concepts for Decentered Systems ..................................................................189
Types of Decentered Surfaces ..................................................................................192
Tilted Plates ..............................................................................................................195
Fold Mirrors vs. Scanning Mirrors ...........................................................................198
Prism Macros ............................................................................................................201

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A Fold Mirror Example

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Petzval Lens Fold Mirror Example

There are many applications of tilts and decenters, including prisms, wedged
elements, and even arrays of optical elements. One of the most common cases is
that of a fold mirror, which is a plane mirror tilted to direct the optical path through
a required angle. This is usually done for packaging requirements.
The Petzval lens has a large air space between its front and rear elements, with
plenty of room to insert a 45° fold mirror. CODE V has a special decenter type
called decenter and bend for creating a fold mirror with a single surface (normally
this would require an additional dummy surface). Note that this applies only to
static fold mirrors—scanning mirrors will be discussed later. You will use this to
create this simple decentered system, and then we will review the details of tilts and
decenters in CODE V before discussing some additional examples.

Entering Decenter Data

You will need to have a sufficiently long air space to insert a fold mirror. This will
depend also on the size of the beam in the air space. The easiest thing is to
experiment. Note that you can also fold the beam with a prism (see final section of
this chapter on using the supplied prism macros). As with all surface related data,
decenter and tilt data is accessed through the Surface Properties window. But first,
you need to get a lens and modify it to properly model the effects of a mirror, tilted
or otherwise.
1. Choose the File > New menu to launch the New Lens Wizard, and click Next to
bypass the welcome screen.
2. Choose CODE V Sample Lens and click Next.
3. Scroll down to locate the lens file cv_lens:petzval.len and click on it, then click
the Finish button (we’ll accept defaults for all system data for this lens).

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4. In the LDM spreadsheet window, right-click the surface number cell for surface
4 and choose Insert from the shortcut menu. Click OK in the Insert Surface
dialog box to insert one dummy surface.
5. Double-click on the thickness for surface 3 (stop) and insert an equal sign (=) in
front of the number and the characters /2 at the end, then press enter. This (=)
defines a simple expression to divide the value in half. Press the Tab or Enter
key or click in any other cell to commit this change.

6. Click on the same thickness cell (s3) and choose the Edit > Copy menu, then
click in the cell below it (THI S4) and choose the Edit > Paste menu (you can
also use right clicks or the keyboard shortcut keys CTRL+C and CTRL+V).

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7. Double-click on the refract mode for surface 4 and change it to Reflect.

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8. Select surfaces 4 through Image and choose the Edit > Scale menu.
9. In the Scale dialog box, enter –1 as the Scale Value for the default mode Scale
by Factor and click OK. This reverses the signs as needed following reflection.

10. Click anywhere on surface 4, then right-click and choose Surface Properties
from the shortcut menu. Go to the Decenters page in the Surface Properties
window, and choose Decenter and Bend from the Decenter Type dropdown
list. Note that What’s This? Help (SHIFT+F1 keys) can provide useful
information on the decenter parameters.

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11. Enter -45 for the Alpha value and click the Commit Changes button.
12. Click the Quick 2D Labeled Plot button to see a picture of the folded lens.

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Note that the LDM spreadsheet window now has a column labeled Non-Centered
Data with the decenter type (Decenter & Bend).
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You can view and modify all decentered data in the Decentered Surfaces review
window; choose the Review > Decenters menu to access this window.

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Basic Concepts for Decentered Systems

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Terminology and Coordinate Breaks

In CODE V, we generally use the term decentered surface to mean a surface that is
either tilted or decentered, or both.

+yi

Centered System
+xi
+y3
+x3
I S3
+y2 TH
Image Surface (Si)
+x2
2
IS
+y1 TH
Surface 3 (S3)
+x1
I S1
+yo TH
Surface 2 (S2)
+xo o
IS
TH
Surface 1 (S1)

Object Surface (So)

In a centered system (above), the axis of every local surface coordinate system
coincides with both the optical and mechanical axes of the entire system. We
choose +Y to be “up,” and +X to form a right-handed coordinate system. The +Z
axis points from the object to the image.
Each surface is always centered in its local coordinate systems. When you want to
leave the world of centered systems, you do so by specifying breaks in coordinates,
i.e., by specifying the location and orientation of each local coordinate system
relative to the previous surface’s coordinate system. Thus, when we say a surface is
tilted or decentered, we really mean its coordinate system is tilted or decentered
relative to the previous surface.

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+yi
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Decentered System
(surface 2 decentered, +xi
surface 3 tilted)
+y3
3
IS
+x3 TH
+y2 Image Surface (Si)
ADE S3
2
+x2 IS
TH

+y1 YDE S2
S 1
+x1 T HI
+yo coordinate break
I So
TH

Object Surface (So)

In the schematic decentered example (above), surface 1 is not decentered, surface 2

has a y-decenter (YDE) only, and surface 3 has only a positive α tilt (ADE). The
image surface is not decentered relative to the previous surface (3), but it obviously
is both tilted and decentered relative to the object surface. So in a sense, decenters
have a cumulative effect when you look at the total system.

Order of Operations
Tilts and decenters are done in a specified order. First, x, y, and z decenters are done
(order does not matter). Then α, β, and γ rotations are done in that order. For
compound tilts, the β must be defined in the α-tilted system, and similarly for γ
(defined in the α, β tilted system). You cannot change this order of operations, but if
necessary, you can insert one or more zero-thickness dummy surfaces and apply a
single tilt to each one, in any desired order. The cumulative effect will be to
simulate compound tilts done in an order different from the normal CODE V order.
The sign conventions are illustrated below.

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+y +y
+z’ +x’
Search +y’ +y’

+x +z +x +z

+y

+x’
+x +z
+z’

Positive alpha ( ) Positive gamma ( )

Tilt in Y-Z plane Tilt in X-Y plane
(Rotate about X axis) (Rotate about Z axis)
(most common)

Positive beta ( )
Tilt in X-Z plane
(Rotate about Y axis)

It is important to realize that coordinate systems are essentially only labels for
three-dimensional space that allow you to place surfaces at desired locations and
orientations. Light does not really care about coordinate systems—it simply
follows Snell’s Law. You can easily set up systems that will not ray trace, so you
must make sure the light has a way to get to where you put your surfaces. Decenters
only define the mechanical locations of surfaces and if angles or positions are
improperly defined, rays may miss surfaces or encounter TIR (total internal
reflection, when the angle of incidence of a ray exceeds the critical angle for the
glass-air boundary).

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Types of Decentered Surfaces

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Different Types for Convenience

CODE V has several different types of decenters for surfaces. A given application
requiring a decentered surface may be able to use any of several forms, but one of
them may be most appropriate or easiest to set up. In some cases it is simply your
personal preference.
The different types are defined as follows.

Basic Type (DDA)

y5
New Partial Input:
coordinate S1 0 10.0
system S2 17.2 5.0 Bk7
YDE S2 2.2 ! mm
S5 ADE S2 45 ! Degrees
z2
α
S3 -18 5.0 AIR
2 S4 S4 -18 3.0 SF1
y1 S5 0.0 6.0 AIR
dy Surface in new
2
S3 coordinate system .
S1 z1 S2 .
Coordinate break occurs here .
dy = YDE s2 = +2.2mm
2
(S2) α2 = ADE s2 = +45o

The default decenter and tilt provides a coordinate break at the surface. The
coordinate break is made before the refraction/reflection, with the surface defined
in the new coordinate system. The local coordinate systems for all subsequent
surfaces are then aligned with this new coordinate system, separated by the
thickness value measured along the local Z axis (until another coordinate break
occurs).

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Decenter and Return (DAR)

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New axis for
Surface2
only Partial Input:
S1 25. 10. AIR
S2 38. 5. BK7
YDE 3.0 ! mm
Second coordinate break ADE 10.0 ! Degrees
occurs here after refraction DAR
2
(returns to original coor- S3 15 13.0
dinate system) .
1 2 3
.
First coordinate break occurs here
, .
with YDE, ADE, and DAR flag

The decenter and return type, DAR, provides a coordinate break for the specified
surface only. The surface is decentered and tilted prior to computing the ray
intersections and refractions, and then the coordinate system is restored after
refraction. All surfaces after the surface are defined in the original coordinate
system. Think of this as a temporary tilt.

Decenter and Bend (BEN)

New axis
2
Second coordinate
break occurs here Partial Input:
S1 0 -2.0 REFL
ADE -45
BEN
o S2 -2.3 -1.4 F1
- 45
.
1
1
.
First coordinate break .
occurs here, α and BENd
on Surface1

The decenter and bend type, BEN, is used primarily for fold mirrors. It is used to
eliminate the need for an extra dummy surface by automatically adding a second set
of tilts to rotate the final coordinate system to follow the chief ray. It can only be
used for fixed fold mirrors, not scanning mirrors.

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Reverse Decenter (REV)

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Partial Input:
S1 -.4 2.0 BK7
A D E - 3 0 ! A c t . + 3 0o
2
YDE -.5 !Act. +.5cm
New axis REV
S2 +.25 1.3 AIR
.
1 .
Coordinate break occurs here, . etc.
with yd and α and REV flag
1

The reverse decenter type, REV, acts in the exact opposite mode as the standard
type of decenter. The surface is specified in the original coordinate system and the
refraction/reflection is computed. After refraction, the tilts are done in reverse order
with reversed signs (-CDE first, followed by -BDE, followed by -ADE) and then
the decenters are applied, also with reversed signs. This is used to cancel the effects
of a standard decenter.

Return to Surface (RET)

T
E
R
(S7 if no RET)
S6

S4 S5
S3

Obj. Others

S1 (4.0) S2, S7 (4.0) S8

The return decenter, RET, simply returns the coordinate of the current surface to
that of a specified previous surface, undoing all cumulative tilts, decenters, and
thicknesses of the intervening surfaces. This is useful in scanner designs and
tolerancing studies.

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Names for Decenter Parameters

Search The various parameters are referred to by several different names in the
documentation and in common use. Here is a table summarizing the various names.

Interface Command Math

X-decenter XDE X
Y-decenter YDE Y
Z-decenter ZDE Z
Alpha-Tilt ADE a
Beta-Tilt BDE b
Gamma-Tilt CDE g

Tilted Plates
Tilted plates are used in many optical devices such as beam splitters, combiners, or
windows. A tilted plate will shift the optical axis. Although CODE V doesn’t
require that you correct for this and applies no automatic correction, accounting for
the shift may simplify the setup of later parts of the system and may make it easier
to understand. This section has no CODE V input instructions, only discussion of
the setup issues.

Δy'
Δy

θ
optical ray
mechanical axis

The geometry of a tilted plate is shown above. The plate is tilted at an angle θ with
respect to the optical axis, and this tilt causes a shift of the rays through the plate.
Note that the amount of the shift of the optical rays is different from the shift of the
mechanical axis. This difference must be accounted for if the lenses following the
plate are to be centered on the on-axis chief ray. Note also that the amount of the
shift Δy depends on the refractive index of the plate, the angle θ, and the thickness
of the plate.

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Using Basic Decenters

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YDE
S5
S7
S6
S3 Axis decentered to
α =ADE S4 follow refracted ray
t

0.33 IN

Tilted Plate with regular decenter Scale: 3.00

– t sin α -
YDE = ------------------------------
n 2 – sin2 α

Using standard decenters to model a tilted plate requires three surfaces (in the
figure above, they are surfaces 4, 5, and 6). The first two surfaces are the optical
surfaces of the plate, and the third is a dummy surface to orient the coordinate
system with the emerging chief ray.
The front surface of the plate has only an ADE to tilt the surface. The rear surface
of the plate follows the coordinate system of the front surface, and hence needs no
tilt or decenter data. The dummy surface requires both a decenter and a tilt to orient
the coordinate system with the emerging on-axis chief ray. The YDE decenter
(which is along the tilted rear surface) is -Δy' and the tilt is -ADE.

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Using Reverse Decenters

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ZDE

YDE
t

S5
S6

Axis decentered to
S3 α = ADE S4 follow refracted ray

THI S5
measured from here
0.33 IN

Tilted Plate with reverse decenter Scale: 3.00

– t sin2 α -
ZDE = ------------------------------
n 2 – sin2 α

t sin α cosα-
YDE = ------------------------------
n 2 – sin2 α

With reverse decenters, the tilted plate can be set up with only two surfaces, one for
each side of the plate (above). The front side is a standard decenter with an ADE
tilt. The second surface has a reverse decenter. Since the tilt is done before the
decenter, and both use reversed signs, the tilt is +ADE and the decenter is +Δy. The
use of ZDE moves the coordinate system so the thickness to the next surface is
measured from the actual surface.

Wavelength Effects
Note that since the shift Δy is a function of the refractive index, it will be different
for different wavelengths. The on axis chief ray will follow the optical axis only for
the reference wavelength. The other wavelengths will have their bundles slightly
shifted. This could cause some interesting optical effects in the following lenses,
depending on the aberrations they have.

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Fold Mirrors vs. Scanning Mirrors

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As shown at the start of this chapter, fixed fold mirrors are easy to handle in
CODE V, using the special Decenter & Bend feature. Scan mirrors are not fixed, of
course—they rotate, nod, or vibrate to create the desired scanning effect. When
defining a scan mirror, BEN cannot be used. But the Decenter & Return (DAR)
feature works very well. In this section, we will only discuss the setup issues. We
will have a CODE V example of a scanning system in Chapter 9, which discusses
zoom/multiconfiguration systems.
Tilted mirrors are commonly used in systems to make them more compact. A tilted
mirror can be set up in three different ways, as shown in the illustration on
page 200: using the basic decenter (A), bend decenter, or BEN (B), or decenter and
return, or DAR (C). Surface 1 is a front stop, and the mirror is surface 2. Following
the mirror is a lens. The setup method used determines whether an additional
dummy surface is needed or not (making the following lens surfaces 3 and 4 or 4
and 5). The method to use also depends on whether the mirror is a fixed fold mirror,
or will change angle, as in a scanning system.

Using Basic Decenters

This method requires an additional dummy surface, as shown in A on page 200.
The mirror itself is surface 2, with zero thickness (spacing) to the dummy surface. It
has an ADE of 45° to position it. The dummy surface (surface 3) is located at the
same position as the mirror and also has an ADE of 45° to orient the optical axis to
90° to follow the light. Note that the Z axis after reflection is oriented upward, and
thus the thickness to surface 4 is negative.
Suppose we wish to change the mirror angle, say by 5° (which will deviate the light
by 10°), and we want the following lens to be in the same location. We need to
change the tilt angles on two surfaces: the tilt on surface 2 changes to 40° and the
tilt on surface 3 changes to 50° such that the sum remains 90° (this holds the
following lens in the same position).

Using Decenter & Bend (BEN)

With a BEN type decenter, only one surface is needed, as shown in B on page 200.
Surface 2, the mirror, is given an ADE of 45° and a BEN type of decenter. CODE V
will automatically add a second 45° to the coordinate system such that the exiting
coordinate system is at 90° and thus follows the light. In fact it is not actually
“following the light,” it is merely applying the law of reflection, which causes the
light to change direction by twice the tilt angle of the mirror.

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If we wish to change the angle of the mirror, notice that the BEN will automatically
change the following coordinate system. Thus, the following lens is no longer in the
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same location. As a result, BEN is the wrong type of decenter to use for
scanning mirrors.

Using Decenter & Return (DAR)

Using a DAR type decenter (C on page 200), we still need the dummy surface, but
changing the angle for scanning is simpler. Surface 2 has an ADE of 45° and a
DAR type decenter specified. The dummy surface, surface 3, is oriented along the
incoming coordinate system, and thus needs an ADE of 90°.
To change the angle of the mirror, simply change the ADE of surface 2. It
automatically returns to the original angle (due to the DAR), and then the axis is
turned 90° so the next lens is oriented in the same position. This is the preferred
method to use for scanning mirrors.

Tip: To rotate a mirror around an offset point (such as the center of a rotating
polygon), use a dummy surface (non-reflecting) at the center point location,
applying a Basic tilt to this surface. Then use a negative thickness to go back to
the mirror (facet) location, and make that surface reflecting.

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Search Decenter Example: Fold Mirror vs. Scanning Mirror

1 1

A
2

α2 = 45° α2 = 40°
2

α3 = 45° α3 = 50°
(basic)

4 4
5 5

6 6

1 1 2
α2 = 50°
B
2

α2 = 45°

(BEN)

3
4
3
4

5
5

1
2
α2 = 45°
1 2
α2 = 50°
C α3 = 90° α3 = 90°

(DAR)

4 4
5 5

6 6

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Prism Macros
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CODE V includes a large number of sample macros for many applications. Most of
these macros are accessed through the Tools > Macro Manager menu, but some of
them are also integrated into the user interface according to their purpose. Prisms
are one such category. A collection of about a dozen prism macros are found on the
Edit > Insert Prism menu. To use them, simply choose the type of prism you want
according to the name. Although there is no visual preview of the types, they
operate quickly, and you can simply insert a prism, make a picture, and use Edit >
Undo if it is the wrong type or size.

How to Use Prism Macros

All the prism macros assume that you have a lens already defined that includes an
air space large enough to accept the prism. Each macro will adjust the air spaces to
account for the optical thickness of the prism. You specify the surface
FOLLOWING the air space in which you wish to insert the prism, and the “face
length” of the prism is the full width of the reference face of the prism. The
reference face depends on the particular prism design—either experiment with
sizes (making frequent use of Undo), or take a look at the comments in the source
code for the macro (found in the CV_MACRO: directory).
1. Open (“restore”) the Petzval lens example by typing RES cv_lens:PETZVAL
in the Command Window.
2. Click on the Lens Data Manager window to make it active, and choose the
Edit > Insert Prism > Right Angle menu.
3. In the Macro rtang.seq dialog box, enter 4 for the surface, 50 for the face
length, BK7 for the glass (default), and select UP for the direction (dropdown
list). Click OK.

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4. Click the 2D Labeled Plot button on the toolbar.

Search Your picture should look like this:

Here are two other examples (Porro and Penta). The pupil size and field angle
have been reduced to allow fitting a prism in the available air space (and a better
picture).

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