NEW 8.9 Version

ATMOS History

My name is Massimo Riccardi I am an italian Optical Designer and optician .
Many years ago, after mastering my optical knowledge, I felt the need of a program capable to perform SpotDiagrams for many wavelengths at the same time.
So, just for fun, in that period I tried to write a routine capable to perform such polichromatic Spotdiagrams using the only programming language I knew: QBASIC.
I did it and I succeeded and, as it often happens, I felt the need to improve it again by adding several analysis routines.
It was born the first version of "ATMOS" (ATM Optical design and analysis Software).
At that time it was for personal use only.
Then,unsatisfied with DOS & QBASIC capabilities, I chose a programming language that ran under MS-WINDOWS.
In this way I could get not only a better program "look" but most of all a user-friendly interface with many windows, buttons, textboxes where you can type the data or display the results.
So I rewrote ATMOS in Visual Basic and added much more analysis routines and useful telescope design tools.

ATMOS now is a very powerful program with a user-friendly interface that allows the user to Analyze, Design and OPTIMIZE Centered/Uncentered optical systems.
Atmos is appreciated worldwide by amateurs and professional users and is under continuous developement.

ATMOS supports up to 100 surfaces and Obscuration Screens. It includes a powerful routine for Optimization,adjustable Aperture Stop position and supports both Finite/Infinte Object Distance .It also supports a lot of other features.

I wish to thank :

- ROLAND CHRISTEN owner of the well-known telescopes firm AstroPhysics .

• Fritz Blechinger, a professional designer, author of OpTalix optical software

• Rick Blakley for his patience in testing my software

• Ivan Krastev, author of MODAS optical software for the common work and suggestions exchanged over the years.

• Cor Berrevoets author of ABERRATOR

- ATMOS 8.9 Features

ATMOS 8.9 incorporates a wide range of features :

ANALYSIS (graphical and/or tabular)

TOOLS

TELESCOPE DESIGN Capability

One of the most useful and pleasant tool for the ATM is the "Telescope Design" Menu.
You can easily and quickly design and then analyze about 30 optical configurations:

- ATMOS ANALYSIS SLIDES

The following are some screen shots taken from ATMOS.

-LENS DATA EDITOR

-MULTI-ANALYSIS PLOT

-MATRIX Spot-Diagam

-Polichromatic MULTI-SPOTDIAGRAM (through Focus/Field)

-GHOST Analysis

-STREHL Ratio versus WaveLength

-Diffraction POINT SPREAD FUNCTION (FFT method))

-Simulated Color Diffraction Image

-WAVEFRONT (3D rotation)

-Interferogram

-RONCHIGRAM

-MTF (Modulation Transfer Function)

-Longitudinal,Transversal SPHERICAL ABERRATION and COMA (Offense against the Sine Condition)

-OPTIMIZATION window

- 2D and 3D LAYOUTS

- Element DRAWINGS

- ATMOS TELESCOPE DESIGN SLIDES


Here are some screen shots from the "Telescope Design" Menu':

- MAKSUTOV-CASSEGRAIN DESIGN WINDOW

-TRIPLET DESIGN WINDOW

-SCHMIDT-CASSEGRAIN DESIGN WINDOW

- Download ATMOS FreeWare


This is not a full function program, it is limited up to 3 optical surfaces (except for the sample files). You can design and analyze with this version Newtonian and classical two mirror telescopes . This version will introduce you to the ATMOS interface and give you a feel for the features of the program Obviously,it cannot do everything the real program can.
ATMOS FREEWARE comes with 36 sample files, and you can load up and analyze any of them.

Download the following file:

- ATMOS FreeWare - (about 4 MB)

After downloading "Atmos Demo.zip" , unzip it then double-click on "setup.exe" for ATMOS self-installation.

- CONTACT

ATMOS is delivered only via e-mail or direct download via website .
(direct download is preferred).


-EUROPE
Please write to Massimo Riccardi at :
rimassimo@alice.it
rimax@atmos-software.it

-Outside EUROPE
Please visit/contact Astro-Physics website at :

ASTRO-PHYSICS
11250 Forest Hills Road, Rockford, IL 61115, U.S.A. Phone: 815-282-1513 Fax: 815-282-9847

- Links

AstroPhysics Astro-Physics telescopes website
Astro Service Wolfgang Rohr's website for optical testing.
OpTaliX optical design package written by Fritz Blechinger
MODAS , Ivan Krastev Modern Optical Software
ABERRATOR written by Cor Berrevoets is a Freeware that generates Star-Testings images to show the effects of aberrations influencing the quality of a telescope.

I'm not responsible for any damages during or after the use of ATMOS optical design and analysis software.

Last update November 2016

ATMOS

Optical Design and Analysis Software