Design software adds headlight safety test

Article By : EE Times India

The test capability in LucidShape 2017.03 allows designers to perform illuminance-based visibility range tests and glare test for oncoming traffic.

Synopsys has rolled out the 2017.03 version of its LucidShape software, which includes new capabilities for testing the safety of headlight designs based on Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) guidelines, as well as a new feature for designing decorative styling in signal lights and tail lights.

The IIHS, an organisation funded by the U.S. insurance industry, has developed a set of safety standards for headlights based on how well headlights allow drivers to see down roads on straightaways and in curves, and for how much glare headlights direct at oncoming traffic. Synopsys said the IIHS test capability in LucidShape version 2017.03 allows designers to perform illuminance-based visibility range tests and glare test for oncoming traffic on headlight designs.

The LucidShape IIHS test capability presents headlight performance results using the IIHS rating scale of Good, Acceptable, Marginal and Poor, according to the company.

Meanwhile, the LucidShape MacroFocal Torus Optic tool creates pillow optics and cylinder flutes for decorative styling in automotive lighting products such as signal lights and tail lights. It works with the proprietary algorithms in LucidShape software to automatically calculate and construct optical surfaces based on user-defined illuminance and intensity patterns. The Torus Optic tool augments LucidShape software's coupling of design functions for precise light distribution and styling features to achieve a desired appearance in automotive lighting fixtures, according to Synopsys.