Powerful Results at Minimal Resources
Our engineers have designed Optiwave’s array of software to run efficiently across many systems. For most use cases, you will not require a dedicated workbench to run our software. You can match your system with our general requirements below, or, scroll further to view specific system requirements for each product.
Minimum Requirements for Optiwave Software Packages
| Operating System (64-bit) | Processor | Disk Space | RAM |
| Windows 10™ or 11™ | Intel or AMD64 multi-core x64 CPU | 1 GB | 8 GB |
Graphics: CPU with integrated graphic or a discrete graphic adapter supporting OpenGL
Recommended OptiFDTD Setup
Windows 10™ or 11™ 64-bit
Intel® Core™ i7 (or higher) Processor
32Gb-64Gb RAM
Recommended OptiSystem Setup
Windows 10™ or 11™ 64-bit
PC with a clock speed > 2 GHz with 2-4 cores (e.g. Intel i5, i7, i9, or equivalent AMD)
16 Gb RAM
1.5 GB free hard disk space
1280 x 1024 graphic resolution
Optionally: Tesla/Quadro/GeForce CUDA (Version 9.0) -enabled NVIDIA GPU (for simulations benefiting from the QUDA acceleration)
Recommended Setup for All Other Products
Windows 10™ or 11™ 64-bit
Intel® Core™ i5 or i7 Processor
12-16Gb RAM
Cloud Computing with Optiwave
If your system’s specs fall behind the minimum requirements for your use case, we invite you to try out our full-service cloud computing solution. We’ve partnered with Amazon to allow users to seamlessly upload their design files on Amazon’s instances and simulate them on the cloud. Learn more about the easy 5-step process below.
Free Evaluation
If you’re unsure of your system’s ability to run our software smoothly, you can use Optiwave’s lengthy 30-day evaluation to test the software on your rig. We recommend taking full advantage of the evaluation period to stress-test your system. You can always contact our experts if you have any questions about the evaluation period or our products.
FAQs
Why are simulation software tools so resource-intensive?
Photonics and other types of simulation software attempt to mimic real-world parameters and provide accurate results using complex algorithms and models. Software tools for commercial and research purposes usually use highly complex models that require a lot of computational power. You could run some tools on a mid-level system, but the long processing times are generally not worth it.
Is it impossible to run photonics simulations without a powerful system?
It used to be nearly impossible to consistently design and simulate optical components without a powerful system. However, advancements in technology have allowed us to lower those entry barriers. Users can also get around their hardware limitations by using our cloud computing services.
What should I do if my simulation software is lagging?
If your system meets the minimum requirements and you are still experiencing difficulties, you can contact our team for quick and direct troubleshooting. As a small and agile team, our experts are equipped to understand and solve your problems with ease.