OSLO

What is OSLO?

OSLO (Optics Software for Layout and Optimization) is sequential lens design and optical engineering software, developed by Lambda Research Corporation, which traces, optimizes and analyzes imaging systems — camera and zoom lenses to segmented-mirror telescopes, endoscopes and AR, VR and MR systems.

The architecture is open: beyond tracing and optimization, OSLO embeds two languages of its own — the SCP macro language and the compiled CCL, with C syntax — which let you build custom analysis routines and merit functions. It runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11, at version 26.1. It was created at the University of Rochester in the 1970s, commercialized by Sinclair Optics since 1976 and has belonged to Lambda Research since 2001. It solves the problem that separates an elegant optical design a manufacturable product: finding the curvatures, thicknesses, glasses and aspheric terms that meet the requirement and survive manufacturing tolerance.

Key features

OSLO covers the full design cycle: system layout, local and global optimization, performance analysis and tolerance analysis, with an unlimited number of surfaces, variables and optimization targets.

• Damped least squares optimization — with an automatic error function generator and Lagrange-multiplier boundary constraints, plus operands for spot size, wavefront, 3rd, 5th and chromatic aberrations and D-d.
• Global optimization — Global Explorer and Adaptive Simulated Annealing, plus Powell's and simplex methods; Global Explorer 2 implements the Escape Function Global Optimization created by Masaki Isshiki.
• Image analysis — seven spot diagram analyses, wavefront with exact Strehl ratio and Zernike decomposition, PSF and LSF by FFT or direct integration, encircled and ensquared energy, and MTF through frequency or through focus.
• Tolerance analysis — surface, component and group tolerancing with ISO 10110 defaults, change table tolerancing, the Hopkins-Tiziani method for MTF and wavefront, and Monte Carlo tolerancing with a user-defined error function.
• Surface types — spheres, aspheres, conics, polynomial aspheres, cylindrical, toroidal, splines, axicons, Zernikes, Fresnels, ISO 10110 asphere, holograms, gratings, binaries and axial, radial, Wood, Selfoc or Gradium GRIN.
• Gaussian beam and fiber — interactive analysis of waist, far-field divergence, Rayleigh range and M² factor, plus coupling efficiency into stepped-index or Gaussian-mode fiber.

Benefits

Fast convergence comes direct control over the damped least squares damping coefficient: the designer tunes damping and the error function instead of accepting a closed box, which shortens the optimization cycle. Manufacturability comes tolerance analysis integrated into the same model — because surface tolerancing already carries ISO 10110 defaults, the design leaves with the specification the optical shop will receive. Customization comes CCL, a compiled language with C syntax: routines specific to your product become part of the tool rather than parallel spreadsheets. And the handoff to the rest of the workflow comes DXF, IGES and ISO 10110 export and integration with TracePro.

Who it is for

OSLO serves optical designers, imaging systems engineers, metrology and research laboratories. Three scenarios: designing a zoom lens with comparative configuration analysis and multiconfiguration optimization; specifying the manufacturing tolerance of an aspheric lens before quoting the shop, using change tables and A-to-D grades; and sizing laser coupling into single-mode fiber through the overlap integral. According to testimonials published by the manufacturer, OSLO is used by designers at Ball Aerospace and at the Space Dynamics Laboratory of the Utah State University Research Foundation.

Differentiators

The first differentiator is the open architecture across three programming levels — SCP for macros, compiled CCL for heavy routines and user DLLs for external code — which lets you implement non-standard design techniques without leaving the tool. The second is native handling of tilted and decentered surfaces in local or global coordinates, with no dummy support surface, which keeps off-axis models readable. The third is complementarity with TracePro, the same manufacturer, which covers non-sequential Monte Carlo tracing — the two licenses cover imaging design and illumination analysis without changing suppliers.

System requirements

OSLO 26.1 is maintained on 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11, with 2 GB of RAM minimum and 200 MB of disk space for installation. There is no macOS or Linux version. Export covers DXF, IGES and ISO 10110 drawings, and the program imports design files other optical design environments. The DDE interface and user DLL, available in the Premium edition, allow OSLO to be coupled to external computation environments such as MATLAB.

Editions and modules

The manufacturer's official comparison table describes three commercial editions, sharing the same tracing engine with increasing scope, plus a free version for educational use.

• OSLO Light — 3D optics with tilts and decenters, aspheric, conic, diffractive and GRIN surfaces, autofocus, damped least squares with an automatic error function, spot diagram, wavefront, MTF, Gaussian beam analysis, fiber coupling, surface and component tolerancing, SCP, CCL and DXF, IGES and ISO 10110 export.
• OSLO Standard — adds multiconfiguration and zoom systems, thermal and athermal design, multiple beam paths with beamsplitters, predefined optimization operands, MTF by FFT or convolution, change table tolerancing, test plate analysis and ranking, and the Arthur Cox, Ellis Betensky and Warren Smith libraries.
• OSLO Premium — adds non-sequential groups and arrays, polarized sources, user-defined gradient, sag, eikonal or diffractive surfaces, global optimization with Global Explorer and Adaptive Simulated Annealing, the Wassermann-Wolf conformal solve, Monte Carlo and Hopkins-Tiziani tolerancing, A-to-D grades, polarization and multilayer coating, vector diffraction and the DDE and DLL interfaces.
• OSLO EDU — a free edition for educational use, with a reduced feature set and a limit of 10 surfaces per system; it allows laying out, editing, optimizing, analyzing, tolerancing and saving systems within that limit.

How much does OSLO cost?

OSLO is licensed per software license, in two topologies: single-computer (node-locked), tied to one machine, or floating network, where the quantity purchased defines how many concurrent uses the team has on the local network, with a license server handling the workstations. Delivery is on a portable USB key, transferable between computers, or as a soft license bound to the machine identifiers. Terms are annual (subscription) or perpetual, with 12 months of maintenance and support included in the initial purchase and optional annual renewal.

There is no single list price because the investment depends on sizing: the edition, since only Premium enables global optimization, Monte Carlo tolerancing and polarization; the number of licenses or concurrent uses; the topology; USB or soft license delivery; and whether it is a new purchase, a renewal or an upgrade. A counting example: a group of six designers in which at most two work at the same time is sized at two floating licenses, not six — the group composition is illustrative, but the concurrent-use rule is official.

To buy OSLO in Brazil, OSB Software maps this scope with you, sends the commercial proposal, issues the Brazilian invoice and delivers the licenses — request a quote to get the exact figure for your scenario.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a surface limit in OSLO? Not in the commercial editions: the official table states an unlimited number of surfaces, variables and optimization targets. The 10-surface limit applies only to the free OSLO EDU version.

Which edition does global optimization? Premium only. Global Explorer, Adaptive Simulated Annealing and Powell's and simplex methods are not in the Light and Standard editions, which work with damped least squares.

Can analysis routines be automated? Yes, at three levels: the SCP macro language, the compiled CCL with C syntax and a support library, and user DLLs in the Premium edition.

Why buy OSLO OSB Software?

OSB Software is an official Lambda Research Corporation partner in Brazil and supplies 100% genuine OSLO licenses to companies, with Brazilian invoicing, local contracting in Portuguese and full legal compliance — the safe way to buy imported software under a Brazilian corporate entity, with no risk of irregular licensing.

When you buy OSLO OSB Software, you get:

• Consultative, specialist support — specialists who size your single-computer or floating network licensing to your actual operation, avoiding over- or under-buying.
• Fast, secure processes — purchase order to delivery of genuine licenses, traceable at every step.
• Dedicated commercial follow-up — quote to delivery and renewal, with advance notice before your license expires.
• Invoicing that fits your company — Brazilian invoicing and terms adapted to your corporate procurement process.
• Proven track record — thousands of customers served across Brazil.

If you are looking for where to buy OSLO in Brazil with legal certainty and properly licensed imported software, request a quote: OSB Software delivers reliable technology, qualified support and a simple, transparent purchase.