SIMION® 8.2

SIMION® 8.2 (2020) makes a number of enhancements over SIMION® 8.1.

Enhancements

Following new features are currently available in 8.2:

• Graphics:

  • 3D OpenGL graphics on the View screen. This is similar to the Modify 3D button but displays PA instances, trajectories, and poential contour surfaces. Modify/View 3D views also now display surface enhancement.

    

• Main GUI:

  • New file folder tree on Main screen, with file-specific commands as pop-up menus by right click. [8.2EA]

    

  • Files can now be dragged and dropped from Windows Explorer into the SIMION window. This includes PA, GEM, and IOB files.

• API/Programming:

  • Workbench user programs

    • segment.instance_adjust() - new segment to programatically change PA instance order during a run–useful for overlapping PA instances to avoid fringe effects.

    • sim_segment_global new reserved variable. Set this to 1 to cause program segments to be always called even when particles are outside PA instances.

    • Reserved variables:

      • sim_ions_count - read number of particles in Fly’m

      • ion_ke - more conveniently read/write current particles KE.

      • sim_relativity - defines whether relativistic effects are on

  • GUI Library (simion.experimental.dialog) - creates GUI dialogs. (Added 2014-04-01)

    

  • simion.experimental.add_particles() - create particles during the Fly’m.

    

    Fig. 1 Figure Latest SIMION Example: child_particles using the new add_particles API, showing secondary particles and secondary emissions.

  • PA and workbench

    • simion.wb: New functions: simion.wb:save_stl() - Save IOB to STL file. simion.wb:save() - Save IOB. simion.wb:load() - Load IOB. simion.wb:load_particles() - Load any particles (ION/FLY/FLY2)

    • c API(simion.wb): Add time t parameter to simion.wb:epotential(), simion.wb:bpotential(), simion.wb:efield(), simion.wb:bfield(), simion.wb instance:potential(), simion.wb instance:field(). These utilize fast_adjust, efield_adjust, and mfield_adjust segments to obtain the time-dependent field.

    • Field Functions Library (simion.experimental.field_array) for presenting vector fields, including magnetic vector potential, from potential array objects (related to Magnetic Potential).

      -- 3D field of Ax, Ay, and Az arrays.
      simion.workbench_program()
      local A = simion.experimental.field_array{Ax=1,Ay=2,Az=3}
      segment.mfield_adjust = A.mfield_adjust
      print('TEST', A.bfield(10,20,0))
      

    • simion.pas pa:binary_import() - efficiently load binary file data into SIMION PA. (minor)

  • Reading fields directly from Poisson Superfish .T35 finite element meshes. Using Poisson Superfish with SIMION.

  • ZeroMQ communications libraries and improved multiprocess parallelization programming. See Calling External Programs and SIMION Example: multiprocess_zmq.

• OS

  • Native Linux Binary: A non-GUI native Linux binary is now available. See Linux.

  • Intel Xeon Phi - Experimental support for Intel Xeon Phi Coprocessor: A non-GUI native binaries is now available for the Xeon Phi. This implementation is a prototype and does not achieve much in performance improvements.

• Modify

  • Flood fill pa:flood_fill.

  • Colored electrodes in 2D views based on potential. See Modify Color.

  • Electrode edges outlined in 2D views. See Modify Edge Outline.

  • 2D views now show electrode points in other planes as non-electrode points of a different shade of green. Allows understanding layered cross sections better. See Modify Planes.

• GEM

  • Extensions in 8.2: Major improvements to GEM syntax:

    • New shapes: gem cylinder3d(), gem half_space(), and custom shapes gem shape() defined by analytical equtions.

    • gem stl() - Embedding STL files inside GEM files, for use like any other shape. (Added in 8.2.0.10)

    • New transformations: gem extrude_xy(), gem extrude_yz(), gem extrude_zx(), gem revolve_xy(), gem revolve_yz(), gem revolve_zx(), gem rotate_x(), gem rotate_y(), gem rotate_z(), Many of these make geometry definitions more convenient and clear, with less use of locate rotations.

    • gem pa_define() accepted named parameters and new convenience features like array dimensions in mm: pa_define {wx=10, wy=10, dx=0.1}.

    • gem e(): and gem n() can accept a function parameter for defining gradient voltages over electrodes or analytic potentials in space.

    • fill and within can be omitted for shorter GEM code, and gem intersect() is an alias for within. e(1) { intersect { box(0,0, 10,10) circle(0,0, 10) } } . omit fill/within commands.

    • gem include() supports new ways to pass variables to/from included GEM files.

    • gem inf to represent infinity

    • $(...) and # can be omitted around Lua code: e(1) { for i=1,3 do box(i*10,0, i*10+w, 10) end }.

    • Using a Lua style comment -- in the file will disable compatibility mode supporting older deprecated GEM syntax such as space-delimited argument lists, + before numbers, and unquoted strings. New syntax.

• Refining and PAs enhancements:

  • magnetic permeability and magnetic vector potential (see Magnetic Potential and SIMION Example: magnetic_potential). Uses SIMION PA Poisson solver to incrementally provide additional magnetic capabilities (2D and in some cases 3D). This is intended for advanced users and involves Lua coding.

  • RAM-only PA# Refine

• New/updated examples:

  • A number of examples, including all existing examples using what was early access features (not listed here).

  • SIMION Example: matlab: Examples of exporting arrays from MATLAB®/Octave to SIMION and other interfacing examples.

  • SIMION Example: molecular_beam: molecular beam examples (beam of neutral molecules with dipoles) - experimental

• Updated/reorganized electronic documentation, an abgrided version of which is online.

The following features are currently planned for 8.2, but are not yet implemented (though are quite likely):

• Parallelize the Fly’m (Multicore CPU support). Multiprocess has already been demonstrated with TCP/IP sockets. Single-process multicore implementation in progress (May 2013).

• Further GEM format enhancements.

• Yet more improvements to the GUI.

• Simplify definition of contour values (.con) from the GUI (e.g. copy/paste a list of values as text or specify a range) or define them from Lua code. Probably extend .con format in ASCII format.

• Many other things are under consideration for future versions and will be described here as 8.2 development progresses.