The SIMION Manual

SIMION 8.0 comes with a ~450 page printed manual. The table of contents, a sample chapter, and an online search tool are provided below.

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Summary Table of Contents (8.0)

• Contents / Abstract / Acknowledgements
• Chapter One - SIMION Overview
• Chapter Two - SIMION Basics (this sample chapter is a good starting point, giving a short overview of SIMION)
• Chapter Three - Roadmap and Directions
• Chapter Four - Creating, Loading, and Saving Potential Arrays
• Chapter Five - Modifying Potential Array Geometries
• Chapter Six - Refining and Fast Adjusting Potential Arrays
• Chapter Seven - Creating a Workbench
• Chapter Eight - Flying Particles
• Chapter Nine - Advanced Strategies and Further Directions
• Appendix A - Hardware and Software Requirements
• Appendix B - Installing/Troubleshooting SIMION
• Appendix C - SIMION's GUI
• Appendix D - Sample Runs
• Appendix E - Printing
• Appendix F - Files used by SIMION
• Appendix G - Text Editing
• Appendix H - Computational Methods
• Appendix I - Geometry Files (GEM Files)
• Appendix J - CAD Import (STL Files)
• Appendix K - FLY2 Particle Definition Format
• Appendix L - User Programming
• Appendix M - Command Line Interface
• Appendix N - Changes between SIMION 8 and Earlier Versions
• Appendix O - Index

Full Table of Contents

1.1 Introduction 1-1
1.2 The Simulation Trap 1-1
1.3 Computer Requirements/Installation 1-2
1.4 Note to Users of Prior SIMION Versions 1-2
1.5 Structure of this Manual 1-2
2 SIMION Basics 2-1
 2.1 Introduction 2-1
 2.2 Basic Ion Optics Concepts 2-2
 2.3 The Potential Array 2-7
 2.4 The Role of the Subdirectory in SIMION Projects 2-14
 2.5 The SIMION Main Menu 2-14
 2.6 Building Your First Simulation from Scratch 2-16
 2.7 Summary 2-30
3 Roadmap and Directions 3-1
 3.1 Introduction 3-1
 3.2 A Brief Contextual Overview of SIMION 3-1
 3.3 Potential Arrays and How to Create, Refine, and Use Them 3-7
 3.4 Housekeeping Issues 3-10
 3.5 File Compatibility With Earlier SIMION Versions 3-12
 3.6 SIMION Web Site 3-12
4 Creating, Loading, and Saving Potential Arrays 4-1
 4.1 Introduction 4-1
 4.2 Creating New Potential Arrays 4-4
 4.3 Saving Potential Array Files 4-7
 4.4 Loading Potential Array Files into PA Memory 4-8
5 Modifying Potential Array Geometries 5-1
 5.1 Introduction 5-1
 5.2 Changed Arrays are Flagged 5-1
 5.3 Accuracy of Potential Arrays 5-1
 5.4 Defining Solid or Grid Boundaries 5-4
 5.5 The Modify Function 5-6
 5.6 Geometry Files 5-33
 5.7 STL 3D CAD File 5-34
6 Refining and Fast Adjusting Potential Arrays 6-1
 6.1 Introduction 6-1
 6.2 Refining Potential Arrays 6-1
 6.3 Running Refine 6-7
 6.4 Fast Adjusting .PA and .PA0 Files 6-11
7 Creating aWorkbench 7-1
 7.1 Introduction 7-1
 7.2 The Ion Optics Workbench 7-1
 7.3 Accessing SIMIONs View Function 7-12
 7.4 Controlling the View 7-14
 7.5 Controls on the Bottom 7-31
 7.6 The Eight View Control Tabs 7-31
8 Flying Particles 8-1
 8.1 Introduction 8-1
 8.2 Chapter Organization 8-1
 8.3 SIMIONs Unit System 8-1
 8.4 Defining the Ions to Fly 8-2
 8.5 Flying Ions 8-11
 8.6 Data Recording 8-19
 8.7 Flying Ions with User Programs 8-28
9 Advanced Strategies and Further Directions 9-1
 9.1 Introduction 9-1
 9.2 Doing more with Array Instances 9-1
 9.3 Workbench User Programs 9-5
 9.4 Geometry Files 9
A Hardware and Software Requirements A-1
 A.1 SIMION 8.0 System Requirements A-1
B Installing/Troubleshooting SIMION B-1
 B.1 Installing/Troubleshooting SIMION B-1
 B.2 Installation of SIMION B-1
 B.3 General Troubleshooting B-3
C SIMIONs GUI C-1
 C.1 Introduction C-1
 C.2 Memory C-2
 C.3 Mouse and Keyboard Usage C-2
 C.4 Command bar C-2
 C.5 Help C-3
 C.6 File Memos C-3
 C.7 Printing, Clipboard, and Image Export C-3
 C.8 Multitasking with SIMION C-5
 C.9 GUI Objects C-5
 C.10 Viewing Windows C-6
 C.11 Adjusting User Preferences C-8
D Sample Runs D-1
 D.1 Launching SIMION for the First Time D-1
 D.2 Your Maiden Voyage With SIMION D-2
 D.3 Your Second Voyage With SIMION D-4
 D.4 Your Third Voyage With SIMION D-5
 D.5 Other Adventures D-7
E Printing E-1
 E.1 Introduction E-1
 E.2 Printer Output Destinations E-2
 E.3 Requesting a Printout E-4
 E.4 The Annotate and Print Screen E-4
 E.5 The Print Options Screen E-5
 E.6 Annotation Options E-14
 E.7 Exporting SIMION Graphics to Other Windows Programs E-22
F Files used by SIMION F-1
 F.1 Introduction F-1
 F.2 Files Found in Project Directories F-1
 F.3 Temporary Ion Trajectory Files F-5
 F.4 Important Files in the C:\FILES.GUI Subdirectory F-5
 F.5 The Format Used with SIMION .PA Files F-7
 F.6 Ion Definition File (.ION) Format F-8
G Text Editing G-1
 G.1 Introduction G-1
 G.2 Choosing a Text Editor G-1
 G.3 How to Designate an Alternate Text Editor G-2
 G.4 Setting Environment Variables G-2
H Computational Methods H-1
 H.1 Introduction H-1
 H.2 The Structure of the Potential array H-1
 H.3 The Relaxation Method H-2
 H.4 Over-Relaxation H-2
 H.5 Dynamically Self-Adjusting Over-Relaxation H-2
 H.6 Planar 2D Symmetry Refining Equations H-3
 H.7 Planar 3D Symmetry Refining Equations H-4
 H.8 Cylindrical 2D Symmetry Refining Equations H-4
 H.9 Skipped Point Refining H-4
 H.10 Array Doubling H-5
 H.11 Fast Voltage Adjustment Method H-6
 H.12 Trajectory Algorithms H-7
 H.13 Instance Selection Rules H-7
 H.14 SIMIONs Unit System H-7
 H.15 Electrostatic Force Computation H-8
 H.16 Electrostatic Forces Outside Instances H-9
 H.17 Magnetic Force Computation H-9
 H.18 Charge Repulsion Forces H-10
 H.19 Relativistic Corrections H-13
 H.20 Numerical Integration Method H-13
 H.21 Adjustable Time Steps H-13
 H.22 Edge Detection and Boundary Approach H-15
 H.23 How Trajectory Quality is Controlled H-16
 H.24 Pseudo-Random Number Generation H-16
I Geometry Files (GEM Files) I-1
 I.1 Introduction I-1
 I.2 Geometry Language Rules I-3
 I.3 Geometry Instructions I-10
 I.4 Developing, Testing, and Using Geometry Files I-29
J CAD Import (STL Files) J-1
 J.1 Introduction J-1
K FLY2 Particle Definition Format K-1
 K.1 Overview K-1
 K.2 Basic Syntax K-2
 K.3 Multiple Particles per Beam K-3
 K.4 Sequences K-4
 K.5 Distributions K-7
 K.6 Pupils K-11
 K.7 Additional Examples K-12
 K.8 Programming (Advanced) K-13
 K.9 Reference K-13
L User Programming L-1
 L.1 Introduction L-1
 L.2 Workbench User Programs L-12
 L.3 User Programming in Lua L-28
 L.4 Built-in Function Reference L-33
 L.5 User Programming in PRG (Old SIMION 7 Language) L-42
 L.6 Compatibility Notes L-67
M Command Line Interface M-1
 M.1 Basic Usage M-1
 M.2 SIMION Return Value M-1
 M.3 SIMION Options M-1
 M.4 SIMION Commands M-3
 M.5 SIMION Environment Variables M-8
N Changes between SIMION 8 and Earlier Versions N-1
 N.1 Differences Between SIMION 8.0 and 7.0 N-1
 N.2 Differences Between SIMION 7.0 and 6.0 N-4
O Index O-1