OPTISYSTEM

Users Guide -2

Creating a Subsystem

















Creating a subsystem


1) The system shown in the figure below is the one which was created in the first manual. Try
creating this system now on your own without help from the first manual.










2) The first step towards creating the subsystem is to select the components you want to include in
the subsystem. Dont include the visualizers in the subsystem.










3) A menu as shown in figure will appear after right clicking the selected area. Select Create
Subsystem.










4) After creating the subsystem, double the subsystem block if you want to change the label or
name of the subsystem.










5) Right click on the subsystem for the Menu and click on the Look Inside option to open the
subsystem.










6) The subsystem must have output ports which you can use to connect the visualizers to the
subsystem in the Main Layout. The output ports need to be installed in the subsystem from the
inside. Go to Edit > Layout Tools > Draw Output Port.









7) Using the Draw Output Port option, place the output ports in the subsystem as shown in the
figure.








8) The next step after placing the output ports in the subsystem is to change the cursor from
Draw Output Port to Layout. To change the cursor Go to Edit > Layout Tools > Layout.










9) Now that the cursor has been changed, connect the output of NRZ Pulse Generator to the first
output port and the output of the Mach Zehnder modulator to the second output port. The
reason for using fork in the first manual is clear here. The same output from NRZ Pulse
Generator has to be given to the Mach Zehnder modulator and subsystem Output port. Without
using fork, one output cannot be given to two other ports.








10) Its not compulsory to keep the output on the right side of the subsystem. You can change the
location of the output port. Double click the port and you will get the Port properties as shown
in the figure. You can change the location according to your preference.









11) To go to the Main Layout from inside the subsystem, there are two options available.
a) Right click on the subsystem, click on Close Subsystem.
b) Go to the tabs at the bottom and Select the Main Layout.









12) In the Main Layout, you can notice the two ports on the subsystem. The first output port is the
output from the NRZ Pulse Generator and the second output port is the output from the Mach
Zehnder modulator. Connect these ports to the visualizers as shown in figure.









13) You can use a user defined image from a file to set as the subsystem icon. To add a subsystem
icon, double click the subsystem box. As shown in figure, select User Image from the Value
column for Subsystem Representation.









14) After selecting the value for Subsystem Representation. Click the browse button in the value
column for Image Filename. Select the user defined image but make sure that the image to be
set as the subsystem icon has to be in Bitmap format.









15) To return to the Main layout, click OK in the subsystem properties dialog box.










16) In the Main Layout, you can see the user defined image set as the subsystem icon. The next step
is to save the subsystem in the Components library. After saving the subsystem as one of the
Components in the library, you can use the subsystem in other larger systems. There is no need
to create the subsystem again.








17) Go to the root folder of the Component library. Select the Custom folder.










18) In the Custom folder, right click and click Add Folder.










19) Name the folder Transmitters.










20) Open the folder Transmitters, created in the previous step. Drag the subsystem box in the
Main Layout in the Folder. After dragging in, the subsystem will look in the folder as shown in
the figure.









21) Every time you need to access any parameter inside the subsystem, look inside the subsystem.
To change the component parameters inside the subsystem without looking inside, you need to
create global parameters.









22) In the Main layout, double click the subsystem box. Click Add Param. Type the values in the
boxes as shown in the figure and click Add.










23) After creating the global parameter named Frequency in the Main Layout, right click on the
subsystem and look inside. Open the CW Laser properties by double clicking the CW Laser.










24) In the Mode Cell beside Frequency, select Script from the Drop-down list. Click the S shaped
button in the Value column for Frequency to open the Parameter Script Editor.

In Script Mode, you can either write arithmetic expressions in the Parameter Script Editor as
shown in figure or you can write the global parameters defined. Write 192.9+0.2 in the box and
click Evaluate. You can see the result of the arithmetic expression in the Output.







25) Now its time to show you the second usage of script mode. Write Frequency in the box and
click Evaluate. Frequency is the global parameter whose value you set equal to 193.1 in Step
23. You can see the output of Frequency parameter in output of Parameter Script Editor.









26) You can also see the Value of the global parameter inputted in the Value column by clicking on
Evaluate Script.
To save the settings and return to the Main window, click OK.









27) The settings for the CW Laser have now been set.










28) Before I end this tutorial, I want to show you one more trick.
You can also use a glass image of the subsystem as your subsystem icon instead of a user
defined image. Double click the subsystem box, in the drop down list of Value column for
subsystem representation, select Glassbox image and click OK.