PyramidA is the world's first program for calculating effective emissivities and radiance  temperatures of blackbody radiation sources operating in optical spectral range and shaped as a regular array of square-based pyramids. PyramidA employs the Uniform Specular-Diffuse (USD) model of reflection.






For details, see PyramidA Key Features list, Comparative Table, or download PyramidA Manual.

Download PyramidA Evaluation Version (1.8 MB)

Download PyramidA Manual (4.8 MB)

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PyramidA doesn't require special efforts for installation. Simply download the Evaluation version, unzip it, save PyramidA folder anywhere on the hard drive, and run PyramidA.exe. The Evaluation Version has several restrictions (see details in the appropriate Section of the Manual.) After purchasing the product license, you'll receive an activation key which will turn the purchased product into the full-functioned unrestricted version. The Software Licence Agreement is included into zip-file with the Evaluation version. Go to the Purchase page to see how to by the license.
PyramidA Key Features
Blackbody is formed from a square array having n columns and rows (Max. n = 1001) of identical pyramids or truncated pyramids (frusta) placed on the flat base
Array can have optional gaps of constant width between pyramids
Each pyramid/frustum has the square base and the projected onto the center of the square base
Array boundary can be a square or a circle
Array center can coincide with the apex of a pyramid or with the center of a four neighbor pyramids cluster
All radiating surface of a pyramid array blackbody has spatially uniform optical characteristics
Spectral reflectance of the PABB surface can be defined for up to 1001 wavelengths.
Linear temperature change can be defined along pyramid height.
The base of the array is isothermal
4 different types of viewing conditions can be modeled.
Taking into account the background radiation
Calculation results can be presented in form of tables and graphs. Graphs are fully editable and can be copied to clipboard and saved as bitmaps (*.bmp) or Windows metafiles (*.wmf, *.emf).
Numerical results can be saved in text files, XLS-files (MS Excel spreadsheets), as XML and HTML tables.
Requirements for hardware and software:
   · CPU frequency 1 GHz or higher
   · Screen Resolution 1152 x 864 or greater
   · Hard disk space 10 MB minimum
   · RAM 1 GB
   · OS MS Windows® 2000/ME/XP/Vista/7/8 (in compatibility mode)
PyramidA
Pyramid array blackbodies are used instead of cavity-type of blackbody radiators when it is necessary to provide large radiating area with the moderate effective emissivity and if the compactness is the additional requirement, as it takes place in the case of onboard calibration of satellite spectroradiometric equipment. Some blackbody manufacturers offer pyramid array blackbodies for radiometric and thermometric calibrations from visible to far IR spectral range.
PyramidA uses geometrical optics and CANNOT be applied to calculation of radiation characteristics of pyramid array blackbodies operating outside the optical range of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., for microwave/terahertz and radio-frequency blackbody calibration targets and loads).