SPECULA documentation

Release:

1.0.3

Date:

May 18, 2026

SPECULA is an adaptive optics end-to-end simulator.

SPECULA documentation

Getting Started

• Installation
  • Prerequisites
  • Step 1: Create Conda Environment
  • Step 2: GPU Support (Optional but Recommended)
  • Step 3: Install SPECULA
  • Environment Management
• Simulation basics
  • What is SPECULA?
  • SPECULA Architecture
  • Special YAML Options: _data, _object, and _ref
  • Time Management
• Simulation parameters
  • Units and Conventions
  • Atmospheric Parameters
  • Time Parameters
  • Coordinate Conventions
  • Precision and Device Settings
  • Default Values and Behavior
  • YAML File Structure
  • Common Pitfalls
  • See Also
• Running Simulations
• Output logging
  • Usage
  • Accepted values
  • Default behavior
  • Notes
• Interactive Stepping Mode
  • Enabling Stepping Mode
  • How Stepping Mode Works
  • Example Session
  • Combining with Display and Display Server
• Multiple Simulations and Override System
  • Override System
  • Running Multiple Simulations
• Diagrams
  • Diagram options
  • Legend
• Calibration manager
  • Overview
  • Basic Usage
  • Automatic data_dir Handling in Simul
  • Saving and Loading Pupil Stops
  • Working with Different Data Types
  • File Path Management
  • Directory Structure
  • API Reference

Tutorials

• Basic SCAO simulation tutorial
  • Tutorial Overview
  • Part 1: System Configuration
  • Part 2: Calibration
  • Part 3: Running the Simulation
• SCAO simulation tutorial
  • Tutorial Overview
  • Part 1: System Configuration
  • Part 2: Running the Simulation
  • Part 3: Results Analysis
  • Part 4: Parameter Optimization
  • Part 5: Advanced Topics
  • Troubleshooting Common Issues
  • Summary and Next Steps
• Deformable Mirror actuator step response tutorial
  • System Overview
  • YAML Configuration
  • Running the Simulation
  • Response Analysis
  • Customizations and Experiments
• Control stability and performance analysis tutorial
  • Transfer Function Convention
  • Overview
  • Building the Control Loop
  • Analysis Script
  • Interpreting the Results
  • Note on Library Versions
• Field Analyser (deferred computation of PSF, modal analysis and phase cube) tutorial
  • Overview
  • Step 1: Configuring Your Simulation for Field Analysis
  • Step 2: Locate Your Simulation Output
  • Step 3: Using FieldAnalyser in Python
  • Step 4: Visualizing the Results
  • Step 5: Comparing with Simulation Outputs
  • Advanced Usage: Multiple Field Points
  • Tips and Customizations
• Pyramid WFS calibration in partial correction regime tutorial
  • Background: Why Partial Correction?
  • Tutorial Overview
  • Part 1: Slope Null Calibration
  • Part 2: Interaction Matrix Calibration
  • Part 3: Using Partial Correction Calibration
  • Comparison: Linear vs. Partial Correction
  • Best Practices
  • Summary
• Generators for vibrations and time histories tutorial
  • VibrationGenerator: Using a Power Spectrum Density (PSD)
  • TimeHistoryGenerator: Using a Precomputed Time History
  • Other Generators

Developer Guide

• Development conventions
• Processing objects
• Data objects
• Base classes

Reference

Detailed API documentation:

• Base Classes API
• Processing Objects Summary
• Processing Objects API
• Data Objects Summary
• Data Objects API
• Utility Functions API

Indices and tables

• Index

• Module Index

• Search Page