CPO

The CPO programs use the Boundary Element Method (BEM), which is the most accurate of the available methods.

Other programs (such as SIMION) nearly always use methods that are older, simpler and less accurate.

The CPO programs use double precision and the highest possible accuracy to solve the main matrix equation, giving results that are usually accurate to better than 10^-13.

The electrodes are automatically divided into triangles or rectangles by the program. The User chooses the total number of segments, the maximum number of which depends on the memory space available to the User, and is typically 6000. The User also chooses an ‘inaccuracy level’ for the ray tracings (ie trajectory integrations). A low level can be used for the initial runs, to save time, and then the highest level for the final runs. 

Techniques exist for extrapolating the final results to an infinite number of segments and a zero ray inaccuracy (these are described in the User’s Guide, which is also fully accessible from the Help menu). These techniques do not exist with programs that use other methods.