Santa Barbara Instrument Group Santa Barbara Instrument Group
1482 East Valley Road - Suite 33
PO Box 50437
Santa Barbara, CA 93150
PHN (805) 969-1851
FAX (310) 969-4069
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with
the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is
no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning
the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
Increase the separation between the receiver and the equipment.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance
could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
Also note that user must use shielded interface cables in order to maintain product within FCC
compliance.
ST-237 Manual
Second Printing
November 1999 i
Table of Contents
1.
INTRODUCTION TO CCD CAMERAS.................................................................................................... 3
1.1.
H
OW
CCD
S
W
ORK
............................................................................................................................... 3
1.2.
CCD
S
A
PPLIED TO
A
STRONOMICAL
I
MAGING
................................................................................... 4
1.2.1.
Cooling ............................................................................................................................................. 4
1.2.2.
Dark Frames ..................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3.
T
HE
V
ARIOUS
CCD P
ARAMETERS AND
H
OW THEY
A
FFECT
I
MAGING
............................................. 5
1.3.1.
Pixel Size .......................................................................................................................................... 5
1.3.2.
Full Well Capacity ............................................................................................................................ 6
1.3.3.
Dark Current..................................................................................................................................... 6
1.3.4.
Read Noise........................................................................................................................................ 6
1.3.5.
Frame Transfer ................................................................................................................................. 7
1.3.6.
Antiblooming Protection ................................................................................................................... 7
1.3.7.
A/D Bits and Digitization Rate .......................................................................................................... 8
1.3.8.
Binning ............................................................................................................................................. 9
1.3.9.
Spectral Response ............................................................................................................................. 9
1.4.
C
AMERA
H
ARDWARE
A
RCHITECTURE
............................................................................................. 10
2.
THE FIRST DAY WITH THE CAMERA ............................................................................................... 13
2.1.
S
ETTING UP THE
S
YSTEM
.................................................................................................................. 13
2.1.1
Installing the CCDOPS Software..................................................................................................... 13
2.1.2.
Getting Acquainted with CCDOPS Software.................................................................................... 13
2.1.3.
Connecting the Camera to the Computer......................................................................................... 16
2.1.4.
Establishing a Communications Link with the Camera .................................................................... 17
2.1.5.
Operating your Camera with CCDOPS - a Daytime Orientation .................................................... 17
2.2.
T
HE
F
IRST
N
IGHT WITH THE
C
AMERA
.............................................................................................. 19
2.2.1.
Focusing the Camera ...................................................................................................................... 20
2.2.2.
Finding and Centering the Object ................................................................................................... 21
2.2.3.
Taking an Image ............................................................................................................................. 21
3.
SOFTWARE FLOW.................................................................................................................................. 23
3.1.
I
MAGE
A
CQUISITION
R
OUTINES
........................................................................................................ 23
3.1.1
Grab ............................................................................................................................................... 23
3.1.2
Focus .............................................................................................................................................. 23
3.1.3
Track and Accumulate..................................................................................................................... 24
3.1.4
Eyepiece Mode................................................................................................................................ 24
3.1.5
Auto Grab ....................................................................................................................................... 24
3.1.6
Color Grab...................................................................................................................................... 25
3.2.
F
ILE
O
PERATIONS
.............................................................................................................................. 25
3.2.1
Naming Conventions ....................................................................................................................... 25
3.2.2
File Path and Filter......................................................................................................................... 26
3.2.3
Saving Images ................................................................................................................................. 26
3.2.4
Loading Images............................................................................................................................... 27
3.3.
I
MAGE
D
ISPLAY
R
OUTINES
............................................................................................................... 27
3.3.1
Photo vs. Analysis Mode ................................................................................................................. 27
3.3.2
Image Parameters ........................................................................................................................... 27
3.3.3
Slide Shows ..................................................................................................................................... 28
3.3.4
Printing Images............................................................................................................................... 28
3.3.5
Background and Range ................................................................................................................... 28
3.4.
I
MAGE
P
ROCESSING
R
OUTINES
......................................................................................................... 28
3.4.1
Depixelize and Reduce .................................................................................................................... 29
3.4.2
Filtering.......................................................................................................................................... 29
3.4.3
Image Corrections........................................................................................................................... 30 ii
3.4.4
General Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 30
3.5.
I
MAGE
A
NALYSIS
R
OUTINES
............................................................................................................. 30
3.5.1
Histogram ....................................................................................................................................... 31
3.5.2
Cross Hairs ..................................................................................................................................... 31
3.6.
S
ETUP
F
UNCTIONS
............................................................................................................................. 31
3.6.1
Camera Setup.................................................................................................................................. 31
3.6.2
Graphics Setup..