Polaroid CCD Camera - Manuals

Section 1 - Introduction Page 3 • Load up the other sample images and display them using the photo display mode. • If you find that the display is too dark or bright, try setting Auto Contrast in the display menu or adjust the background and range parameters to achieve the best display. Usually your...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 5 2. Introduction to CCD Cameras This section introduces new users to CCD (Charge Coupled Device) cameras and theircapabilities and to the field of CCD Astronomy and Electronic Imaging. 2.1. Cameras in General The CCD is very good at the most difficult as...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 6 transports the charge packets in a serial manner to an on-chip amplifier. The final operating step, charge detection, is when individual charge packets are converted to an output voltage. The voltage for each pixel can be amplified off- chip and digital...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 7 Host Computer Clock Drivers Preamp 16 Bit A/D Micro- controller Tracking CCD Imaging CCD Shutter TE Cooler PC Interface Telescope Interface Desktop Power Supply Parallel Interface Figure 2.2 - CCD System Block Diagram As you can see from Figure 2.2, the...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 8 The CCD is cooled with a solid-state a thermoelectric (TE) cooler. The TE cooler pumps heatout of the CCD and dissipates it into a heat sink which forms part of the optical head'smechanical housing. In the ST-7E and ST-8E cameras this waste heat is dump...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 9 current, which can cause each pixel to fill with electrons in only a few seconds at roomtemperature even in the absence of light. By cooling the CCD, the dark current andcorresponding noise is reduced, and longer exposures are possible. In fact, for rou...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 10 at the same temperature and for the same duration as the light frame with the source of light tothe CCD blocked so that you get a "picture" of the dark. This dark frame will contain an imageof the noise caused by dark current (thermal noise) an...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 11 people think that smaller pixels are a plus, you pay the price in sensitivity due to the fact thatsmaller pixels capture less light. For example, the ST-9E with its large 20 x 20 micron pixelscaptures five times as much light as the ST-7E and ST-8E's 9...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 12 Track and Accumulate to co-add several shorter images. The dual CCD design allows theguiding CCD access to the large aperture of the main telescope without the inconvenience ofoff-axis radial guiders. Not only are guide stars easily found, but the prob...

Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Page 13 Of course, once the image is stored on a computer disk, it may be transferred to another computer just like any other data file. You can copy it or send it via modem to a friend, uploadit to your favorite bulletin board or online service, or store it a...

Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera Page 15 3. At the Telescope with a CCD Camera This section describes what goes on the first time you take your CCD camera out to thetelescope. You should read this section throughout before working at the telescope. It willhelp familiarize you with the ...

Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera Page 16 * DEC RA Figure 3.1 Orientation of the Optical Head Viewed from Back. (Pixel 1,1 is at the upper left in this view) 3.3. Establishing a Communications Link When the CCDOPS program is initiated it will automatically attempt to establish a link to...

Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera Page 17 This preliminary step will save you much time in initially finding focus. The approximatedistance behind the eyepiece tube for each of our CCD cameras is listed in Table 3.1 below: Camera Distance ST-5C ~0.66 inch ST-237/A/STV ~0.68 inch ST-6 ~0...

Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera Page 18 eyepiece and slide it back and forth to find the best visual focus, and then scribe the outside ofthe eyepiece barrel. The next time the CCD is used the eyepiece should be first inserted intothe tube to the scribe mark, and the telescope visuall...

Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera Page 19 3.8. Processing the Image If not done already, images can be improved by subtracting off a dark frame of equal exposure.You will typically do this as part of the Grab command although it can also be done manuallyusing the Dark Subtract command. ...

Section 4 - Camera Hardware Page 23 4. Camera Hardware This section describes the modular components that make up the CCD Camera System andhow they fit into the observatory, with all their connections to power and other equipment. 4.1. System Components The ST-7E, ST-8E, ST-9E, ST-10E and ST-1001E C...

Section 4 - Camera Hardware Page 24 Typically you would take ten 1 minute "snapshots" to produce an image that is comparable to asingle 10 minute exposure except that no guiding is required. The reason no guiding isrequired is that with most modern telescope mounts the drift over the relativ...

Section 4 - Camera Hardware Page 25 In our older camera models and in the optional relay adapter accessory, each of the relays has a Common, a Normally Open, and a Normally Closed contact. For example, whenthe relay is inactivated there is a connection between the Common and the Normally Closedconta...

Section 4 - Camera Hardware Page 26 used to attach to the wiper to either end of the potentiometer when the opposing relays areactivated. potentiometer A B C A: Unmodified Joystick wiper B: Modified Joystick nc c no + relay A B C nc c no - relay Figure 4.3 - Joystick Modification A slight variation ...

Section 4 - Camera Hardware Page 29 length is the focal length of the telescope or lens. Also remember that 1° = 3600 arcseconds. Read Noise - The readout noise of a CCD camera affects the graininess of short exposure images. For example, a CCD camera with a readout noise of 30 electrons will give i...

Section 4 - Camera Hardware Page 30 C8, 8" f/10 LX200, 10" f/3 6 14" f/11 Camera Field of View (arcmins) Pixel Size (arcsecs) Field of View (arcmins) Pixel Size (arcsecs) Field of View (arcmins) Pixel Size (arcsecs) Tracking CCD 4.2x4.2 1.3x1.5 11.7x11.7 3.7x4.3 2.3x2.3 0.7x0.8 ST-5C 5.4...

Section 4 - Camera Hardware Page 31 ST-7E/8E/9E/10E head. The phone cable connection connects to the telescope drive to adjustthe telescope position when collecting images using Self-Guiding, and the short cable withthree wires connects to the CFW-6. The black wire of the three-wire group mates to t...

Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques Page 33 5. Advanced Imaging Techniques With practice, you will certainly develop methods of your own to get the most from your CCDcamera. In this section we offer some suggestions to save you time getting started in each ofthe different areas outlined below, b...

Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques Page 34 the twilight sky near the horizon or take an image of a blank wall or neutral grey card. TheKodak CCDs may have a low contrast grid pattern visible in the sky background. A flat fieldwill eliminate this. Finding areas of the sky devoid of stars is very...

Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques Page 35 is best for critical focusing. Planet mode will result in fast digitization and download timessince only a small portion of the frame is read out. In general, you should pick a binning mode that yields stars with two to three pixels full width at half ...

Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques Page 36 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as many times as desired for all the objects you wish to image, each time choosing a set of corresponding new names for the IMAGE and TRACK files. 6. You will now create a combined flat field image for each Track and Accumulate ...

Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques Page 37 absolutely necessary. Finally, modern drive correctors with periodic error correction (PEC) orpermanent periodic error correction (PPEC) will ease the difficulty of achieving good results. The moral of the story is don't count on the CCD autoguider to ...

Section 6 - Accessories for your CCD Camera Page 39 6. Accessories for your CCD Camera This section briefly describes the different accessories available for your CCD camera. 6.1. Cooling Booster The cooling booster, which is included with the ST-9E and ST-10E, is an option for the ST-7E, ST-8E and ...

Section 6 - Accessories for your CCD Camera Page 40 reservoir from a significant height above it, such a 0.3 meter (12 inches). Lastly, check forleaks! When using water cooling, avoid the temptation to put ice in the water to get the camera even colder. As the cooling booster is designed, the camera...

Section 6 - Accessories for your CCD Camera Page 41 6.5. AO-7 and Lucy-Richardson Software The AO-7 is the world's only Adaptive Optics accessory for the amateur CCD market and itworks only with the self guided feature of the ST-7E/8E/9E/10E. The AO-7 is essentially anelectromechanical driven diagon...

Section 6 - Accessories for your CCD Camera Page 42 the screen, and use an exposure longer than 1/30th of a second to avoid the video refresh rateof your monitor. Darken the room, and use a brighter background than is visually optimum. For the best quality hard copy, save the files in TIFF format an...

Section 8 - Glossary Page 43 7. Common Problems This section discusses some of the more common problems others have encountered whileusing our CCD cameras. You should check here if you experience difficulties, and if yourproblem still persists please contact us to see if we can work it out together....

Section 8 - Glossary Page 45 8. Glossary Antiblooming Gate - When a CCD pixel has reached its full well capacity, electrons can effectively spill over into an adjoining pixel. This is referred to as blooming. Kodak CCDs with the antiblooming option can be used to help stop or at least reduce bloomin...

Appendix A - Connector Pinouts Page 49 A. Appendix A - Connector ad Cables This appendix describes the various connectors and cables used with the ST-7E/8E/9E/10E/1001E. A.1. Appendix A - Connector Pinouts Tables A1 and A2 below show the pin-outs of the Telescope and Power connectors on the ST-7E/8E...

Appendix A - Connector Pinouts Page 50 the Celestron Ultima, Losmandy CG11 and Meade LX-200. You can interface these telescopesto the Telescope port with our TIC-78 (Tracking Interface Cable), or you can make your owncable. Figure A1 below shows the pinouts on these telescopes. Special Common Left D...

Appendix B - File Formats Page 51 B. Appendix C - Maintenance This appendix describes the maintenance items you should know about with your CCDcamera system. B.1. Cleaning the CCD and the Window The design of SBIG cameras allows for cleaning of the CCD. The optical heads are notevacuated and are qui...

Appendix C - Capturing a Good Flat Field Page 53 C. Appendix C - Capturing a Good Flat Field This appendix describes how to take a good flat field. A good flat field is essential for displaying features little brighter than the sky background. The flat field corrects for pixel non-uniformity, vignet...

Index 55 A/D converter, 8, 27 accessories, 41 adaptive optics, 40 antiblooming, 29, 45 Antiblooming Gate (def), 45 AO-7, 40 astrometric measurements, 45 Astrometry (def), 45 astrophotography, 12 atmospheric effects, 17 auto contrast, 18 Auto Grab Command, 21 autoguider, 8, 20, 23, 36, 45 Autoguider ...

Index 57 shutter, 8 signal to noise ratio, 22, 29 sky background, 5, 20 smoothing, 19 snapshot, 23 software, 26, 41 spectral range, 5 spectrograph, 41 Status Window, 16 Link field, 16 stellar magnitude, 19 stellar temperature, 19 super pixel, 19 taking images, 18 TE cooler, 8 TE Cooler, 7 TE Cooler ...