Alcor System OMEA User manual

© Alcor System 1
OMEA “All Sky” Camera
Installation and user manual
June 20th, 2016 re ision

© Alcor System 2
Table of Contents
1 Camera installation ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 System installation .................................................................................................................................................. 4
1.2 Camera Features ................................................................................................................................................... 10
1.3 Camera optical settings ......................................................................................................................................... 10
1.3.1 Fixed iris settings ........................................................................................................................................... 10
1.3.2 Auto-iris ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
1.4 O EA camera connections ................................................................................................................................... 11
1.4.1 Temperature sensor and humidity connector (#1) ....................................................................................... 12
1.4.2 Power connector and RS232 (#2).................................................................................................................. 13
1.4.3 USB connector (#3) ....................................................................................................................................... 17
2 Software ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18
2.1 Camera driver installation software ..................................................................................................................... 18
2.1.1 USB Version ................................................................................................................................................... 18
2.2 Installing the camera ActiveX interface ................................................................................................................ 20
2.3 Installing the XVID Codec video compression ....................................................................................................... 22
3 Using the camera software control .............................................................................................................................. 25
3.1 Initializing .............................................................................................................................................................. 25
3.2 Storage of files produced by the camera control software .................................................................................. 32
3.3 Camera exposure time and gain ........................................................................................................................... 34
3.3.1 anual mode ................................................................................................................................................ 35
3.3.2 Automatic mode ........................................................................................................................................... 35
3.3.3 Bayer pattern reconstruction (color camera only) ....................................................................................... 35
3.4 Image hot pixel removal using dark frame image................................................................................................. 36
3.4.1 Achieving master dark frame ........................................................................................................................ 39
3.4.2 Residual hot pixels repair/fix ........................................................................................................................ 42
3.5 Setting the overlay grid ......................................................................................................................................... 44
3.6 Cyanogen Boldwood or Sentinel cloud sensors link with camera control software ........................................... 47
3.7 agnitude per square second display image mode ............................................................................................. 48
3.8 Telescope control software link ............................................................................................................................ 50
3.1 Star count for cloud coverage estimation ............................................................................................................. 51
4 Sphere condensation heater management .................................................................................................................. 53
4.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 53

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4.2 Adjusting and start-up .......................................................................................................................................... 53
5 Weather measurement module ................................................................................................................................... 58
5.1 Sensors software management ............................................................................................................................ 61
6 Camera maintenance .................................................................................................................................................... 64
6.1 Sphere cleaning ..................................................................................................................................................... 64
6.2 Camera internal desiccant replacement ............................................................................................................... 65
7 Trouble shooting ........................................................................................................................................................... 65
7.1 Camera does not deliver images ........................................................................................................................... 65
7.2 Dew inside the dome ............................................................................................................................................ 65
8 Product terms of use ..................................................................................................................................................... 66

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1Camera installation
1.1 System installation
The camera works outdoor, it is weather-tight. Warning, the system is not submersible: it is not a diving camera
diving. oreover, it is impervious to intrusion of insects (of size greater than about 50 microns).
The camera has no mechanical shutter. The heat does not cause daytime stops operation of the camera.
Please do not install the camera near a pollution source (like a chimney). Give as much exposure as possible and
avoid obstacles:
•O EA 1.3 field of view is 185 ° x 165 °, 1.8mm fisheye lens focal length provides a wide 8.9
arcmin per pixel on the sky.
•O EA 2.0 field of view is 185 ° x 175 °, 1.8mm fisheye lens focal length provides a wide 8.4
arcmin per pixel on the sky.
This version of camera has heater that can remove external condensation that can occur on sphere surface and
three sealed connectors.
The camera has three anchors on the back, these three ISO 6 not thru threaded holes by 10 mm depth. Use
the supplied screws to fix or equivalent stainless steel A4 or A2 screw.

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Fig. 1 The position of the three screws securing the USB camera (yellow holes)
There are three other "holes" that are filled with waterproof connectors, leave this space free and 100mm
underneath to allow the cables to run.
The N, S, E and W direction is defined by rotating the camera accordingly. This is up to the user to define camera
orientation according to its needs. Please perform image capture tests before attaching the camera to the pole.
The cables go straight from the camera bottom. If the cables shall be bent, respect what is shown on the picture
(Fig. 2)

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Fig. 3 Three cables straight descent.

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Fig. 4 Minimum cable radius curvature.

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The waterproof connectors connect as follows:
•Identify the number of connector pins of the camera, its type (male / female)
•Identify the number of pins of the connector cord and match.
•Identify the key pin inside the camera connector and the key at the connector cord side.
•Apply a rectilinear motion. If insertion force strength persists please repeat steps for
locating the pin number and key. Excessi e force applied to connector can cause the
destruction of the connector or a bad connection can damage the camera. In case of
damage due to trials to attach cable to the wrong connector kind, warranty could be
canceled.
Fig. 5 Key one of the three connectors (power connector).

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Fig. 6 ush the connector straight
Fig. 7 Then turn the connector’s collar in clockwise fashion

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1.2 Camera Features
The O EA 1.3 camera features a Sony CCD ICX205AL anti-blooming detector providing a resolution of 1280 x
960 pixels. The O EA 2.0 camera features a Sony CCD ICX274AL anti-blooming detector providing a resolution
of 1600 x 1200 pixels. The gain is adjustable from 2.2 to 50 e-/ADU e-/ADU by software.
1.3 Camera optical settings
The focus and the angle adjustment (tilt) of the lens with respect to the CCD are factory made. It is not possible
to perform changes from outside for tightness reasons. Access to the inner parts of the camera is not possible.
To do so, this would require dismantling the entire camera body and lens protection system.
Concerning the lens aperture, there are two possible cases: lens iris sets to fixed-aperture or be opened/closed
with two variable positions.
1.3.1 Fixed iris settings
This is a factory requirement from the customer. There are three options summarized in this table:
F / 1.4
aximum aperture
:
The sensitivity is maximized at the expense of some residual aberrations at the
edges of the image due to lens optical performance.
Configuration for small meteors.
Despite the exposure time of 0.1 ms and the lowest gain applied, the possibilities
of imaging will be limited during days on a completely clear sky (high saturation).
F / 2
Average opening
:
The sensitivity is a good tradeoff for very black site.
The optical quality is better compared to f/1.4.
This is a good compromise for weak light pollution observing sites. Imaging
during day time is still possible (saturation limited)
F/2.8
inimum Aperture
:
The sensitivity is degraded for very dark sites (no light pollution), especially for
color cameras, but is perfect for suburban sites. The optical quality is maximized.
Imaging capabilities during day time are very good.
You cannot change the aperture value from outside camera, for reasons of access sealing.
1.3.2 Auto-iris

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The system embeds a small board that switches from f/2 to f/8 automatically using a photodiode that measures
the ambient light level. The f/2 to f/8 toggling process occurs at twilight without any external
software/hardware.
A hole at the top of the camera allows entry of light toward photodiode which deals with the auto-iris. Please
never obstruct!
Fig. 8 Entry of light for auto-iris system measurement
1.4 OMEA camera connections
Connectors keying and different amount of pins are preventing connection errors. However, user must look at
the number of connector pins at the end of the cord before connecting the camera, in order to avoid forcing the
pins and damage the camera connector.

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Fig. 9 Rear of USB camera
Connector
Role
Genre (on camera)
#
1
Temperature
/ Humidity
sensor
Weather module
Female
5 pts
Female 12 pts
#
2
Power connector and RS232
link
ale
#
3
USB
link
ale
1.4.1 Temperature sensor and humidity connector (#1)
It is a 5-pin connector. The probe located at the end of the cord will be placed preferably in the shade, as far as
possible from the camera, and always with two set Ø4mm screws with the direction gi en in the next frame
and horizontally. It put upside down, this can destroy the sensor and warranty will no apply.

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Fig. 10 U p / down and horizontal temperature sensor and humidity directions for installation
1.4.2 Power connector and RS232 (#2)
This is providing power to the camera and RS232 link.
The RS232 connector is a DB9 connector type female and attaches to the serial port of the PC. New PCs are not
equipped with serial port, and must be equipped either:
•By a RS232 – USB converter (very moderate cost, FTDI,ATEN devices )
•By RS232 PCI card (Low cost device, not suitable for laptops)
•By Serial to Ethernet ( OXA devices,
http://www.moxa.com/product/nport_device_server_1.htm ) Product type is Nport.

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Fig. 11 RS232 connector and power wires (black and red power wire are attached to a power supply provided by
Alcor-System)
The power supply is provided as 12V or 24V, 110V 60Hz and 220V 50Hz compliant. The current provided by the
PSU is enough to power the camera and the dome heater. Three kind of plugs are provided on request: EU, US
and UK type.

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Fig. 12 12 or 24V power supply
A the end of the RS232 cable, a USB to RS232 high quality converter is used Once connected to the PC, the driver
is loaded automatically for Windows 10. For other OS, please go here to pick up the proper driver:
http://www.ftdichip.com/FTDrivers.htm
Under windows 7, it will appear as UC232R in device manager and driver must appear as follows after driver
installation (can be another CO number port).
Under Windows 8, ask windows device manager to update this device from internet, and driver will be installed
automatically.

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In the end the PC, must ha e TWO USB port free for the system, one for the camera Data stream, and another
for this RS232 to USB link.
Fig. 13
RS232 to USB converter
Fig. 14
COM port under Device manager,
warning it can be another number than
COM24
The device manager properties for this CO port should be seen as follows once connected:

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Fig. 15 Serial to USB converter, as it appears in the device manager
1.4.3 USB connector (#3)
This is tied up to a 6 pin connector. Please always connect the camera first and then connect to PC second. The
cable that goes to the PC is 20m length.

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2Software
Camera drivers can be found into our web site:
http://www.alcor-system.com/us/AllSkyCamera/softwares.html
Installation has four parts:
1. Camera USB driver
2. ActiveX interface to the camera (common to all models)
3. The XVID compression codec
4. The camera control software
2.1 Camera dri er installation software
The camera system is based on the camera pro ided by "IMAGING-SOURCE" company: DMK41, DFK41,
DMK51 or DFK51 models.
2.1.1 USB Version
Connect the camera to the USB port of your PC where it needs to work with. In the Windows device anager
form, the camera should appear with an icon tagged exclamation point on a yellow background.
Fig. 16 Lists of Windows’ devices
The driver must be downloaded here:
http://www.alcor-system.com/common/allSky/sw/icwdmuvccamtis.en_US.zip

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Once the file icwdmu ccamtis.en_US.zip downloaded, unzip to a directory (any).The following files are visible.
Then launch " drvInstaller.exe "(Whatever version of Windows 32 or 64 bits).
Fig. 17 USB camera driver files
The form appears in the right to accept the installation of an unsigned driver, click “Continue Anyway”. Do not
disconnect the camera during this phase.
Fig. 18 Fig. 19
After camera driver is installed, into the device manager, the yellow exclamation point will disappear and
provides the actual name of the camera.

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Fig. 20 Windows Device Manager, once the camera driver is installed and loaded.
More recent dri ers can be found here:
http://www.theimagingsource.com/support/downloads-for-windows/
2.2 Installing the camera Acti eX interface
Click icvb6runtimesetup.exe. Installation of this interface is essential; otherwise the control software will not
work and will not detect any camera.
It can be downloaded here: http://www.alcor-system.com/common/allSky/sw/icvb6runtimesetup.zip