ATIK Cameras Horizon User manual

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ATIK
CAMERAS
Atik Horizon Camera Manual
Version 1.0 - November 2017

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Contents
Introduction 3
Further Information 3
What’s in the Box 4
Getting to know your camera 5
Camera Parts 5
Sensor 5
Optical Window 5
Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) 5
Power Consumption 5
USB Port 6
Cable Post 7
Cooling 7
Dark Frames 7
Binning 8
Gain and Offset 8
Gain Presets 8
Offset for Advanced Settings 8
Replacing the Desiccant 9
Technical Specications 9
Declaration of Conformity 10
Disposal of the Camera 11
Servicing and Repairs 11
Warranty 11

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Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of an Atik Horizon camera. This manual will help you get the most
out of your Atik Camera so please take the time to read it thoroughly and you’ll soon be ready to
discover new worlds.
Atik Cameras provide exceptional value for money, superior performance and unparalleled ease of
use. They are the result of extensive research and development, each one having been designed
and built with the requirements of the most demanding astro-imager in mind. Your Atik camera
incorporates state-of-the-art design and materials, and will be your trusted astro- photography
companion for a long time to come.
Further Information
For easy installation instructions and useful information about how to take your rst image, please
refer to the Quick Start Guide included with your camera. Further information about our software
can be found in our Documentation PDFs (Start Menu > Atik Cameras > Documentation), which are
copied to your computer during the software installation. Further information, including a variety of
tutorial videos, is available on our website at www.atik-cameras.com

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What’s in the Box
Your Atik Horizon box includes:
• Atik Horizon CMOS Camera
• 2” Noserpiece and Cap
• USB3 Cable
• USB2 Cable
• Car lighter style power cable
• CD with software and manuals
• Quick Start Guide
• Cable Post and Cable Tie
• Desiccant Port Tool

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Getting to know your camera
Camera Parts
1. Mini USB 2/USB 3 Port
2. 1mm centre-positive 12V DC input
3. Cable Post Thread
4. Desiccant port
5. Sensor Plane
Sensor
The sensor in the Atik Horizon camera is a Panasonic MN34230 CMOS sensor.
The sensor plane is marked on the side of the front chamber.
Optical Window
The optical window is quartz with BBAR coatings on both side to negate problems with reections
in your images.
Analog to Digital Converter (ADC)
The Atik Horizon uses 12-bit analogue to digital converters.
Power Consumption
Atik Cameras are designed to have low power consumption to improve performance in the eld.
Your camera is supplied with a power cable with a car light style plug which allows you to connection
to most power tanks and battery packs available on the market today.
If you would like to run the camera from a 110/220V mains supply, make sure it’s of good quality with
a 2.1mm type plug, center positive and capable of supplying a minimum of 2.5 amp.
WARNING Mains power adaptors are intended for indoor or observatory use only. There is a risk
of electric shock if the adaptor is used in damp environments or outside. If in doubt, do not use the
adaptor and consult a trained electrician.
1
2
3
4
5
(on side of front chamber,
not shown)

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USB Port
The Atik Horizon can be used with either a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 cable. Your camera comes with both
so you have the exibility to choose whichever suits your set up and your imaging requirements
best.
The Atik Horizon features a 256mb DDR III image bu󰀨er to ensure fast image transfer from sensor
to memory and low amp glow. The typeof USB (2 or 3) connection dtermines the speed of transfer
between this bu󰀨er to the PC. For high speed, you can use USB 3.0 or for a lighter more exible
cable use USB 2.0. The type of connection does not a󰀨ect image quality.
The USB 3.0 cable is connected as shown below, and can be connected to either a USB 3.0 or USB
2.0 port on your PC. Please note that USB 3.0 transfer speeds will only be reached when connecting
the cable to a USB 3.0 port on your PC.
USB 2.0 connection:

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Cable Post
Your Atik Horizon comes with a cable post and cable tie to help you secure your connections and
minimise cable strain and clutter at the telescope. If you would like to use the cable post, simply
screw it in to the cable post thread on the back plate of the camera, and use the supplied cable tie
to secure your cables. They should be tight enough to reduce exure, but not so tight as to put any
strain on the connections.
Cooling
The Atik Horizon has a regulated cooling system, meaning that the CMOS sensor can be kept at
your desired temperature throughout an imaging session. This also makes it easy to take dark
frames at the same temperature as your light frames.
The cooling delta of the Atik Horizon is -40°C. Please note that the cooling delta is how far below
the ambient temperature the camera can achieve, rather than a xed temperature it can cool to.
This means the best temperature to image at will depend on your environment, and we recommend
using a repeatable, stable temperature, rather than simply the maximum the camera can reach on
a given night.
After switching on the camera, it’s advisable to allow up to 5 minutes before taking images so that
the temperature can stabilise. At the end of an imaging session, turn o󰀨 the cooling and allow a few
minutes before disconnecting the camera so that it can complete its warm up sequence.
Dark Frames
To get the most out of your Atik Horizon for astrophotography, we recommend processing your
images using dark frames. You can take dark frames by covering the front of the camera with a lens
cap. Dark frames should be taken at the same temprature, exposure length and with the same gain
and o󰀨set settings as your light frames.
A master dark should be generated by averaging a large number of individual dark frames. This can
then be subtracted from the individual image sub frames during processing. Further information on
using dark frames should be available in the manual of whichever image processing software you
choose to use.

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Binning
Binning is a technique where groups of pixels are added together, with the result being a brighter
image. The CMOS sensor in the Atik Horizon only supports binning in software. This is where the
pixel values are added together after image acquisition, as opposed to hardware binning where
pixels are combined on the sensor.
Gain and Offset
Your Atik Horizon allows you to change the gain and o󰀨set settings for the camera. In very simple
terms, this is analogous to the volume control on a radio. The greater the gain, the easier it is to
detect faint signals, however less detail might be seen in the brighter ones.
The full well depth (ie maximum signal) of the Atik Horizon is around 20,000e-, which we map to a
pixel value of 65,535. By increasing the gain, we reduce the full well depth, which has the e󰀨ect of
making the images appear brighter. Using a gain of x2, the full well depth is around 10,000e-. This
10,000e- now gives a pixel value of 65,535, which makes the image appear twice as bright. The
read noise, or how ‘grainy’ the background looks, will also increase. However, this increases a little
less than two times.
The useful range for gain is up to x30. Here, the image is 30 times as bright, but the full well depth
is only ~650e-. This means bright stars will saturate very quickly. Although it may look bad due to
the small full well depth, the read noise will only be about 1/3 of what it was at x1 gain. These kind
of settings are very useful for very dim objects or narrow band imaging if you don’t mind the bright
objects saturating.
Gain Presets
We provide three gain presets, and the option to use your own custom settings. The presets are:
Low - Best for normal imaging. It is the best setting for detail in brighter objects and when individual
images have high dynamic range.
Medium - A compromise of low and high. It’s very useful if your mount is unguided and you need to
take a lot of shorter exposures.
High - Best for sensitivity on dim objects, but sacrices detail in some of the brighter parts. It’s good
for imaging with narrow band lters.
Custom - You can also experiment with using your own gain and o󰀨sets. As mentioned, we nd gain
settings up to x30 are useful, depending on the situation, but above this the full well depth becomes
incredibly low.
Offset for Advanced Settings
The o󰀨set is a voltage added to all pixels. It’s used to ensure the digitised pixel values remain above
zero while maximising dynamic range. It can set between 0 and 511, with the default setting as the
Low preset values.
In Artemis Capture and Innity, these are set in the Exposure window. In third party software, they
can be set through the ASCOM set-up dialog.

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Replacing the Desiccant
Your camera includes a high-performance molecular sieve desiccant tablet which is used to
avoid condensation inside the CMOS chamber. Although this desiccant will last a long time
it may eventually need replacing or recharging, in which case please follow the instructions below:
- To replace the desiccant, open the desiccant port with the supplied plastic tool and a
screwdriver and take out the used tablet.
- To recharge the desiccant, place the tablet in an electric oven at 200ºC for 2 hours. Take the
tablet out the oven (CAUTION: the tablet will be very hot) and allow it to cool down.
- Place the recharged tablet back in the camera, replace the port cover and tighten (no need
to over-tighten). Wait 24 hours before connecting the camera again.
We recommend leaving the camera in a warm, dry environment with the port open while you are
recharging the tablets to ensure any remaining moisture can dry out.
You will notice that there is a lter inside the desiccant chamber. The purpose of this is to avoid
contamination of the chamber when the desiccant is being replaced. The lter is very fragile and
should not be touched.
Technical Specications
Horizon
Image sensor 4/3 CMOS
Resolution 4644 x 3506
Pixel size (µm) 3.8x3.8
ADC 12bit
Readout noise (Typ.) ~1e- at x30 gain
Cooling Delta -40°C
Regulated cooler Yes
Water assist No
Max. exposure Unlimited
Min. exposure 18μs
Gain Factor Variable 1 - x60
Full Well Capacity ~20,000e-
Dark Current ~0.016 e-/pix/sec at -10°C
PC Interface USB2/USB3
Power requirements 12VDC, 2A
Backfocus distance 13mm ±0.5
Thread on front M42x0,75
Weight 525g
Mono or Colour Either

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The following table gives the angular resolution per pixel with certain focal lengths. The formular to
calculate any other focal length is:
(Pixel Size (μm) / Focal Distance (mm)) * 206.3 = angular resolution (arcseconds/pixel)
Declaration of Conformity
EU Declaration of Conformity
This product carries the CE Mark in accordance with the related
European Directive. CE Marking is the responsibility of:
Perseu, SA
R. Dr. Agostinho Neto, 1D
2690-576 Sta Iria da Azoia
Portugal
Critical Applications
This product is not designed for any “critical applications”. “Critical applications” means life support
systems, medical applications, connections to medical devices, commercial transportations, nuclear
facilities or systems or any other applications where product failure could lead to injury to persons or
loss of life or catastrophic property damage.
This product is not a toy.
This is a class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference in
which case the user may be required to take adequate measures
Focal Length Atik Horizon
250 3.14
300 2.61
350 2.24
400 1.96
450 1.74
500 1.57
550 1.43
600 1.31
650 1.21
700 1.12
750 1.05
800 0.98
850 0.92
900 0.87

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Disposal of the Camera
When no longer required do not dispose of this electronic device with general
household waste. To minimise pollution and protect the environment the
camera should be recycled. Local recycling drop o󰀨 points available under the
Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations which
will accept the camera. For further information contact Perseu SA at the above
address, or the shop from which the camera was bought.
Servicing and Repairs
Repairs, servicing and upgrades are available through your local dealer or by emailing support@
atik-cameras.com
Please note that modications to the camera and/or accessories which are undertaken without the
manufacturer’s written permission will void the warranty.
Warranty
The equipment is guaranteed against defective design, manufacture or materials for a period of one
year from the date of purchase.
This means that Atik Cameras will repair or replace the equipment at its sole option, at no charge
to the purchaser for parts or for labour, if the fault is reported within the guarantee period, provided
however that Atik Cameras is able to duplicate the defect or problem at its facilities. This warranty
does not apply to damage that occurred as a result of abuse or misuse, abnormal service or
handling, damage which may have been caused either directly or indirectly by another product, or if
the equipment has been altered or modied in any way, or if the damage was caused by repairs or
service provided or attempted by anyone other than Atik Cameras. This warranty does not include
or provide for incidental or consequential damages.
To exercise your rights under this warranty, you must return the equipment to the dealer from whom it
was purchased together with proof of purchase and a clear description of the fault. If it’s not possible
to return the equipment to your dealer, you should contact Atik Cameras. Equipment returned to Atik
Cameras must be sent in appropriate packaging and at your expense (insurance is recommended),
together with proof of purchase, a return address and a clear description of the fault.
This does not a󰀨ect your statutory rights.