Santa Barbara Instrument Group ST-237 User manual

PRICE $10.00
Operating Manual
for the ST-237
Advanced CCD Camera
Santa Barbara Instrument Group

Santa Barbara Instrument Group
1482 East Valley Road - Suite 33
PO Box 50437
Santa Barbara, CA 93150
PHN [phone]
FAX [phone]
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. HOW CCDS WORK...............................................................................................................................3
1.2. CCDS APPLIED TO ASTRONOMICAL IMAGING ...................................................................................4
1.2.1. Cooling.............................................................................................................................................4
1.2.2. Dark Frames.....................................................................................................................................5
1.3. THE VARIOUS CCD PARAMETERS AND HOW THEY AFFECT IMAGING.............................................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. CAMERA HARDWARE ARCHITECTURE ............................................................................................. 10
2. THE FIRST DAY WITH THE CAMERA ...............................................................................................13
2.1. SETTING UP THE SYSTEM.................................................................................................................. 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. THE FIRST NIGHT WITH THE CAMERA.............................................................................................. 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. IMAGE ACQUISITION ROUTINES........................................................................................................ 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. FILE OPERATIONS .............................................................................................................................. 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. IMAGE DISPLAY ROUTINES ............................................................................................................... 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. IMAGE PROCESSING ROUTINES......................................................................................................... 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. IMAGE ANALYSIS ROUTINES............................................................................................................. 30
3.5.1 Histogram....................................................................................................................................... 31
3.5.2 Cross Hairs..................................................................................................................................... 31
3.6. SETUP FUNCTIONS............................................................................................................................. 31
3.6.1 Camera Setup.................................................................................................................................. 31
3.6.2 Graphics Setup................................................................................................................................ 32
3.6.3 Communications Setup.................................................................................................................... 32
3.7. GENERAL PURPOSE CAMERA FUNCTIONS........................................................................................ 32
3.7.1 Establish Link ................................................................................................................................. 32
3.7.2 Information..................................................................................................................................... 32
3.7.3 Shutdown......................................................................................................................................... 32
3.7.4 Autoguiding.................................................................................................................................... 33
3.7.5 Filter Wheel.................................................................................................................................... 33
4. ADVANCED IMAGING TECHNIQUES.................................................................................................35
4.1. TAKING A GOOD FLAT FIELD ............................................................................................................ 35
4.2. TRACK AND ACCUMULATE............................................................................................................... 35
4.3. COLOR IMAGING................................................................................................................................ 35
4.4. AUTOGUIDING.................................................................................................................................... 36
4.5. FIELD OPERATION.............................................................................................................................. 37
5. GLOSSARY............................................................................................................................................... 39
6. HINTS AND TIPS......................................................................................................................................43
6.1 QUESTION AND ANSWER....................................................................................................................... 43
6.2. CCDOPS USE TIPS ............................................................................................................................. 45
6.3. HINTS AND TIPS FOR LAPTOP USERS................................................................................................ 45
6.4. TELESCOPE TIPS ................................................................................................................................ 46
A. APPENDIX A - SPECIFICATIONS ......................................................................................................... 49
A.1 DC POWER JACK................................................................................................................................ 49
A.1 COMMUNICATIONS PORT .................................................................................................................. 49
A.1 TELESCOPE PORT............................................................................................................................... 50
B. APPENDIX B - FILE FORMATS.............................................................................................................51
B.1 SBIG COMPRESSED AND UNCOMPRESSED FORMATS...................................................................... 51
B.2. TIFF FORMAT .................................................................................................................................... 56
B.3. FITS FORMAT .................................................................................................................................... 56
C. APPENDIX C - MAINTENANCE ............................................................................................................57
C.1. REPLACING THE FUSE........................................................................................................................ 57
C.2. DISASSEMBLING/REASSEMBLING THE OPTICAL HEAD.................................................................... 57
C.3. CLEANING THE OPTICAL WINDOWS.................................................................................................. 58
C.4. REPLACING THE DESICCANT............................................................................................................. 58
D. APPENDIX D - ADVANCED IMAGE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES ................................................. 59
D.1. ASTROMETRY AND PHOTOMETRY.................................................................................................... 59
D.1.1 Astrometric Measurements.......................................................................................................... 59
D.1.2 Photometric Measurements......................................................................................................... 60
D.1.3 Calculation of Centroids............................................................................................................. 62
D.1.4 Calculation of Separation ........................................................................................................... 63
D.1.5 Calculation of Magnitude ........................................................................................................... 63
D.1.6 Calculation of Diffuse Magnitude.................................................................................................... 64
D.2. FLAT FIELDING TRACK AND ACCUMULATE IMAGES....................................................................... 64

iii
D.3. FURTHER READING............................................................................................................................ 65