Table of Contents
Related Manuals for Santa Barbara Instrument Group CCD Camera
Summary of Contents for Santa Barbara Instrument Group CCD Camera
- Page 1 Operating Manual CCD Camera Models ST-7E, ST-8E, ST-9E, ST-10E and ST-1001E Santa Barbara Instrument Group 147A Castilian Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93117 Phone (805) 571-7244 Fax (805) 571-1147 Web:<www.sbig.com> Email:<sbig@sbig.com>...
- Page 2 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.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Electronic Imaging ...12 2.6. Black and White vs. Color...13 At the Telescope with a CCD Camera...15 3.1. Step by Step with a CCD Camera ...15 3.2. Attaching the Camera to the Telescope ...15 3.3. Establishing a Communications Link ...16 3.4. - Page 4 Building a Library of Dark Frames ...34 5.6. Changing the Camera Resolution ...34 5.7. Flat Fielding Track and Accumulate Images...35 5.8. Tracking Functions ...36 Accessories for your CCD Camera...39 6.1. Cooling Booster...39 6.2. Tri-color Imaging ...40 6.3. Camera Lens Adapters and Eyepiece Projection ...40 6.4.
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Page 5: Introduction
The model ST-7E, ST-8E, ST-9E, ST-10E and ST-1001E are SBIG's fourth generation CCD cameras and represent the state of the art in CCD camera systems with their low noise and advanced capabilities, including Kodak's new Blue Enhanced E series of CCDs. We feel... -
Page 6: Ccdops Software
1.2.1. CCDOPS Software Follow the instructions below to run the CCDOPS software and display and process sample images included on the distribution diskette. • Install the software onto your hard disk. For Windows this involves running the Setup.exe file on the first diskette. For Macintosh or DOS this involves copying the contents of the floppy disk to a folder or directory on your hard disk. -
Page 7: Ccd Camera
• Process the image (refer to Section 3.8). If you happen to have purchased a camera lens adapter for your CCD Camera you can use that to take images in the daytime. Additionally you could make a small pinhole aperture out of a piece of aluminum foil after wrapping it around the camera's nosepiece. -
Page 9: Introduction To Ccd Cameras
Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras Introduction to CCD Cameras This section introduces new users to CCD (Charge Coupled Device) cameras and their capabilities and to the field of CCD Astronomy and Electronic Imaging. 2.1. Cameras in General The CCD is very good at the most difficult astronomical imaging problem: imaging small, faint objects. -
Page 10: Full Frame And Frame Transfer Ccds
Camera Hardware Architecture This section describes the ST-7E, ST-8E, ST-9E, ST-10E and ST-1001E systems standpoint. It describes the elements that comprise a CCD camera and the functions they provide. Please refer to Figure 2.2 below as you read through this section. - Page 11 There is no external CPU like the ST-5C, ST-237, ST-6 and STV. At the "front end" of any CCD camera is the CCD sensor itself. As we have already learned, CCDs are a solid state image sensor organized in a rectangular array of regularly spaced rows and columns.
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Page 12: Ccd Special Requirements
TTL level telescope interface port to control the telescope and the optional CFW-6A motorized color filter wheel. Although not part of the CCD Camera itself, the Host Computer and Software are an integral part of the system. SBIG provides software for the ST-7E, ST-8E, ST-9E, ST-10E and ST- 1001E cameras for the IBM PC and Compatible computers (all cameras, DOS and Windows) and the ST-7E/8E are also supported by the Macintosh. -
Page 13: Double Correlated Sampling Readout
Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras current, which can cause each pixel to fill with electrons in only a few seconds at room temperature even in the absence of light. By cooling the CCD, the dark current and corresponding noise is reduced, and longer exposures are possible. In fact, for roughly every 5 to 6°... -
Page 14: Flat Field Images
Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras at the same temperature and for the same duration as the light frame with the source of light to the CCD blocked so that you get a "picture" of the dark. This dark frame will contain an image of the noise caused by dark current (thermal noise) and other fixed pattern noise such as read out noise. -
Page 15: Guiding
Any time you are taking exposures longer than several seconds, whether you are using a film camera or a CCD camera, the telescope needs to be guided to prevent streaking. While modern telescope drives are excellent with PEC or PPEC, they will not produce streak-free images without adjustment every 30 to 60 seconds. -
Page 16: Electronic Imaging
CCD camera. However, electronic images differ from photographic images in several important aspects. In their most basic form, electronic images are simply groups of numbers arranged in a computer file in a particular format. -
Page 17: Black And White Vs. Color
Section 2 - Introduction to CCD Cameras 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, upload it to your favorite bulletin board or online service, or store it away for processing and analysis at some later date. -
Page 19: At The Telescope With A Ccd Camera
Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera At the Telescope with a CCD Camera This section describes what goes on the first time you take your CCD camera out to the telescope. You should read this section throughout before working at the telescope. It will help familiarize you with the overall procedure that is followed without drowning you in the details. -
Page 20: Establishing A Communications Link
3.4. Focusing the CCD Camera Focusing a CCD camera can be a tedious operation, so a few hints should be followed. Before using the software to focus the camera the first time you should place a diffuser (such as scotch tape or ground glass) at the approximate location of the CCD's sensitive surface behind the eyepiece tube and focus the telescope on the moon, a bright planet or a distant street lamp. - Page 21 Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera This preliminary step will save you much time in initially finding focus. The approximate distance behind the eyepiece tube for each of our CCD cameras is listed in Table 3.1 below:...
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Page 22: Finding And Centering The Object
Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera eyepiece and slide it back and forth to find the best visual focus, and then scribe the outside of the eyepiece barrel. The next time the CCD is used the eyepiece should be first inserted into the tube to the scribe mark, and the telescope visually focused and centered on the object. -
Page 23: Processing The Image
Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera 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 manually using the Dark Subtract command. -
Page 24: Track And Accumulate
Their sensitivity is much greater than an ST-4, and the video display easier to use. When functioning as an autoguider, the CCD camera repeatedly takes images of a guide star, measures the star's position to a fraction of a pixel accuracy, and corrects the telescope's position through the hand controller. -
Page 25: Auto Grab
Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera One of the reasons that SBIG autoguiders are often better than human guiders is that, rather than just stabbing the hand controller to bump the guide star back to the reticule, it gives a precise correction that is the duration necessary to move the guide star right back to its intended position. - Page 26 Section 3 - At the Telescope with a CCD Camera Color imaging places some interesting requirements on the user that bear mentioning. First, many color filters have strong leaks in the infrared (IR) region of the spectrum, a region where CCDs have relatively good response. If the IR light is not filtered out then combining the three images into a color image can give erroneous results.
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Page 27: Camera Hardware
Camera Hardware This section describes the modular components that make up the CCD Camera System and how 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 CCD cameras consist of four major components: the CCD Sensors and Preamplifier, the Readout/Clocking Electronics, the Microcontroller, and the power supply. -
Page 28: Using Mechanical Relays
The host software and the CCD camera control the telescope through the 9-pin Telescope port on the camera. This port provides active low open collector signals to the outside world. - Page 29 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, when the relay is inactivated there is a connection between the Common and the Normally Closed contact.
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Page 30: Modular Family Of Ccd Cameras
4.5. Modular Family of CCD Cameras With the introduction of the ST-6 CCD Camera in 1992 SBIG started a line of high quality, low noise, modular CCD cameras. The ST-7E, ST-8E and ST-9E were a second family of modular CCD cameras. The ST-10E and ST-1001E will also allow for upgrades to a faster USB interface when available. - Page 31 software. Software developers can produce one package for the many users across the model line instead of different packages for each of the cameras. While the SBIG cameras have many similarities, there are also important differences between the products. Table 4.2 below highlights the differences from a system's standpoint: Camera ST-5C ST-237A...
- Page 32 CCD Used Number of Camera Pixels Tracking TC-211 192 x 164 ST-5C TC-255 320 x 240 ST-237A TC-237 657 x 495 TC-237 320 x 200 ST-6 TC-241 375 x 242 ST-7E KAF0401E 765 x 510 ST-8E KAF1602E 1530 x 1020 ST-9E KAF0261E 512 x 512 ST-10E...
- Page 33 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...
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Page 34: Connecting The Older Model Cfw-6 Filter Wheel To The Camera
C8, 8" f/10 Field of View Camera (arcmins) Tracking 4.2x4.2 ST-5C 5.4x4.1 ST-237 8.0x6.0 8.0x5.0 ST-6 14.6x11.1 ST-7E 11.9x7.9 ST-8E 23.8x15.8 ST-9E 17.6x17.6 ST-10E 25.1x16.9 ST-1001E 41.6x41.6 Object Moon Jupiter M51-Whirlpool Galaxy M27-Dumbell Nebula M57-Ring Nebula From these numbers you can deduce that the popular C8, an 8" f/10 telescope will nicely frame many popular objects with the ST-7E whereas a much shorter system (f/3, perhaps achieved with a focal reducer) will frame the same objects for the tracking CCD. -
Page 35: Battery Operation
ST-7E/8E/9E/10E head. The phone cable connection connects to the telescope drive to adjust the telescope position when collecting images using Self-Guiding, and the short cable with three wires connects to the CFW-6. The black wire of the three-wire group mates to the brown or black wire of the CFW-6. -
Page 37: Advanced Imaging Techniques
You may attach a camera lens in place of your telescope and use the CCD camera for very wide angle images of the night sky or for terrestrial views in daylight. Begin with a tenth second exposure at f/16 for scenes at normal room light and adjust as necessary for your conditions. -
Page 38: Building A Library Of Dark Frames
Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques the twilight sky near the horizon or take an image of a blank wall or neutral grey card. The Kodak CCDs may have a low contrast grid pattern visible in the sky background. A flat field will eliminate this. -
Page 39: Flat Fielding Track And Accumulate Images
Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques is best for critical focusing. Planet mode will result in fast digitization and download times since 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 maximum. -
Page 40: Tracking Functions
Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques 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. - Page 41 Section 5 - Advanced Imaging Techniques absolutely necessary. Finally, modern drive correctors with periodic error correction (PEC) or permanent 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 fix all your problems. The better the drive, the better results you will obtain.
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Page 43: Accessories For Your Ccd Camera
Section 6 - Accessories for your CCD Camera 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 ST-1001E. -
Page 44: Tri-Color Imaging
6.2. Tri-color Imaging You can make splendid color images with your CCD camera by using the optional CFW-8 color filter wheel. The CFW-8 attaches to the front of the CCD head and allows you to take images in red, green and blue light of the same object. When these images are aligned and processed a full color image results. -
Page 45: And Lucy-Richardson Software
6.7.3. Getting Hardcopy One older way of producing a hard copy of images taken with the CCD camera is to simply take a photograph of the computer screen while the image is displayed. It is best to use a long... -
Page 46: Sbig Technical Support
6.8. SBIG Technical Support If you have any unanswered questions about the operation of your CCD camera system or have suggestions on how to improve it please don't fail to contact us. We appreciate all your comments and suggestions. Additionally if you are interested in writing software supporting... -
Page 47: Common Problems
2. Be sure that your calibration time gives at least 10 to 50 pixels of movement for each step of the Calibrate Track command. 3. Check for flexure between the CCD camera head and your system. Check for flexure between the guide scope or off-axis guider and your telescope system. - Page 48 The easiest method of finding objects is to use a reticule eyepiece, if the object is bright enough to see. Pull the CCD optical head from the eyepiece holder and insert a 12-20mm eyepiece, focussing the eyepiece by sliding it in and out of the eyepiece holder, not by adjusting the telescope's focus mechanism.
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Page 49: Glossary
CCD array. The camera has four relays to control the drive corrector system of the telescope. The CCD camera head is installed at the guide scope or off axis guider in place of a guiding eyepiece. - Page 50 Photometry - Photometry is the study of stellar magnitudes at a given wavelength or bandpass. Pixel Size - The smallest resolution element of a CCD camera is the CCD pixel. The pixel sizes for each of the SBIG cameras are as follows: Camera Tracking CCD 13.75 x 16...
- Page 51 A/D converter and preamplifier. Resolution Mode - The resolution of a CCD camera is determined by pixel size. Pixel size can be increased by combining or binning more than one pixel and displaying it as one pixel.
- Page 52 Sky Background - The sky background illumination or brightness is the number of counts in the image in areas free of stars or nebulosity and is due to city lights and sky glow. High levels of sky background can increase the noise in images just like dark current. For some objects deep sky filters can be used to reduce the sky background level.
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Page 53: Appendix A - Connector Ad Cables
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/9E. - Page 54 the Celestron Ultima, Losmandy CG11 and Meade LX-200. You can interface these telescopes to the Telescope port with our TIC-78 (Tracking Interface Cable), or you can make your own cable. Figure A1 below shows the pinouts on these telescopes. Figure A1 - CCD Connector for TIC Mating Appendix A - Connector Pinouts Hand Controller Modular Phone...
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Page 55: Appendix C - Maintenance
Appendix C - Maintenance This appendix describes the maintenance items you should know about with your CCD camera system. B.1. Cleaning the CCD and the Window The design of SBIG cameras allows for cleaning of the CCD. The optical heads are not evacuated and are quite easy to open and clean. -
Page 57: Appendix C - Capturing A Good Flat Field
Appendix C - Capturing a Good Flat Field 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, vignetting, dust spots (affectionately called dust doughnuts), and stray light variations. - Page 59 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 (def), 45 background parameter, 18 battery operation, 15, 23...
- Page 60 focal reducer, 40 Focal Reducer (def), 46 focus Dim mode, 18, 19 fine, 17 Full frame mode, 17 Full Frame mode, 19 peak, 17 Planet mode, 17, 19, 46 Focus Command, 17, 19 focus mode, 17, 19 Focusing, 16 Frame Transfer CCDs, 6 Frame Transfer CCDs (def), 46 frost, 8 Full Frame CCDs, 6...
- Page 61 Index 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...