Related Manuals for SBIG AllSky-340
Summary of Contents for SBIG AllSky-340
- Page 1 Operating Manual AllSky-340 and AllSky-340C CCD Cameras Santa Barbara Instrument Group 147A Castilian Drive Santa Barbara, CA 93117 USA Phone (805) 571-7244 Fax (805) 571-1147 Web: www.sbig.com E-mail: sbig@sbig.com...
- Page 2 Shielded I/O cables must be used when operating this equipment. You are also warned, that any changes to this certified device will void your legal right to operate it. _________________________________________________________ Operating Manual for Allsky-340, AllSky-340C CCD Cameras. Revision 1.2 June 30, 2009 Copyright © 2009 Santa Barbara Instrument Group, Inc.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
YOUR OR THE NTERNET 340:....8 NSTALLING IRMWARE PDATES FOR THE : ............... 9 ISCELLANEOUS SSUES ALLSKY-340 SOFTWARE............11 ..................11 ENUS Setup Menu ................11 Display Menu................12 Commands ................12 .............. 13 INDOWS AND IALOGS Main Window................13 Status Bar................ -
Page 4: Introduction And Overview
Introduction and Overview: SBIG’s new All-Sky camera, the AllSky-340, is SBIG’s third version of a weatherproof AllSky camera for monitoring weather conditions. The first had to be obsoleted when we stopped production of the ST-237A, and the second went obsolete when the lens we were using became unavailable, with no suitable replacement. - Page 5 roof. The field of view is slightly greater than 180 degrees in the horizontal direction. Figure Two: All Sky Camera Image The image illustrated was taken using a monochrome sensor. The unit is also available with a color CCD sensor. Note: with a monochrome sensor the daylight images are not particularly good –...
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Page 6: Mechanical Implementation
By actual test, an RS-232 link, using a USB to RS-232 adapter running at 460.8 Kbaud, with a 150 foot long cable, downloads a full image reliably in ~15 seconds. At 115.2 Kbaud a full image takes ~60 seconds. Bluetooth wireless adapters will typically run at 115 Kbaud, and the one we have tried here worked reliably at a distance of 75 feet. -
Page 7: Initial Setup And Focusing
Bluetooth immediately – start with a wired connection. Begin by installing the software to your PC. Make sure you have administrator privileges on the PC, and insert SBIG’s software disk. A screen should pop up in a few seconds. Select “SG-4, AllSKy- 340”... - Page 8 are successful, a box will pop up saying so. Note that when the window opens it automatically tries to communicate with the camera on the selected COM port, starting at 9600 baud and working it way up in speed. If it successfully finds a camera it tells the camera to switch to a higher baud rate and try that.
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Page 9: Focus, Tilt And Centering Adjustments
Focus, Tilt and Centering Adjustments: The focus, tilt and centering adjustments are shown in Figure Four. If you have the lens installed at the factory it will be close when you get it, but it can be tedious getting it perfect. Figure Four: Focus, Tilt and Centering Adjustments Focus can be adjusted with the three sets of push/pull screws around the periphery of the lens plate (marked P/P). -
Page 10: Setting Up The Software For Logging All Sky Images To Your Pc Or The Internet
across the image 2) Tighten up the screws, but do not over tighten them 3) Check focus in the center again Setting up the software for logging All Sky images to your PC or the Internet: The ABIG AllSky 340 software supports a variety of logging options you can use to monitor sky conditions. -
Page 11: Miscellaneous Issues
Be sure to ground the case. Do not assume the case is grounded through your PC RS-232 port. At SBIG we have had many cameras come in that were destroyed by lightning, but at least 4 times more than that were not actually struck, but simply in the presence of high electric fields when lightning is in the area. - Page 12 reason the AllSky 340 camera has a built-in mechanical shutter. The software contains a control to schedule how often a dark frame is collected. A new dark should be collected if the ambient temperature changes by one degree, so each user may have different situations at their site.
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Page 13: Allsky-340 Software
AllSky-340 Software The AllSky-340 Software is a complete solution for using the SBIG AllSky-340 camera. This software provides the following functionality: • Focus assistance • Automatic exposure adjustment • Continuous imaging • Still image archiving (FITS or JPG) • Time-lapse movie creation (AVI) and archiving •... -
Page 14: Display Menu
Commands Show Current Image Shows or hides the AllSky-340 Current Image window. The most recent image taken by the AllSky-340 camera is shown here. Show Previous Images Shows or hides the AllSky-340 Previous Image window. A time- lapse movie of the past few frames is shown in this window. -
Page 15: Windows And Dialogs
Windows and Dialogs Main Window The AllSky-340 software main window contains the most commonly used functions when operating the AllSky-340 camera. Commands Start Capture Button This button begins the imaging process. The software will continuously take images using the AllSky-340 camera, adjust the... - Page 16 disabled function will again be available for use. Exposure Interval Slider This slider sets both the interval between exposure start times, and the maximum exposure time for each exposure. When the slider is all the way to the left side, the software will take exposures as fast as possible - limited by the image download time from the camera.
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Page 17: Status Bar
Baud Rate The drop-down list shows all the baud rates supported by the AllSky-340 and this software. The default baud rate for the camera is 9600 baud. Test Button Pushing this button will cause the software to attempt to connect to... - Page 18 (e.g. Bluetooth) that do not operate at this baud rate. Thus you must first connect to the AllSky-340 using a hard- wired RS-232 (or USB-to-RS-232) link. When the "Test" button is...
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Page 19: Dark Subtraction Setup Dialog
Maximum Dark Age This defines how often to take a new dark frame when the exposure time doesn't change. Since the AllSky-340 is uncooled, the dark current can change with ambient, thus it can be important to take new darks on a regular basis. - Page 20 Save Current Image (FITS Format) Checking this option allows the current (most recent) image to be saved in FITS format to the specified location. The file will be named: AllSkyCurrentImage.fit When checked, the "Save Previous Images (FITS Format)" checkbox will be enabled. Save Previous Images (JPG Format) Checking this option allows all the previous images to be saved in JPG format to the specified location.
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Page 21: Movies Setup Dialog
Ok Button This accepts the entered values and closes the dialog. Cancel Button This discards any changes and closes the dialog. Movies Setup Dialog The Movies Setup dialog defines what movies to save, and where to put them. Dialog Entries Save Current Movie Checking this will cause the software to create and save the most recent frames (defined by "Max Number of Frames"... - Page 22 Update Interval The movie files are not created or FTPed after every image is downloaded to preserve CPU and network resources. This parameter defines how often the movie files are updated. The movie file may be updated sooner than this if the maximum number of frames is reached for a specific file.
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Page 23: Avi Video Compression Setup Dialog
If a compressor is selected, the Configure button will be enabled. You must configure the Codec per the Codec documentation in order for the AllSky-340 software to properly use it. Details are Codec dependent and beyond the scope of this document. -
Page 24: Dialog Entries
FTP server directory.) Purge old files from server Checking this will case the AllSky-340 software to remove any old files from the server. This is useful to preserve storage space on the FTP server. Be careful - all files beyond the time specified in the Remote Directory will be deleted. -
Page 25: Color Balance Dialog
Turn Off at Defines the time to turn the AllSky-340 heater off. Notes To leave the heater on all of the time, set the Off time to be one minute before the On time. To leave the heater off all of the time, set the On time to be one minute before the Off time. -
Page 26: Further Help
Further Help Contacting SBIG At SBIG we pride ourselves in our products and our commitment to you, our customer. We want to hear from you when things go right and we want to hear from you when things go wrong, as they sometimes do. -
Page 27: Appendix A: Bluetooth Rs-232 Operation
The product we have been using is the AIRCable Serial3X Bluetooth device. We use two of these products – one on the AllSky-340 camera and one on the PC. The external antenna gives good range, and the camera-side device is able to get 12V DC directly from the camera’s RS-232 port. - Page 28 numbers, OFF is close to the dip switch numbers. • • • • Start with one of the two Serial3X devices. • Connect the power cable to the device and confirm that the red LED turns on. • Connect an RS-232 cable to the PC (can be connected through a USB-to-RS-232 adapter).
- Page 29 • Select the COM port that the RS-232 cable is connected to and click Ok. • Set the Bits per second to 115200, Data bits to 8, Parity to None, Stop bits to 1, Flow control to Hardware and click Ok.
- Page 30 • Go to the Call menu and select Disconnect. • Go to the File menu and select Properties. • Click the Configure button.
- Page 31 • Confirm the settings entered previously, click Ok then Ok again. • In the HyperTerminal window, now push the + key three times and then push the Enter key. • Wait at least 30 seconds. This should appear:...
- Page 32 Write the 4 digit PIN here: __________________________ <Enter> 1152 <Enter> • This device is now setup as the “Slave” device. This is the device that will connect to the AllSky-340. It may be helpful to write an “S” or other identifying mark on...
- Page 33 the device. • Disconnect the “Slave” device from the null-modem connector and set aside. (Keep the power connected to the Serial3X.) • Connect the other Serial3X device to the null-modem connector and connect the power supply. • In HyperTerminal, again push the + key three times and then push the Enter key.
- Page 34 The Serial3X devices have been setup to run at 115200 baud over the wireless link. The devices are not capable of communicating at any other baud rate. Thus the AllSky-340 must also be setup to communicate at 115200 baud. •...
- Page 35 Serial3X may help with this problem. Corrupted Images Not all transmission errors are detected by the AllSky-340 software. Because of this, an occasional corrupted image may be shown. This is simply an result of the imperfect wireless connection.
- Page 36 Communication Failure At SBIG we have seen, on a regular basis, that the Serial3X devices fail to properly communicate to each other – or at least between the PC and the AllSky-340 camera. The failure could mean that no communication is possible, or that some communication is successful but that the image doesn’t...
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Page 37: Appendix B: Connectors
Appendix B: Connectors Power In Jack: The POWER IN jack is used to supply 12VDC to the camera. The jack is locking and center-positive. The mating plug is the locking model Switchcraft S760K with 0.218 inch outer diameter and 0.080 inch inner diameter (5.5/2.0 mm). -
Page 38: Appendix C: Typical Specifications
~6.8 watts with heaters on (Note: If using the camera’s RS-232 port to provide power a USB adapter or Bluetooth transmitter, the camera’s power requirements will increase by the requirement of the adapter. The Bluetooth transmitter tested at SBIG added 50mA).
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