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SBIG SG-4 Operating Manual

Autoguider
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SG-4 Autoguider
Operating Manual
SBIG Astronomical
Instruments,
A Division of Diffraction Limited.
| 59 Grenfell Crescent, Unit B, Ottawa, ON Canada, k2G 0G3
Tel: 613.225.2732 | Fax: 225.225.9688| E-mail: tpuckett@sbig.com |
www.sbig.com

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  • Page 1 SG-4 Autoguider Operating Manual SBIG Astronomical Instruments, A Division of Diffraction Limited. | 59 Grenfell Crescent, Unit B, Ottawa, ON Canada, k2G 0G3 Tel: 613.225.2732 | Fax: 225.225.9688| E-mail: tpuckett@sbig.com | www.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. _________________________________________________________ OPERATION Manual for SG-4 CCD Camera. Revision 1.0 June 24, 2009 Copyright © 2009 Santa Barbara Instrument Group, Inc.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    ..................11 VERVIEW – S ........11 TAND LONE UIDING STEP :................ 13 ROUBLESHOOTING IV. THE SG-4 INTERFACE SOFTWARE ........14 ................14 NTRODUCTION .................... 14 ENUS File Menu................... 14 Setup Menu ................15 ..............15 INDOWS AND IALOGS Main Window................15 Status Bar...................

  • Page 4: Introduction

    The main attribute of the SG-4 is that, once setup and focused with a PC, a computer is not needed. This is what SBIG means by Stand-Alone operation.
  • Page 5 Figure One shows the front view of the SG-4. The unit has a T-thread interface on the front, and SBIG provides a 1.25 inch nosepiece for users that do not have a T-thread coupling on their scope. The unit is 2.8 by 4.3 by 3.5 inches (71 by 110 by 88 mm) is size (WxHxL), and weighs about 1.0 pound (0.4 Kg).

  • Page 6: Initial Setup

    150 feet cable runs with no special equipment. Finally, with RS- 232 the user has the option of employing a Bluetooth wireless link and eliminating the cable altogether. Since the SG-4 is also used in our AllSky camera having a wireless capability is very useful. With the optional USB to RS-232 adapter SBIG offers one can communicate at 460Kbaud over 150 feet of cable with no problem.
  • Page 7 • Next, connect the supplied 9 pin serial cable between a serial port on your computer and the RS-232 port on the SG-4. If your computer does not have a serial port, one can be easily implemented using an USB-RS-232 converter. One we have had good luck with is the FTDI US232R-10-BLK, but there are many to choose from.
  • Page 8 Figure Three: SBIG SG-4.exe Opening Window Once you have installed the software, begin setting up the SG-4 by establishing communication with the SG-4. Do this using the Setup menu item - Serial Port. This will open up a window you can use to test the RS-232 link.

  • Page 9: Setup Under The Stars

    Setup under the stars: Mount the SG-4 to your intended guide scope using either the T-ring threads on the face of the SG-4, or by means of the 1.25 inch nosepiece that is provided with the camera, screwed into the T- ring threads.
  • Page 10 Equatorial mount take note of the position of the East/West toggle switch on the back of the SG-4 and remember to keep it in the same place when on the same side of the pier. Do not worry about which is East and which is West –...

  • Page 11: Tracking

    If the star is lost due to clouds the SG-4 will start beeping, but the star has to fade a lot, by 10X or so, before it will be lost. When you are done guiding you can click “Abort”...

  • Page 12: R E - Programming The Sg-4

    X. Wn tracking is successful the status LED on the back of the SG-4 panel will blink green between exposures. Re-programming the SG-4: Program updates will be available from time to time for the...

  • Page 13: Sg-4 Stand-Alone Operation

    STATUS LED flashes red slowly and then release it. The LED will blink red a few more times, and then go to a faster blink rate while the SG-4 looks for a star. When it finds the star, and is calibrating, it will blink green. The calibration will proceed automatically. When the STATUS LED goes to steady RED again, calibration is done.
  • Page 14 Guiding • Power-on the SG-4, wait for the Status LED to turn solid red. • Push and release the Guide On/Off button. The Status LED should now blink quickly red.

  • Page 15: Troubleshooting

    Troubleshooting: If you find you are getting elongated stars in your guided images there are a few tests you can do to narrow down the culprits. If short guided exposures of 1 to 2 minutes exhibit good guiding, then the problem is most likely field rotation due to poor polar alignment, or differential deflection.

  • Page 16: The Sg-4 Interface Software

    IV. The SG-4 Interface Software Introduction The SG-4 Interface Software is a tool for setting up the SBIG SG-4 Stand-Alone Guider. The steps for setting up the SG-4 are described in the previous sections of the manual. This section describes the software commands in more detail.

  • Page 17: Setup Menu

    The main central region is available to show the most recent image taken by the SG-4. Entries Exposure Time Sets the exposure time for the next image. The minimum exposure time supported by the SG-4 Interface Software is 0.01 seconds. The maximum exposure time is 655 seconds.
  • Page 18 Continuous Causes the SG-4 Interface Software to continually take images when the "Take Image" button is pushed. When not checked, the software will take only one image. Background The pixel value that will be assigned to absolute black in the displayed image.

  • Page 19: Status Bar

    This function is currently disabled. Stand-alone Guiding Causes the "Calibration Guider" and "Start Autoguiding" buttons to execute the stand-alone guide functions within the SG-4. This is faster and completely automated, but only outputs a textual log during calibration and guiding. Calibrate Guider Executes the guider calibration routine.

  • Page 20: Serial Port Setup Dialog

    Find Camera Button After pushing this button, the software will scan all the currently active RS-232 ports on the PC and attempt to talk to the SG-4. If the SG-4 is found, the software will then try to determine the maximum baud rate the SG-4 can successfully communicate at.

  • Page 21: Guiding Parameters Setup Dialog

    (e.g. Bluetooth) that do not operate at this baud rate. Thus you must first connect to the SG-4 using a hard-wired RS-232 (or USB-to-RS-232) link. When the "Test" button is used...

  • Page 22: Log Dialog

    SG-4 Log Dialog The SG-4 Log dialog window displays the current text output from the internal calibration or guiding routines in the SG-4. These can be used to monitor and validate operation. The logs during guiding include the guiding results that can then be evaluated for guiding performance at a later time.

  • Page 23: Further Help

    V. 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 24: Appendix A: Bluetooth Rs-232 Operation

    Bluetooth for a number of months. While we do not recommend using Bluetooth for initial setup of the SG-4 for Autoguiding, you may wish to use Bluetooth for image downloads from time to time or for remote control of the SG-4.
  • Page 25 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 26 • 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 27 • Go to the Call menu and select Disconnect. • Go to the File menu and select Properties. • Click the Configure button.
  • Page 28 • 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 29 • Type the following commands. Text listed between <> indicates instructional text, not the actual text to type into HyperTerminal. When <Enter> is listed, push the Enter key on the keyboard. Do not push the Enter key unless it is specifically stated. <Type in a unique name of your choice.
  • Page 30 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 31 Connect the RS-232 cable from the PC to the AllSky- 340. • Power on the AllSky-340. • Run the SBIG AllSky-340 software. • Click the Setup Serial Port… menu item. • Set the proper COM port number and select 115200 baud.
  • Page 32 port on the AllSky-340. • Connect the “Master” Serial3X device with the null- modem adapter to the RS-232 cable connected to the • Turn on the AllSky-340. • Confirm the green and blue LEDs on both Serial3X devices turn on solid. •...
  • Page 33 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...

  • Page 34: Appendix B: Connectors

    Switchcraft S760K with 0.218 inch outer diameter and 0.080 inch inner diameter (5.5/2.0 mm). Guide Port: The Guide Port is where you connect the SG-4 to the autoguider port on your telescope using the supplied relay cable (6 conductor phone type cable). Viewed from...

  • Page 35: Appendix C: Typical Specifications

    Weight: 1.0 pound (0.4 Kg) Power Requirements: 12VDC, 200mA. (Note: If using the SG-4’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...

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