Chapter 4 Operation; Introduction; Emf And Xenon Or Hg Arc Lamps; Vacuum - Princeton Instruments Activity Tracker User Manual

Operation

Introduction

This chapter begins with sections regarding a number of operating considerations such as
EMF, vacuum, cooling, baseline signal, and imaging field of view. The final section
provides a step-by-step procedure for placing the system in operation the first time. At
this point a lens should be mounted on the camera (or, if necessary, the camera mounted
on a microscope) and you should be ready to operate the system and proceed to viewing
your first MicroMAX images.

EMF and Xenon or Hg Arc Lamps

WARNING
Before You Start, if your imaging system includes a microscope Xenon or Hg arc lamp,
it is CRITICAL to turn off all electronics adjacent to the arc lamp, especially your
digital camera system and your computer hardware (monitors included) before turning on
the lamp powe r.
Powering up a microscope Xenon or Hg arc lamp causes a large EMF spike to be
produced that can cause damage to electronics that are running in the vicinity of the
lamp. We advise that you place a clear warning sign on the power button of your arc
lamp reminding all workers to follow this procedure. While Princeton Instruments has
taken great care to isolate its sensitive circuitry from EMF sources, we cannot guarantee
that this protection will be sufficient for all EMF bursts. Therefore, in order to fully
guarantee the performance of your system, you must follow this startup sequence.

Vacuum

The camera's CCD chamber is pumped to a vacuum level of ~10 mTorr or better at the
factory. This level of vacuum is necessary to be assured of achieving temperature lock
and to prevent condensation from damaging the CCD array. Because outgassing
continues for some time in new units, the vacuum could degrade, which would make it
increasingly difficult to achieve temperature lock. Temperature lock can be restored by
repumping the vacuum. Contact the factory Technical Support Dept. for information on
refreshing the vacuum. See page 162 for contact information.

Cooling

Most MicroMAX cameras must be cooled during operation. A Peltier-effect
thermoelectric cooler, driven by closed-loop proportional-control circuitry, cools the
CCD. A thermal sensing diode attached to the cooling block of the camera monitors its
temperature. Heat generated at the exhaust plate of the cooler is conducted to the
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