Polaroid CCD Camera User Manual
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Table of Contents
1.
Introduction.................................................................................................................1
1.1.
Road Map of the Documentation ...............................................................................1
1.2.
Quick Tour....................................................................................................................1
1.2.1. CCDOPS Software ....................................................................................2
1.2.2. CCD Camera .............................................................................................3
2.
Introduction to CCD Cameras...................................................................................5
2.1.
Cameras in General .....................................................................................................5
2.2.
How CCD Detectors Work .........................................................................................5
2.2.1. Full Frame and Frame Transfer CCDs ....................................................6
2.3.
Camera Hardware Architecture .................................................................................6
2.4.
CCD Special Requirements.........................................................................................8
2.4.1. Cooling.......................................................................................................8
2.4.2. Double Correlated Sampling Readout ....................................................9
2.4.3. Dark Frames ..............................................................................................9
2.4.4. Flat Field Images .....................................................................................10
2.4.5. Pixels vs. Film Grains .............................................................................10
2.4.6. Guiding ....................................................................................................11
2.5.
Electronic Imaging.....................................................................................................12
2.6.
Black and White vs. Color.........................................................................................13
3.
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.
Focusing the CCD Camera .......................................................................................16
3.5.
Finding and Centering the Object ............................................................................18
3.6.
Taking an Image ........................................................................................................18
3.7.
Displaying the Image ................................................................................................18
3.8.
Processing the Image.................................................................................................19
3.9.
Advanced Capabilities ..............................................................................................19
3.9.1. Crosshairs Mode (Photometry and Astrometry) .................................19
3.9.2. Sub-Frame Readout in Focus .................................................................19
3.9.3. Track and Accumulate............................................................................20
3.9.4. Autoguiding and Self Guiding ..............................................................20
3.9.5. Auto Grab ................................................................................................21
3.9.6. Color Imaging .........................................................................................21
4.
Camera Hardware .....................................................................................................23
4.1.
System Components..................................................................................................23
4.2.
Connecting the Power ...............................................................................................23
4.3.
Connecting to the Computer ....................................................................................23
4.4.
Connecting the Relay Port to the Telescope ............................................................23
4.4.1 Using Mechanical Relays ...........................................................................24
4.5.
Modular Family of CCD Cameras ...........................................................................26