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Oxford Instruments Andor Apogee Aspen Series Hardware Manual Download Page 3

Version 1.4 rev 23 Oct 2017

Aspen

3

SECTION 4: SETTING UP MAXIM DL SOFTWARE TO CONTROL YOUR

ASPEN CAMERA .........................................................................................................18

SECTION 5: CONNECTING YOUR CAMERA .............................................................23

5.1   MOUNTING YOUR CAMERA ............................................................................23

5.2   CONNECTING THE POWER AND SIGNAL CABLES .......................................24

SECTION 6: MAINTENANCE  ......................................................................................25

6.1   GENERAL CLEANING INFORMATION .............................................................25

6.2   CLEANING THE CAMERA WINDOW ................................................................25

6.2.1 t

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 r

equired

 ...........................................................................................26

6.2.2 w

indOw

 C

leaning

 p

rOCedure

 ......................................................................26

6.2.3  g

uidelineS

 

fOr

 

uSing

 C

OmpreSSed

 a

ir

 .......................................................27

6.3   REGULAR CHECKS ..........................................................................................28

6.4   ANNUAL ELECTRICAL SAFETY CHECKS .......................................................28

6.5   FUSE REPLACEMENT ......................................................................................28

SECTION 7: USING YOUR ASPEN CAMERA .............................................................29

7.1   STANDARD CCD IMAGE CALIBRATION PROCEDURES ................................29

7.2   DARK CURRENT CORRECTION  .....................................................................29

7.3   BIAS CORRECTION  .........................................................................................29

7.4   FLAT FIELD CORRECTION  ..............................................................................30

7.5   FURTHER PROCESSING ..................................................................................30

7.6   COMBINING IMAGES  ......................................................................................30

7.7   FIELD OF VIEW AND SCALE ............................................................................31

7.8   FURTHER READING .........................................................................................31

Summary of Contents for Andor Apogee Aspen Series

Page 1: ...Apogee Aspen Series Hardware Guide andor com Andor Technology Ltd 2017 Version 1 4 rev 23 Oct 2017 ...

Page 2: ...al Items 8 SECTION 2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW 9 2 1 INTRODUCING THE ANDOR APOGEE ASPEN 9 2 2 DESCRIPTION OF EXTERNAL FEATURES 10 2 2 1 Power and Signal Connections 11 SECTION 3 INSTALLING YOUR ASPEN CAMERA SOFTWARE 13 3 1 INSTALL UPDATE APOGEE CAMERA DRIVER 13 3 1 1 Installation Example for Windows Vista Windows 7 onwards 13 3 2 INSTALL THE CAMERA CONTROL SOFTWARE 14 3 2 1 Install MaxIm DL 14 3 3 UNINSTAL...

Page 3: ...NING THE CAMERA WINDOW 25 6 2 1 Tools Required 26 6 2 2 Window Cleaning Procedure 26 6 2 3 Guidelines for using Compressed Air 27 6 3 REGULAR CHECKS 28 6 4 ANNUAL ELECTRICAL SAFETY CHECKS 28 6 5 FUSE REPLACEMENT 28 SECTION 7 USING YOUR ASPEN CAMERA 29 7 1 STANDARD CCD IMAGE CALIBRATION PROCEDURES 29 7 2 DARK CURRENT CORRECTION 29 7 3 BIAS CORRECTION 29 7 4 FLAT FIELD CORRECTION 30 7 5 FURTHER PROC...

Page 4: ... G09 35 SECTION 9 FILTER WHEEL INSTALLATION 36 9 1 INTRODUCTION AND SETUP 36 9 2 UPDATE APOGEE DRIVER APOGEE DLL 36 9 2 1 Driver Installation 37 9 3 INSTALL MAXIM DL 37 9 4 USING MAXIM DL 37 9 5 FILTER WHEEL INSTALLATION 39 9 5 1 Installing Filters 39 9 5 2 Mounting the Filter Wheel to the Camera 42 9 5 3 Attaching the Camera to other Optical Equipment 43 9 6 SETUP SUGGESTIONS 43 SECTION 10 TROUBL...

Page 5: ...to enable sufficient airflow for cooling 13 While running an experiment try to keep room temperature as stable as possible 14 Performance of the system may be adversely affected by rapidly changing environmental conditions or operation outside of the operating conditions specified in Technical Specifications Section 8 15 This product is not designed to provide protection from ionising radiation An...

Page 6: ... or Europe USA Andor Technology Ltd 7 Millennium Way Springvale Business Park Belfast BT12 7AL Northern Ireland Tel 44 0 28 9023 7126 Fax 44 0 28 9031 0792 www andor com contact_us support_request Andor Technology 425 Sullivan Avenue Suite 3 South Windsor CT 06074 USA Tel 1 860 290 9211 Fax 1 860 290 9566 www andor com contact_us support_request Asia Pacific China Andor Technology Japan IS Buildin...

Page 7: ... their owners 1 5 About Andor Apogee Cameras Apogee Imaging Systems started up in 1993 in Tucson Arizona providing imaging solutions to the astronomy market The growing company relocated to Northern California in 2001 Apogee was acquired by Andor Technology Ltd in October 2013 with the Apogee camera range taking full advantage of Andor s manufacturing facilities and quality systems Apogee cameras ...

Page 8: ...ional Items There is a wide range of optional accessories for the Apogee Aspen These may be specified at the time of ordering or purchased at a later date from Andor Please contact us or refer to our website www andor com for further information Flange Adapters Lens Adapters Telescope Adapter USB and Fibre Optic Range extender Filter Wheels inc range of filters Note Only use accessories that are s...

Page 9: ...amera family Aspen increases cooling performance in a smaller package improves stray light baffling and adds a Network interface with a built in web server and sets a new standard in shutter reliability With a range of high speed sensors running at up to 8 Mhz low noise and very large format 16 Megapixel sensor options it is possible to meet the exacting needs for an exceptional range of applicati...

Page 10: ...escription of External features Figure 2 View of Aspen showing Cooling fans Figure 3 View of Aspen Shutter and Connection Panel Cooling fans with thermoelectric coolers located below Shutter Power input Status LEDs Camera I O port Ethernet USB ...

Page 11: ...waiting for an external trigger Alternatively the LEDs can be turned off if you are concerned about stray light Camera I O Port Apogee camera systems provide an 8 pin Mini DIN connector enabling various hardware signals to be controlled by the device Five of the eight pins are programmable and of the remaining pins pin 6 is for EEPROM Write Protect pin 8 is ground and pin 7 is a 12 volt line Each ...

Page 12: ...ach pin are as follows Pin 1 Trigger Input Used to initiate triggered exposures both single exposures and sequences When the CameraMode property is set to Apn_CameraMode_ExternalTrigger the ICamera2 interface object will automatically enable this pin to be used as an input for an external trigger signal Applications should still call the Expose method to put the camera system into a state where it...

Page 13: ...d the Add New Hardware Wizard appears please select the Cancel button 1 Make sure your Windows user account has administrator privileges 2 Double click on the setupApogeeSoftware 3 If you see an error dialog indicating that another Apogee application has been detected then please refer to section 3 4 After removing v3 software execute the file setupApogeeSoftware exe again 4 Follow the installatio...

Page 14: ... developed by Diffraction Limited If you will be using the MaxIm DL software we recommend you install it prior to setting up your Apogee camera Please see the MaxIm documentation for specific instructions related to installation of this software Apogee cameras are supported by MaxIm DL version 3 21 and beyond MaxIm DL and other 32 bit applications require the 32 bit installer For other software pl...

Page 15: ...ship with DHCP turned on by default so in order for the PC to recognise the camera via Ethernet the camera must be on a network with a router to assign it an IP address 2 Once you have obtained the IP address enter it into the Address bar of your internet browser 3 The camera will reply with its own web page as shown below The Home page 4 The Home page shows the network settings and picture count ...

Page 16: ...For the camera to be discoverable with a static IP address the camera must be on the same network subnet as the computer that is looking for the camera After applying changes either go to the reboot page and reboot the web server on the camera or power cycle the camera The Reboot page 6 The Reboot page has a button to reboot the web server on the camera When rebooting the web server loads the para...

Page 17: ...ork timeout number The timeout can be used to control how long a session can remain inactive before it is automatically closed This is useful when the camera is in a remote location and being controlled by multiple users By setting an appropriate timeout value a user will not inadvertently retain control of the camera system because the session was never closed ...

Page 18: ...t users with other versions of MaxIm DL may notice slight layout changes from what is described here for a more recent release Refer to the Maxim DL User guide for further information Remember to register your software so that if there are any updates the latest version of the software will be made available 1 To begin consult your MaxIm DL documentation and launch the MaxIm DL Camera Control wind...

Page 19: ...can be connected via USB2 or Ethernet mode 9 Fan Setting controls the camera s fan speed Higher speeds provide better cooling but may result in slightly more noise and vibration from the fan 10 The Configure button in the Advanced Settings group allows you to access some advanced camera control parameters described below Note that most of these are intended for laboratory environments and inapprop...

Page 20: ...han once during the same exposure In either external shutter mode the Enable Amp Output checkbox disables the CCD voltage while the shutter strobe input is high 15 IO Port Settings displays the Apogee I O Port Settings dialog box This allows you to configure each I O pin for a predefined function These should be self explanatory for advanced use please contact Andor for assistance 16 Open Shutter ...

Page 21: ...an also indicate whether to Digitize Overscan the part of the CCD sensor surrounding the imaging area which is covered by an opaque mask In some applications the overscan region is used as part of the calibration process 23 Use the Kinetics Parameters to specify the Section Height in pixels and the Number of Sections these values will be determined by how your CCD chip is masked Set the Rate to th...

Page 22: ...g 25 The Apogee Camera Selection Dialog is displayed when the Discover button is clicked Select USB 2 0 and or Ethernet Aspen only If Ethernet you must specify a Network Mask which limits the subnet that is searched 26 When you click Search the software will generate a list of available cameras detected if any You can select the camera by clicking on it in the list and then clicking OK ...

Page 23: ...r other equipment using a wide range of plate lens adapters and other accessories Figure 5 Selection of Camera adapters The general steps are outlined below 1 Ensure the camera control software and drivers have been installed 2 Line up the appropriate camera mounting adapter for your application to the camera face plate mounting holes 3 Insert the supplied mounting screws and lightly tighten into ...

Page 24: ...e camera and the corresponding slot on the PC Connecting by Ethernet Connect the Ethernet connector between the camera and the PC Ethernet connections Optional An 8 pin Mini DIN connection enables various hardware signals to be controlled by the device If this is required connect the I O Connection cable to the I O 8 mini DIN type connector 2 Insert the 12V DC power cable into the power connector ...

Page 25: ...armer than normal and the camera could overheat causing damage to some of the more sensitive components 6 2 Cleaning the Camera Window At some point it may become necessary to clean debris that may have settled on the CCD imaging sensor window Cleaning the camera window can provide effective results providing you carefully follow these step by step directions WARNINGS Only open the shutter using c...

Page 26: ...ce it on a clean dry surface 2 Use the camera control software to open the shutter TIP If your program does not have this feature try starting a long exposure Over exposing the CCD to room light will not damage the CCD 3 Customers using Maxim DL may select the Setup tab and click Connect 4 Once connected to the camera select the Settings tab and click the Options arrow ...

Page 27: ...raying A compressed air can is recommended do not use a compressor that may spray fine droplets of oil 6 With the shutter open turn the camera on its side making it easier for particles to fall out of the camera head You might have to remove a button head screw from the tripod mount for the camera to sit flat Face the window toward you at the edge of a table Figure 7 Using Compressed Air to remove...

Page 28: ...eck the optical cables and connections to ensure that the locks are in place and no damage has occurred to the optical fibres connecting the various elements of the system 6 4 Annual Electrical Safety Checks It is advisable to check the integrity of the insulation and protective earth of the product on an annual basis e g U K PAT testing 6 5 Fuse Replacement In the U K Ireland and some other count...

Page 29: ...t Furthermore even before the exposure starts each pixel value is usually biased higher than zero by some amount The number of electrons captured is also dependent on the sensitivity of each pixel some pixels are more sensitive than others across the face of the imaging sensor The standard procedures used to produce astronomical images is to correct the raw image for dark current bias and sensitiv...

Page 30: ...ark current bias and pixel sensitivity errors can be performed with commercially available image processing software such as Maxim DL These types of applications can automatically perform the dark current and bias subtraction then divide the sky image by the flat field exposure 7 5 Further Processing Many additional enhancements can be made to an astronomical image once it has been corrected For e...

Page 31: ...mple camera lens because the Hale focal length is approximately 17 000mm So image scale is a function of local length while imaging speed is predicated on focal ratio The focal length of a 4 inch f 8 refractor is the same as an 8 inch reflector operating at f 4 thus they will both produce images at the same scale However the larger instrument will be faster than the smaller by a factor of 4 Since ...

Page 32: ...te 12V DC input from user s source Power Consumption max 75W with shutter open and maximum cooling Overvoltage Category CAT II An overvoltage category of CAT II means that the equipment is designed to cope with transient voltages above the rated supply that would be experienced by any product connected to a mains socket in a building Rated Pollution Pollution Degree 2 Normally only non conductive ...

Page 33: ...Version 1 4 rev 23 Oct 2017 Aspen 33 8 4 Aspen Mechanical Drawings 8 4 1 G01 ...

Page 34: ...Version 1 4 rev 23 Oct 2017 Aspen 34 8 4 2 G07 ...

Page 35: ...Version 1 4 rev 23 Oct 2017 Aspen 35 8 4 3 G09 ...

Page 36: ...Im DL application software 3 Connect to the Filter Wheel using MaxIm DL 4 Integrate filters into the Filter Wheel and integrate into your system 5 Begin using your new Apogee Filter Wheel 9 2 Update Apogee Driver Apogee DLL If you already have Apogee drivers installed on your system be sure to update to the latest version before proceeding The disk included with your Filter Wheel has the latest dr...

Page 37: ...Wheel is easily used with the MaxIm DL image capture and processing software developed by Diffraction Limited If you will be using the MaxIm DL software we recommend that you install it prior to setting up your Filter Wheel If you already have MaxIm DL installed make sure that it is the latest update Please see the MaxIm DL documentation for specific instructions related to installation of this so...

Page 38: ...simply leave the Filter Name in the extra slots blank they will not appear in the drop list filter selectors If your filters vary in thickness a Focus Offset can be entered for each filter Consult the MaxIm DL user s guide for details on this feature The Model should be set to the type of Filter Wheel you are controlling Click the Advanced button and press Search to find the device Choose the Filt...

Page 39: ...he two buttonhead screws from the back of the mounting flange Set aside the mounting flange and the four buttonhead screws for now 3 Flip the Filter Wheel right side up and set it on the edge of a table The motor should hang off the side so the housing does not rock back and forth 4 Remove the ten 6 32 x 5 16 flathead screws from the perimeter of the lid using the 5 64 Allen wrench provided 5 Remo...

Page 40: ...an others when resting in the carousel openings do not force into place Center filters in carousel openings use four tooth picks around the edges of each filter if needed 8 Fasten the filters using the screw and nylon washer combinations described on the next page Install filters using the below screws and nylon washers provided using the 1 16 Allen wrench provided DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN this may phy...

Page 41: ... Nylon Washer 3X 4 Nylon Spacer 9 Now that all the filters have been installed take a moment to blow out the housing in case of any dust or debris Place the lid back on Filter Wheel housing making sure not to damage the light guard sticker of the connector face 10 Fasten the lid using ten 6 32 x 5 16 flathead screws 11 Verify that the filter wheel operates correctly before proceeding If not refer ...

Page 42: ...o accommodate different camera sizes Note the following images show the Filter wheel installation for the Alta model The steps are identical for the Aspen series 2 Line up the Filter Wheel with the adapter flange in the configuration shown below so the two mounting holes line up with the threaded holes of the flange 3 Lightly screw in two 10 32 x 7 16 buttonhead screws and flip the assembly upside...

Page 43: ...coming off the telescope by connecting multiple USB plugs to a micro USB hub mounted to the telescope so only one USB cable connects to the computer USB is unstable if the cable is greater than 16 feet For longer runs you can purchase a USB powered hub or our Icron USB extender Icron is the only brand certified to work with our cameras Each powered USB hub will increase the signal by around 15 fee...

Page 44: ...d in Verify the Apogee Driver and Apogee USB 32 64Bit Driver are installed Open Add or Remove Programs dialog and confirm both appear in the Currently installed programs list The USB cable is more than 15 feet long without a powered hub Ethernet One of the green lights flashes and does not turn off First make certain that the camera is connected to the network using a network cable When a camera i...

Page 45: ...ale including warranty conditions will have been made available during the ordering process The current version may be viewed at www andor com pdfs literature Andor_Standard_Warranty pdf Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Regulations 2006 WEEE The company s statement on the disposal of WEEE can be found in the Terms and Conditions WEEE Policy ...

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