version 1.5 rev 4 Dec 2019
27
Sona &
Marana
SECTION 4: OPERATION
WARNINGS:
• IF THE EQUIPMENT IS USED IN A MANNER NOT SPECIFIED BY ANDOR OR ITS DISTRIBUTORS, THE
PROTECTION PROVIDED BY THE EQUIPMENT MAY BE IMPAIRED.
• PLEASE READ THE USER GUIDES SUPPLIED WITH YOUR SYSTEM COMPONENTS AND CAMERA CONTROL
SOFTWARE PRIOR TO USE.
4.1 e
MeRgency
M
ains
d
isconnection
In case of emergency, the disconnecting points of the equipment are the mains power cords connected to the external
power supply, or the mains socket switches.
WARNING: SWITCH OFF THE POWER AT THE MAINS SOCKET AND REMOVE THE MAINS LEAD FROM THE
EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES.
4.2 p
oWeR
-
Up
s
eqUence
1. Ensure that the camera is powered on at the mains power supply. (Note that there is an ON/Off switch on the
backplate of the camera).
2. Ensure that the USB cable is connected between the camera and the PC.
3. Switch on the camera using the ON/OFF switch at the rear panel of the camera.
4. Start up the PC.
Note: Wait until you hear a single beep followed by a double beep from the camera before you start up the camera
software e.g. Solis or SDK. Otherwise the SW/SDK will not be able to connect to the camera.
5. Launch your camera control software e.g. Solis or SDK3.
6. The camera will now start up under control of the software.
Note: It will take some time for the camera to reach the target cooling temperature (This is visible in the temperature
status bar in Solis). Please wait until the camera has reached the target temperture before you start acquiring
scientific grade images.
7. Refer to your software manual for set-up and image acquisition information.
4.3 p
oWeR
-d
oWn
s
eqUence
1. Exit the camera control software.
2. Switch the camera off using the switch on the rear panel (Section 2.2).
3. If not using the camera for some time, disconnect from the mains power socket.
4.4 U
sing
tHe
s
ona
and
M
aRana
Once set-up the camera is controlled through the camera control software. Please refer to the information supplied with
the camera control software (available separately) for further details e.g.
Andor Solis
or
SDK3
. Some important features
and concepts are outlined in the following sections.
4.4.1
s
cMos s
ensoRs
An sCMOS sensor is an “Active Pixel Sensor” in that each pixel has its own integral amplifier. The basic operation is as
follows: