SBIG STV

From OnanWiki

Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

[edit] Introduction

This article of the operating manual is divided into the following topics:

  • Overview
  • Quick Reference: Start-up
  • Quick Reference: Focusing
  • Quick Reference: Imaging
  • Quick Reference: File Operations
  • Basic Operations: Set Up Menu
  • Basic Operations: Focus Menu
  • Basic Operations: Image Menu
  • Basic Operations: File Operations Menu
  • Basic Operations: Display / Crosshairs Menu
  • Advanced Operations: Calibrate Menu
  • Advanced Operations: Track Menu
  • Advanced Operations: Monitor Menu
  • STV Remote Software
Fig. 1 - SBIG STV controller & camera
Fig. 1 - SBIG STV controller & camera

STV Operating Manual

[edit] QuickStart: Selecting menu options, setting parameters

[Note: If at any time you want to exit a menu or a process that is executing, such as a long-duration exposure, pressing the [Interrupt] button will cancel the action and return you to the start-up display.]

You access all the operating modes, menus and settings for all features of the STV using the same basic process:

  1. Press the button on the front panel for the desired mode. The available modes are:

    MODE/BUTTON FUNCTION
    [ Focus ] Used when locating objects and focusing the camera
    [ Image ] Provides all the functions needed to capture and process an image
    [ Monitor ] Seeing, optical quality, drive accuracy measurements; eFinder support
    [ Calibrate ] Auto-guiding calibration functions
    [ Track ] Auto-guiding functions
    [ Display/Crosshairs ] Adjusts display brightness, contrast ; Stellar mag., separation & position measurement
    [ File Ops ] Manages internal memory files , downloads to PC, serial communication settings
    [ Setup ] Date/time; Telescope info; Filter wheel control; Night-vision mode; CCD temp; Etc.

    The 24 x 2 LED display will display a menu item, current parameters (settings) and possibly other status information.

  2. After selecting the desired mode, select the menu item by either repeatedly pressing the [Parameter] button to cycle through each, or by rotating the control knob just below the button. (Click on any of the mode / button names in the above table to review the menu options available for each.)
  3. When the desired menu option is displayed, select its value by either repeatedly pressing the [Value] button, or by rotating the control knob just below the button.
    Fig. 2 - Parameter and Value controls
    Fig. 2 - Parameter and Value controls

    In the [Focus] and [Image] modes, after setting parameter values, pressing the mode button a second time starts the process.

[edit] QuickStart: Start-up

All of the cables needed to connect the STV with the NJP Temma 2 control box are bundled in a flexible plastic tube that runs from the telescope mount to the equipment. Only two cables are not included in the bundle -- the RS-232 cable that connects the STV to Port 4 of the RS-232 USB adapter and the RCA plug cable that connects the external monitor to the STV control box. All the cables connections are unique, so there is no chance of connecting a cable to the wrong jack:


Fig. 3 - SBIG STV controller connections
Fig. 3 - SBIG STV controller connections


CONNECTION PURPOSE
Power Supplies power to the STV
Telescope Controls the mount when using the STV as an auto-guider
Serial I/O Communications with the STV Remote software running on an attached PC
Video Out Transmits the image currently on the internal LCD display to an external monitor
Head / Coax Receives the video signal from the CCD camera head
Head / Cable Sends control signals, receives status from the CCD camera head


  1. Connect all the cables as described above. (The Serial I/O connection is only required if running the STV Remote software, Telescope is only needed when auto-guiding and the Video Out connection used only when displaying images on an external monitor.)
  2. Flip the STV control box power switch ON. The 24x2 LED display will briefly show the start-up splash screen, and then display a message requesting you set the date and time. If you want your image headers to have the correct information, press the [Value] button to start the process, advancing through the prompts using the Parameter controls and setting their values by using the Value controls.
    If you do not want to use the STV Remote software to control the STV camera, then stop here. Otherwise, continue on with the process.
  3. Start the STV Remote software on the computer that will control the camera, verifying the USB serial adapter is attached and operational.
  4. Click on the STV Remote Link menu option. Select the Set Baud Rate option and choose 115200.
  5. Press the [File Ops] button on the STV control box, and use the Parameter controls to select the Baud Rate parameter. Confirm that it is also set to 115200, and change it if not.
  6. Select the Link menu option on the STV Remote software and then choose the Establish Link (Com5) option. You should see a message on the STV Remote screen telling you the link has been established. If you do not receive the confirmation message check the cable connection between the computer and the USB serial adapter, the cable connection between the USB serial adapter and the STV control box, and the baud rate settings for both the STV Remote software and the control box.

Once the STV control box is powered up, the CCD chip will begin to cool. A small diamond will blink on the power up display. Once the diamond stops blinking, the chip has reached its optimum operating temperature. For critical imaging, wait until the diamond stops blinking to minimize thermal noise in your images. (On warm nights, the cooling circuitry may not be able to achieve the desired temperature.)


Fig. 4 - Cables connected
Fig. 4 - Cables connected

[edit] QuickStart: Focusing

  1. Point the telescope at a bright celestial object -- a planet, or bright star is ideal. The Moon may be too bright for this purpose without first placing a filter in front of the CCD chip by using [Setup] | Filter.
  2. After centering the object in the eyepiece, turn the knob on the side of the telescope's flip mirror, putting the camera head into the optical path.
    NOTE: If the flip mirror is properly adjusted, any object centered in the telescope eyepiece will be centered on the CCD chip. If it isn't, center the object first on the CCD chip. Then, with the flip mirror set for visual use, turn the small knob on the bottom of its housing to adjust the tilt of the internal mirror, centering the object in the eyepiece.
  3. Press the [Focus] button on the STV control box twice. Use the Value controls to make the object appear on the built-in LCD monitor. Slowly focus the telescope until the image is sharp.
    NOTE: If the flip mirror is properly adjusted the focus position for visual and CCD use should be very close. If not, first focus the object using the CCD. Then, with the flip mirror set for visual use, use the helical focusing mechanism on its top to bring the eyepiece into focus without changing the position of the telescope's focuser.
  4. For critical focusing, refer to the table in the 'Focus Menu' section for advanced focusing options.
    NOTE: Temperature changes and using the camera's internal color filters can both affect focusing. Check the focus often.

[edit] QuickStart: Imaging

[edit] QuickStart: File Operations

[edit] Saving an image to the internal memory

[edit] Downloading a single image to a computer

[edit] Downloading all images to a computer

[edit] QuickStart: Menu Structure

[edit] Set Up Menu

The 'Set Up' menu provides a number of one-time values (i.e., only need changed when the CCD is moved from one telescope to another, for example) or options used in conjunction with other menu options (using the 'Filter' option when capturing tri-color images in the 'Image' menu, for example).

SET UP

  • Date / Time
  • CCD Temp
  • Grid
  • Night Vision
  • Filter
  • Units
  • Focal Len.
  • Aperture Diam.
  • Telescope
  • Mag. Corr.
  • Site
  • Beep
  • Adj Filter
  • Video
    • Mode
      • NTSC
      • Int PAL
      • Ext PAL
      • Off
    • Date / Time
    • TEST PTRN
    • GRAY SCALE
Set Up
image:Line_branch.gif Date/Time image:Line_filler.gif Sets the date and time stored with each image image:Line_filler.gif pg. 15
image:Line_branch.gif CCD Temp image:Line_filler.gif Establishes the target temperature for the CCD chip image:Line_filler.gif pg. 15
image:Line_branch.gif Grid image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Night Vision image:Line_filler.gif Turns the display into a 'red' mode image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Filter image:Line_filler.gif Positions filter over the CCD (clear, green, blue, red or yellow) image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Units image:Line_filler.gif Focal Len. image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Aperture Dia. image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Telescope image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Mag. Corr. image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Site image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Beep image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_branch.gif Adj Filter image:Line_filler.gif Only needed when filter is out of adjustment (pg 54 of the STV manual) image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_end.gif Video
image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_branch.gif Mode
image:Line_filler.gif image:Line.gif image:Line_branch.gif NTSC image:Line_filler.gif USE THIS SETTING image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_filler.gif image:Line.gif image:Line_branch.gif Int PAL image:Line_filler.gif DO NOT USE THIS SETTING image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_filler.gif image:Line.gif image:Line_branch.gif Ext PAL image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_filler.gif image:Line.gif image:Line_end.gif Off image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_branch.gif Date/Time image:Line_filler.gif Displays date / time on external monitor image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_branch.gif TEST PTRN image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_end.gif GRAY SCALE image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif image:Line_filler.gif pg. 16
Retrieved from "http://www.mnastro.org/onanwiki/index.php/SBIG_STV"
Personal tools