Reference Guide
A no nonsense quick reference for operating the Evora camera with the Evora graphical user interface (GUI). This acts as a place for users, whether new or seasoned, get a short synopsis on every aspect of the GUI.
Here is a list of steps that reflect the MRO check list. Click on the links to be taken to each camera operation for more details.
- Verify the default binning and readout.
- Connect to camera via the Camera menu.
- Cool the camera to -82 C using the Temperature Controls.
- Connect to the filter wheel via Filter menu.
- Home the filter wheel, and then Rotate to the desired filter.
- Setup the night's data directory.
- Start taking images (bias -> flats -> objects -> maybe darks)
- At the end of the night warm camera to above 0 C, Shutdown the camera, Disconnect the filter, and close the software.
A simple drop down menu to click through.
There are two option to choose from. The current binning type is displayed in the bottom-middle left corner of the GUI at ALL times.
- 1x1 - Readout a full image.
- 2x2 (Default) - Readout an image combining 4 pixels to one; effectively 4 times smaller.
The larger the frequency, the smaller the readout time. Also, the time it takes for a readout depends on the binning type.
- 0.05 MHz (Default) - This is the ideal read time that will maximize SNR (2x2: ~6 s, 1x1: ~23 s)
- 1.0 MHz - Faster read time; will lose SNR (2x2: ~0.4 s, 1x1: ~1.5 s)
- 3.0 MHz - Even faster read time; will lose the most SNR (2x2: ~0.2 s, 1x1: ~0.6 s)
- 5.0 MHz - Super fast read out; don't even use for science. The camera specifications designate for focusing and visualizing only. (2x2: ~0.1 s, 1x1: ~0.3 s)
You can use the Exit in the File menu to close the software, or the "x" at the top of the window will have same effect.
Put in image
A simple drop down menu to click through. Controls the connections to the camera.
- Connect - Connects and initializes camera. Initialization only happens if the camera is currently off; it will take a moment. Once connected to the camera, the GUI buttons in Exposure Controls and Temperature Controls will become clickable.
- Disconnect - Disconnects from the camera, and can be easily reconnected using the Connect feature. This does not shutdown the server, as in the camera will continue to be on and ready. Use this if you don't want to completely shutdown the camera but comeback at a later time (e.g. warm the camera and come back the next day).
- Shutdown - This initiates the full shutdown of the camera. Be sure to have warmed to above 0 C before shutting down. Future connects will initialize the camera again.
A simple drop down menu to click through. Controls the connection to the filter wheel.
- Connect - Connects to the filter wheel making the buttons in Filter Controls clickable. Always Home after connecting.
- Disconnect - When done with the filter wheel disconnect using this.
- Browse - Only use on permission from Chris Laws!!. This is used to search for a list of filters when switching filter wheels. The list should include wheel position and the filter name formatted as a .csv file. An example follows:
position,filter
0,Ha
1,B
2,V
3,g
4,r
5,i
A simple drop down menu to click through.
- View - Opens up the image viewing window. This will automatically open as images come in. See the Viewing Window section for more about the image viewing window.
A simple drop down menu to click through.
- Help - Opens a web browser to the Evora documentation on the MRO Google site.
This handles cooling and warming of the camera's sensor. You need to be connected to the camera before you can use these.
Important: When connected to the camera, the temperature is displayed at the bottom left corner of the GUI at ALL times.
When the temperature has been set it is safe to Disconnect from it but not to shutdown. Make sure you understand the difference.
- Type in temperature - Use the text box to specify a temperature between -10 and -100 Celsius. For normal camera usage set this to -82 C. Note: -82 C is the minimum to reduce the dark current, and you won't get to -100 C without LN2.
- Cool - With the desired temperature entered, use this to actually set the camera temperature.
- Stop - Turns off the camera's cooler to warm the camera. Wait until above 0 C before using the Shutdown option in the Camera menu.
- Green - The camera is above 0 C and can be shutdown.
- Red - The camera cooler is in transition to the desired temperature.
- Yellow - The camera is honing in on the desired temperature.
- Blue - The camera has reached the cooling target, is stable, and ready for exposures.
The filter wheel does not depend on you being connected to the camera, but, of course, make sure you are connected to the filter wheel. See Filter Menu if you missed this.
Important: The filter wheel status/position is displayed at the bottom right corner of the GUI at ALL times.
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Home - The Home button tells the wheel to find it reference point. Always home after connecting.
- FAILED home - The homing operation can sometimes fail, which is indicated in the status as FAILED. Instead of panicking, run the homing process again. In fact, at any point the status turns to FAILED just home to resolve the issue.
- Filter Drop Down Menu - Provided is a drop down menu of the filter wheel. Select the filter you desire to rotate to.
- Rotate - With a filter selected, press this button to tell the filter wheel to rotate. The Rotate button will turn green to grab your attention.
The below comprises all the functionality to operate the camera's sensor. Choose your image type, then the exposure type, and finally expose.
Exposure progress will be displayed in the progress bar located at the bottom of the GUI. You may find the progress bar goes into an idle mode, this is to just show you the GUI hasn't frozen up and the image is incoming.
- Bias - For taking a 0 second exposure. This means the camera will only readout and not open the shutter.
- Flat - Use this mode for taking sky/dome flats.
- Dark - Use this mode for taking dark images to characterize the dark current. In this mode the camera's shutters will not open.
- Object - Use this mode for science targets.
- Single - Puts the camera into single exposure mode (ie take only one picture). Used typically for focusing.
- Real Time - Puts the camera into run till abort mode. Used, typically, for pointing to give you fast feed back when set to a low exposure time. Note: This mode is not for taking science images, they are disposed of rather than saved.
- Series - Puts the camera into series exposure mode. Used, typically, for taking hundreds of science images.
The functionality here can change depending on the Image Type and Exposure Type set. I will specify those changes as I introduce the different boxes/buttons.
- Set Dir. - This is used to set the save directory, which is displayed at the top of the Imaging tab. Click the button and select the directory to save in (eg 20160718 for July 17th-18th).
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Save Name - This is a text field to give a name to your image.
- Single Mode - The name entered will save as is.
- Real Time Mode - There is no naming images in real time mode.
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Series Mode - The name entered will be appended by a counter starting at "_001".
- Continuing the count - Enter the name of the image where you left off. For example, if you had a series that ended at "_005" and you want to pick up at "_006". Enter the name base name with "_006" appended and it will continue the counter.
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Exposure Time - A text field to specify the time of your exposure in seconds.
- Bias Mode - The time is already filled as 0 and cannot be changed; it wouldn't be a bias otherwise.
- Flat/Dark/Object Modes - Your free to put any time you want in as long as it is reasonable.
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Expose - Button to click when you are ready to take your exposure. When depressed the button will disable until the exposure is done or you abort the imaging.
- Series Mode - You will be asked how many images to take when using the Expose button with the Series mode.
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Abort - Only available when there is on going exposure, this will abort any exposures.
- Real Time Mode - Real time is an indefinite operation that is only stopped using the abort button.
You can open the view window manually following these instructions, but otherwise when an exposure is complete it will open and display your image automatically.
There isn't much to this window besides a few things to help check the quality of your image.
- Image Name - Presented at the top of the window will be the image name, if there is one currently displayed. Note that real time images will not display a name because they are thrown out later.
- Center Frame - Pretty obvious, but this is where you image is displayed
- Contrast Slider - Not "contrast" in the strictest sense, but you can use this to change the overall pixel scaling, like min/max or zscale.
- Invert - If you want to invert the color scale to see stars easier, check this box.
- Status Bar - At the bottom of the window you have min, max, mean, and the median pixel values of the image.
If you want to open a fits/fit image manually click on Open in the File menu at the top of the window and search for the desired image.
Notable events are logged here. For example, if you start a series of images you can see when it was started with the time stamp and how many have completed.
This is still under work, and is locked out.