Edit Fields:

Colors:

White:

In this edit field it can be made an entry

Yellow:

The entry in this edit field is suspect and should be checked again

Red:

The entry is not valid. (like chars where are numbers required, real numbers where are integer values required, put in real numbers like 1.1 or the number is out of the range) The decimal separator in this program is "."

Grey:

No entry possible, informational propose

In the top of the form, important for drift scan images:

Focal Length

put in the focal length of the telescope

Declination

put in the declination the telescope is pointing to

Sidereal Rate

should be 1

under that edit fields, the radio buttons for binning:

Imaging or tracking CCD

chose imaging or tracking CCD, in most cases the imaging CCD

Binning:

1x1 , 2x2 or 3x3 binning

Binning:

On Chip (default), Off Chip - to prevent blooming, Vertical- for special applications

Readout Mode:

is set by the previous radio buttons

Planetary mode:

the columns you want to read from the CCD, in most cases No planetary mode

Focus:

if that is checked (yellow), the image(s) will not be saved

Vertical Binning:

how many pixels in one column are binned

In the right you will see some grey edit field which show some values, depending on the CCD, Binning and Focal length (only information's)

Near that fields, it can be made the following entries:

light or dark frame

Light frame for an image(shutter open), dark frame(shutter closed) to take a dark frame you can use dark subtraction with an other program
ST237/ST255/ST5C, use "Filter - ST237 / ST255- Vane - Opaque " to take a dark frame.

Auto Grab, number of images:

there are taken many images, the file names are extended like: image_.st7 to image_01.st7 , image_02.st7 ... If you take many sets of images, chose different file names like: image_a_ , image_b_ ...

freeze cooler regulation for readout :

no temperature regulation, when the image is red out, may be set for standard images

Enable break / only Esc key / disable

If break is disabled, or the "only Esc key " button is chosen, the precision of the timing is higher.
If "Enable break" is chosen, you can stop the image by pressing the Esc key on the keyboard or clicking with the mouse on the Esc button on the Control image form.
If disable is chosen, there is no way to stop an image, even if it takes very much time.
If "only Esc key" is chosen, the image can be stopped only by pressing the Esc key on the keyboard. This function is not tested on many computers and I think, it will not work with USB keyboards, so tell me, whether it works or not.

At the left there is a Page Control showing many Tap Sheets for different kinds of images:

The settings outside of the Page Control, and some settings in the Page Control are for all kinds of images (except Fast Focus and Fast Search), if you want to take an other kind of image, check all settings !

Drift Scan

For drift scan images

Standard

Standard , stare mode images, telescope must follow the star

Sub Array

For double stars or so, place the object at the bottom of a standard image prefer tracking CCD, telescope must follow the star

Speckle

For double stars or so, place the object at the bottom of a standard image, like sub array, but much more lines, but some streaking will appear, prefer tracking CCD, telescope must follow the star

Fast Scan

To observe occultation's of stars by the moon or so, prefer tracking CCD, telescope must follow the star

Fast Focus

To focus the telescope, place a bright star near the top of a standard image (about mag 1), the CCD is read out very fast, and the trail is evaluated in time, no image is saved, use planetary mode, length about 40- see Fast Search also

Fast Search

To find the columns the star is placed at , it can be used vertical binning like 3x12 , Fast Search is called automatically before Fast Focus

Entries in the Tab Sheets:

:

Drift Scan:

Time per line:

This is calculated by Focal Length, Declination, Sidereal Rate and pixelsize. If Fixed is checked it is not calculated any more and you can make an entry in this edit field.

Number of Lines:

Input the number of lines to read, if that item is checked, about 2000 or 4000 or as much as you want. The time of the whole image is calculated, if this item is checked.

Time for the whole image

Input the time the image may last, if this item is checked, the number of lines to read in is calculated

store first lines

If this is checked, the first lines are stored on the hard disk. You will get ramping at the start of the image. If this is unchecked, form the number of lines to read in, the first lines (height CCD) are not saved. (no ramping at the start) (if you are using a frame transfer CCD like the ST-237(not tested) this should be unchecked, as there is no data in the storage array, (discarding the first lines (image array) of a frame transfer CCD is not implemented) )

read last lines

If this is checked, the shutter is closed, when the wanted number of lines is read in, and the number of lines on the CCD are read in (So you will get ramping at the the end of the image, useful for images with short focal length, like stardial ) (if you are using a frame transfer CCD like the ST-237 (not tested) this should be checked, as there is still data without ramping in the storage array (reading the rest of the lines of the image array of a frame transfer CCD is not implemented) )

Load Default

Load the special default file with settings for drift scan imaging

Save as Default

Save the settings in the special default file for drift scan imaging

FastScan CheckBox

If you want to use a drift scan image as FastScan image, to observe occultation's, check this CheckBox. The image can be started by the "Take drift scan image" button. If this CheckBox is checked, there will be subtracted no offset from the start exposure time. (DATE, DATE-OBS, TIME-OBS) Start exposure time will be the time, when the shutter is opened.
If this CheckBox is unchecked, there will be subtracted an offset for the dark reference lines form the start exposure time, so the start exposure time is the time, when the first line is read out from the active area of the CCD. When slicing images, using ViewScan, the start exposure time will be corrected, so the start exposure time in the file header will be always the time, the first line of the image file is read out from the active area of the CCD.

There are some fields at the right which showing some information's, different trailing should be less than 1-3 pixels

There is a button to start a form simulating differential trailing.

Darksubtraction and flat field correction is not implemented in WinScan, but you can take dark frames and flat frames, using WinScan and calibrate the images using ViewScan. (check ViewScan help file)

Standard:

Settings for a standard image:

Exposure Time

In seconds

Load Default

Load a special default file with settings for standard image

Save as Default

Save the settings in a special default file for standard images

Sub Array:

Settings for a Sub Array image:

Exposure Time per Sub Array

The time, until one sub array is shifted height pixels in the direction of the readout register, should be about 0.03 sec

Height Sub Array

In pixels, if the CCD is 162 pixels height and the height of the sub array is 10 you get 16 sub arrays

Load Default

Load the special default file with settings for Sub Array imaging

Save as Default

Save the settings in the special default file for Sub Array imaging

Speckle:

Settings for a Speckle image:

Time per line:

Using the tracking CCD it should be set to about 0.0015 sec or less (check the time stamp file), time to read out one line, after reading out a sub frame is started

Number of lines to read

How many lines should be read out, until the image is stopped, (about 3000 or more)

Exposure Time per Sub Array

The time, delaying with the readout , should be about 0.03 sec , should be a multiple of the Time per line.

Height Sub Array

In pixels, after reading in n lines (height sub array), the program waits for the exposure time per sub array.

store first to memory

Enables a faster readout, number of lines should not be to huge, the size of the memory needed for that, is shown.

Set to defaults

Set to the defaults for this kind of image

Load Default

Load the special default file with settings for Speckle images

Save as Default

Save the settings in the special default file for Speckle images

Fast Scan:

Settings for a Fast Scan image:

Time per line:

Using the tracking CCD it may be set to about 0.0015 sec. Time to read out one line. Depends on the brightness of the star.

No error compensation:(CheckBox)

unchecked: default: if one line is read to late, the next time is read earlier.
checked: try to read the next line always after a constant period. (use the time stamp file to find the start time of an occultation)

Number of lines to read

How many lines should be read out, until the image is stopped, (about 3000 or much more)

no break

Image can not be stoped.

store first to memory

Use this option. It is faster. (Except very large images )

Start/Strobe ind. pulse

Start indication pulse (left field)

if the value v, in the left Edit field is > 0,
at the start of an image (start exposure time)
and at the end of the image (after the last line is read in)
a pulse of v/100 seconds length is ,
send to +X of the telescope port ,
( You may connect for example a relay between +5V and +X and compare that pulse with an extern time source or so)

Start/Strobe ind. pulse

Strobe indication pulse (right field)

if the value v, in the right Edit field is > 0,
then at the begin of a delay to strobe,
a pulse of v/100 seconds length is ,
send to +X of the telescope port ,
( You may connect for example a relay between +5V and +X and compare that pulse with an extern time source or so)

Strobe readout time

There are added delays in the readout at:
line mode LineNr == 0
These delays can be seen in the image as brighter pixels in the trail. Use this bright pixels and the time stamp file to find the start time of an occultation.

Strobe delay x * shiftime

Wait x * shifttime at line mode LineNr == 0
try about 5

At LineNr

wait if:
line mode LineNr == 0
try about 100

Start delay x * shiftime

Wait x * shifttime at the start of the image.
You will get a brighter pixel at the start of the trail.

last line to strobe

if ((line > last line to strobe) AND( line < strobe again at ) )
there will be no delays.

strobe again at

if ((line > last line to strobe) AND( line < strobe again at ) )
there will be no delays.

Load Default

Load the special default file with settings for Fast Scan images

Save as Default

Save the settings in the special default file for Fast Scan images

The Settings for a Fast Focus/Search are saved in different files

Fast Focus:

Settings for Fast Focus

Time per line:

Using the tracking CCD it should be set to about 0.0015 sec or less, time to read out one line, using a bright star it may be set to a small value, it may be also used the imaging CCD

Load Default

Load the special default file with settings for Fast Focus

Save as Default

Save the settings in the special default file for Fast Focus

Fast Search:

Settings for Fast Search

Time per line:

Using the tracking CCD it should be set to about 0.0015 sec or less, time to read out one line, using a bright star it may be set to a small value, it may be also used the imaging CCD.

Load Default

Load the special default file with settings for Fast Search

Save as Default

Save the settings in the special default file for Fast Search