APOGEE High Performance Cooled CCD Camera System: ALTA U16

Camera Installation Guide: [25/March/2008]

1:  Install drivers for CCD camera

               Insert driver CDROM into optical drive, but do not use automatic

                                  Windows** hardware wizard. On CDROM, click on "home", 

                                  then "starterkit" and then "CD", then install "setup.dll"

                                  (double click the icon).

2:  Ensure that the camera's USB connector is connected to the back of the DELL tower,

     seeing as it does not seem to like the front-of-tower port.

3:  Once the USB connector is inserted into one of the rear USB ports, and having the

     driver CDROM in the optical drive, you can now use the WIZARD to talk to the CDROM

     and install the necesary drivers.

4:  Using a broswer, navigate to APOGEE's WWW site:

             click on "downloads" section

             download the APOGEE Driver Update for Windows (v3.1.8)

             download the ALTA USB Update (v27)

     These updates are in the form of "ZIP" directories. One must un"ZIP" them, and execute

     the resulting .dll files (double clicking).

     When installing the USB update, one MUST powercycle the CCD Camera, 

     for which, a dialogue box should be provided.

5:  A further CCD camera plugin is required in order for the software controller

     to identify the correct ALTA U16 camera.

         Proceed to the APOGEE section to get the plugin.

     At this point, we had to contact the BISQUE people (by calling them). Because

     we have already purchased the software, their software support department

     send the KELT-S team [Dr Pepper] an email with the required link, password

     and serial number in order for us to download the plugin.

     Download and execute the plugin.

6:  Follow this procedure to enact updates/plugin.

     Restart CCDSOFT

     Under Camera CTRL menu

                              SETUP

                              Camera:  APOGEE ALTA DRIVER (1.0.0.2)

                              Settings:  (select USB)

                                            USB: Device Number 0  (zero)

                              Discover Camera (search)

                                           (it will find the CCD Camera, and highlight it) ==> ok.

     CAMERA ==> CONNECT  (the system finds the camera).

7:  One is subsequently able to set the temperature and take images etc.

     For instance, on 19/March/2008, we turned the camera on, and set the

     temperature to T = -20 degrees Celcius at 14:15 (local time). After a short

     period, we again verified the status of the camera at 15:16, at which time,

     the camera's temperature was stable at T=-20^c, operating at 69% capacity.

                                                                    Dr David James

                                                                    25/Mar/2008

                                                                    15:00 Central Daylight Savings Time