Options

Contents - Index

Options

This page gives you the ability to completely customize the session to your needs and your systems capabilities. The session is roughly divided into three sections, each with their own set of customization options and each include the ability to launch a user-provided program at various places throughout the section.

Contents
1. Startup Section
2. Data Acquisition Section
3. Shutdown Section
Data Storage
Customization
Utility Window

1. Startup

This section programs the desired startup activities prior to data acquisition.

Begin Session at a specified starting time: When checked, the session will start at the specified time

Begin Session at a number of minutes relative to Sunset: When checked, the session will start the specified number of minutes before (-) or after (+) sunset. Only one of the two Begin Session options can be checked.

Open Dome: When checked and connected to appropriate dome automation software, the dome shutter will be opened at the session start time. If the dome fails to open, the run will abort.

Cooler start Delay: When checked, this will allow the cooler to come on after the specified number of minutes delay and at the specified set point. The delay is defined as the time from the previously completed startup task. If this is the first checked task, it will be measured from session start.

Wait up to: CCDAutoPilot will wait up to the specified number of minutes for the cooler to reach the set point specified above. As soon as the set point is reached, the session will continue; if the set point is not reached in the after the specified number of minutes, the session will continue.

Run: When checked, the application in the space provided will be run. Navigate to this application by using the

file open button. The run will not proceed until this application completes and closes. Arguments for applications may be entered in the arg(ument) field next to the application. If any arguments are present, the application will be executed with the defined arguments.

2. Data Acquisition

Any planned data activities are shown here in the order they will be executed. If a data activity is disabled (grayed out), the activity is not planned. In the example, no darks are planned after the target run. This serves as a reminder to what you have specified for your data gathering.

After Civil Dusk: Since most CCD cameras are not sufficiently light tight to permit quality darks when it is light out, checking this option will force any dark acquisition to wait for civil dusk so that it should be sufficiently dark.

Focus Before Target Start: Checking this option will cause a focus run, using the settings specified on the Focus page, before any target acquisition begins. This is helpful when you are using a telescope whose focus point changes with temperature and your last focus was anear the end of a previous evening when it was cooler than it is at the start of a session now. Focusing will start from the current telescope position using the filter specified for plate solve exposures and the focus settings on the Focus page.

Park Telescope: When checked, the telescope will be parked at its user-defined park position

Telescope Tracking Off: If desired, or if the mount doesn't support parking, the telescope tracking will be turned off, leaving the telescope in its current position.

Run: When checked, the application in the space provided will be run. Navigate to this application by using the

Close Dome before Dawn Flats: When checked, the dome shutter will be closed. This option could be used either when no dawn flats are planned and only dark and bias frames are needed.

Run: When checked, the application in the space provided will be run. Navigate to this application by using the

At Telescope Park Position: When checked, flats from an artificial light source can be acquired at the telescope park position as soon as the dark frames are completed. These artificial flats will require a light source to be turned on appropriately. By using the previous Run command and a software-commandable light source, it can be turned on before flat acquisition.

3. Shutdown

This section programs the desired shutdown activities.

Abort Light and Dark Frames at Dawn: When checked, any light frames or dark frames still planned will be aborted before the planned start of sky flats, whether any are planned or not. This box is automatically checked if any dawn flats are selected. It should be unchecked if you want to take artificial flats at the telescope park position.

Re-park Telescope after Dawn Flats: When checked, the telescope will return to its park position after dawn flats are completed. If a Pyxis rotator is being used, it will be moved to the 0 position.

Telescope Tracking Off after Dawn Flats: If desired, or if the mount doesn't support parking, the telescope tracking will be turned off, leaving the telescope in its current position.

Close Dome after Dawn Flats: When checked, the dome shutter will be closed at the conclusion of dawn flats.

Cooler Warmup: When checked, the camera cooler set point will be set to +25°C. This is done in place of merely turning the cooler off in case the camera's driver controls the cooler ramp-up. This becomes more important in large chip cameras. In such cases, wait for the cooler duty cycle to get to 0% before turning off the camera.

Run: When checked, the application in the space provided will be run. Navigate to this application by using the

button. The run will not complete until this application completes and closed. Arguments for applications may be entered in the arg(ument) field next to the application. If any arguments are present, the application will be executed with the defined arguments.

Data Storage

You an specify where your data is to stored either on a local PC or over a network. See the Data Organization topic for more details.

Starting Sequence Number: This entry will be the sequence number of the first exposure taken in the series. The number is maintained in the registry so that all exposures in a consecutive period are assured of having a unique identity. While it is possible to edit this entry, it is recommended it be left intact so that the chance of over-writing previous data is minimized.

Images Folder: This is the root or base folder in which all exposure files are located. Using the

button, navigate to the desired base folder for your images.

Auto-generate sub-folders: When checked, this powerful option will arrange your exposures in an easy-to-use and logical manner, without your having to worry about folder names. The Images Folder specified above will be the base. Light frames will be located in a folder with the name <yymmdd><Target>. Calibration frames, consisting of dark frames, bias frames and flat frames, will be located in a folder with the name <yymmdd>_Calibrationframes. And all CCDAutoPilot logs will be located in a folder with the name CCDAutoPilot_Logs.

Lossless Compression (Maxim): When checked, all FITS data files, light frames, dark and bias frames and flat frames are compressed using Maxim's proprietary lossless compression algorithm. This makes file sizes considerably smaller than uncompressed files but they can only be opened in Maxim and not any other program. This option is only available when Maxim is used as the Camera Control Program. If this option is checked, Insert WCS can not be used and the selection will be disabled.

Here is an example. Assume you have defined your Images Folder as C:\Astronomy and on January 22, 2006, you imaged M42 and M78. At the end of your automated run, you will find the following folders created with the appropriate data in them:

Light frames: C:\Astronomy\060122_M42 and C:\Astronomy\060122_M78
Calibration frames: C:\Astronomy\060122_CalibrationFrames
And your log for the night's activities will be in C:\Astronomy\CCDAutoPilot_Logs

Customization

Additional customization options are available here.

Simple File Name: If checked, the light frame file name will be <target>.fit. Note that this is intended for a single light frame per target. Taking more than one image per target will result in only the latest one being saved and the prior ones being overwriten.

Cooler Set Point Recovery: If checked, the cooler set point specified in the Startup section, whether cooler start is checked or not, will attempt to be maintained, whether or not camera firmware attempts to set it back to a warmer temperature or not. Typically, an Apogee Alta prevents the cooler running at 100% power if the desired set point is not reached and sets the set point back. This becomes a problem as the evening goes on and the ambient temperature is reduced so that cooler power is not at the maximum. This feature of CCDAutoPilot will keep trying to set the cooler to the set point in the Startup section.

Remove Pixels (Maxim): When checked, CCDAutoPilot will automatically execute Maxim's Remove Bad Pixels process for all frames, Light, Dark, Bias and Flats, taken during the session. See the Maxim help file for details. The Bad Pixel Map in Maxim must be pre-defined and unique for each binning. For example, a bad pixel map for 1x1 binning must have the name "Map1", for 2x2 binning, the name must be "Map2", for 3x3 binning, the name must be "Map3". Any other name will not be accepted by CCDAutoPilot.

Noise: This represents the small amount of Gaussian noise that is added to the interpolated images to improve appearance. See the Maxim help file for more details.

Remove Pixels Usage Note

When this feature is configured and checked, it will be applied to all frames, light, dark, bias and flat. If you already have library dark and bias frames taken without this option and want to use them with light frames acquired with this option checked, then you should run your masters through Maxim, apply the appropriate bad pixel map and save the master to a new name. If you don't do this, your calibrated image might not look correct. For example, assume you have a bright column that you remove with the bad pixel map. This column will not show up in your light frame but if it is in your dark frame, you will have a black column in your reduced image. If you run your master dark through the Remove Bad Pixels routine manually in Maxim, save that dark and apply it to your light frame taken with the Remove Pixels option checked, your calibrated image should look proper.

If you select this option, you should make bad pixel maps for all binnings that you use, including those you use for plate solve exposures. That way, hot pixels will be removed and the plate solving routine won't mistake a hot pixel for a star.

While there are many ways to develop a bad pixel map, one way is to use a master bias. It should be made up of 20 - 40 individual bias frames, the more the better. Move the information windows around to measure the level (ADU's) of the bad pixels you want to remove. Hit the AutoGenerate button and use the threshold adjustments in Maxim to define the pixels that should be replaced. Next, process the bias frame to see what pixels will be removed.

It is strongly recommended that you experiment with this feature before committing it to an evening's session.

Note: Enabling this feature modifies your original data by the Remove Bad Pixels process before it is saved. There is no way to "undo" this modification. Science users should carefully consider whether this option is appropriate for your data requirements. You can evaluate this by not checking the option and manually running it through Maxim's "Remove Bad Pixels" process.

Utility Window

Email notifications (Professional Edition Only) can be selected for the indicated events. The notifications will be sent as selected according to the Email settings on the Preferences page. Weather Event notifications will be for any of the events specified for the Cloud Sensor on the Preferences page.

Also shown for reference is Astronomical twilight.