Specifications

30 ST-133/ST-133A Controller Manual Version 2.H
9. Begin data collection by selecting RUN on the Interactive Camera Operation dialog
box. The shutter, if present, will open and successive images will be sent to the monitor as
quickly as they are acquired, giving as close to continuous video as possible.
Note: Because the time to acquire and read out an image varies directly with the size
of the CCD, the observed frame rate will vary greatly depending on the CCD
installed. With a short exposure time, it is not uncommon for the frame readout time
to be significantly longer than the exposure time.
10. Adjust the lens aperture, intensity scaling, and focus for the best image as viewed on
the video monitor. Some imaging tips follow:
• Begin with the lens blocked off. Set the lens at the smallest possible aperture
(largest f-stop number).
• Place a suitable target in front of the lens. An object with text or graphics works
best. If working with a microscope, use any easily viewed specimen. It is
generally not advisable to attempt fluorescence imaging during this Getting
Started phase of operation.
• Adjust the intensity scaling and lens aperture until a suitable setting is found.
The initial intensity scaling setting of 4096 assures that the image won’t be
missed altogether but could be dim. Once you’ve determined that the image is
present, select a lower setting for better contrast. Check the brightest regions of
the image to determine if the A/D converter is at full-scale. A 12-bit A/D is at full
scale when the brightest parts of the image reach an intensity of 4095. Adjust
the aperture to where it is just slightly smaller (higher f stop) than the setting
where maximum brightness on any part of the image occurs.
• Set the focus adjustment of the lens for maximum sharpness in the viewed
image.
• In the case of a camera with an F-mount, the camera lens adapter itself also has a
focus adjustment. If necessary, this focus can be changed to bring the image into
range of the lens focus adjustment. See your camera manual for instructions on
how to do this.
11. Once optimum focus and aperture have been achieved, you can switch from Video
Focus mode (WinView/32) to standard data-acquisition operation as determined via
the Experiment Setup dialog box. (In WinView/32 you might want to begin with
Free-Run Safe-Mode (Asynchronous) operation while gaining basic system
familiarity.)
Introduction to Spectroscopy
The following paragraphs provide step-by-step instructions for placing your
spectroscopy system in operation the first time. The intent of this simple procedure is to
help you gain basic familiarity with the operation of your system and to demonstrate that
it is functioning properly. Once basic familiarity has been established, then operation
with other operating configurations, ones with more complex timing modes, can be
performed. An underlying assumption for the procedure is that the detector is to be
operated with a spectrograph such as the Acton SpectraPro
®
300i (SP300i) on which it