From: "milton_aupperle" <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: May 13, 2005 4:32:36 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Astro IIDC 2.0 Feature Set..


Hi Folks;


Astro IIDC 2.0 is coming close to being feature complete, other than

documentation which is ongoing. I'll be starting an open beta for

existing Astro IIDC owners in the next week or two. Here are the major

new features.


1) It supports a lot more and higher end IIDC cameras. Any IIDC color

(bayer) or monochrome 8 or 16 bit camera that supports Format 0 (Modes

5 and 6) or Format 1 ( Modes 2, 5, 6, or 7) or Format 2 (Modes 2, 5,

6, or 7) and also supports the absolute shutter register are

compatible. So it will support cameras with image sizes from 640x480

up to 1600x1200, 8 or 16 bit, color (bayer) or monochrome and from

frame rates as fast as 60 frames per second to as long as 60 minutes

per frame. It also supports both FireWire 400 and FireWire 800

cameras,  however the only FW800 cameras we know of are the Point Grey

Research Dragon Fly Express.


Cameras we have explicitly tested include:

- Unibrain, iBot, iRez, ADS Pyro, TIS, Aplux.

- Optronics MacroFire,  MicroFire and QuantiFire (TE cooled) color /

monochrome cameras (8 bit only - exposure times to 20 minutes).

- The Imaging Source "DMx 21BF04" monochrome camera (8 bit - exposures

to 30 seconds).

- Point Gray Research Dragon Fly, Dragon Fly Express, Flea and

Scorpion (8/16 bit - exposure to 60 seconds).


Other cameras that should work as they are documented to support the

above features Astro IIDC needs are listed below. All of these have

1/3" to 1.5" Sony CCD's, with pixel sizes from 3.5 to 9.9 microns in

sizes and delivering frame sizes from 640x480 to 1600x1200 pixels.

This list is not exhaustive, but gives you a starting point to look

at.


Sony XCD-SX710CR (Color 8/16 bit - exposures to 17 seconds)

Sony XCD-SX710 (Monochrome 8/16 bit - exposures to 17 seconds)

Sony XCD-SX910CR (Color 8/16 bit - exposures to 17 seconds)

Sony XCD-SX910 (Monochrome 8/16 bit - exposures to 17 seconds)

Sony XCD-SX910UV (Ultraviolet 8/16 bit - exposures to 17 seconds)

Prosilica CV640 (Monochrome 8/16 bit - exposures to 10 seconds)

Prosilica CV640C (Color 8/16 bit - exposures to 10 seconds)

MicroPix Model640C (Color 8/16 bit - exposures to 16 seconds)

MicroPix Model640 (Monochrome 8/16 bit - exposures to 16 seconds)

MicroPix Model1024C (Color 8/16 bit - exposures to 16 seconds)

MicroPix Model1024 (Monochrome 8/16 bit - exposures to 16 seconds)

Allied Vision Dolphin  F-145B  (Monochrome 8/16 bit - exposures to 17

seconds)

Allied Vision Dolphin  F-145C  (Color 8/16 bit - exposures to 17

seconds)

Allied Vision Dolphin  F-201B  (Monochrome 8/16 bit - exposures to 17

seconds)

Allied Vision Dolphin  F-201C  (Color 8/16 bit - exposures to 17

seconds)

Allied Vision Marlin  F-046B (Monochrome 8 bit - exposures to 17

seconds)

Allied Vision Marlin  F-046C (Color 8 bit - exposures to 17 seconds)

The Imaging Source DBK 31F03 (Monochrome 8 bit - exposures to 2

seconds) ****

The Imaging Source DMK 31F03  (Monochrome 8 bit - exposures to 2

seconds) ****

The Imaging Source DBK 41F02  (Monochrome 8 bit - exposures to 2

seconds) ****

The Imaging Source DMK 41F02  (Monochrome 8 bit - exposures to 2

seconds) ****


Cameras with **** at the end may also be compatible, I'm waiting on

confirmation of one piece of information.


2) It supports Live alignment and stacking - summing in 8 or 16 bit

per pixels images while they are captured - a dual 2.5 gighz G5 can do

60 fps, where as a single CPU G4 1.25 gighz Laptop can do about 15 to

30 fps. This is all achieved using my custom Altivec code and

performance will  be 5 to 20 times slower on a G3. All delivered tiff

files are in 16 bit (Monochrome 16 bit or RGB48 bit) and processing is

done at a full 32 bits per pixel per color channel.


3) It can do post auto align and stack - sum 8 or 16 bit movies, avi's

and .mpegs  after they are recorded and in batches. Set a few simple

settings and it can batch up to 256 movies at one time. Monochrome  8

bit images are stacked at rates of 30 to 120 frames per second - so

you don't have to wait at all to see results and experiment. All

delivered tiff files are in 16 bit (Monochrome 16 bit or RGB48 bit)

and processing is done at a full 32 bits per pixel per color channel.


4) It has preliminary support for image tracking with LX type scopes

using a USB to Serial Key Span Serial adapter. So it can be used to

guide and track objects. If you have 2 cameras, make a copy of Astro

IIDC and use one copy to capture and the other copy to guide. One

caveat is that due to really poor weather conditions here and abroad,

guiding has not been tested as extensively as I'd like and remains

"preliminary".


There are a host of other minor changes, improvements and other things

under the hood too which you'll discover as you try it out.


So that's what you all have to look forward too in a few weeks.


Thanks in advance...



Milton J. Aupperle

President

ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting

Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist

#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.

Calgary Alberta Canada T2R0N5

1-(403)-229-9456

milton@outcastsoft.com

www.outcastsoft.com