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