From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: June 7, 2010 10:53:42 AM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Flea3 up and running but a couple of simple questions


Dear doodlebun;


On 7-Jun-10, at 10:27 AM, doodlebun wrote:

I have the new Flea3 camera witht the icx618 CCD connected to my MacBook with a 800 to 400 firewire adaptor. All is fine so far as the latest Astro IIDC alpha version sees it without a problem. I did read the ReadMe First file and noticed the discussion about the problem with triggered long exposures with the PGR camera. I noticed that the maximum frame rate allowed with this camera is 2 seconds. Does this mean that this will be the maximum exposure time accessible at this time?  If so it's no biggie as I rarely use those long exposures anyway.


That's the maximum exposure time that it supports. The exposure times that PGR does with it's cameras is really odd. It varies with the format used, ROI (if applicable)  the base frame rate selected,  image depth, and camera model. So you might get 1 second in one situation and 63 seconds in another - and no way to predict it.


So the Trigger method is the only way to make any of their cameras do long exposure.


The Flea 3 (Like the Flea2 G models) have Opto-isolated GPIO pins for physical pins 1 and 2, so you can't do a simple "Dead short" to connect them up.


You have to connect up pins 3 and 4 on the Hirose Rat Tail (provide by PGR - the new ones have wires with numbers on them too which makes this pretty easy) and then in the "Camera Trigger Method" sub menu (see page 24 of the Astro IIDC 4.05.00 manual) select the "The "Use Pin 4 for Trigger" menu item (read page 25 for a description). After that, you check mark the Allow extended PGR cameras exposure times" in the Preferences section and then quit the application. Next time you re-launch astro IIDC it will be able to do up to 1 hour exposures.


People really need to send them an e-mail and ask them to add arbitrary long exposure times up to 60 minutes. TIS really got this one right the first time.



Normally I don't use my PGR cameras in Format7 modes. If I switch the Flea3 to Format7 mode would it allow me to set frame rates between 30 and 60 fps?


I have no idea. You'll have to try it and see for yourself.


The other issue is that you using a FireWire 400 down converter. FireWire 400 is not as efficient as FW 800 is for moving data so your frame rates will not be as good.



And finally, thanks Milton for making this camera controllable by AstroIIDC. The windows people are still circling the wagons.


Well as long as the camera manufacturer follows the IIDC Specification, then we don't have issues. When they don't do that (like PixeLink), then we have real problems.


HTH..


Milton Aupperle