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Chapter 5
General Operation Factors
Introduction
The purpose of the First Light chapter was to help you get your system up and running so
you could verify that it worked. The step-by-step procedures provided the appropriate
settings but did not explain why those settings were selected. The information in this
chapter covers general operation factors that apply to Gate Mode operation of the
PI-MAX3 system. These factors play a part before, during, and after the exposure and
readout of the CCD array: dark charge, clean cycles, continuous cleans, exposure modes,
readout, digitization, software binning, and background subtraction. Factors that are
specific to a particular intensifier mode and pulser are included in the appropriate chapter.
Data Acquisition Sequence
When data is acquired, the CCD array is exposed to an incoming signal, which integrates on
the array. At the end of the exposure (may include multiple gates), the charge from the array
pixels must be read out, digitized, and transferred to the computer before the image from the
array appears on the computer screen. This sequence is shown in the block diagram below
(Figure 6).
Figure 6. Block Diagram of Signal Path in Standard PI-MAX3 System
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