Chapter 4 First Light 51
Pre-Acquisition Check
Room Illumination
Shutter Mode operation has been selected for this First Light procedure to reduce the
setup complexity. However, there is a risk of overloading the camera. For operation in
the Shutter Mode, the room lighting should be subdued to where it is hard to see with
the eye. The camera is about 100 times more sensitive than the eye.
If Imaging with a Lens
1. Begin with an aperture of nominally f/16 (lens stopped down as far as possible).
2. Provide a suitable target at the focal distance.
3. Cover the lens.
If Taking Spectra
1. If using a spectrograph, set up to either take an image, or to bin on chip and use a
region of interest, reading out the data as a spectrum. This will require selecting Use
Region of Interest (ROI) on the Experiment Setup Main page followed by
specifying the ROI via the Experiment Setup ROI Setup page.
2. Block light from entering the spectrograph.
3. Mount a suitable light source, such as a mercury pen-ray lamp, in front of the
entrance slit of the spectrograph. Any light source with line output can be used.
Standard fluorescent overhead lamps have good calibration lines as well, as do the
neon bulbs commonly used as power-on indicators on power strips. If there are no
“line” sources available, it is possible to use a broadband source such as tungsten for
the alignment. If this is the case, use a wavelength setting of 0.0nm for alignment
purposes.
Note: If you purchased an optical-fiber adapter and cable, install them only after the
regular alignment procedure has been successfully completed. Consult the Optical Fiber
Adapter manual for specific instructions.
Initial Data Acquisition
1. Verify that room or ambient lighting is subdued.
2. Set the PI-MAX MCP On/Off switch to ON.
Note: The PI-MAX overload alarm may sound briefly and then stop. This is normal
and is not a cause for concern. However, if the alarm sounds continuously, even with
no light entering the lens or spectrograph, something is wrong. Turn off the power
and contact the factory for guidance.
3. If you are using a spectrograph, set the software to display a spectrum. With
WinSpec/32, this is done by selecting Layout on the Display menu and then
selecting Graph on the General tab. When viewing the spectrum, select a strip at
about mid-range on the CCD by setting the ROI in software.
4. At the computer, select Focus mode (WinX Acquisition menu). Data acquisition
will begin and each frame acquired will be displayed on the computer monitor. Since
the intensifier is covered, the PI-MAX lens is capped, or the entrance to the
spectrograph is covered, only noise will be displayed.
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