Santa Barbara Instrument Group STL-1001E Operating Manual

Contents

Santa Barbara Instrument Group STL-1001E Operating Manual Manual pdf 71 page image

Appendix B - MaintenancePage 69B. Appendix B - MaintenanceThis appendix describes the maintenance items you should know about with your CCD camerasystem.B.1. Cleaning the CCD and the WindowThe design of SBIG cameras allows for cleaning of the CCD. The optical heads are notevacuated and are quite easy to open and clean. When opening the CCD chamber, one shouldbe very careful not to damage the structures contained inside.To open the CCD Chamber, remove the six screws that hold the 5 inch front cover inplace. Remove the six screws and lift the front cover, exposing the structures inside. There is arubber O-Ring that sets in the groove on the top of the Chamber housing.The CCD array is protected by a thin cover glass that can be cleaned with Q-Tips andIsopropyl Alcohol. Do not get alcohol on the shutter. Dust on the CCD should be blown off. Usealcohol only if necessary. The optical window of the chamber housing can be cleaned the sameway. When reinstalling the chamber housing, be very careful to make sure the O-ring is in thegroove when seated.B.2. Regenerating the DesiccantThis section describes the regeneration procedure for the desiccant used in the Research Seriescameras. The desiccant absorbs moisture in the CCD chamber, lowering the dew point belowthe operating temperature of the cooled CCD, thus preventing the formation of frost. Thedesiccant is contained in a small cylindrical plug that screws into the chamber from the side. Innormal operation the useful life of the desiccant is over a year. If the CCD chamber is openedoften, the desiccant should be regenerated when frosting is noticed. Follow the procedurebelow to regenerate the desiccant:1. Unscrew the desiccant container from the side of the chamber and removethe O-ring.2. Plug the resulting hole in the chamber by placing a piece of black plastic tapeover the opening to keep dust out while you are baking the desiccant.3. Heat the desiccant container in an oven at 350°F (175 deg C) for 4 hours. Thesolder used to seal the can melts at 460 degrees F, so be sure to stay at least 50degrees below this number. Preheating the oven to avoid hot spots isadvised.4. Replace the desiccant container into the rear of the camera, being careful toreinstall the O-ring and insure that it does not get pinched.5. Expect the camera to take an hour or two to reach the frost free state. If itdoes seem to frost and you need to capture images, reduce your cooling tothe zero degree C range - the CCD dark current will still be quite low.