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StellaCam Wireless Controller User`s Manual

1. Click on the Connect using pull down menu and select a com port If you are connected to your computer s com port then choose COM1 If you are using a Serial to USB adapter then choose the com port number assigned to your adapter Click OK Now the following COM Properties screen appears COM1 Properties Port Settings Bits per second x Data bits 8 Parity None Stop bits 1 7 v Flow control Hardware E COM1 Properties Part Settings Bits per second x Data bits 8 Parity Stop bits Elow control OK Cancel Apply Change the Bits per second to 4800 Set the other parameters to Data bits 8 Parity None Stop Bits 1 Flow Control None or XON XOFF Click OK To identify your adapter s com port assignment look in the Device Manager under ports Control Panel gt System gt Hardware gt Device Manager It will show your adapter with the assigned com port in parenthesis 15 You will now have the HyperTerminal screen running as shown Wireless Controller HyperTerminal File Edit Men Call Transfer Help De S3 om e Connected 0 00 07 Auto detect Auto detect At the lower left of the screen a clock should be running showing the elapsed time since the connection was started Connect the interface cable from the handbox to your computer and the message Press ENTER Key To Connect should be displayed on the screen Press EN
2. 1 or 2 which specify Off Low or High for the gamma setting When an Output Data to Camera button is pressed a macro is executed that outputs the camera control parameters to the Handbox via the selected COM port by using embedded batch file commands reference Control Using Batch Files The object s row is then highlighted to indicate which data was the last to be sent 11 Control Using Batch Files The StellaCam Wireless Controller can be controlled from your computer by using batch files to send commands to the handbox You can create simple batch files that can be double clicked to send commands directly to the handbox A batch file consists of text commands that are executed when you double click the file s icon A text editor such as Microsoft Notepad can be used to create a batch file Below is an example of a batch file called Set to SC2 Mode bat which changes the operating mode of the wireless controller to StellaCam II Example File Set to SC Mode bar MODE COM1 BAUD 4800 PARITY N DATA 8 STOP 1 TO ON XON ON OCTS OFF ODSR OFF IDSR OFF DTR ON RTS ON PRINT SC2 gt COM1 The first line in this file initializes the com port COMI in this case with the proper settings for communication with the handbox Once the com port is initialized data can be sent via PRINT commands In this case the text command SC2 is sent out the serial COM1 port to the handbox The com port only needs
3. 8 RS232 Data Port Provides connectivity to a host computer using the supplied RS232 interface cable 9 Power On Off Switch Turns power on or off when pressed 10 External Power Port Provides operation by using an external power adapter ranging from 6vdc up to 35vdc Uses standard 2 1mm power connector with center positive polarity Disables the battery saving timeout when external power is connected The transmitter handbox can operate up to 200 hours on 2 AA standard alkaline batteries depending on LED intensity setting or indefinitely from its external power input You can also use 1 5v lithium AA batteries for much longer operation Power is applied by pressing the POWER On Off button When operating on batteries and the power is left on a battery saving timeout feature will automatically turn the handbox off if no settings are changed within a certain timeout period The timeout period is factory set to 30 minutes however the user can change it from 1 minute up to 2 hours or disable the timeout such that it will not automatically turn off While external power is connected the timeout feature is automatically disabled Battery saving timeout control is accessed over the serial RS232 data link see Computer Interface section A Batt Lo indication is momentarily displayed at regular intervals when the battery voltage drops down to 2 7v or less The handbox will operate for several hours following a Lo Batt warning
4. however it is recommended that either external power be applied or that the batteries be replaced when possible The handbox supports two different modes of operation StellaCam II mode and StellaCam3 mode The default is StellaCam3 mode The operating mode is displayed on the LED readout immediately after power is turned on The StellaCam II mode is indicated by SC 2 and the StellaCam3 mode is indicated by SC 3 The two modes of operation are identical except for the exposure times that are supported In the SC 2 mode only the StellaCam II exposure times of 017sec to 8 533sec are allowed In the SC 3 mode exposure times ranging from 0005 seconds to 90 minutes are allowed It should be noted that either operating mode will control all of the supported cameras however only the exposure times appropriate to the camera being used will actually be implemented The operating mode can be changed by accessing it over the serial RS232 data link see Computer Interface section All handbox settings are stored in non volatile memory so when you turn the power on the settings will be the same as they were the last time it was used including the LED intensity setting The handbox contains rotary knobs and switches allowing the operator to control the following camera parameters e Exposure Time e Gain e Freeze Frame e Iris Control e Gamma Setting Exposure Time Exposure times are displayed on a 4 digit LED readout T
5. to be initialized once however it s usually a good idea to include the initialization command at the beginning of each batch file just to make sure the com port gets set up properly Note the characters preceding COM allows com port numbers greater that 9 to be used Suppose you wanted to turn off the battery saving feature such that the controller does not automatically shut itself off after a timeout period The example batch file below would accomplish this by changing the timeout period to 121 Example File Turn Battery Savings Off bat MODE COM1 BAUD 4800 PARITY N DATA 8 STOP 1 TO ON XON ON OCTS OFF ODSR OFF IDSR OFF DTR ON RTS ON PRINT BTO121 gt COM1 Perhaps you would like to change the timeout period to be one hour The batch file below accomplishes this by commanding the battery saving timeout period to be 60 minutes Example File Set Battery Saving Time out To 60min bar MODE COM1 BAUD 4800 PARITY N DATA 8 STOP 1 TO ON XON ON OCTS OFF ODSR OFF IDSR OFF DTR ON RTS ON PRINT BTO060 gt COM1 Several controller commands can also be sent at the same time within a single batch file This feature allows you to easily configure your camera with pre stored settings for various stellar objects that you may be interested in viewing For example you could have a folder containing optimal camera settings for DSO objects that you had previously determined To configure the came
6. Gamma Setting Gamma correction is used to compensate for the non linear voltage intensity response of a monitor displaying an image from the camera Gamma correction basically controls the overall brightness of the image The Gamma Setting switch allows you to choose three different levels of gamma correction to the video image Setting the switch to the OFF position disables gamma correction gamma 1 0 Setting the switch to LO applies a gamma correction of 0 45 to the video image increased intensity Setting the switch to HI applies a gamma correction of 0 35 to the video image highest intensity B Receiver Unit The receiver unit performs all of the camera control operations It comes standard with an external 1 25 whip antenna but is optionally available with an internal planar antenna The internal antenna version has about 12 less range than the external version but may come in handy for applications where space is limited or a small cross sectional area is desired i e reducing aperture blockage with HyperStar mounting The receiver unit receives commands from the transmitter handbox over a wireless RF data link All of the camera control parameters are saved in non volatile memory so that when you turn the power on the settings will be the same as they were the last time it was used If the handbox is turned off or automatically shuts down the receiver will continue to control the camera based on the last settings it received
7. StellaCam Wireless Controller User s Manual For use with StellaCam II StellaCam3 and Wat 120N Wat 120N astro video cameras www CosmoLogicSystems com INSTRUCTION TO THE USER This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures e Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna e Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver e Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected e Consult the dealer or an experienced radio TV technician for help In order to maintain compliance with FCC regulations shielded cables must be used with this equipment Operation with non approved equipment or unshielded cables is likely to result in interference to radio and TV recep
8. TER and a display similar to the one below will appear Wireless Controller HyperTerminal File Edit view Call Transfer Help De os 28 Camera Model StellaCam 3 Exp Timer Exposure Time 20 Seconds Gain Setting 45 00 14 Gamma Setting LOW Iris Control OPEN Freeze Frame Status RUN Batt Saving Time Out 30 Minutes Display PC Commands Press Up Down ARROW keys to select a parameter Auto detect 4800 8 N 1 You can select a parameter by pressing the Up Down arrow keys then change its value by pressing the Left Right arrow keys 16 Parameters can also be changed by sending commands located in text files by using the HyperTerminal Transfer menu operation For example suppose you would like to save the optimum settings for viewing certain stellar objects in a folder You would like to be able to just select a file that sets up the camera for optimal viewing of your favorite DSO This can easily be done by creating text files that specify the desired settings you would like for each object Text files can be created with a text editor such as Windows Notepad and stored in a folder They can then be executed by using the HyperTerminal Transfer operation In HyperTerminal you would click on Transfer then select Send Text File This operation opens a popup window allowing you to select a command file from your designated folder Double clicking on y
9. ales CD Files for sales StellaCam Wireless Controller StellaCamController xls contains macros Macros may contain viruses It is usually safe to disable macros but if the macros are legitimate you might lose some functionality d Disable Macros J i Enable Macros More Info Click the Enable Macros button to allow the program to run 10 The following screen will now appear Microsoft Excel StellaCamController xls 30 A 00 zi 9 o sol IE El aah Jens 4 gt gt Object Selection lt gt Ready NUM The spreadsheet contains some sample object data that can be changed by the user To use the program just enter an Object Name Site Condition information Exposure Time Gain and Gamma setting for an object then click the Output Data to Camera button for that object Optionally you can enter an Order which is used for sorting the data There are two sort buttons available allowing the object list to be sorted by either Object Name or Order There is also a COM port pull down list allowing the user to select which RS232 COM port is to be used to output the data through The Exposure Time is specified in seconds and can range from 0005 seconds to 5400 seconds 90 minutes For sub second exposures it will output the nearest time value supported by the camera The Gain values can range from 00 to 99 The Gamma values can be 0
10. cations gt HyperTerminal folder So the next time you want to control the handbox using HyperTerminal just click on the Wireless Controller ht icon For convenience you may want to create a link to Wireless Controller ht and save it to your Windows desktop or some other appropriate folder 17 HI StellaCam Wireless Controller Commands The following is a list of text commands that are supported by the StellaCam Wireless Controller s RS232 computer interface COMMAND DESCRIPTION NUMERIC UNITS RANGE SC2 lt cr gt Set To StellaCam 2 Mode SC3 lt cr gt Set To StellaCam 3 Mode GNxx lt cr gt Set Gain 00 to 99 Percentage 0 99 GAMx lt cr gt Set Gamma 0 1 or2 Off Low or High IRSx lt cr gt Set Iris 0 or 1 Open or Control FRZx lt cr gt Set Freeze 0 or 1 Run or Freeze BTOxxx lt cr gt Change Batt Saving Time Out 001 to 121 Minutes 121 Always On XPMNxx lt cr gt Set Exposure Time in Minutes 01 to 90 Minutes XPSxxx lt cr gt _ Set Exposure Time in Seconds 001 to 299 Seconds XPSSxx lt cr gt _ Set Exposure Time in Sub Seconds 00 to 04 0005 001 002 004 008sec SC3 Only 05 to 10 017 033 067 133 267 533sec S lt cr gt Display Serial Number ID Code Notes e All of the text command characters must be upper case e x represents a numeric value between 0 and 9 e lt cr gt represents a Carriage Return inserted in a text file by pressing the Enter key Carriag
11. e Returns are not needed when commands are used in batch files and enclosed by quotes IV Receiver Transmitter ID Matching Each StellaCam Wireless Controller transmitter unit is hard programmed with a unique ID address which is transmitted whenever data is sent to the receiver The receiver unit has been pre programmed with the same ID address to match its corresponding transmitter however it is capable of automatically re programming itself to match its ID with any other StellaCam wireless transmitter This unique feature provides the user with flexibility for applications where multiple wireless systems may be used For example a single handbox could be used to control several different cameras simultaneously Automatic programming of the receiver s ID can be accomplished by pressing a yellow pushbutton switch located on the internal circuit board just to the right of the antenna In order to do this you must remove the enclosure cover of the receiver unit and install the receiver back in the camera with the circuit board exposed Apply power to the camera and press the yellow pushbutton switch The receiver s LED will blink three times to indicate that it is now ready to receive an ID signal from the transmitter Next turn the handbox power on and you will see the receiver s LED flash about eight times it is now pre programmed to match up with that handbox Change some settings on the handbox and the receiver s LED will flas
12. from the transmitter The receiver automatically detects which type of camera it is connected to and controls it based on the commands received by the transmitter along with the camera s capabilities Upon power up the receiver s LED will flash three times if it is connected to either a StellaCam3 or Wat 120N The LED will flash twice if it is connected to either a StellaCam II or Wat 120N This indicator tells the operator that the receiver has correctly detected the camera type and is functioning properly If the receiver s LED does not exhibit this when power is applied then either the camera s power plug should to be pulled out and re connected or the camera s power source should be turned off and then back on Installation On The Camera The receiver unit is installed on the camera by plugging it into the R C port of the camera This must be done before applying power to the camera Installation is accomplished by orienting the receiver with respect to the camera as shown in the diagram below and then gently inserting the connector ring into the mating circular slot on the camera Rotate the receiver slightly while applying a small amount of pressure until you feel the connector pins engage properly in their respective sockets The receiver should be aligned vertically with the camera body Once you achieve proper alignment of the pins apply additional pressure until the connector ring is completely seated into the camera The recei
13. h to indicate that it is receiving signals from the handbox transmitter Turn the camera receiver power off remove the receiver replace its enclosure cover and re insert it back in the camera You can now control the camera with the handbox via the newly programmed receiver 18 V Troubleshooting The StellaCam Wireless Controller utilizes Microprocessor based Control Units MCUs to provide all of the display and control functions The handbox MCU generally operates fine even with very low battery conditions however a momentary glitch on the voltage to the MCU can cause the processor to hang up If this were to occur the LED displays may freeze or go blank and the controls would become non responsive This situation can easily be corrected by resetting the MCU To reset the MCU simply remove one of the AA batteries then reinstall it make sure that external power is not connected before doing this If the batteries in the handbox are getting low a Batt Lo warning message will momentarily appear on the LEDs This low battery condition may cause voltage glitches to occur when turning the power on or off It may also cause a glitch to occur when disconnecting the external power while the handbox is on If the batteries are low it is recommended that they either be replaced with new batteries or that the handbox be connected to an external power source Even if the handbox were to freeze up this would not affect the ex
14. he exposure times are dialed in by turning a rotary knob to the desired setting Exposure times ranging between 1 second and 5 minutes are selected with a 1 second resolution Exposure times from 5 to 90 minutes are selected with a 1 minute resolution The rotary knob used for setting the exposure time also doubles as a push button switch for displaying an exposure countdown timer When pressed the LED readout toggles between displaying the exposure time and displaying the exposure countdown timer If the rotary knob is turned while the countdown timer is being displayed then the new exposure time is momentarily displayed exposure countdown resumes after the new selection is made When exposure times are changed the current exposure is adjusted to satisfy the new setting For example suppose the exposure time was set to 40 seconds but changed to 50 seconds If the current exposure had been running for 20 seconds then it will now continue for an additional 30 seconds to give you a 50 second exposure Now suppose the 40 second exposure setting was changed to 30 seconds If the current exposure had been running for 20 seconds then it will now continue for only 10 more seconds to give you a 30 second exposure Gain The camera s gain is displayed on a 2 digit LED readout The gain settings are dialed in by turning a rotary knob to the desired setting The gain setting ranges from 00 to 99 corresponding to the camera s video amplif
15. ier gain of 8dB to 38dB Therefore the gain resolution is 0 3dB per step change The gain setting can be interpreted as a percentage of the camera s gain range going from 0 8dB to 99 38dB 6 The gain rotary knob also doubles as an LED intensity adjustment When pressed down while rotating the intensity of the LED displays including the Freeze Read LED is adjusted Turning the knob clockwise increases LED brightness turning it counter clockwise decreases LED brightness Freeze Frame When the exposure has finished countdown goes to zero the READ LED will flash green indicating that the camera video frame has been updated with a new image The READ LED doubles as a Freeze Frame control switch When pressed the LED turns red indicating that the camera s video image has been frozen indefinitely When pressed again the red LED turns off and a new exposure begins Iris Control The Iris Control switch enables or disables camera control over the iris of an external lens When a lens with auto iris capability is connected to the auto iris control port of the camera the control feature of the camera can be enabled or disabled With the Iris Control switched to the OPEN position the camera control is disabled forcing the lens iris to be fully open With the Iris Control switched to the CTRL position the camera will have auto control over the lens iris adjusting the iris opening based on the intensity of light
16. nector Baud Rate Data Bits Parity Stop Bits Flow Control Terminal Emulation Transmitter Handbox Weight Receiver Weight Transmitter Handbox Dimensions Receiver Dimensions 35 C to 70 C 31 F to 158 F Up to 1000 feet depending on obstacles 5 volts 14mA from camera 3 volts 5mA to 16mA max 2 AA Batteries 6 to 35 volts DC at 50mA or greater Connector 2 1mm with center positive polarity Approximately 200 hours of operation depending on LED intensity or type of battery User Programmable 1 120 minutes or Always On 2 70 volts for 2 batteries 0 017sec to 8 533 sec 0 0005sec to 90min 00 to 99 8dB to 38db 0 3dB RJ 11 phone jack with 9 pin female D Sub adapter 4800 bits per second 8 bits None 1 1 5 or 2 None or Xon Xoff TTY or Auto Detect 6 ounces 1 ounce Approximately 5 H x 2 8 W x UD 3 2 H x 1 3 W x 0 6 D external antenna version 1 9 H x 1 3 W x 0 75 D internal antenna version Note Range is decreased about 12 with internal antenna version 20 VII Warranty Statement The manufacturer warrants the original purchaser of the STELLACAM WIRELESS CONTROLLER SWC that it shall be free of defects resulting from faulty manufacturer of the product or its components for a period of one year from the date of sale Defects covered by this warranty shall at the option of the manufacturer be corrected either by repair or by replacement The replaced comp
17. ng the PRINT command Each text command must by enclosed by quotes and there must be at least one space between them The end of the line must have the gt COMn where n 1 99 designator to specify which com port is being used The following sample batch file commands are provided on the CD that came with your controller Expose Imin Gain 57 Gama OFF Iris OPEN Unfreeze bat Expose 15s Gain 43 Gamma LO Iris OPEN Unfreeze bat Freeze bat M51 Camera Settings bat Set Batt Saving Timeout to 1min bat Set Batt Saving Timeout to 30min bat Set to SC2 Mode bat Set to SC3 Mode bat Turn Off Batt Saving Timeout bat UnFreeze bat Simply connect your handbox to COMI of your PC and double click on one of these files to send the command to use a different com port you will need to edit the file These sample batch files can also be downloaded from the Files section of the StellaCam Yahoo User Group at http tech groups yahoo com group stellacam A list containing all of the supported text commands can be found in section II of this manual This list can also be displayed when using HyperTerminal by selecting the Display PC Commands item in the parameter menu list then press the Right or Left arrow key refer to the Control Using HyperTerminal section 13 Control Using HyperTerminal HyperTerminal is a standard communications accessory that comes with all Windows operating systems With HyperTerminal
18. nomy video camera The StellaCam Wireless Controller provides you with convenient wireless operation of your camera up to distances of 1000 feet In addition to wireless operation the controller also provides an easy to use computer interface allowing you to control your camera from a personal computer or send control commands from another software application For StellaCam3 and Wat 120N owners the controller enhances your camera s operation by providing automatic exposure timing far beyond the maximum setting of 8 5 seconds available on the wired handbox The wireless controller will now give you automatic exposure timing from 1 2000 of a second up to a full 90 minutes including a convenient countdown display for exposures greater than one second I Description The StellaCam Wireless Controller consists of two components a transmitter handbox unit and a receiver unit The receiver unit plugs into the R C control input of your camera Power for the receiver is supplied by the camera through the R C connector therefore the receiver must be connected to the camera before applying power to the camera When powered on the transmitter handbox unit sends commands to the receiver over a wireless RF data link The handbox may be turned on either before or after the receiver camera is on Each transmitter receiver pair are matched by a unique ID address however the receiver unit can be automatically re programmed to match its ID with any o
19. onents will be warranted for the remainder of the original one year period The sole obligation of the manufacturer under this warranty is limited to repair or replacement of products pertaining to the SWC only which prove to be defective within one year of purchase The manufacturer shall not in any event be liable for any consequential damages or loss of profits of any kind resulting from the use of the SWC or the technical information enclosed in this document Please fill out the Product Registration Form and fax or mail it to CosmoLogic Systems Inc This product must be registered within thirty 30 days from the date of purchase in order to activate your warranty coverage Product Registration Form Please fill out the following information and send it to CosmoLogic Systems Inc 11112 204 Ave Ct East Bonney Lake WA 98391 Ph 253 862 4863 Fax 253 863 1689 Email CosmoLogic timemachine org www CosmoLogicSystems com By sending this form back to us we can let you know of additional products and upgrades as they become available This form is also used to activate your warranty coverage Name Address Phone City Camera Type State Zip StellaCam Wireless Controller Serial Number Email Purchased From Date Purchased 21
20. our command file or clicking on Open causes the commands to be sent to the handbox The new settings are then displayed on both the handbox and the HyperTerminal screen Below is an example of a typical text command file called M51 Camera Settings DI which may configure the camera for optimal viewing of the Whirlpool Galaxy Example File M51 Camera Settings txt Optimal Settings for SC3 camera to view M51 Whirlpool Galaxy with 12 LX200GPS scope at f 3 3 located in my back yard Set Exposure Time To 45 Seconds XPS045 Set Gain To 73 GN73 Set Gamma To LOW GAMI1 Set Iris Control To OPEN IRSO Un Freeze The Display if it was currently frozen FRZO This file consists of comment lines and command lines Each command in this file is located directly under the comment describing it The comment lines are optional and are only used for descriptive purposes The command lines are required and each command must be on a separate line A list of supported text commands can be displayed by selecting the Display PC Commands item in the parameter menu list then press the Right or Left arrow key The list can also be found in section II of this manual When exiting HyperTerminal it will ask you if you want to save the connection If you select YES a HyperTerminal setup file Wireless Controller ht will be created The file will be located in the HyperTerminal Folder Programs gt Accessories gt Communi
21. posure timing gain or any other camera parameter These parameters are controlled by the receiver unit and are independent of the handbox when no transmissions are being received from the handbox The receiver unit is powered by the camera s regulated 5 volt supply and is therefore not prone to problems caused by low battery voltages On rare occasions the receiver may experience problems at power up When plugging a power connector into the camera transients on the supply voltage may affect the receiver s power on reset circuit causing the receiver s processor to hang up When power is applied the receiver s LED should flash either 2 or 3 times depending on which camera it is connected to This indicator tells the operator that the receiver has correctly detected the camera type and is functioning properly If the receiver s LED does not exhibit this when power is applied then either the camera s power plug should be pulled out and re connected or the camera s power source should be turned off and then back on 19 VI Specifications Operating Temperature Range Transmitter Receiver Operating Range Receiver Power Input Handbox Internal Power Input Handbox External Power Input Battery Life Battery Saving Timeout Low Battery Warning Threshold Auto Exposure Range StellaCam II Mode Auto Exposure Range StellaCam3 Mode Gain Settings Gain Resolution Serial RS232 Com Port Parameters Con
22. ra for a particular object you would just connect the data cable between your computer and the handbox then double click on the setting file for that object The camera and handbox will then be configured with your desired settings After this you can disconnect the data cable and the settings will be maintained indefinitely until you decide to change them again NOTE The battery saving feature is temporarily disabled whenever external power is connected to the handbox 12 Comment lines may also be added to a batch file however they must be preceded by the text rem remark Below is an example of a typical batch command file called M51 Camera Settings bat which sends a set of commands to the handbox that may configure the camera for optimal viewing of M51 Example File M51 Camera Settings bat Echo off Rem Optimal Settings for SC3 camera to view M51 Whirlpool Galaxy with 12 LX200GPS scope at f 3 3 located in my back yard MODE COM1 BAUD 4800 PARITY N DATA 8 STOP 1 TO ON XON ON OCTS OFF ODSR OFF IDSR OFF DTR ON RTS ON Rem Set Exposure To 45sec Gain 73 Gamma LO Iris OPEN Un Freeze The Display PRINT XPS045 GN73 GAM TRSO FRZO gt COM1 The Echo off batch file command inhibits the text in the file from being sent to the screen during execution When sending multiple commands using a batch file all of the text commands may be on the same line followi
23. running you will get a display showing all of the wireless controller parameters along with instructions on how to modify them To invoke HyperTerminal click Start lower left of your computer screen then go through the following menus Programs gt Accessories gt Communications gt HyperTerminal When HyperTerminal is invoked the following screen will appear New Connection HyperTerminal File Edit view Call Transfer Help ose e DB Er Connection Description Sp Ch New Connection Enter a name and choose an icon for the connection Name Icon Bazmems lt Auto detect Auto detect If HyperTerminal is not on your system then you will need to insert your Windows CD and install it 14 Type in a connection name such as Wireless Controller and click OK Connection Description uy New Connection Enter a name and choose an icon for the connection Name Wireless Controlled Icon E Now the following Connect To screen appears Connect To B Wireless Controller Enter details for the phone number that you want to dial Country region United States 1 Area code 253 Phone number Connect using Lucent Win Modem 2 Connect To B Wireless Controller Enter details for the phone number that you want to dial Country region Area code Phone number Connect using COM b COMI COM1 TCP IP Winsock
24. ther StellaCam wireless transmitter see section IV for a description of this capability A Transmitter Handbox Gain Display Exposure Expose Timer Display Gain Control amp LED Intensity Adjust Exposure Control Iris Control Switch amp Timer Display Switch Video Frame Read Display amp Freeze Switch Gamma Control Switch RS232 Data Port O P External Power Port Power On Off Switch Handbox Features 4 Handbox Features 1 Exposure Expose Timer Display Displays exposure time in minutes and seconds Displays exposure countdown timer when selected by Timer Display Switch 2 Gain Display Displays video amp gain as a percentage of full gain 3 Exposure Control amp Timer Display Switch Controls exposure time when rotated Toggles display between exposure time and exposure countdown timer when pressed 4 Gain Control amp LED Intensity Adjust Controls gain of video amp when rotated Controls intensity of LED displays when rotated while being pressed down 5 Video Frame Read Display amp Freeze Switch Flashes green when a video frame update occurs Turns red and freezes the current video frame when pressed Unfreezes and starts a new exposure when pressed again 6 Iris Control Switch Enables or disables camera control over the iris of an external lens 7 Gamma Control Switch Switches gamma correction between Off Low and High
25. tion The user is cautioned that changes and modifications made to the equipment without the approval of manufacturer could void the user s authority to operate this equipment The Receiver Unit has been tested to comply with FCC standards FOR HOME OR OFFICE USE Developed and maintained by CosmoLogic Systems Inc Latest Revision 10 15 10 Contents ER DUS CRI UON EE A Transmitter Handbox Hand box R atures si sca eievwideses vise nse E a e abonse rete aun a dee apes nn coe atte Be Receiver Unit ageseent Rods e Beene weal pee ned seh ence beet Tnstallation On The Cap Eet Ae chet iad ENEE ae ba eo II Operating The StellaCam Wireless Controller cece eee ee ee ee eect nee ee ene e ened Comp ter Interface merei n E E A EE EE Control Using StellaCamController xls Excelt 0 cc cece cee ce ence ec eeeee ene enae eens Control Using Batch Files via cssunandarvantsevendedegtessicdacduceatercemavedlseesstueieaendenss Control Using Hyper terme Sousa Ei coe dveionsiacuarenw aia cel aioe i acay dees HI StellaCam Wireless Controller Commandes IV Receiver Transmitter ID Matching ccc ccc cece cee nce eee een eate eee eeeenae senna tees V Troubleshooting EE VE Specifications EE VI Warranty Statement EE Product Registration Form ig oes cescuvs SEN EENS dE EE Thank you for purchasing the StellaCam Wireless Controller for use with your StellaCam II StellaCam3 or Wat 120N Wat 120N astro
26. ur computer s USB ports RS232 Interface Cable standard phone line with 9 pin adapter Connect To Computer s 9 pin COM Port OR Serial to USB Adapter Computer Interface Cable Connection To control the handbox from your computer you can either send text commands from a batch bat file or run a communications program such as Procomm or HyperTerminal An Excel file StellaCamController xls is also provided which allows the user to easily control the camera based on preset parameters that the user can specify for over 180 different objects You can also write your own application software to send the supported text commands Control Using StellaCamController xls For users who have Microsoft Excel 2003 or later installed on their PC the StellaCam Wireless Controller can be controlled from your computer by using the file StellaCamController xls This file is provided on the CD that came with your controller It can also be downloaded from the StellaCam Yahoo User Group http tech groups yahoo com group stellacam in the Files section This file allows the user to specify the Exposure Time Gain Setting and Gamma Setting for over 180 objects in a spreadsheet list The data can then be output to the camera by simply clicking a button The program uses macros so when started you may see the following screen EI Microsoft Excel hei Type a question for help C astronomy CosmoLagic S
27. ver unit is very light and small therefore it may be desirable to just leave it in the camera while the camera is being stored and not in use This would reduce the set up time plus eliminate wear on the connector components Connector Ring Receiver Installation II Operating the StellaCam Wireless Controller The StellaCam Wireless Controller was designed to be as simple to use as possible Simply plug the receiver unit into the R C connector of your camera power up the camera and turn the transmitter handbox power on You may now control your camera using the handbox up to 1000 feet away Several of the StellaCam Wireless Controllers may be operated within range of each other at star parties without concern for interference They have been designed with unique ID addresses and data timing characteristics that prevent them from interfering with one another Computer Interface The transmitter handbox may be operated remotely from a personal computer by using its serial RS232 data link This feature gives you the ability to control your camera from a host computer A serial interface cable is supplied with your wireless controller system that connects the handbox to the com port on your computer The interface cable uses standard RJ11 phone line therefore it can easily be extended in length if desired If your computer does not have a COM port then a Serial to USB adapter may be connected to the cable in order to connect to one of yo

StellaCam Wireless Controller User`s Manual

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