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Signature User Manual

1. Version 1 2 Michael Burns Signature User Manual This document will introduce you to the wonders of the Mallincam Signature Camera It will include instructions on how to connect the Signature to your computer along with explanations of the camera s various settings Imaging techniques with the various hardware and software options will be covered Both the standard CVBS video output and SDI video output will be discussed along with hints and suggestions on how to resolve any problems that you encounter with this camera Enjoy the adventure with Rock Mallin s professional SDI video camera this his Signature masterpiece Signature User Manual Page Revision Sheet Revision History Signature User Manual Page ii Table of Contents BS sO a E10 a A ii ADS OTC OMS a a a ia 0 Des SOU OG CY OID asia bases aa atest nasser tise aces tea hase tative Secs sages E E A 3 The Contents of the Signature Package cccooooooocccccccnonononanaconocononanananonococoonannnnnnnnnccconannnns 3 You purchase will include the following ItemMs ooooooooccnccccnnnnonanannnocononanananononononannnos 3 The amera Justicia 4 The Camera SANON ascii rd a a a 5 The Camera Connection Diagram ooo occccccnnnnouuuanunonononanananananonononannnnnnnnnccononnnnnnnnnnnnccnonannns 7 The Camera RS 485 CONNECtION ccccccnnnnnnannncnononanananannncnononannnnnnncncnononnnnnnnnnnacoconannnss T Hooking up Hardware a
2. Signature User Manual Page 14 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Controlling Signature using the Buttons The Signature Camera has an OSD On Screen Display menu system that allows you to control every aspect of the camera You activate the OSD by holding down the Centre Button for 2 to 3 seconds When activated the following screen overlay will be presented You control the arrow see beside the ALC setting on the image above by using the UP and DOWN Arrow Buttons on the back of the camera and you select an option by pressing the CENTRE ENTER Button The LEFT and RIGHT Buttons take you other related screens For example with the LUMINANCE MENU1 1 4 displayed press the RIGHT Button and you will see LUMINANCE MENU2 2 4 Hit the RIGHT Button again and it will display the COLOR MENU 3 4 and finally hit RIGHT Button one more time to display the SETUP MENU 4 4 To can use the LEFT and RIGHT Buttons to cycle through the Main Menu screens When the OSD is activated and NO Button activity has been detected by the Signature Camera for about a minute the Signature will EXIT the OSD screen automatically Signature User Manual Page 15 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 LIMIWACE NEW 274 SIM BATTER FF S GFF LUNINARCE MENJL 144 ae BAYAN i SeT na FOR REDUCTION GFF E PSE OFF H v e EXT SETUP EM 474 TAISE gt e AE nt SPECIAL ACTION To close the OSD look for an EXIT
3. 2014 Hooking up Hardware To control the camera through the Signature RS485 Port you will require a USB to RS485 Adapter Cable have had great success with the US Converters RS485 422 cable converter Model XS890 other users also have had success with US Converters RS485 to RS232 converter Model XS201A see Appendix F for detailed instructions of how to attach the Signature Camera to Specific RS485 Adapters Your RS485 adapter must come with a means to connect it to the wires from the Mallincam RS485 Port Connector You need to connect the Mallincam RS485 Port Connector to the back of the Signature Camera and then connect the three cables to the green thingy this is the technical term we use in the industry that came with your purchased RS485 Adapter Make sure you match the cables in the correct order RS485 Port Connector US Converter RS485 Cable After you have connected the pieces on your RS485 Cable and secured them together to insure the 3 wires from the Mallincam RS485 Port connector cannot come loose from the Green Thingy used electrical tape to wrap them together All you should need to do next is plug the cable into a free USB Port on your computer Windows should automatically download and install the correct drivers from internet that are needed to run the converter Signature User Manual Page 8 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Software There are two free programs that are available to you to
4. US Converters USB to RS485 422 Cable converter Model XS890 gt Signature Buttons Software Signature User Manual Page 19 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Procedure gt Connect the constructed RS485 USB cable as per The Camera RS485 section at the beginning of the manual to the Signature and a USB Computer Port gt Visit http sdrv ms Lb3wV3 and open the folder Signature Camera Applications and Documentation gt Right click on Signature Button Control with Protocol and select download from the pop up menu gt Place this program in your location of choice had to let my security software Norton know that this program was safe It quarantined it the first time ran it Connect all cables between the Signature and the Computer first Then connect power to the Signature Camera Although you may be connecting the cable using a USB port on your PC the PC will see the connection as a Serial connection The computer needs to know that you have a Serial cable and what port it must activate this is done automatically when you plug in your Serial cable to a USB port on your computer The Signature camera looks for a Serial connection when powered up gt Start your Video Display Software AMCAP and connect to Video Adapter You will need to know what COM port the RS485 Cable Adapter is connected to To determine this gt Windows 7 Click on the Start Button Windows 8 1 Hold down the WIN ke
5. Blackmagic Design Control Panel near the bottom select it Step 6 Match my settings as seen in picture below Check Use 1080p not 1080psf Blackmagic Design Desktop Video 9 5 2 e A 3 Control Panel Hare pe E E Settings Control Panel Home Processing Settings for your UltraStudio SDI b System and Security Set output All Outputs Active 7 Network and Internet For video and audio output connections e Hardware and Sound SDI Video amp SDI Audio Programs For video and audio capture User Accounts and Family Use video setup in NTSC Safety 2 At 7 5 IRE for use in the USA Appearance and Personalization Clock Language and Region Set input At 0 0 IRE for use in Japan Use 4 4 4 SDI on video output when possible Use 3 Gb s Single Link SDI not Dual Link SDI output Use 1080p not 1080PsF Y Ease of Access Remove field jitter when video is paused Set default video standard as HD 1080p 30 Yv When not playing video send Last Played Frame v To all the video outputs Display HDMI 3D as Side by Side Set reference output timing J Reference input not detected Cia om an Step 7 Select OK to accept these settings and close the Control Panel Step 8 Start the Blackmagic Media Express software Step 9 Under the EDIT tab choose Preferences Step 10 In the
6. COLOR MENU 3 4 CLCH MENU 1 44 MONO COLOR MODE When set to ON the Signature will display Colour When set to AUTO you can adjust the AGC SUPPRESS Level When set to OFF you get Black and White image but with subcarrier ON also when you select MONO you will also obtain a Black and White image with subcarrier OFF A subcarrier carries more information For Astronomy use Experiment WHITE BALANCE The Signature camera provides two type of White Balance control adjusts colours EWHITE BALANCE depending upon seeing and brightness A COLOR OFFSET s Auto Trace White functions by detecting A IS white color in the scene at a color AWB COLOR OFFSET Romson B 8B temperature from 2500 to 8000 Kelvin RETURN The color temperature is being monitored continuously and the white balance is set automatically by internal controller Auto White Balance is a preset type function whereby white color in the scene is detected and white balance is automatically adjusted to image on screen then the setting status is stored It automatically memorizes the adjusted white balance value every time the AWB button is turned on For Astronomy use Experiment Signature User Manual Page 33 Signature User Manual UV MATRIX EUV MATRIX U ile A G TO A R tome eenre fen eenanns V MATRIX SR immimufunn gt G mmmn B pumajmimn Sas 258 RETURN COLOR GAIN COLOR TONE ECOLOR TONE R Y LEVEL tatiivj
7. For Astronomy use YES LUMINANCE MENU2 2 4 LIMIWACE NENUZ 2 4 Signature User Manual Page 30 Signature User Manual AGC ALO SAIN CONTROL ne j Ld a HAK GAIR LEVEL FIX FIS GRIN LEVEL poo Bi RETURN SLOW SHUTTER E SLOW SHUTTER 0FF AUTO LIMIT TIME 1715 SEC DNR TONA CONTROL off a J des sf DAY NIGHT E DAY NIGHT DAY March 23 2014 Auto Gain Control tells the camera how much amplifier gain you would like it to apply to the signal coming out of the CCD It s similar to cranking up the ISO setting on your digital camera The trick is to get the best image with smallest value For Astronomy use set to FIX and adjust Slow Shutter allows you to set exposures to 1 15s 1 8s 1 4s 1 2s 1s 2s 4s and 8s This setting is used for those dim planets This Slow Shutter affects the timing of everything in the camera If set to say 2s then it will take 2s for the Menu Buttons to respond and display Use caution when using due to response delay For Astronomy use Optional Digital Noise Reduction this setting has 4 levels OFF LOW MED HIGH which may assist is removing noise from image or actual image details Experiment with this setting For Astronomy use Experiment This setting adjusts the Signature to expect to be imaging either bright objects DAY or dim objects NIGHT Since most Solar Systems objects are bright set to DAY and leave i
8. OF 4 COLOR MENU See http www astromax COLOR MODE GainControl Ore faq aaOlfaql4 htm po avo AGCSuppresstevel FO Seeing and WHITE BALANCE ATW__ ColorOffset anspareney gt Jaws Color Offset Notes o puvmaTRX MORO AA S S e G OS o a G a IO O wo RO HA AR HA RA COLOR GAN anota oO S COLORTONE kye o S AAA ai 40F4 OO rr PRIORI asc SLOWS MOTION DETECT areasenseLeve OOOO osav mm pistazoom ma Ld oo S S DISPLAY MODE HDV SDV 720Pe0eTC 43 169 A asrect _ Normayrun SCY SSS pisiaLour_ cooe A SSS A A A a ORANGE __ CATIA O O o Mallincam Signature Settings EN cc e MENU Setting Settings 222 10F4 LUMINANCE MENU 1 OwWofWao value Off Luminance Level Filter s IR LN O a Acs OFF Luminancetevel Barlow re PEAK AVERAGE Off Peak Mix Level _ FocalReducer _ Off ee A XDR FF Low Med High Spacers GAMMA EAS A TE o d Other MaxGain Level dB On Fix Gain Level dB 6db SLOWSHUTTER Off Limit Time Seo DNR FF Low Med High Site type home DAY NIGHT _ Night Day Night Compl night o ee AUTO Hold Time sec Seeing FOGREDUCTION Off Low Med High ECLIPSE Of Low Med High Transparency SHARPNESS S y S ap See http www AAA AP Skyandtelescope com SDV wo Resources darksky 3304011 l ee Bis ocn lt See http www astromax COLOR MODE On Gain Cont
9. available Com Ports then click on the Com Port that your Signature Camera is connected to In my case my Signature is actually connected to COMS so would choose COM5 from the drop down list and now my PC Com Port would display COMS5 Note we still have not activated the software control yet so a little more patience When you are ready to control the camera with this software just click on the Activate Emulation button in the Activate Menu box at the top of the screen Signature User Manual Page 22 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Three things should happen if the gods are on our side gt The Real Panel box will turn green and the buttons will be activated gt The Signature Menu should now appear over your Signature image on the display software of your video software you are using gt You may hear a beep if your computer has speakers connected to windows driver If no menu pops up on your display software gt Double check my Connecting Signature to Computer section on the last page Double check everything gt Is your COM port the correct one gt Is the Camera Id set to 001 gt Try clicking on the Activate Emulation button again gt You must have irked the gods at some point in your life find screaming helps If you obtain the Menu on your display software then you can use the buttons in the Rear Panel just as you would on the back of the Signature Happy pressing To turn o
10. e ao Ot oo Nai 30 A RRA 31 SLOW SHUTTER cerier A E etre haere erie 31 DNE aa RR RON 31 DANI T e E E NG 31 FOG REDUCTION tido Sis 32 ECLIPSES iodo ocios 32 ENHANCER locali ocio acia 32 COLOR MENS Da a a idsanaeuiemmecedannnisanuaudiuaailsnse 33 COLOR MODE adtannee is machedannanilanmntidiuasilsaee 33 WHITE BALANCE oo olas tucan 33 UVEVMEATERIDS sn co E eanbaaty esensteuewonounidesuemenastease 34 COLOR GAIN o caos 34 COLOR TONE E e N 34 SETUP MENO A E A AE 35 LANGUAGE a a a E E 35 ATLE eee a a a a 35 DEPAUL eea a a eo 35 SPECIA LPUNCTIONS I ana acosa 36 PRIORIT A A PTO ECS ON re 36 MOTION DETECTA coeur don dae ue came eee 36 MTG Pi ZOO M seater eset a 36 WN REVER SEs Gasca dasa auaunt i xemadeenannntentaccndareaananal bacmnionnasaaitepinceadedoacn agen tannatastacsarmeiecsadel sanded hasenleutaaau 36 DISPLAY MODE cz cadusssnasetsreconaiincnanes bansadgoiaaianaytnccasd E E ooo 37 SPECTALAPUNCG TIONS 12 cconersnssasat beocacarcncananastedosdusnonagnssnocadeutacnanensaatassbsnasaaes SENSON 37 PRIVA C NOVAS A O 37 CROSS LINE mor e O E T eneneig cnesanakneaaieiaduon 37 O 38 OSMA APP o Pe EE a O OO E EE 38 E AA E cnr eere tren rete mar E E rT mem reer errar re Career erat rem ee rT erent earner 38 Appendix B Special Button Power SEqQuence ssscccssssssscsssssccsssssscccssssscssssscseees 39 Appendix C Trouble Shooting ProCedure ssssccsssssccssssccsssscssssssscsssscsssssssssssssees 41 The Back LED doe
11. or Bottom of the screen The message length is restricted to 24 characters For Astronomy use Optional DEFAULT Use this setting specifically to reset the Signature to its Factory settings Comes in handy if you have messed up settings and EDEFAULT E have lost communications FACTORY RESET Note Camera ID is set to 000 which turns off RS485 communications RETURN You can save a current set of settings in the camera and reload those settings when required For Astronomy use Optional Signature User Manual Page 35 Signature User Manual SPECIAL FUNCTIONS 1 2 PRIORITY ESENS UP PRIORITY SLOW SHUTTER MOTION DETECT EMOTION DETECT OFF March 23 2014 SPECIAL FUNCTION 1 2 This allows you to prioritize the Signature s Sense UP capabilities SLOW SHUTTER slows down all operations of the camera even the menu display and button response Be patient when using this setting For Astronomy use Experiment This setting doesn t have a use that can think of in Astronomy Not even included in my software For Astronomy use OFF This setting allows you to zoom into a specific area of your screen About a 4 times zoom is available For Astronomy use Experiment This setting allows you reverse either the Horizontal or the Vertical or even both Horizontal and Vertical image on the Camera For Astronomy use Optional Signature User Manual Page 36 Signature User Manua
12. the necessary drivers Better still visit the website of the US Converters and download and install the latest drivers for your specific operating system US Converters RS232 RS485 Converter Model Number XS201A This RS232 adapter can be purchased at the US Converters online website http www usconverters com for about 20 US but you will need a USB to RS232 Adapter and RS232 Cable extender Male to Female of a length that meets your distance requirements With this system it is assumed that you already have a USB to RS232 Adapter installed so no software installation is required oo gt a USB to RS232 Adapter RS232 Cable US Converters Rock s Signature RS232 to RS485 Connector Adapter Connecting Hardware This setup assumes that you already have an installed USB to RS232 Adapter Then you only need to attach your Male to Female RS232 Cable Serial cable to your USB to RS232 Adapter Now attach the US Converters RS232 to RS485 converter to the RS232 Cable Signature User Manual Page 55 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Finally attach Rock s Signature Connector to the green Screw Terminal Board of the US Converters RS232 to RS485 Adapter When attaching Rock s Signature Connector to the Screw Terminal Board by matching R R and GND Attach Red R wires to left first pin on Screw Terminal Board Black R wire to second pin on the Screw Terminal Board and Yellow GND wire to 3 pin on
13. the software Signature User Manual Page 23 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Using Signature Application Software This is a simple program that allows me to control the RED LED version of the Signature camera from my computer using a USB to RS485 Cable see Hooking up Hardware in Chapter 1 of this manual Before Starting the Software Use the back buttons on the Signature and go into the second Special Function Menu and set the COMM ID to 001 This is required as the Default 000 Signature setting disables the Communications The Signature will remember this new COMM ID the next time you start the camera Only when you do a Factory reset does the Signature revert back to COMM ID OOO Starting the Software When the Signature camera is powered up and your video software is running so you have a wonderful image of something in your display for me it is always corn in the farmer s field gt Double click on application Signature Control exe Remember Norton or whatever security software you use might not like the software So if prompted tell Norton that the software is OK Norton deleted the software on my computer first then asked if it was Ok then brought it back out of Quarantine The following image should appear on the screen Greeting Astronomical Enhance Buttons Image Adjustment Configuration Welcome fo the Signature Control Program with Protocol for US C
14. PECIAL FUNCTION 1 PRIORITY 4 OF 4 MOTION DETECT DIGITAL ZOOM H V REVERSE DISPLAY MODE SPECIAL FUNCTION 2 PRIVACY MASK Telescope Accessories Etc Filter s Notes MALLINCAM SIGNATURE SETTINGS Object Observed Monitor Telescope Aperture an Computer PLANETARY LUNAR MENU Or lt 4 SOLAR DSO LUMINANCE MENU 1 ALC OFF OFF 1 180 UEF a FIX SHUTTER PEAK AVERAGE BACK LILGHT OFF XDR OFF LUMINANCE MENU 2 OFF APORTA G FIX 8dB DNR HIGH DAY NIGHT DAY OEF D Q ORE J D 2 FOR REDUCTION ORE ECLIPSE SHARPNESS ENHANCE H 30 V 30 COLOR MENU MA COLOR MODE WHITE BALANCE ATW OEF O H P O Z ORSA ATW LAS G gt 125 BF1IZ6 IAS iS 126 AS UY MATRIX V UV MATRIX H COLOR TONE RSY COLOR TONE B Y SETUP MENU SPECIAL FUNCTION 1 MOTION DETECT ORE 4 OF 4 MN Q i OFF DIGITAL ZOOM OEE FF DISPLAY MODE 720p50 4 3 NORMAL SPECIAL FUNCTION 2 NA PRIVACY MASK OFE OFF OEE LOBOS AE NORMAL O Z Telescope Accessories Etc Filter s Notes Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Appendix H Notes Signature User Manual Page 57
15. Project Video Format Drop Down choose HD1080p 30 Step 11 If you are going to save video you can change the Capture File format to AVI 10 bit Step 12 Match the settings have below you can always adjust them later but ensure at 1080p 30 Signature User Manual Page 50 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 VERE Express EDISRUAY MOLE DY 31080930 SDV 4 3 gt 10 9 ASPECT NORMAL FULL Preference Project Video Format HD 1080p 30 Capture File Format AVI 10 bit YUV Z Use dropped frame timecode RETURN Capture to DPX from a YUV source Use absolute frame numbering when capturing DPX When capturing DPX files use 8 digit numbers in the frame count Capture audio and video to C Users Burns Documents For all video and audio media file captures _og and Capture Capture still frames to C Users Burns Documents Browse For all still frame captures only Stop capture if dropped frames are detected n gt 0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0 00 00 00 Stop playback if dropped frames are detected 1 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 14 00 00 00 00 T Use Anamorphic SD 16 9 Name Untitled 0 7 Continue playback when in the background Set deck to 5 7 second pre roll for cueing When capturing use a frame timecode offset When mastering use a frame timecode offset You should be up and running Note have the Blackmagic Media Express selected to the L
16. a Pixels Multi Format Video Image Aspect Output Full Normal HDV 16 9 SDV 4 3 16 9 720p60 1080p30 720p30 1080i60 720p50 1080p25 720p25 1080i50 S N Ratio 48dB 20 C to 50 C 4 F to 1220F Slow Shutter 1 15 1 8 1 4 1 2 1 2 4 8 Fix Shutter s 1 30 1 50 1 100 1 120 1 180 1 350 1 500 1 750 1 1000 1 2000 1 4000 1 10000 S Signature User Manual Page 4 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 The Camera its Anatomy The Signature camera is 4 5 x 2 x 2 and weighs in at about 1 Ib Signature User Manual Page 5 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 The Signature Camera also comes with comes with 120 Volts AC Power Supply 1 25 Eyepiece Adapter 25 foot Power Video analog Combination Cable and RS485 connection cable Signature User Manual Page 6 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 The Camera Connection Diagram REAR PANEL HD SDI OUT 2 CVBS VIDEO OUT __ 3 POWERINDCJACK MM 4 POWER ON INDEX LED E OSD SW ENTER OSD SW UP OSD SW DOWN 8 OSD SW LEFT ren P1 DUMP P2 DUMP Ha a DRIV The Camera RS 485 Connection The Signature communicates via a 3 pip RS485 port on the back of the camera Note Only the Red LED Version of the Signature has communication capabilities BE 5 Ground w D Signature User Manual Page 7 Signature User Manual March 23
17. al I O in the message whenever you press a button this means that the COM port is not communicating with the program Just recheck connections Signature User Manual Page 21 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 gt When the Signature Camera is powered up and your Video Display Software AMCAP is running so you have a wonderful image of something in your display for me it is always corn in the farmer s field gt Double click on application Signature Button Control exe or on Signature Button Control with Protocol exe depending upon which version you downloaded The following image should appear on the screen Activate Menu Click to Activate and Display Menu Rear Panel ital i li pa PC Com Fort Manual Control Exit Program i COM COM3 The Signature Camera has a Communication ID number The Default should be 001 That is the ID number I expect from your camera So go into the Special Function 2 2 menu and ensure that the COMM ID is set to 001 Notice that the Rear Panel box is shaded red this indicates that software does not yet allow you to control the camera patience my friends there is a reason for this hopefully have the software reading the available COM ports on your computer and it should display them in the PC Com Port Box On the above sample image it is displaying COM3 You will need to click on the COM button to display all of the
18. anual March 23 2014 Appendix E Installing Blackmagic UltraStudio The first step in installing the Blackmagic UltraStudio to your computer is to attach the hardware to your computer Requirements Compatible Computer with USB 3 0 Port Signature Camera Power Supply for signature Camera Blackmagic UltraStudio SDI HD SDI Video Cable SD59 BB50 dual BNC connectors USB 3 0 Cable Y VV VV WV Procedure gt Connect the SDI Video cable from the HD SDI BNC connector on the back of the Signature Camera to the BNC input connect on the Blackmagic UltraStudio gt Connect the USB 3 0 cable from the BlackMagic UltraStudio to a USB 3 0 Port on your computer gt Power Up your Computer gt Power Up the Signature Signature User Manual Page 46 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 After the UltraStudio has been connected to your computer it is now time to install the Blackmagic Drivers onto your computer Signature User Manual Page 47 Signature User Manual id ASIA li EA kmnparin ntornatam a tees teed Me VAL Oe 4 ey About Desktop Video Software The ot reisis e Arg muta a Um tf Whats new i Decira p ara ES on laual lacra Qeakiop Vaso sofware Standard install on Macimos MD eyeon Fusion plug ins Signature User Manual Blackmagic Design LiveKey Blackmagic Media Express Blackmagic Multibridge Utility Blackmagic Disk Speed Test March 23 2014 En
19. ction 1 2 Menu Select it using Middle Button Using the down arrow choose Display Mode Within Display Mode ensure that the HDV is set to 1080p30 a Fu AMCap File Devices Options Ca DISPLAY MODE EHDY 1080p38 SDV 4 3 216 9 ASPECT NORMAL FULL RETURN It is also worth your while to get the Signature working using the Standard composite BNC connection It has less requirement in synching with other software You can output both SDI and Composite at the same time I use composite if I broadcast on NSN and SDI if I save my images or just want to look at a higher resolution video for outreach purposes Note I have found that Versions later than 9 5 2 of Blackmagic Design Desktop Video use too much cpu cycle time for the Blackmagic Media Express to lock on and you cannot obtain a video image with the Dell XPS Laptop But you can use the Blackmagic WDM to obtain an image with SharpCap or Virtual Dub both have the capability to grab 1080p data These two software packages are how I normally capture images from the UltraStudio Getting SDI Video Images Signature User Manual Page 49 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Power up the Signature LED light should shine Mine is the RED LED version Power up the Computer Activate the Windows Control Panel Select Hardware and Sound You should have a selection
20. e Centre Button Message will disappear Page 40 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Appendix C Trouble Shooting Procedures Problem The Back LED doesn t light up No Video Image from any output port The OSD screen is frozen Solution This is a power problem Check that the power plug is completely inserted into the back of the Signature That you have 12V and 1A of current from a correctly polarized AC to DC adapter Ensure your 12V DC battery is charged Port s may be deactivated Hold both the LEFT and DOWN buttons on the back of the Signature and Power Up This process cycles thru the activation of the ports See Appendix B Signature is lost trying to complete a task Have you activated SLOW SHUTTER as this slows down the internal operations of the camera when looking at a dim object If so try looking at a brighter object Signature User Manual Page 41 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 to get back response from the camera and deactivate SLOW SHUTTER Power Down and then Power Back UP See Chapter 4 in SETUP MENU about how to do a Factor Reset Signature User Manual Page 42 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Appendix D Installing MCV The MCV 1 and the MCV 1e both come nicely packed in its own see through packaging The installation procedures will be the same for either package The following are the techniques have used on 4 different com
21. e http www astromax WHITE BALANCE ATW__ On Color Offset oo f tansparenoy po Jaw Color Offset Notes o puvmaTRX VR G COLORMODE Ton GainControl Ore faa aa01faq14 htm AUTO PT AGC Suppress Level __ For seeing and ye 0 Using same settings Speco _ A ao A showed grayish 0 pie with two dark gray 0 ants 8 0 J Same settings on EX 125 COLOR GAIN canco 13 On 2 5 car backup LCD HR COLORTONE RY level 35 Monitor showed gray sharp Aa ever 25 Jupiter with dark gray bands 40F4 Pron JT asc SLOW SHUTTER AGC On night with bad viewing MOTION DETECT OFF AREA SENSE LeveL On ETX125 showed blueish osav o ime o Fuzzy dopiter no bands DIGITAL zoom on MAG Ja On computer screen using A rosmion SS Syntek 0 112 x ame DISPLAY MODE HOV SDV __ 720P6DETC 4 3 16 9 720p60 Deep Sky Imaging software Pola asrect NORMAL FULL Normal O pisiaour_ cooe m SSS A A A a ORANGE __ CATIA O O o MALLINCAM SIGNATURE SETTINGS Object Observed Monitor Telescope Aperture Computer MENU Or lt 4 PLANETARY LUNAR SOLAR DSO LUMINANCE MENU 1 ALC AES ELX SHUTTER PEAK AVERAGE BACK LILGHT XDR GAMMA LUMINANCE MENU 2 AGC AO A SLOW SHUTTER DNR DAY NIGHT FOR REDUCTION ECGIPSE SHARPNESS ENHANCE COLOR MENU COLOR MODE Sa Or aed WHITE BALANCE UY MAT RT Y UY MATRIX gt 4 COLOR GAIN COLOR TONE R Y COLOR TONE BY SETUP MENU S
22. e in the APPENDIX A for a clue Signature User Manual Page 18 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Using Signature with Buttons Software One of the first things noticed when using the Signature Camera is that would make small experimental setting changes by using the Back Buttons on the camera But the act of touching the Signature affected the image and sometimes would press too hard on the back of the camera and would nudge to scope To resolve this wrote my first simple program to control the Back Buttons from software using a RS485 to USB adapter and cable Below you will find the technique and hardware used to connect and control just the Buttons of the camera There are two versions one that listens for the Signature to respond this version is called Back Buttons with Protocol while the other version Back Buttons just sends the command and assumes the Signature is working Why two versions Some simple RS485 adapters and cable don t have flow control capabilities to manage the data that can return from the camera This is not an issue when just controlling the Buttons of the Signature since no important response is sent back but when you want to capture a response from the Signature then a RS485 USB cable adapter must have flow control This is needed for the Signature Application Software that is discussed in the next section Requirements gt Compatible Computer with USB 2 0 Port gt
23. e shutter but was designed for daytime use March 23 2014 LIKINACE MENUL 1 4 LALO PES FIX SHUTTER PESK AVE BFK LIGHT IER CEHA EX T Automatic Luminance Control is one of the three Luminance control Modes used by the Signature the other two are FIX SHUTTER and AES Control You can Turn it ON and adjust the Luminance Level OFF or select FLC Flick Less If ALC is set to ON then AES is automatically set to OFF For Astronomy use OFF Auto Electric Shutter is one of the three Luminance control Modes used by the Signature the other two are FIX SHUTTER and ALC You can Turn it ON and adjust the Luminance Level or OFF If ALC is set to ON then AES is automatically set to OFF For Astronomy use OFF Signature User Manual Page 28 Signature User Manual FIX SHUTTER EFIX SHUTTER OFF gt 0N SHUTTER SPEED 1 38 SEC Use this to control the Shutter the 1 30 is longer so objects may appear bright while 1 10000 is a shorter exposure so objects may appear dim Play with exposure settings to give correct brightness of object PEAK AVERAGE EPEAK AVERAGE OFF PEAK MIX LEVEL Pje 18 BACK LIGHT EBACK LIGHT CONTROL 20FF N AREA RETURN Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Fix Shutter is one of the three Luminance control Modes used by the Signature the other two are AES and ALC You can Turn it ON and adjust the Shutter Speed or OFF Shu
24. ff the Menu display just maneuver to the EXIT choice on the Signature OSD display as you would if you were controlling the Signature by pressing buttons on the back To bring back up the Menu choice just click on the Activate Emulation button on my software Remember the Signature Camera will automatically close down the OSD Menu if it senses no activity When any piece of software has control of the buttons such as this one found that the Signature will deactivate the manual control of the buttons on the back on the Camera a safety measure guess If you need to get back manual control of the camera click on the Deactivate Emulation button in the Manual Control box on my software and you have full manual control notice that the Rear Panel will turn red to remind you that software does not control the buttons You will need to click on the Activate Emulation to reactivate software control of the buttons When you are finished with the software hopefully for the evening not forever Click on the Exit button in the Exit Program box This will reactivate manual control to the Signature deactivate the COM port and shut itself down You then can control the Signature just like you were pushing the buttons at the back of the Signature Camera See chapter Controlling the Signature using Buttons except rather than holding the CENTRE button own for three seconds to activate the OSD you need only press the Activate Emulation button on
25. hat the Rear Panel will turn red to remind you that software does not control the buttons You will need to click on the Activate Emulation to reactivate software control of the buttons Signature User Manual Page 26 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Note If you had the software running and the computer hangs up of cause not because of my software regularly sacrifice cookies to the gods then just wait a few minutes and the Signature will automatically deactivate the Menu display on the display screen and you will again have manual control Unplugging the Camera also works Worst case selecting factory defaults from the back of the Signature When you are finished with the software hopefully for the evening not forever Click on the Exit button in the Configuration tab This will reactivate manual control to the Signature deactivate the COM port and shut itself down Connecting the RED LED Signature to Computer See the section Hooking up Hardware in The Camera RS485 Connection Heading of Chapter 1 Signature User Manual Page 27 Signature User Manual 4 Appendix A OSD Menu Reference LUMINANCE MENU1 1 4 ALC ae E CONTROL LUMINANCE LEVEL ame BB FLC gt FF ON RETURN This control will try to control the camera but was designed for daytime use AES CAUTO ELECTRIC SHUTTER 0FF ON LUMINANCE rege paman jinan This control will try to control th
26. l DISPLAY MODE 401 SPLAY 4HDW ate SPECIAL FUNCTIONS 1 2 CROSS LINE CROSS LINE E0FF POSITION DEFAULT March 23 2014 These settings allow you to match the video output resolution to your capture device s or monitor input resolution 720p60 74 25MHz 16bit 1080p30 74 25MHz 16bit 720p30 A 74 25MHz 16bit 720p30 B 37 125MHz 16bit 720p30 C 74 25MHz 8bit 1080i60 74 25MHz 16bit You can even adjust the aspect ratio on your image to better match your equipment For Astronomy use Experiment Sey mer ION 1242 CROSS LINE L 20817 PRH Fa This setting allows you to black out certain areas of the screen For Astronomy use OFF With this setting the Signature will draw a set of thin lines that cross You can use this CROSS LINE to centre on a planet You can adjust the cross lines up down left and right to match your requirements Default puts them back to the centre after you have moved them For Astronomy use OPTIONAL Signature User Manual Page 37 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 FREEZE This setting when set to ON will freeze the image When set to OFF real time image continues of the screen For Astronomy use OPTIONAL POSI NEGA This setting is used to invert the image colour wise black becomes white and E POS NEGA FOS white becomes black and each colour switches to its complementary colour For Astronomy use OPTIONAL COMM ID This
27. llincamUSA website and download the latest drivers for the MCV device http www mallincamusa com Files MVC 1 20Software 20CD zi This file is in a zip format so you will need to unzip the file Signature User Manual Page 43 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 You should see 5 folders and about 4 other files inside the unzipped folder Step 2 Insert the MCV 1 or MCV 1e Remember the USB port you choose for the MCV you will always use this USB port for the MCV e The Windows will find new hardware and will attempt to load drivers It will most likely fail on one driver Don t worry that is why you have the driver installation software e Either insert the CD or run the program autorun exe in the folder of the file you downloaded e When you see the green USB 2 0 HD HV Grabber screen CLICK on the option Install Drivers USB2 0 HD AV Grabber with Audio Install Drivers Install DVR2 5 Install DirectX 9 0C User Guide gt Browse Cl O Exit e You mayreceive a Windows warning asking you if you want to allow the installation to run Click Yes e Follow the instructions on the Installation of USB Video Audio Device Driver Wizard that is displayed on the desktop e The installation takes under a minute Once complete you will be presented with a notification windows click Finish with the Yes want to restart my computer now option selected e The computer will restart Login in as you normally would e Y
28. maws BB B Y LEVEL mins GA March 23 2014 The YUV model comprises uminance Y and two colour difference U V components The luminance can be computed as a weighted sum of red green and blue components the color difference or chrominance components are formed by subtracting luminance from blue and from red The UV representation of chrominance was chosen over straight Red and Blue signals because U and V are color difference signal These settings allows you to adjust the colours difference values to help match the colours on the image to what they should be in the real world For Astronomy use Experiment This setting allows you to increase the colour saturation of the image on the screen For Astronomy use Experiment Allows you to adjust the colour tone of the displayed images The Red color difference signal is processed through R Y and the Blue color difference signal is processed through B Y Y holds the luminance value For Astronomy use Experiment Signature User Manual Page 34 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 SETUP MENU 4 4 47a ARENAS SPECIAL FUNCTION LANGUAGE Just in case English isn t your thing your can choose Japanese Traditional CLANGUAGE ENGL SH Chinese or Simplified Chinese APANESE INESE TRADITIONAL INESE SIMPLIFIED CH CH For Astronomy use Optional This setting allow you to create a small message that can appear either at the Top
29. nature is a professional video camera that can provide broadcast quality live images in the HD SDI format along with standard quality video for non broadcast needs This document will guide you in the connection options of the Signature to your computer along with recommendations on configuring the camera for specific Solar System objects Many special thanks to Rock Jack Bob Bryan Shevill and others whose advice and techniques are incorporated in this manual This manual is based on the RED LED version of a NTSC Signature Camera which also includes RS485 control capabilities The Contents of the Signature Package You purchase will include the following items Signature Camera in Box c adapter to 1 25 eyepiece holder 120V AC to DC adapter 2oft dual cable power video BNC male RCA male Signature RS485 Port connector VV VV WV These accessories will provide you with the ability to connect the Signature camera to your telescope Power the Signature while connecting it to a 120V AC power source and displaying your image on any device that accepts analog video via a RCA connection Signature User Manual Page 3 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 The Camera Just the Facts The Mallincam Signature Camera is the ultimate Solar Lunar and Planetary Video Camera ever made This scientific instrument contains the following specifications CCD Pixels 1384 H by 1076 V with 3 25 u m Pixel size for a total of 1 49 Meg
30. nna 8 SS OEE WV AI ees Sa rts EN E E A N E E E A E sie ose A std eta oce cleat ana E E 9 ppm O17 6 Aan ee ee RE EO le 9 Funcional DESCHPUONeas a ee Gactes slat terete eo ela A setae AE 9 HDS DE ida title entes 10 CND A A 11 A O hae hen sbist dehasatcied sagedete E 13 Connecting Signature to Computer CVBS ccccnnnnnncuccnccccononinonananononononannnnnnnncconannnnanonos 13 Connecting Signature to Computer HD SD T occccccnnnnonononanonoconanananacnanonononanananonos 14 Controlling Signature using the Buttons cccccnnnnnnonnnncccononananananonocononananonononoconannnnanonos 15 Using Signature with Buttons SO WAre ccoonoocoonccccconononanananocononanannnnnonocononannnnnnnnnnonos 19 Requirement c ccccsseccssecceseceesccssececsucecsuceesucsvsucsesucsesucsesecsesucsesusaesussesusaesasaesacarsasaesassesassesacaeeneaeeeee 19 O morulae 20 Using Signature Application Software cccnnnonononccnccnonananannnnnccononannnonononoconananannnnnanonos 24 A ii o AAA Ma 28 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 PDDENGICA OSD MNU varices da 28 LUMINANCE MENTIR iia 28 A A NE A O PO ca SER E A E N A E aac otal ecm E aetna E EE EE ETA PS 28 AES adan O NA 28 FIX SHUTTER a aatenetpiian aa 29 PEAK AVERAGE oceanio e A 29 BACK OIGH TD rraccesui oo eaa bed enteaatuwbinsn aaa aA 29 XDR tasaitrs iacrtnis bid natnacumainas vous ine uiwodts Aa 30 CANIMA ies tera RN 30 LUMINANCE MENO sida
31. of compatible RS485 adapters that users have successfully connected to the Signature Camera US Converters RS485 422 cable converter Model Number XS890 This RS485 422 adapter can be purchased at the US Converters online website http www usconverters com for about 40 US See 5 a USB to RS485 422 Cable Screw Terminal Board Rock s Signature Connector This is a high quality Plug and Play USB to RS485 RS422 converter optimized for Windows 7 and Windows 8 but will also work perfectly fine with Windows 98 2000 XP and Vista The RS485 RS422 end is a standard 9 pin D sub connector with a Screw Terminal Board included for easy connection of cables from Rock s RS485 Signature Connector The cable length is about 56 and can be extended via a USB extender cable at the USB end or a set of longer wires between the Screw Terminal Board and Rock s Signature Connector Connecting Hardware Attach Rock s Signature Connector to the Screw Terminal Board by matching R R and GND Signature User Manual Page 53 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Attach Red R wires to left first pin on Screw Terminal Board Black R wire to second pin on the Screw Terminal Board and Yellow GND wire to 5 pin on the Screw Terminal Board Once attached connect this combination to the USB to RS485 422 Cable You should now have connection path that allows you to attach one end to a USB Port on your comp
32. og and Capture Tab this is the Video Display Window the other tabs allow you to play videos that you have captured Using other Software You can view the video with other software rather than the Blackmagic Media Express For example using the SharpCap select the camera to Blackmagic WDM Capture In the Video Control Panel of Sharpcap ensure you have 25fps at 1920 x 1080 Remember it takes about 5 seconds or so before the image makes it to the screen at lot of syncing going on here Note sometime syncing is a problem so with Sharpcap if you do not see an image after a few seconds change the frame rate It may take a few selection until you obtain an image Signature User Manual Page 51 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 If you are using other software besides Blackmagic Media Express that software has to capture 1920 x 1080 otherwise you will see only a zoomed portion of the actual screen l use the SharpCap software DISPLAY MODE gt HDY 216U84p3u DY 49 21619 ASPECT NORMAL FULL RE TURN The crucial thing to remember when using SDI output is that you need to match the output mode say 1080p30 to the input mode of any hardware or software that is capturing the image Signature User Manual Page 52 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Appendix F RS485 Connection Options This appendix includes the current list
33. onnectors AS485 Adapter Follow the steps below to Start controlling the Signature Camera Step 1 Enter the Configuration Window Tab You need to indicate what COM port the R5485 is connected to Step 2 Select your COM Port by clicking on COM Button We need fo check if the Control Program can talk to the Signature Step 3 Check Communication with Check COM Port Button Finally we need to ensure that both the Control Program and the Signature camera have exacly the same settings We do this by reading the settings from the Signature Camera and having the ControlProgram s data match those settings Step 4 Read settings from Signature by Clicking on Head From Camera Bulion Signature User Manual Page 24 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 a Signature Camera using Port COM3 ES Configuration tab at Wersion 00 01 00 Beta the top of the program Display Mode SDV 43 ASPECT NORMAL The following screen should appear PC Com Port COM COM3 The Signature Camera has a Communication ID number The Default should be 001 That 1s the ID number that the software expects from your camera the factory default is 000 So go into the Special Function 2 2 menu on the Signature camera by using the back buttons and ensure that the COMM ID is 001 meras User Settings you Load from File the system will au
34. option at the Bottom of a Main Menu move the arrow to EXIT and press the CENTRE Button Some Menu options may have its own SUB MENU for example SPECIAL FUNCTIONS on the SETUP MENU 4 4 when you are inside the SUB MENU you choose the RETURN option to return to MAIN MENU that called the SUB MENU Again you can uses the LEFT and RIGHT Buttons to move from one SUB MENU to another if multiple SUB MENU s are available pene a ACTIN ti PaA eh 4262 eat kg ors a CRESS LINE DIGITAL ZOOH Hy ASA DISPLAY MODE COMM 15 RETURN As an example to become familiar with the operation and use of the Buttons we fill activate the FIX SHUTTER option from the LUMINANCE MENU1 and will set it to 1 2000 If the OSD is not activated then activate it by holding down the CENTRE Button Signature User Manual Page 16 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Step 1 i Step 2 Step 3 y Steo4 Steo5 Steo6 Using the DOWN Button move the LUMINANCE we 01 Arrow so it is next to the FIX SHUTTER Option on the LUMINANCE MENU 1 FIX SHUTTER Press the CENTRE Button to select gt OFF gt 0N gt SHUTTER SPEED 1 38 SEC this Option The OSD will display the FIX SHUTTER Menu RETURN Press the CENTRE Button and the arrow will jump to the OFF or ON Option depending upon what the Signature is set to Using the UP or DOWN Button select ON and hit the CENTRE Button to select it The arrow should be
35. ou don t need to install any of the other files from the HD AV Grabber installer Signature User Manual Page 44 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Step 3 Checking out the MCV 1 or MCV 1e It is always a good idea to check out the MCV 1e to see if it is running correctly after you have done a first time installation e Start the Image software that you will using to display your Signature Video image such as AmpCap SharpCap VirtualDub e Inthe Video Device menu you should see a Video Source called USB 2828x Device This is the driver for either the MCV 1 or MCV 1e device This is the one we want Select it e Power up your Signature and you should be able to see the camera s images on the video window of your software Oh No the video is not working correctly strange stuff is happening and it is not my camera After you have checked all of the obvious Power to the Signature Software AMCAP is pointing to the correct input device on the MCV remember it has 2 connection types RCA and SVIDEO e Down load the updated MCV 1 or MCV 1e driver from the Mallincam Software Links Site have put a copy here on my own site of the latest driver called BDA_UAC_WHQL_082311 Setup rar My file location http sdrv ms Lb3wV3 Note this is a RAR file and you will need a free RAR extractor program to unzip this file A good free RAR extractor is called 7 Zip Signature User Manual Page 45 Signature User M
36. pointing to the SHUTTER SPEED selection Use the UP and DOWN Buttons keys to scroll through the Speed options Play and get familiar how to change the SHUTTER SPEED option Stop when you had 1 2000 SEC displayed in the OSD window Press the LEFT Button to step back into the ON OFF options Press the LEFT Button to step back to the FIX SHUTTER option Signature User Manual Page 17 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 _ Sten 7 Press the DOWN Button to select the RETURN option LUMINARCE MENUL 144 Step 8 Press the CENTRE Button to return to ee Y cid the LUMINANCE MENU 1 1 4 menu y LIGHT COMKA EXT Step 9 Y Use the UP or DOWN Buttons to move arrow to EXIT then press the CENTRE Button to shut down the OSD Menu It is worth your time to become familiar on how to move around the OSD menu choices using the Back Buttons on the Signature Camera As you will notice the amount of settings you can adjust on the Signature is astronomical sorry and each specific settings will be unique to you and your equipment and seeing conditions See the APPENDIX A OSD MENU for explanations on what the specific settings do and how that may be helpful to improve your image Some settings deactivate other settings automatically while others affect the operation of the camera These quirks will discussed in APPENDIX A So if the Signature is behaving strangely after you make a setting change review the specific OSD choic
37. puters 3 laptops and 1 desktop Some are 32 bit and others are 64 bit all run windows 7 have not encountered any problems installing this way Do some pre planning to minimize frustration that may occur when Windows gets a bit temperamental use both the Mallincam Xtreme and the Mallincam Signature exclusively with computer control so needed to assign one USB port for my video input MCV and another USB port for my serial cable Belkin USB Serial cable even label which port is which on my lap top just in case forget will always use the same port for each device so that will not have multiple versions of the drivers for multiple USB ports you are just teasing the windows gods if you mix and match and they will get even The MCV 1 and MCV 1e are heavy and depending upon your computer s manufacturer the MCV may put some strain on the USB port Therefore use a small 6 USB cable extender and plug the extender into the USB port for and plug the MCV into the other end of the extender Step 1 Open the Package When you open the package you will find gt 1miniCD gt 1User s Manual gt MCV 1 1e Do not inset this into USB port until instructed e Take the instruction booklet and the mini CD and place them on the table If your computer cannot handle a mini CD you cannot physically lock the CD into the centre hole of the CD drive then you can down load the software by following the next step e Goto the Ma
38. rent Software camera settings by clicking on Save to File and giving it any name you choose can take up to 30 seconds You can load a previous setting file into the Signature by clicking on Load from File and choosing a previous settings list to load Can take up to 30 seconds You can activate the back buttons simulator on the Signature by clicking on the Enhance Buttons tab and clicking on the Activate Keypad check box note you will have to use these buttons to get to the EXIT menu choice for the Signature onscreen Buttons commands to deactivate Remember if you change a value by using the back buttons either through software or actually pressing the buttons the Software will not know what changes you made you can do a Read from Camera to synch them up Be gentle with the program as the Signature has to send an acknowledgement command back to the software every time you click on the button and depending upon how much buffer is available this will indicate how fast the camera can respond without getting confused When any piece of software has control of the back buttons on the Signature such as this one found that the Signature will deactivate the manual control of the buttons on the back on the Camera a safety measure guess If you need to get back manual control of the camera click on the Deactivate Emulation button in the Manual Control box on my software and you have full manual control notice t
39. rface SDI is a family of digital video interfaces first standardized by SMPTE The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and is used for broadcast grade video High definition serial digital interface HD SDI was also standardized in SMPTE this provides a nominal data rate of 1 485 Gbit s The display and capture of a HD SDI signal requires the use of a specialized BNC ended cable that meets the SMPTE standards and a HD SDI capture device A Google search can find various lengths of specific HD SDI cable from many broadcasting vendors purchased mine form Markertek com To capture or display the HD SDI video signal requires the use of both a HD SDI capture device and a very fast computer Since the signal standard is about 1 5 Gbit s the capture devices will either be an internal computer card or a box that connects to the computer using either a USB 3 0 or Thunderbolt connection One of the major players in this arena is a company called Blackmagic They provide a variety of capture display devices which will match your requirements UltraStudio SDI Signature User Manual Page 10 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 For those of you need to just display the output on a HDMI monitor Sewell provides a very inexpensive SDI HDMI converter called the Spector that will do the job for you CVBS The CVBS OUT BNC connector on the back of the Signature Camera produces an analog signal that can be captured b
40. rol Org faq alOlfaqi4 htm po AUTO AGC Suppress Level For Seeing ano WHITE BALANCE ATW On ColorOffser anspavencY AWB Color Offset Notes UV MATRIX VP Rt IO OS IES ES E Bar ls A OR AA IO IO IES ES EP O IS IES ES ET E COLORGAIN GainControl Je o HCOLORTONE_ J RY bevel 18 o evel E Cs IS PRIORITY AGC towsHuTTER Of MOTION DETECT AREASENSELEVEE DISPLAY AMM G DIGITALZOOM_ MAG S e eo OSTION DISPLAY MODE HDV SDV 720P60 ETC 4 3 16 9 PO po ASPECT NORMAL FULL_ Normal DIGITALOUT CODE ocr agp ross nee ff RANGE NORMAL FULL Mallincam Signature Settings Skyandtelescope com SDV Resources darksky 3304011 O html for site type or 3 OF 4 COLOR MENU JUPITER Telescope Aperture F ratio LX 200 14 F10 Camera Prime Focus MENU Setting Settings PVD 10F4 LUMINANCE MENUA Or ofiauo Value _ Telescope Accessories Etc ALC Off Luminance Level Filter s JR FLC oo Pp E AES o fF tumimancelevel Barlow es PEAK AVERAGE Off Peak Mix Level Focal Reducer BACKLIGHT fof Area XOR Off __ low Med High Spacers PON UNO Other MaxGain Level dB FIX SLOW SHUTTER Off Limit Time sec DNRC OFF Low Med High PAYINGHT uro NB Rov Not compl ay ee po AUTO Hold Time sec Seeing 4 FOGREDUCTION Off Low Med High p SJ ECLIPSE Off Low Med High Transparency 4 SHARPNESS o o S G G 35 See http www Se
41. setting is used to set the ds communication ID for the Signature 3D ar camera The Default is 000 which has no communications abilities When set to any other ID 001 to 127 then it can communicate thru the RS485 port My software expects ID number 001 So if your are using the software Buttons Control then set the COMM ID to 001 For Astronomy use OPTIONAL Signature User Manual Page 38 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Appendix B Special Button Power Sequences The Signature Camera has some Power Up sequences that will turn ON or OFF specific hardware features of the Camera To activate the appropriate hardware features just HOLD DOWN the appropriate button s on the back of the Signature when you POWER UP it up Plug in the Power Button Function Turns on NTSC Mode UP gt f Turns on PAL Mode RIGHT Q Toggles CVBS activation DOWN Note May require active SDI Toggles SDI activation LEFT Signature User Manual Page 39 Signature User Manual LEFT and DOWN CENTRE Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Cycles thru the activations of Video Ports e All OFF e CVBS ON SDI OFF e CVBS ON SDI ON CVBS OFF SDI ON Determines current Video settings on the Signature If both SDV and HDV are active then the camera will display something like this gt HDV DISPLAY 720p60 gt SDV DISPLAY NTSC 16 9 gt ASPECT NORMAL Note When you release th
42. sn t light up ii cg esis oa a sda hoses deena eae 41 No Video Image from any output port ooocccnccnncconcccnnnnnnnnonocccnnnnnnnnonoccnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnncnnnnnnnnnos 41 The OSD screen is frozen tasca 4 Appendix D Instali MIG Vs anna a 43 Appendix E Installing Blackmagic UltraStudio seoessosessocessocssoosssoccssocessocessosessosessoss 46 Regue TACT cenad a o 46 Procedure tonene o PO UE O O a 46 Getting SDE Video Tima SOS tt ld ddr ocio leia 49 Usine other SOLOW al coiso a Ut coastal 51 Signature User Manual Page 1 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Appendix F RS485 Connection Options cccsccsssscssscsssesssscssscsssscscsssssssssssessesensees 53 US Converters RS485 422 cable converter Model Number XS890 ccccccccccccccncccnnnnnnns 53 COMME CUO aC AM di 53 Installins Diverso Wale adaptado 54 US Converters RS232 RS485 Converter Model Number XS201A cccccccccccccccncncncnnnnns 55 Connectina Hardware nata O aaa ask 55 Appendix G Signature Setting Example Sheets ooocoooomosmoosmoss 56 Appendix H INOS invicta eaaa aaea eaaa aE ANET aE adani 57 Signature User Manual Page 2 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 1 Introduction Welcome to the world of the Mallincam Signature Camera Your purchase will provide you with years of discovery and adventure as you view record share and broadcast the wonders of the Solar System The Sig
43. sure you have the very latest driver Visit www blackmagicdesign com support Open the Desktop Video folder and launch the Desktop Video installer The drivers will now be installed on your system An alert will appear Do you want to allow the following program to install software on this computer Click Yes to continue You will see a dialog bubble saying found new hardware and the hardware wizard will appear Select install automatically and the system will find the required Desktop Video drivers You will then receive another dialog bubble saying your new hardware Is ready for use Now restart your computer to enable the new software drivers The Desktop Video software installer installs the following components eBlackmagic Desktop Video drivers eBlackmagic Design Control Panel Blackmagic AVI and QuickTime codecs Adobe Premiere Pro After Effects Photoshop presets and plug ins Avid Media Composer 6 x plug ins Page 48 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 If this is the first time you are trying to connect the Signature to the UltraStudio you will need to check and if necessary change the HD output to 1080p30 Connect your Signature using the Composite video port Not the SDI HD to your computer then using any video display capture software AMCAP hold the middle key on the Signature to obtain the menu using the Right Arrow get to Special Fun
44. t there For Astronomy use DAY Signature User Manual Page 31 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 The Fog Reduction setting has 4 levels FOG REDUCTION OFF LOW MID HIGH It provides the ability to reduce the I R component capture of the image When activated it automatically sets ECLIPSE to OFF and sets GAMMA to 0 45 at least that s what the manual says but don t see it happening on the camera do turn Gamma to 0 45 is my software For Astronomy use Experiment ECLIPSE Eclipse acts like a coronagraph which tries to block out bright components on the image When activated FOG REDUCTION is automatically set to OFF and GAMMA is set to 0 45 at least that s what the manual says but don t see it happening do turn Gamma to 0 45 in my software For Astronomy use Optional ENHANCE Acts like APC Advanced Pixel Control on other cameras It controls the amount of C ENHANCE gpa SEVEN internal digital signal processing If the V ENHANCE LEVEL values are too high then the stars look too nda Ba blocky or may have Halos around them ENHANCE lets you manipulate sharpness and the rendering of fine detail The effect is much like unsharp masking You can control either the horizontal or the vertical component of the pixel The higher the level the more blocky the pixel looks For Astronomy use Experiment Signature User Manual Page 32 Signature User Manual March 23 2014
45. the Screw Terminal Board Once attached you should now have connection path that allows you to attach one end to a USB Port on your computer and the other end to the RS 485 Port on the back of the Signature camera Q Windows Operating system knows nothing about RS485 all it knows is that you have a USB device attached and this device is acting like a Serial Cable Appendix G Signature Setting Example Sheets The following pages are due to the hard work of both Steve Hempell and Jack Huerkamp have included their worksheets and setting here Signature User Manual Page 56 Mallincam Signature Settings Object Observed Telescope Aperture F ratio MENU _ Setting Settings 1 OF 4 LUMINANCE MENU 1 Monitor Type Computer Config Value Telescope Accessories Etc Fiuminancetevel fimer AA a Acs tuminancetevel Barlow rixsHurTeR OT shutter speed PEAK AVERAGE O peakmixtevel Focal Reducer CC Pres E S A or tome min Spacers sama M 1 0 0 45 cr 1c0 LY Other MaxGain Level dB Fix Gain Level dB SSLOWSHUTTER Limit Time Sec DNR Low Med High Site type DAY NIGHT Day Night Comp P AUTO Hold Time Sec Seeing E FOGREDUCTION gt Low Med High A ECLIPSE Low Med High Transparency SHARPNESS oo S d S y S A See ttp ww lt I L Vo Skyandttelescope com mo Resources darksky 3304011 ae html for site type or 3
46. to DC power adapter gt Signature camera Procedure 1 Power on your computer 2 Connect Signature Camera to Telescope and connect Video cable BNC end to the CVBS video jack on the back of the Mallincam do not power Signature Keep lens cap on Telescope 3 Connect the USB Video Adapter to computer see Installing MCV in the 10 11 12 Appendix for instructions on how to install the Mallincam MCV Video adapter Connect other end of Video cable RCA to the Video Capture Device MCV Power the Signature plug in the AC to DC adapter and connect to the Signature Start the video display software AMCAP Choose the Video Source for the software USB 2828x Device for the MCV If necessary select Crossbar from AMCAP to choose the RCA connection on MCV rather than the S video Hold down the Centre button on the back of the Signature for about 2 seconds release when you see OSD menu on your Video Display Software Using the back buttons on the Signature ensure that Signature is using Fix Shutter at a reasonable setting see Appendix A OSD Menu for instructions Remove Lens cap from Telescope Adjust settings using the OSD menu to match viewing object Signature User Manual Page 13 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Connecting Signature to Computer HD SDI Requirements gt Compatible Computer with software to display a SDI image Blackmagic Media Express which is included free with the purchase of the UltraS
47. tomatically Write to the Signature SAV EAV Clock Range ON POSI NORMAL P NEGI FULL TYPE mp2 z Step 2 hopefully have the software reading the available COM ports on your computer and it should display them in the PC Com Port Box On the sample image it is displaying COM3 You will need to click that button to display all of the available Com Ports then click on the Com Port that your Signature Camera is connected to In my case my Signature is actually connected to COM so would choose COM5 from the drop down list and now my PC Com Port would display COMS Note The current Com Port also appears at the top of the screen by the Program name Signature User Manual Page 25 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Sten 3 Click on the Check Comm Port button The software will respond with a message letting you know if the software and the Signature are communicating If you get the message said Hello and the Signature didn t like me then there is acommunications problem between the Signature and the software double check the procedure Connecting the Signature to Computer Some Notes gt Note You can load the Signatures current values so that the software matches the Signature by using the Read from Camera button it can take up to 30 seconds recommend doing this unless you are going to issue a Load from File You can save your cur
48. tter Speed settings in seconds 1 30 1 50 1 60 1 100 1 120 1 180 1 350 1 500 1 750 1 1000 1 2000 1 4000 1 10000 If FIX SHUTTER is set to ON then AES is automatically set to OFF For Astronomy use ON Peak detecting mode is a way to determine exposure index by average value of the whole image system will adjust image brightness BLC and XDR turn off when PEAK AVERAGE set to on For Astronomy use OFF The backlight correction is useful when the background is brighter than the subject It adjusts the exposure don t touch this command in Signature Application Software For Astronomy use OFF Page 29 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 XDR Extended Dynamic Range is used to increase the ability to see objects in EXDR CONTROL dimmer area of the screen 0FF LOW MIDOLE diii When XDR is set to LOW then the GAMMA setting automatically sets to 0 45 at least is says so But don t see it changing on the Signature For Astronomy use Experiment GAMMA Adjusts the brightness of image It is actually the exponent on a power function thus CRT s and Laptops may require different settings to enhance signal For dimmer objects set GAMMA to 1 00 for Medium set GAMMA to 0 7 and brighter objects set GAMMA to 0 45 When set to 1 00 then XDR FOG ECLIPSE are automatically set to OFF at least that what is says in the manual But don t see it doing it do set them OFF in my software
49. tudio SDI from Blackmagic gt Signature Camera gt Power Supply for Signature Camera gt SDI Video Capture Device Blackmagic UltraStudio SDI gt HD SDI Cable SD59 BB50 dual BNC connectors Procedure 1 Power on your computer 2 Connect the Signature Camera to Telescope and connect Video Cable BNC end to the SDI HD video jack on the back of the Mallincam do not power Signature Keep lens cap on Telescope 3 Connect SDI Video Adapter to computer see Installing Blackmagic Ultrastudio in the Appendix for detailed instructions on how to install and connect to the Blackmagic Ultrastudio Video adapter 4 Connect other end of SDI Video cable to the Video Capture Device Blackmagic Ultrastudio 5 Power the Signature plug in the AC to DC adapter and connect to the Signature Start the Video Display Software Blackmagic Media Express Choose the Video source for the software Blackmagic Ultrastudio Ensure all resolutions match from the Signature camera to the Video Capture Device to the Video Display Software 1030p 9 Hold down the Centre button on the back of the Signature for about 2 seconds release when you see OSD menu on your video display software 10 Using the back buttons on the Signature ensure that Signature is using Fix Shutter at a reasonable setting see Appendix A OSD Menu for instructions 11 Remove Lens cap from Telescope 12 Adjust settings using the OSD menu to match viewing object
50. use 1 Buttons Control with Protocol this program allows you to control the Signature by using the OSD menu just as if you are pressing the buttons on the back of the Signature There is a non protocol version of this program 2 Signature Application with Protocol this program provides menus that allow you to connect to and control most of the functions of the Signature by clicking on choices of moving sliders These Software programs are located in Folder named Signature Camera Applications and Documentation The folder is located at http sdrv ms Lb3wV3 See below in Chapter 3 on how to install and use these two programs 2 Overview The Signature Camera was designed for imaging Solar System Objects The Fixed Shutter ranges from 1 30s to 1 1000s which allows you to capture images of the bright Solar System objects major planets Sun and Moon The Signature does provide a Slow Shutter capability that allows longer exposures from 1 15s to 8s to capture those dimmer objects The Signature was not designed for Deep Sky Objects but that is still not out of its capabilities with the end user s expertise Functional Description The Signature provides two BNC video outputs ports One is labelled HD SDI which produces a true digital SDI output while the other is labelled CVBS OUT and this produces an analog signal Signature User Manual Page 9 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 HD SDI Serial digital inte
51. uter and the other end to the RS 485 Port on the back of the Signature camera Installing Driver Software Plug in the completed cable into a free USB Port on your computer Windows should automatically download and install the correct drivers from internet that are needed to run this converter in seori E ea Would you like to install this device software Name FTDI USB Driver a Publisher US Converters E Always trust software from US Converters Install Don tInstall F You should only install driver software from publishers you trust How can I decide which device software is safe to install Once completed a message similar to the one below should appear 4 Driver Software Installation US Comverters USB to Serial Cable COM installed US Converters UBS to Serial Cable COM7 ff Ready to use Signature User Manual Page 54 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 Make note of the COM Port number that Windows assigns to your USB to RS485 422 cable Adapter for this will be required by the software that controls the Signature Q Windows Operating system knows nothing about RS485 all it knows is that you have a USB device attached and that this device is acting like a Serial Cable If Windows cannot load the drivers from the internet then just follow the instructions that came with your RS485 adapter There should be a CD that came with your USB to RS485 422 Cable Adapter that contains all of
52. y and press the X key Choose and enter into the Control Panel Go into Hardware and Sound Click on the Device Manager Click on Ports COM and LPT to open Y VV WV Signature User Manual Page 20 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 You should see the USB Serial Ports on your computer with the COM port number following Note how mine says COMBS File Action View Help gt m Bil amp A MASTER 4 Away Mode Devices Me Computer gt a Disk drives gt AE Display adapters 4 amp 3 DVD CD ROM drives gt 1 Human Interface Devices gt IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers gt 2 Imaging devices gt ED Keyboards MY Mice and other pointing devices UE Modems AL Monitors 4 amp Network adapters 3 HP 802 11b g Wireless Network Adapter La amp Intel R 82562V 10 100 Network Connection Ei Portable Devices a 57 Ports COM amp LPT Y USB Serial Port COM5 Bi Processors i Sound video and game controllers lt Storage controllers Mi System devices E e Universal Serial Bus controllers 4 Unknown gt delos WSD Print Provider You can select that port and modify the properties if required my software will do that automatically but if you feel the urge then the following are the settings for the Signature Camera Communication Speed 19200 Data length 8 bit Parity None Stop Bit 1 bit Flow control None If you get a popup message about a connection error with seri
53. y any analog capture device such as the Mallincam MCV video capture device CVBS stands for Composite Video Blanking and Sync and is nothing more than the standard composite signal and thus requires the use of a composite video cable with a BNC male connector at one end and a RCA male connector at the other end When you purchased the Signature camera Rock will have provided you with a 25 foot Power Video dual cable for you to use with the camera The video portion of this cable is for the analog CVBS port on the back of the camera Signature User Manual Page 11 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 For those of you who want to display the analog signal from the Signature on a HDMI monitor Mallincam provides an analog to HDMI upscaler This device Up Scales Composite Video S Video and HDMI to 720p 1080p selectable HDMI It provides Motion Compensated 3D Wavelet Video Coding Technology is applied to make the converted picture rich in color and more vivid Input video systems NTSC and PAL is automatically detected and adjusted and it provides a built in Time Base Correction T B C for signal synchronization Signature User Manual Page 12 Signature User Manual March 23 2014 3 Instructions Connecting Signature to Computer CVBS Requirements gt Computer with video display software such as AMCAP gt USB Video capture adapter such as Mallincam MCV gt Mallincam dual power video cable gt Signature AC

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