Introduction to software

1
Introduction to software
This presentation gives you an overview of the
MaxIm DL software used for CCD control and data
reduction and Excel spreadsheets for data
analysis and display. It is intended to
familiarise you with some of the procedures you
are likely to use, not to provide detailed
instructions, so You do not need to take
notes All the information is contained in detail
in the Observatory Manual which
you should read carefully If in doubt ask a
tutor
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The Observatory Manual

• The observational projects require you to
• - set-up and move the telescope to acquire
  targets
• - set-up and use an instrument to take
  measurements a CCD camera (projects 1, 2,
  5, 8) or a spectrometer (project 3)
• - reduce the data (calibrate it and turn it
  into useful information
• - analyse the data (obtain scientific
  results)
• You will have learnt about the principles of
  operation of telescopes, CCDs and
  spectrometers from Observing the Universe
• The Observatory Manual provides the details
  required to perform each of the required tasks
  using the equipment at the OAM
• There are likely to be changes to some
  procedures due to modifications to the
  equipment available.

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Computers and Filename Conventions

• Laptops in each dome labelled by telescope name
• PCs in laboratory numbered 1 to 7
• All data stored and saved on lab PCs in
  folders within C\OU (my documents)
• A folder has been placed on each pc/laptop for
  each week of SXR208 e.g. year04week01pc01
  (or year04week01Tycho)
• (year 2004, SXR208 week 1, PC number 1)
• For each night
• Create a new folder for the raw data, e.g.
  Sep10_p01_Sun_Tycho (September 10, project 1,
  group Sun, telescope Tycho)
• Create a working folder for all analysis
  (Sep12_p01_Sun_Tycho_work) to avoid over-writing
  files

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Part 1 Introduction to MaxIm DL

• Used for Control of CCD
• Image processing
• Menu based system
• Many functions for image processing
• Main features for SXR208 described
• All information in Observatory manual
• MaxIm DL is used for all the telescope-based
  projects photometry (1, 2, 5 and 8) and
  spectroscopy (3)

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Starting Up
To start, double click on the MaxIm DL icon on
desktop.
Main menus
View Toolbar
Main display area
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Top level menus

• File File manipulation, e.g. opening,
  closing, saving, printing
• Edit Copying, pasting, adjusting image
  orientation display
• View Telescope (not used), CCD control,
  zooming, information
• Analyse Astrometry and photometry data
  reduction
• Process Calibrate images and manipulate pixel
  values
• Window Select between open images and adjust
  display
• Filter, Color , Plug-in not required for SXR208
• Help Searchable help and MaxIm DL tutorials

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Opening an image

• Remember the name conventions
• Opening files Open command in File menu

Directory
Files
Selected file
Click to open
Set to All files
turn off
Information on selected file
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Navigating an image

• The images produced with the CCD camera are too
  large to be displayed on a computer screen at
  full resolution.
• Navigate the image using the bars on the right
  hand side and bottom of image.
• Zoom in and Zoom out commands in the View
  menu, or shortcut icons, or the
  magnification field next to them on toolbar.
• Zoom Window command in the View menu shows
  a magnified part of the image without
  changing the overall zoom.
• If the images do not have the desired
  orientation then use the Flip, Mirror,
  Rotate Right, Rotate Left, or Rotate 180
  commands from the Edit menu.

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Screen Stretch window

• Click on the Screen Stretch Window command in
  the View menu

• 5 ways to change contrast/brightness of a
  displayed image
• Processes only change image display, not the data

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Information window

• Click on Information Window in the View menu,
  or use the icon

Cursor (in aperture mode)
Central aperture
Background annulus
Operation mode
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Night vision command

• To prevent loss of night vision in the dome when
  observations have started
• Select Night Vision in the View menu.
• In the default red mode, all menus, dialog
  boxes, etc., turn red.
• (Icons and toolbar buttons are not affected).

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CCD camera control using MaxIm DL

• The laptops in each dome are used to control the
  CCD cameras
• These instructions are for the photometry
  projects

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CCD camera
CCD camera mounting screws
STL1001E CCD Camera
Microfocuser
Connection to Controller focus port
Connection to controller autoguider port
Power cable
Indicator lights
Connection to laptop USB port
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CCD control window - setup

• Open using CCD control in the View menu or
  by clicking icon
• Setup tab used to connect and start up CCD
  camera

• Select CCD and Filter wheel, Connect to CCD,
  Turn on cooler

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CCD control window - settings

• Use to change CCD display orientation
• (all other settings should not be changed)

Adjust orientation of images tomatch CCD
orientation (nominal position needs Flip
Horizontally and Flip vertically
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CCD control window - expose

• Used for taking individual images (files are
  not automatically saved)

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CCD control window - focus

• Provides repeated readout and display to aid in
  finding and focusing

• Make sure image type Light and appropriate
  filter are selected using the Expose tab,
  before going to the Focus tab.

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CCD control window - sequence
Automaticallysaves fileswith namein a
standardform Use sequencenumber
touniquelyidentifyframes Setup sequences from
the options menu (see next slide for details)
then use the start button to begin observations
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Setup Sequence is used to prepare and select a
series of exposures which can be re-used during
the night.
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CCD data reduction using MaxIm DL

• Data reduction is performed on laboratory PCs
• Data are transferred from the dome laptop to a
  laboratory pc using USB memory sticks (256 Mb
  125 images)

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Preparing calibration files
Set calibration commandfrom the Process
menu Used to set up which frames are to be used
forsubsequent calibration 3 Groups
containing1 or more bias, flat field or dark
frames are set up
This button should domost of it for you!
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Calibrating frames

• Open the images that you wish to calibrate using
  the Open Command from the File menu.
• To calibrate the currently selected image
• Click the Calibrate command from the
  Process menu
• To calibrate all open images that have not
  already been calibrated during this MaxIm DL
  session Click the Calibrate All command
  from the Process menu.

Aligning and combining frames

• Used in some projects for combining frames
  provides improved signal-to-noise of
  observations
• Use the Combine command from the Process
  menu.

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Aperture photometry

• Click the Photometry command in the Analyse
  menu to open the Photometry window and the
  Information window
• Procedure
• - select the image (or series of images) for
  photometry
• - select an aperture size within which
  photometry is performed, and an annulus
  within which sky background is measured
• - tag objects
• Reference star all photometry is
  performed relative to this star
• Check star object(s) used to check that
  the reference star is
  constant in brightness
• Object target object for photometry
• Moving Object moving target object for
  photometry (asteroid)
• - inspect light curve to check data and remove
  bad data
• - write data to a file (to load into excel)

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right clickmenu to change Aperture etc
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Reference star
Check star
Object
Data can be saved to a .csv (comma separated
variable) file
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Part 2 Data analysis and graph plotting using
Excel

• Excel is used for processing of the reduced data
• Files output from MaxIm DL photometry can be
  read by Excel

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Spreadsheet structure

• Worksheet can be formatted
• - Autocorrect options can be turned off
• - Row and column widths can be changed
• - Rows, columns or cell can be deleted or
  cleared
• - Fonts, colours, backgrounds etc can be
  changed

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Data entry and formulae

• Numbers or text can be entered directly into a
  cell
• Formulae are entered using cell references,
  mathematical operators and stored functions.
• Example Cell B2 contains contents of cell A1
  added to contents of cell A2

Apply formula
Cancel formula
Input line
Function library
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Using formulae
Formulae follow basic rules for arithmetic
Operations performed in order (to the
power of) and / (multiply and divide)
and ? (add, and subtract). There are
many built-in functions, e.g. SUM(A1A10)
sum of cells A1A2A10. AVERAGE(A1A10)
average of the values in cells A1A2A10.
STDEV(A1A10) standard deviation of values in
cells A1A2A10. INT(A5) integer part of
the number in cell A5. EXP(A5) e to the
power of the number in cell A5. SIN(A5)
sine of the number (in radians) in cell A5.
LOG(A5,n) logarithm to the base n of the
number in cell A5. If
n is not specified it defaults to 10.
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Dragging

• To select several cells at once
• Place the cursor (an open cross) over the
  cell, hold left mouse button down while
  sliding the cursor across the spreadsheet.
• To copy the contents or formula in one cell to
  other cells
• Either - Select a cell or cells - use
  the copy or cut commands in the Edit menu
• - click on the destination cell (top
  left if several cells copied) - use
  the paste command from the Edit menu.
• Or - Place the cursor on the small square in
  the corner of the cell (the cursor will
  change into a narrow cross). - hold down
  the left mouse button and drag the cursor down a
  column and/or across a row. -
  the value or the formula will be copied to all
  the cells dragged over.

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Dragging formulae

• Cell references in a formula are relative to
  the selected cell
• If you drag or copy a formula the cell
  references are automatically updated in
  the new cells.
• B3 contains A2A3
• To drag a formula without updating the cell
  references use character e.g. A1A2
  B3 now contains A1A3.
• A1 fixes column and row
• A1 fixes column only
• A1 fixes row only
• Be careful when dragging, copying and pasting
  formulae. Check the results.

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Entering data from files

• Click Open in the File menu and the Open
  window appears.
• - select the required folder
• - select All files in the File of Type
  field
• - double-click on chosen file name or icon.
• - data from the .csv file will appear in a new
  Excel spreadsheet
• - paste the data into your working spreadsheet
• (select the cells you require and use the
  Copy and Paste commands from the Edit
  menu)

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Formatting data in cells

• Click the Cells command in the Format menu.

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Plotting graphs the Chart Wizard

• Select Chart command from the Insert
  menu
• X-Y scatter option

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The resultinggraphneeds formatting
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Formatting the chart

• To change the appearance of a chart an item must
  be selected.
• Move the cursor over the graph to illuminate
  item labels
• Place the cursor over an item and single click.
  The region or object will be highlighted in
  some way where appropriate, handles will
  appear for moving or resizing
• Place the cursor over an item and double click
  When appropriate a window will open with
  options you can adjust.
• Resize the image and plot area, remove the grey
  background, remove gridlines, adjust legend
  etc.

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• To reformat Y axis double click over Value Y
  axis

Changes styleand values ofaxis and labels
Click here toreverse axes(most
negativemagnitude isbrightest)
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To format data set - double click over data point
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Reformatted plot
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Best-fit straight line

• Using Add Trendline command
• - Click over one of the symbols to select the
  data series to be fitted.
• - Click on Add Trendline command in the
  Chart menu

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Or use formula LINEST
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Remember

• Always read the instructions
• Detailed of the software can be found in the
  Observatory Manual
• Seek help within your group
• Ask a tutor