Diagnostic Instruments SPOT Manuale utente

User’s Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color

Digital Camera

Table of Contents:

Introduction/Document Conventions....................................................3

Ch. 1 - Electronic Imaging Theory and the SPOT Camera .................4

Ch. 2 - Navigating the SPOT Software................................................9

Ch. 3 - Preparing to Take a Picture....................................................19

Ch. 4 – Taking a Picture.....................................................................48

Ch. 5 - Viewing, Editing and Annotating Images ...............................65

Ch. 6 - Calibration and Measurement..............................................103

Ch. 7 – Using SPOT Databases ......................................................107

Ch. 8 - Printing Options....................................................................124

Appendix A - Specifications .............................................................132

Appendix B - Changing the Dessicant.............................................133

Appendix C - Using SPOT's TWAIN Features.................................136

Appendix D - Using the SPOT Image Pro Plus Driver.....................141

Single User Copyright and License Agreement, Diagnostic Instruments

Carefully read the following terms and conditions before using the software. By using the software

on the enclosed CD, you indicate your complete and unconditional acceptance of these terms and

conditions.

This document is a legal agreement between you, the end user, and Diagnostic Instruments, concerning the

use of the enclosed software. This agreement constitutes the complete agreement between you and

Diagnostic Instruments.

If you do not agree to the terms of this agreement, do not use the CD. Promptly return the CD,

including the written materials, the binder, and all other equipment/containers to the dealer where

you purchased them from. You will receive a full refund.

1. LICENSE: Diagnostic Instruments grants you the LICENSEE, a limited, non-exclusive license to use

the enclosed software. You may physically transfer the Software from one computer owned or leased

by you to another, provided that the Software is used on only one computer at a time. You may not

electronically transfer the Software from one computer to another over a network. You may make a

copy of the Software for backup and archival purposes, provided that the original copyright notice

an/or other legend is reproduced on each copy. Except for backup purposes, you may not make or

distribute copies of the Software. You may not modify, translate, adapt, reverse engineer, decompile,

disassemble, or create derivative words based on the Software. If you wish to use the Software on

more than one computer, you must license another copy of the software for each computer.

2. TITLE: Diagnostic Instruments retains title to the Software, subject to your right to possess and use

the software while the License is in effect. You will agree to use your best efforts to protect the

software from unauthorized use, illegal reproduction, or illicit distribution.

3. COPYRIGHTS and TRADE SECRETS: Diagnostic Instruments owns all rights regarding the

Software. This agreement does not convey ownership of the software to you, but only the right to use

a copy of the software strictly in accordance with this agreement. The unauthorized duplication or

distribution of the software or the documentation is an infringement of Diagnostic Instruments' rights

to the software and may be subject to criminal and/or civil penalties.

4. UPDATE POLICY: In order to receive updates to the Software, you must complete and return the

enclosed registration card to Diagnostic Instruments. All updates provided to you shall become part of

the software governed by the terms of this agreement.

5. GENERAL: This agreement merges all prior written and oral communication regarding the Software

and sets forth the entire agreement of the parties. This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the

state of Michigan, without regard to the conflict of law provisions thereof, as if it was performed

wholly within the state.

Trademarks:

SPOT is a registered trademark of Diagnostic Instruments, Inc.

Windows 95 and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft, Inc.

Adobe Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

All other product names mentioned in this document are the property of their respective trademark holders.

Introduction/Document Conventions for the User's Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera

User's Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera, 6/9/98 3

Introduction

This on-line manual contains instructions for using the software that comes with both the

standard SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera and the SPOT 2 slider version of the

camera. The Adobe Acrobat Reader allows you to use the manual in a variety of ways.

You can view all or selected parts of the manual on-line, or you can use the Acrobat

Reader to print exact copies of what you see on the screen.

Document Conventions

The following table details the specific textual conventions that are used throughout the

manual:

Notes !Note: This is an example of a note. Notes appear

within the text to indicate information for further

consideration or reference.

Cautions CAUTION!

This is an example of a cautionary note. Cautionary

notes appear to indicate that you should carefully

consider the implications of an action.

Warnings MWARNINGM

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A WARNING. WARNINGS

INDICATE THAT THE ACTION YOU ARE TAKING COULD

EITHER CAUSE INJURY TO YOURSELF OR COULD

HARM YOUR SYSTEM

Links All chapter headings are linked to their locations within

the chapter. In addition, certain references to other

chapters and sections are linked for convenient

reference.

SPOT2 SPOT2 SPOT2 notes indicate specific instructions for

users with the slider version of the SPOT

camera. Unless otherwise indicated, all

instructions apply to both versions of the

camera.

Ch. 1 - Electronic Imaging Theory and the SPOT Camera Table of Contents

User’s Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera, 6/9/98 4

Ch. 1 - Electronic Imaging Theory and the

SPOT Camera

Introduction .......................................................................................................... 5

Digital Photography .......................................................................................... 5

Color Images .................................................................................................... 6

The SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera.......................................................... 7

Three Pictures............................................................................................... 7

Pixel Digitization............................................................................................ 7

A Cooled CCD Chip...................................................................................... 7

Gain .............................................................................................................. 7

An Automated Exposure Process ................................................................. 8

Ch. 1 - Electronic Imaging Theory and the SPOT Camera Digital Photography

User’s Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera, 6/9/98 5

Introduction

This chapter is a brief overview of the operational theory behind the SPOT Cooled Color

Digital Camera. The next two sections, Digital Photography and Color Images provide a

short introduction to electronic imaging theory, followed by a description of how this

theory applies to the SPOT camera. The final section highlights some of the unique

features of the SPOT camera.

Digital Photography

Modern electronic imaging is based on the charged coupled device (CCD). All of

today’s digital cameras have a CCD chip or chips. In digital cameras, the CCD chip/

sensor replaces the film of traditional cameras as the means by which the camera records

the image. The surface of the CCD chip is composed of light-sensitive cells arranged in a

checkerboard pattern. Each cell of the checkerboard is known as a picture element, or

more commonly, a pixel. The following is a simplified description of what happens when

you take a picture with a digital camera:

1. The camera’s optical system forms images on the “checkerboard” of pixels.

2. The CCD is exposed to the image for a period of time.

During this period, each photo-sensitive cell receives photons of light, converts the

photons to electrons, and then stores the electrons in the cell. The process by which

each cell accumulates electrons can be compared to a well filling with water. As

more light hits a cell, the electron level in the well rises. The more electrons that are

in the cell, the more voltage it will have when read out by the digital camera.

3. Following the exposure, a digital camera does three things:

a. It measures the voltage of each cell.

b. It converts the voltage to a binary number.

c. It transmits this number down a cable to your computer.

4. The computer reconstructs the image by assigning a brightness value to each pixel in

the final image. Each brightness value is proportional to the voltage of the

corresponding cell on the CCD chip.

Ch. 1 - Electronic Imaging Theory and the SPOT Camera Color Images

User’s Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera, 6/9/98 6

Color Images

Because a CCD chip is inherently monochromatic (i.e., black and white), color filters

must be used to extract the color information from the image. There are three basic

design methodologies:

§Single CCD design using color masked pixels - Digital cameras designed in this

manner have one CCD chip with color filters physically bonded to each pixel on the

chip. Some pixels get red filters, some pixels get green filters and some pixels get

blue filters. Since each pixel is only able to measure the intensity of one color, the

intensity of the missing two colors for this pixel must be estimated, based on nearby

pixels that have precise measurements of the missing colors. For example, a pixel

that has a green filter will have an exact measurement of the green color value, but

the red and blue values must be estimated, based on the nearest red and blue pixels.

This estimation is known as interpolation.

Pros and Cons: A digital camera designed in this way is inexpensive and can freeze

moving images with a single exposure. However, because they interpolate brightness

values, such cameras tend to produce images where the fine details are smeared; they

cannot provide the high resolution that is available from a non-filtered CCD chip.

§Three CCD design using color beamsplitter - This design uses three CCD chips.

The incoming image first goes through a color beam splitter which directs the red

light to one chip, the green light to a second chip and the blue light to a third chip.

The chips are very accurately aligned so as to achieve near perfect registration

between the three chips. The red, green, and blue values for each point on an image

are measured by the corresponding pixel on each of the three chips.

Pros and Cons: This design produces an image that retains the high resolution of the

individual chips. This type of camera can also freeze moving images with a single

exposure. However, because most of the cost in a high resolution CCD camera is in

the CCD chip itself, three chip cameras are far more costly than their single chip

counterparts.

§Single CCD design that takes three pictures (three pass method) – Cameras

designed in this way expose a single CCD chip three times, once to red light, once to

green light, and once to blue light. One variant in this type of camera is how the chip

is exposed to the different colors of light. Some cameras switch individual red, green

and blue glass filters in front of the chip for each exposure. Others use a liquid

crystal filter that changes from red to green to blue as different voltages are applied to

it. By exposing the chip three times, each cell on the CCD is able to measure all three

color values.

Pros and Cons: This technique attains the high resolution of the three CCD design

without the high cost associated with using three chips. However, because these

cameras require three exposures, they cannot freeze moving images.

Ch. 1 - Electronic Imaging Theory and the SPOT Camera The SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera

User’s Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera, 6/9/98 7

The SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera

In order to provide you with an understanding of what happens when you take a picture,

the following sections highlight some of the basic operating principles of the SPOT

camera.

Three Pictures

The SPOT camera uses the single CCD, three pass method. To take a picture (also

known as capturing an image), the SPOT camera takes a red picture, a green picture, and

a blue picture. A color filter, controlled by the software that accompanies your camera,

changes from red to green to blue for each exposure. Thus, SPOT can use one CCD chip

to compute precise red, green, and blue values for each pixel in the final image.

Pixel Digitization

Following each exposure, SPOT reads the CCD chip and digitizes each pixel as it comes

off of the CCD chip, and before it is sent through the cable into the computer. This

technique minimizes noise and maintains the lack of distortion that is inherent with CCD

chip geometry.

A Cooled CCD Chip

The CCD chip in the SPOT camera is cooled in order to reduce thermal noise. The effect

of thermal noise on a digital image is similar to the "snow" that you see on your TV when

tuned in to a station with a weak signal. If you could reduce the snow (i.e., the thermal

noise), the weak station (or the dim image) would be much clearer. Cooling the CCD

chip cuts the amount of thermal noise in half for every 5°C drop in temperature. The

SPOT camera uses a Peltier thermoelectric cooler to keep the chip cooled to 37°C below

ambient room temperature. Thus, if the room temperature is 25°C, the CCD chip is

12°C. This makes the SPOT camera an excellent option for dim images.

!Note: In order to keep the CCD chip from frosting over, a desiccant packet is added

to the air space surrounding the chip before the camera is sealed. Over time, the

desiccant can become saturated with moisture and lose its effectiveness. To change

a desiccant packet, refer to Appendix __.

Gain

Normally an auto exposure routine in a digital camera sets the exposure time so that the

brightest pixel on the CCD chip is completely “filled” with electrons, or is “full well”

(see the Digital Photography section). This simple technique works well for bright

images, but, as an image gets dimmer, exposure times can get uncomfortably long.

Ch. 1 - Electronic Imaging Theory and the SPOT Camera The SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera

User’s Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera, 6/9/98 8

With the Spot camera you can shorten exposure times by filling the brightest pixel on the

CCD to less than full well, and then using this lower level as full scale. The inverse

fraction of full well that the brightest pixel on the CCD is filled to is known as the gain.

For example, filling a pixel to half of full well cuts the exposure time in half. Since the

exposure time is cut in half, we call this a gain of 2.

The following table illustrates the relationship between gain, the fraction of full well that

the brightest pixel is filled to, and the effect of gain on exposure time:

Gain Fraction of Full Well Exposure Time (sample)

1 1 80 seconds

21/2 40 seconds

41/4 20 seconds

81/8 10 seconds

16 1/16 5 seconds

An 80 second exposure at a gain of one turns into a 5 second exposure at gain 16. This is

good in terms of the exposure time. Unfortunately, background noise is directly

proportional to gain. It is 16 times higher at a gain of 16 is than at a gain of one.

An Automated Exposure Process

Normally, for any given image, trial and error would have to be used to determine the

optimal combinations of gain and exposure time. In order to eliminate the need for trial

and error experimentation, the SPOT camera automatically determines this information

by sampling light levels before each exposure. Based on the light levels and the user-

determined Auto-Gain Limit, SPOT determines the optimal gain setting and exposure

time for the image.

!Note: For more information on using the Auto-Gain Limit feature, refer to the

Chapter 3, “Preparing to Take a Picture.”

Ch. 2 - Navigating the SPOT Software Table of Contents

User's Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera, 6/9/98 9

Ch. 2 - Navigating the SPOT Software

Introduction ........................................................................................................ 10

The Viewing and Editing Window................................................................... 10

Menus......................................................................................................... 10

The Toolbar................................................................................................. 11

File Save and Print Options..................................................................... 11

Image Capture and View Options............................................................ 12

Image Annotation Options....................................................................... 12

The View Status Bar ................................................................................... 13

Opening and Saving Files............................................................................... 14

Standard Windows Options......................................................................... 14

Open File................................................................................................. 15

Save........................................................................................................ 15

Save As................................................................................................... 15

Close....................................................................................................... 15

Delete...................................................................................................... 15

Print/Print Setup ...................................................................................... 15

Exit........................................................................................................... 15

SPOT Specific Options ............................................................................... 15

Open Database Image ............................................................................ 15

Show File Thumbnails............................................................................. 16

Save to Database.................................................................................... 17

Save All ................................................................................................... 17

Preliminary Settings........................................................................................ 18

Preferences................................................................................................. 18

Initialize....................................................................................................... 18

Ch. 2 - Navigating the SPOT Software The Viewing and Editing Window

User's Guide to the SPOT Cooled Color Digital Camera, 6/9/98 10

Introduction

This chapter is an introduction to the SPOT program's operating environment. It consists

of three major sections:

§The Viewing and Editing Window - This section describes the primary window for

all image capture and editing functions.

§Opening and Saving Files - This section discusses the standard Windows file save

and open features, as well as those that are unique to the SPOT program.

§Preliminary Settings - This section describes the initial settings that you can make to

customize your software.

The Viewing and Editing Window

When you open or capture an image, it appears in the main viewing and editing window.

All of the image save, view, edit, and annotation functions are accessed from this

window, which consists of three areas:

§Menus

§The Toolbar

§The View Status Bar

Each of these areas is discussed in the three sections that follow.

Menus

The menus that appear at the top of the window vary according to whether an image is

open, and whether you are editing or annotating an image. When you first open the

software, the only functions that are available are the file opening, image setup, and

image capture options.

§File opening - The file open and save options are for the most part identical to the

standard Windows file open and save options. There are also several features that are

unique to the SPOT software. Refer to the Opening and Saving Files section in this

Chapter for more details on opening and saving image files in SPOT.

§Image setup - Defining or selecting an image setup is the crucial first step in the

picture taking process. All of the image setup options can be accessed via the Setup

menu. Refer to Chapter 3, Preparing to Take a Picture, for more details on defining

and utilizing image setups.

§Image capture - Image capture (picture taking) options are accessed via the Camera

menu. For more details on capturing an image, refer to Chapter 4, Taking a Picture.

Indice

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