<title>A Video Camera System Designed For Astronomical Applications</title>

Abstract

The video camera system was designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of two dimensional astronomical observations. Primary consideration was given to stability, reliability, data handling, human interface, and modular flexibility. The video camera system was designed in modular fashion to satisfy several technical and scientific problems and to minimize the overall instrumentation cost for the national observatory. The system can be configured in both a direct mode using an RCA 4849 ISIT as the detector and in a spectroscopic mode using a 3-stage, magnetically focused RCA C70021 image intensifier lens coupled to an RCA 4804 SIT. In either mode, the analog data from the detector is digitized, one frame at a time and accumulated in a 20 bit digital memory at a rate of up to 30 frames/sec. The 16 bit quotient of accumulated data divided by its frame count is sampled at a rate of .625 frames/sec. by a display memory which outputs data to a display monitor at a rate of 60 frames/sec. The data passing from the display memory to the display monitor encounters both a 16 bit to 8 bit linear transform and a linear or non-linear transform via a look-up-table. Control of the display transforms is accomplished by the observer using the operator control panel. A bi-directional data link exists from the accumulation and display memories to the main computer.