COOKBOOK 245 CCD CAMERA
- First light on July 6, 1996; Operational until July 30, 2001
- TI TC245-40 sensor, with the (LDC) Low Dark Current modification
- Image area: 6.4mm (horizontal) x 4.8mm (vertical)
- Image: 378 x 242 pixels, resampled 378 x 284 for square pixels
- 17µM x 19µM pixels, average pixel size is 18µM
- used a 12-bit parallel interface
- Filter selector held up to 5-1.25" type filters. The selector contained Red, IR, broadband, and narrowband filters that I used.
- Single-stage 40W Peltier module with a closed-loop 4 pint water & alcohol coolant system
- I keep in a plexiglass case as the CCD camera that started it all
Camera modifications:
As a R&D technician, it was a great project and learning experience for me!
- Aluminum housing contained the controls and the power supply
- Aluminum/copper conductive emi/rfi tape sealed the housing
- Iron ferrite beads on the Peltier module leads reduced RF noise
- Thermometers monitored CCD chip, ice water bath, and coolant temperatures
- 12VDC fan cooled the interface electronics
- Attwood 12V boat aerator pump running at 8V circulated coolant
Cooling system:
- An ice water bath in a portable cooler was chilled with multiple freeze packs to adjust the coolant temperature for the camera.
- 12V pump circulated 4 pints of the coolant thru 1/4" plastic hoses. The coolant was a distilled water and isopropyl alcohol mixture.
- CCD chip was cooled to -35° F in the winter, and -8° F in summer.
- Water cooling offered better temperature control than forced air cooling during the summer, but it was a hassle to keep monitoring the dew point and adding ice frequently to keep the camera cold.