Orion 52080 Software and Driver Installation, Software Installation, Camera Driver Installation

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USB cable

D-cell batteries (2)

3VDC Power supply	Input jack for
	TEC power

Figure 3. The 3V power supply (with two D-cell batteries installed) turns the TEC on when it is plugged into the SSDSI-II.

When the 3VDC power supply is plugged into the SSDSI-II, the TEC is on (Figure 3). It takes about a minute for the TEC to provide maximum cooling, so wait a couple of minutes before you begin to capture images. When the power source is not plugged in, the TEC is off. Remember to unplug the TEC when it is not in use, or you will drain the power supply. Keeping a spare set of D-cell batteries in your equipment case is also a good idea!

Software and Driver Installation

Before the camera can be used, software and camera drivers must be installed onto your computer. Turn on your computer and allow the Windows operating system to load as normal. Insert the included CD-ROM into your computer’s CD-ROM drive, and the Launcher will appear (Figure 4). This allows you to install the Maxim DL Essentials software. After the software is installed, the drivers will install automatically once the SSDSI-II is initially connected to the computer. Do not connect the camera to your computer before you have installed the software.

Figure 4. The Launcher provides an easy menu for software installation.

Software Installation

To install Maxim DL Essentials Edition:

1.Insert the CD-ROM into the drive. The Launcher will appear. For Windows Vista computers, the AutoPlay window will appear. Select Run Launcher.exe, then the Launcher will appear.

2.Click Install.

3.The InstallShield Wizard will start. Click Next.

4.Read the Maxim DL License Agreement. If you agree with the terms, then select I accept the terms in this license agreement and click Next.

5.You are now ready to install. Click Install. The installation will proceed.

6.The installation is now complete. Click the Finish button.

You can start Maxim DL Essentials Edition using the desktop icon, or using the Windows Start menu.

Camera Driver Installation

Now that the software is installed, the camera driver must also be installed. The system will automatically guide you through driver installation when the SSDSI-II is initially connected to the computer. You must plug-in the camera before starting Maxim DL Essentials Edition, or the software and computer will not recognize the camera.

To install the camera driver on a Windows XP computer:

1.Make sure the CD-ROM is in the computer.

2.Connect the Orion StarShoot Deep Space Imager II to a USB port on the computer with the supplied USB cable. Windows will automatically detect the camera and start the Found New Hardware Wizard (Figure 5a).

Note: For best results, use a USB 2.0 port. If you only have USB 1.1, the cam- era will run slower. We highly recommend upgrading to USB 2.0 if you have USB 1.1. A USB upgrade card can be found from a computer parts supplier.

Note: You do not need to connect the SSDSI-II to the external 3VDC power supply at this time. The external power is for the camera’s thermoelectric cooler (TEC) only, and normal camera operation does not require it to be on (i.e. when the TEC is powered it is on, when it is not powered it is off). Use of the TEC is highly recommended for long exposure astro-imaging, however (see “Imaging Deep Sky Objects”).

3.Select No, not this time and click Next.

4.Select Install from a list of specific location (Advanced) and click Next.

5.Select Search removable media (floppy, CD-ROM...). Turn off the other options. Click Next.

6.Windows will start looking for the driver files on the CD-ROM.

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