Block diagram and layout

A simplified block diagram showing the major components of the system is given in Layout 1. The system is in two parts: the camera and electronics at the telescope, and the instrument computer and display system in a remote control room. The telescope end includes all necessary electronics to operate the arrays, convert the analog outputs to digital data and co-add images. A motor control unit and a temperature control system are all packaged alongside the camera itself, with the entire assembly held in a frame which supports the instrument on the telescope and during handling. Observers interact with the camera system at the keyboard of a 486-based PC located in a remote control room. Images from one or both channels can be manipulated and displayed on a second screen. The two channels may be referenced as either "fast/slow" when discussing electronics, or as "long/short" when discussing the wavelength ranges.

Layout 1: A block diagram of the UCLA 2-channel infrared camera system