Nicola has released a feature release of AstroDMx Capture for all platforms Version 1.2.4.
Mutatis mutandis
Version 1.2.4
There are a number of significant changes in this version of AstroDMx Capture 1.2.4
- Added: Fan control for ZWO cameras
- Added: Dew heater control for ZWO cameras
- Added: Dew heater control for Altair cameras
- Added: Trigger mode for Altair cameras
- Added: RGB48 16 bit pixel format for Altair cameras
- Added: Black level value to FITS metadata
- Added: Bayer pattern value to FITS
- Added: Altair support on Raspberry PI 32 and 64 bit
- Major refactor to allow arbitrary length exposures when the camera's exposure units operate in microseconds
- Fixed: Bug associated with some ZWO cameras when operating in long exposure mode
- Fixed: Bug associated with AVI's on Windows
- Updated: ZWO SDK
- Updated: QHY SDK
- Updated: SVBONY SDK
- Updated: ZWO Filterwheel SDK
- System Information dialog has been updated
- Improved the debugging output
- The USB speed parameter is now automatically reduced to the minimum when operating in long exposure mode
- Other bug fixes and improvements
RGB48 16 bit format
Most astronomical cameras offer 8 bit RAW, 16 bit RAW (from 12, 14 or 16 bit ADCs), sometimes 8 bit mono (for a colour camera) and RGB24, which is an 8 bit format (8 bits per colour channel).
There are, however, some cameras such as the Altair cameras, that also offer RGB48. This is a 16 bit format (16 bits per colour channel). As with 16 bit RAW, RGB48 data can come from 12, 14 or 16 bit ADCs), the image data are put into a 16 bit image container. In the case of AstroDMx Capture, the 16 bit image containers can be FITS, TIFF, PNG or SER files.
In addition to Gain, Black Level and Exposure, the RGB48 format has access to all of the controls that the RGB24 has, for example, Gamma, Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Saturation, Colour Temp, Colour Tint, and One Touch white balance.
It could be argued that these kinds of adjustments can be made in post-processing, which is true. However, it is quite satisfying to have a preview image that more closely resembles the final image.
Being a 16 bit format the preview images are controlled by the 16 bit display controls and also the non-destructive display controls which are all designed to make the 16 bit images visible in preview.
