Meade DSI II / DSI-Pro II Frequently Asked Questions

What chips are in the cameras?
What are the sizes and Pixel dimensions of the chips?
What are the actual image sizes produced by the cameras?
Do the cameras have active cooling (Peltier, etc)?
How does the CCD Temperature indicator work?
How does the software use the CCD temperature with dark frame subtraction?
Can I use my DSI 1 and DSI II together at the same time?
Can I use accessories I have purchased for my original DSI's with the DSI II?
Will MaximDL, K3CCDTools, AstroArt, etc. work with the DSI-2?
Will the new software be made available to original DSI owners?
Can I layer original DSI images with DSI-2 images?
Does the color version still have debayer artifacts?
Can I do binned exposures?
Does the DSI II work with USB 1.1?
Does the DSI II still have the amp glow in the upper left corner?
Can I take pictures like my heroes Steve, Chuck, Matt, Mark, and Polo my first night out?
Is this camera going to be the death of the StarShoot?

What chips are in the cameras?
The chips in both are the High Sensitivity Monochrome Sony EXview HAD(tm) CCD Sensor (ICX429). The DSI II has the ICX429 AKL Color (http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/img/sony01/a6804693.pdf) and the DSI-Pro II has the ICX429 ALL B&W (http://www.sony.co.jp/~semicon/english/img/sony01/a6804694.pdf)

What are the sizes and Pixel dimensions of the chips?
Dimensions of chip: 5.59mm (w) x 4.68mm (h); 1/2" (8mm diagonal)
Pixels: 752 x 582 pixels (437,664 pixels)
Pixel Size (in microns): 8.3 microns (w) x 8.6 microns (h)

What are the actual image sizes produced by the cameras?
The image sizes produced by the DSI II and DSI-Pro II are exactly the same as the pixel resolution.  Since no squaring of the pixels is performed, the resultant images are still 752 x 582 pixels.

Do the cameras have active cooling (Peltier, etc)?
No, the cameras are cooled via thermal convection in the same manner as previous DSI's.  However, the coefficient of noise is substantially lower in these cameras then their predecessors and by utilizing dark frames specific to a given temperature and exposure length, active cooling should not be required.

How does the CCD Temperature indicator work?
The CCD Temperature indicator displays the temperature of the CCD taken directly from the back of the chip at the completion of any exposure.  This information is displayed in Celsius on the main screen in degrees and tenths of degrees.

How does the software use the CCD temperature with dark frame subtraction?
When taking dark frames, the software now saves each dark frame with not only the exposure time selected, but also the temperature of the camera at the time of the exposure.  When taking images and Dark Frame Subtraction is enabled, the software will look thru the stored dark frames for the dark frame the most closely matches the exposure time and temperature within the range indicated by the user in the settings dialogue.

Can I use my DSI 1 and DSI II together at the same time?
Yes, you are able to still connect up to 15 DSI's (I's and II's) and a single LPI to the PC at the same time depending on your systems capabilities.

Can I use accessories I have purchased for my original DSI's with the DSI II?
Yes, most likely, all accessories you have for your original DSI will work with the DSI II including filters, nosepieces, faceplate / faceplate adaptors, filter wheels, coolers, etc.  The case is the exact same size - just Blue instead of Black - the Outback Cooler, although likely not necessary, will also work.  You will, of course, need to test anything that is not produced by Meade and Meade cannot be responsible for whether these works or not, but in general, most items should work fine.  .

Will MaximDL, K3CCDTools, AstroArt, etc. work with the DSI-2?
This will be up to the individual manufacturers of these software products to ensure they are in compliance with any changes to the DSI API.  For most processes, these applications should still work correctly unless they are calling any specific functions that may have changed.  If they wish to use the new functionality (such as temperature sensing), they will require updates to their products.

Will the new software be made available to original DSI owners?
Yes, the new software will be available from the Meade Web site for download and will work with the original DSI's and the LPI.  Note: The original DSI's will not have temperature sensor displayed as they do not have temperature probes on the chip.

Can I layer original DSI images with DSI-2 images?
Since the DSI II and the Original DSI's have different chip and image sizes, you cannot directly overlay the images together.  However, the chips in each camera are spaced the same distance from the nosepiece and hence, the size of the individual object on the screen should remain close to the same.  Through other software such as PhotoShop, you can manually overlay the images though the sizes of these will still be different.

Does the color version still have debayer artifacts?
Meade has completely re-worked the debayer routines used in the DSI Color cameras and most, if not all, of the artifact issues originally noted have been fixed or removed.  This applies not only to the new DSI II but also to the original DSI if used with the new Envisage software.

Can I do binned exposures?
No, binning is not incorporated into the software at this time.

Does the DSI II work with USB 1.1?
Meade has indicated that the DSI II will work with USB 1.1.  This, like the original DSI, will be completely dependent on the system used with the camera.  If possible, USB 2.0 should be used we would not recommend using USB 1.1.

Does the DSI II still have the amp glow in the upper left corner?
The DSI II uses a completely different chip and circuit board then the original DSI's and as such, does not have the amp glow that was evident in the original DSI.