Starlight Xpress SuperStar User Manual

SuperStar handbook Issue 1 March 2012

Handbook for the SX ‘SuperStar’ high resolution guide camera

Thank you for purchasing a Starlight Xpress ‘SuperStar’ guide camera. We hope that you will be very
pleased with the performance of this product.

The SuperStar is a high resolution, very compact guider/imager which is powered and operated via a
single USB2.0 computer connection. It also provides an opto-isolated output connection for direct
control of most mounts, via their ‘Autoguider’ sockets. This output is compatible with the ‘ST4’ style
of RJ12 connection and supplies 4 ‘pull down’ direction lines and a common return. Alternatively, you
may send the mount control signals via a serial connection from the guider control computer.

The SuperStar utilises a sensitive Sony ‘SuperHAD’ CCD (the ICX205AL) with an array of 1392 x
1040 pixels in a ‘half-inch’ format. Although the chip is not cooled, it has a very low dark signal and
very little readout noise, so it can be used to guide on faint stars that are beyond the reach of webcams
and CMOS chip based guide cameras. The small pixel size allows accurate guiding with very short
focal length guide telescopes and even ‘C’ mount camera lenses. When guiding at longer focal lengths
(greater than about 200mm) operating in bin 2x2 mode is a better option. In addition, the small pixel
size gives good resolution of Solar, Lunar and planetary images, so the SuperStar also makes a
versatile general purpose imaging camera.

The SuperStar specification:

CCD - Sony ICX205AL monochrome CCD
Pixel count - 1392(H) x 1040(V)
Pixel size - 4.65 x 4.65uM
Barrel size - 32mm dia. x 72mm long (1.25 inch eyepiece push fit size)
Barrel thread - 25.4mm x 0.75mm ‘CS’ mount lens thread
Input connection - ‘Mini B’ USB socket for USB2.0
Output connection - 5 way JST ‘ZH’ style 1.5mm pitch plug to RJ12 autoguider plug
Output type - Opto-isolated 4 lines (N,S,E & W) pull down with common return line
Download rate - Approx. 3 frames per second in bin 2x2 mode (recommended for guiding)

SuperStar handbook Issue 1 March 2012

Installing the SuperStar:

A new 32 bit installation will require the driver files SXVIO.sys and Generic.sys, plus the
SXVIO_SuperStar.inf file. A 64 bit machine will require our 64 bit driver package ‘BlockIO64.zip’.
All are available from our web pages, if required (http://www.sxccd.com/drivers-downloads ).

Running the ‘Setup.exe’ file on the supplied CD, will install the drivers and operating software
automatically. If you are installing manually, copy thes appropriate files into a convenient folder on
drive C and then connect the USB cable to the SuperStar. Point the installer at this folder when it asks
for the location of the drivers and you should see it set up the hardware as a ‘BlockIOClass’ device in
Device Manager.

The SuperStar control software is SuperStar.exe and the latest version may be downloaded from the
Starlight Xpress web site http://www.sxccd.com/drivers-downloads , if necessary. Copy the exe file
and dlls into a folder on drive C and run the exe file to start the software. Alternatively, ‘PHD’,
‘AstroArt’ and ‘MaximDL’ support the SuperStar and may be preferred. Note that the SuperStar may
show up as an ‘SXV-H9’ or as ‘Unknown’ in some software, but should still work OK.

Using the SuperStar:

The SuperStar is generally used with a separate guide telescope, or via an off-axis guider. It is designed
to be inserted into a standard 1.25” focuser assembly, but also has a 25mm ‘C’ type camera lens thread
in the front to allow standard CCTV lenses to be attached. Please note that the chip to lens distance is
only 12.5mm and so a ‘CS’ to ‘C’ extension will be needed to permit a standard C lens to reach focus.

SuperStar handbook Issue 1 March 2012

Lenses designed for ‘CS’ mount cameras will focus without an extension tube, but many of these
lenses cannot fully illuminate a half-inch format CCD, so take care when selecting a lens for this
purpose.

A typical set up might consist of an inexpensive 80mm F5 refractor ‘piggybacked’ onto an SCT, with
the SuperStar fitted directly into its focus barrel. Many such telescopes are designed to be used with an
inverting prism ahead of the eyepiece and so the focuser may be too short when the SuperStar is
inserted directly. In this case, an extension tube may often be made from a cheap Barlow lens assembly
with the lens removed. This configuration can be seen in the picture below.

The SuperStar attached to an 80mm F5 guide ‘scope

The focal length of your guide telescope is not especially critical for good guiding, as the guiding
software searches for the ‘centroid’ of the guide star image and can resolve shifts of far less than 1
pixel. Using a guide scope with a relatively short focal length (between 200 and 500mm) makes guide
star finding very easy and this is a recommended setup for general purpose guiding.