Near Infrared Camera from MASSachusetts.

The image above shows the complete NICMASS system. The liquid nitrogen cooled dewar at right contains a NICMOS3 (256x256 HgCdTe) infrared array. The box on the side of the dewar houses a microcomputer and electronics which control the array readouts. The dewar contains a 12-position filter wheel which contains three broadband and eight narrowband interference filters. The 80486-based computer at left contains a custom data receiver expansion board which collects serial data produced by four 14-bit analog-to-digital converters controlled by the microcomputer. The 80486 computer initiates frame starts in the camera microcomputer via an RS232 connection and then waits for data to stream back into the custom data receiver board. The resulting images are displayed on the PC screen. The system is used locally at the 0.4m Whately Observatory as well as at a number of Western sites including the Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT Observatories and 0.9m Coude Feed Telescope at Kitt Peak.

NICMASS image gallery.

NICMASS User's Manual.

Last Update: 7/28/1996