First, install your camera driver - see your camera user documentation for this. Some camera are managed in AudeLA via ASCOM (QYH5, Orion starshoot, PL-1M, DMK, Starlight XPress, Atik…): install the ASCOM platform and the driver associated with your camera before running AudeLA.

Run AudeLA/Aud'ACE. Check that you have well defined your file directory (menu Setup / Folders).

Launch the tool Acquisition (menu Camera / Acquisition).

Connect your camera in AudeLA: menu Camera / Connection. –>choose the tab associated with your camera. For video grabber, select tab “Webcam/Grabber”. –>check your camera parameter (for exemple LPT1 or USB depending on camera model; target temperature; etc…) –>click on “Apply” to see the result of your connection. If your camera is temperature regulated, you can leave this window open and monitor the actual temperature and the Pelletier module power - avoid to saturate at 100%! Click then on “Close” to close your window. If you click on “OK”, AudeLA will first “Apply” the change and will “Close”.

Note for target temperature on SBIG camera: you can change your target temperature but instead of clicking on “Apply” which will connect your camera again, simply desactivate and activate temperature regulation to have the new temperature target set.

Note for filter selection on SBIG camera: you can select your filter but instead of clicking on “Apply” which will connect your camera again, simply select your filter and “Close”: the new filter will be set.

Acquisition tool will allow to take your first images.

Click on “Setup” button to change your parameters, including FITS data which will recorded in your FITS file header.

Depending on camera, you can choose: -exposure time: click on “Exp” button to get a predefined list or enter your time in the proper area. -binning: binning is a way to group camera pixel together. It reduces download time and improve sensitivity. In 2×2 binning, pixels are grouped by 4, download time is about 4x quicker and sensitivity is about 4 times higher (in fact, read-out noise impact your image once instead of 4 times) -shutter mode: Sunchro or Closed (for dark and bias)

For your first image, select “One image” mode and click on “Go CCD” button. There are actually several acquisition modes: -One image: acquisition image by image. Provide a filename and click on “Save” to save your image on disk. You can also add an index which will increment after each file saving. -One serie: acquisition 'N' images (defined in “Number”). Once your serie is acquired, you can change your filename prefix and reset index to '1' or leave the filename prefix and continue your serie with the next index. -Continuous images.

Note: you can stop your exposure serie for exemple with ESC key on your keyboard - check the “Visu1” window is selected before pressing the ESC key.

Note: do not forget to acquire bias, dark and flat frames to be able to properly process your images afterward!