IDL's widget capability and processing routines make all of this tough science user-friendly for the scientists. The CCD chips that are finally selected will be subjected to extreme operating conditions. The result will be a camera capable of delivering crisp images ranging in size from 1024 x 1024 to 4048 x 4048 pixels. Users were required to type in commands each time they ran a test. Now, we've automated the process as much as we could.
Some tests take a few hours, some as long as two weeks.
Considering that Ball will test well over 100 chips, an efficient test process helps identify the best CCDs within the required production time frame. IDL's integrated data reduction and built-in mathematics routines form the foundation for analyzing and visualizing data gathered during the tests. Ball's series of tests includes photon transfer, image verification and electronic gain calculation. IDL filter routines are invoked to evaluate a chip's veracity and inherent noise. The CCD chips are also tested for characteristics such as quantum efficiency.