Re: Do we need a faster readout?

[<aah@nofs.navy.mil>]

Certainly we need to optimize the pipeline so that the
shutter stays open the maximum amount of time.  For example,
after an image is read from the CCD, you can do anything
from opening the shutter for the next image in the same
field to moving the mount to the next field, overlapped
with the RAM card to disk write.  If you trust that the
drive does not generate noise, you can even take dark
frames while moving to the next field.
  Exposures can be considerably shorter than 100 seconds.
For example, bias/dark frames, working in bright skies,
taking twilight flats, or standard-star exposures.  So
optimizing the speed of each section of the pipeline is
necessary.  Some pieces cannot be sped up.  For example,
the readout is a fixed quantity based on the speed of
the ADC, the transfer time through the CCD, and the required
read noise; Tom has that piece about as fast as desirable.
So work on the easy ones, like optimizing disk writes.
Arne