Mobile app overview
Last updated
Last updated
Our mobile application, available for both Android and iOS, allows you to easily take control of the SUNSCAN instrument and perform solar scans. Below is a brief overview of the key screens and features that make it easy to operate SUNSCAN and manage your data.
The home screen displays the connection status between the app and the SUNSCAN device. To connect, ensure that SUNSCAN is powered on and that your phone is connected to the Wi-Fi network "sunscan-******". Once the connection is successful, the status indicator will turn green, allowing you to connect the camera and begin capturing solar scans.
Additionally, basic solar ephemeris (such as sunrise, sunset, and solar position data) will also be displayed on this screen, providing useful contextual information for your scans.
On this screen, you can capture videos that will be used to generate your solar images. When the camera is connected, a toolbar appears with the following options:
Color Button: Displays the image in color mode. In this mode, the camera is set to automatic exposure.
Norm Button: Activates normalization. Two types of normalization are available: Min/Max and N-th percentile.
Adjust Button: Provides access to advanced settings (discussed further below).
Grid Button: Toggles a grid display to help with alignment and adjustments.
On the right side of the screen, there is a "Crop" button that lets you adjust the framing of the image by moving the crop area up or down. Once framed, you can start recording a solar scan by pressing the designated record button.
This panel allows you to manually adjust the camera’s exposure and gain. Three exposure modes are available:
Default Mode: Ranges from 20 ms to 160 s.
SE (Short Exposure) Mode: From 0.1 ms to 20 ms.
LP (Long Exposure) Mode: From 0.2 s to 30 s.
To switch between modes, press and hold the "EXP" button. The "Max ADU" section displays the 12-bit ADU values for each color channel (R, G, B). A single tap on any channel (red, green, or blue) allows you to select only that specific channel for display.
For best results - Use a low gain setting (e.g., 1 dB). - When capturing the Sun in H-alpha wavelength, work exclusively with the red channel. - Avoid overexposing or underexposing your images. A smiley icon will indicate whether your exposure settings are optimal. Note that this indicator is provided for general guidance and covers the most common scenarios.
This screen lets you manage your solar images. From here, you can start image processing, view your images, download them to your device, or delete them if needed.
The settings screen provides access to various configuration options, including changing the app's language.
With these simple and intuitive controls, the SUNSCAN mobile app, available on Android and iOS, makes it easy to perform high-quality solar scans and manage your data directly from your phone. Plus, with internet connectivity, you can view basic solar ephemerides on the home screen, giving you valuable solar information at a glance.
