More details can be found in our SPIE papers (postscript format):
Wide-field CCD imager for the 6.5m MMT telescope
(1996)
Megacam: paving the focal plane of the MMT with
silicon (1998)
Coping with data deluge -- a data system for
the Megacam (1998)
Camera electronics for the 72-channel S.A.O. Megacam
(1998)
Below is a cutaway view of the instrument, showing the six-foot diameter
housing, the dual blade shutter (yellow), two filter wheels (brown), filters
(light blue), guide-filters (blue-green), field-flattening lens (royal
blue) and the dewar (yellow).
Here is a cutaway view of the dewar itself, showing the 36 back-illuminated
CCDs underneath a large lens that serves as the vacuum window of the camera
as well as a field-flattener. There are two additional CCDs at the edge
of the field of view that are used for guiding and low-order wavefront
sensing.
A view of a 30cm square filter and its handling cover.
EEV CCD42-90 CCD and preamplifier card
Underside of Megacam focal plane partially populated with CCDs. One
row of CCDs is fully installed, including a set of thermal cooling fins.
The row to its left shows two CCDs installed with preamp cards, and on
the leftmost row, one CCD is installed without a preamp. Also shown is
a guide CCD being installed. The cold Invar CCD mounting plate is suspended
from the dewar case by six titanium flexures.
Underside of shutter mounting plate, with the shutter closed. Light
still reaches the guide CCDs in this position.
