Calibration-frame planner
Budget the calibration library with the lights.
Estimate master-frame noise reduction, calibration counts and total storage demand.
Purpose and method
What this calculator does
How many darks, flats and bias frames do I need? Plan master-frame noise, counts and storage.
In words: Independent random noise falls with the square root of combined frame count.
Change a value and the result updates immediately. This count model covers random noise only. Flats still need appropriate illumination and ADU, while darks must match temperature, exposure, gain and sensor mode.
Working geometry
Master-frame combination
Independent calibration frames combine into lower-noise master dark, flat and bias references.
Inputs
Lights, masters and storage
Calculated now
Calibration plan
- Frames recommended per master
- 25
- Calibration frames planned
- 75
- Session storage
- 8.54 GiB
- Dark master random noise
- 20.00 %
- Flat master random noise
- 20.00 %
- Bias master random noise
- 20.00 %
Governing equation
In words: Independent random noise in a combined master falls in proportion to one divided by the square root of the frame count.
Show the working
The calculator applies the equation above to the values currently entered, without rounding until this display.
- Frames recommended per master
- 25
- Calibration frames planned
- 75
- Session storage
- 8.54 GiB
- Dark master random noise
- 20.00 %
- Flat master random noise
- 20.00 %
- Bias master random noise
- 20.00 %
This count model covers random noise only. Flats still need appropriate illumination and ADU, while darks must match temperature, exposure, gain and sensor mode.