Astronomy Cameras - sCMOS, SWIR, EMCCD & CCD

Andor's product portfolio incorporates a range of high-performance detector solutions for Astronomy, from faster time resolution sCMOS and EMCCD cameras to slow scan CCDs. Across each technology category, low noise floor and back-illuminated QE options are common, as are very large area sensor solutions for maximum sky coverage. Crucially, Andor’s unparalleled commitment to superb quality, vacuum innovation and ease of maintenance is instilled throughout the portfolio, intended to maximize your observing time and to minimize cost of ownership.

iKon CCD series - Up to 16.8 Megapixel back-illuminated CCDs, including NIR optimized, with -100 °C TE cooling.
iXon EMCCD series - single photon sensitivity and > 90% QE at high speed.
sCMOS camera series - up to 4.2 Megapixel, > 90% QE options, very high-speed readout with ultra-low noise floor.
C-RED SWIR Cameras Series - Sensitivity up to 2.5 µm, Single Photon Sensitive solutions, Up to 3500 images per second.

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sCMOS for Fast Time Resolution and Large Sky Surveys

Including Marana back-illuminated platform, scientific CMOS (sCMOS) technology is especially relevant for faster time resolution astronomy, combining high resolution / large field of view coverage of the sky with very fast readout capability, yet without sacrificing ultra-low noise performance, with a further key benefit of avoiding mechanical shutters. The ZL41 Wave is a superb ‘workhorse’ sCMOS for astronomy, an ideal balance of versatility and superb price/performance value. Furthermore, CB2 is the newest cost-effective, low noise and very high resolution sCMOS platform, ideally suited to large sky surveys, lucky astronomy/speckle interferometry and adaptive optics.

Large FOV up to 31.9 diagonal (4.2 Megapixel)
Extremely low noise down to 0.9 e^-
QE up to 95% (back-illuminated)
Rapid frame rates up to 1594 fps (full frame)
Multi-amplifier extended dynamic range technology
ZL41 Wave price/performance workhorse camera

Key Applications: Solar Astronomy, Orbital Debris Tracking, Solar System Objects Detection, Exoplanet Discovery, Speckle/Lucky Imaging (Large FOV), Occultations, Pulsars, Atmospheric Science, Wavefront sensors and Large Sky Surveys.

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sCMOS Camera Model Comparison for Astronomy

Model	Marana	ZL41 Wave	CB2 High res	CB2 High speed	CB2 UV
Sensor Format	2048 x 2048	2048 x 2048 2560 x 2160	5328 x 4608	3216 x 2232 1608 x 1104 816 x 624	2848 x 2848
Sensor Diagonal (mm)	31.9	18.8 - 31.9	19.3	17.6 \| 17.6 \| 9.2 7.1 \| 1.7 \| 0.5 MP	11.2
Pixel Size (µm)	6.5 - 11	6.5	2.74 5.48 with 2x2 on-chip binning	9 for CB2 0.5F & CB2 1.7F 4.5 and 9 with 2x2 on-chip binning for CB2 7.1F	2.74 5.48 with 2x2 on-chip binning
QE max (%)	95	64 - 82	74	74	>50 at 300nm (UV) & >70 at 500nm (visible)
QE Profile Options	BV, BU	FI	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cooling (°C)	-45	-5	-5 (air) -40 (liquid - water 5°C)	-5 (air) -40 (liquid - water 5°C)	-5 (air) -40 (liquid - water 5°C)
Exposure (Shutter) Modes	Rolling	Rolling and Global	Global	Global	Global
Max. Frame Rate (fps, full array)	48 - 135	100 (CameraLink) 40 - 53 (USB 3.0)	106 (CXP) 48 (GigE) (8-bit)	207 \| 662 \| 1594 (CXP) 169 \| 662 \| 1564 (GigE) (8-bit)	194 (CXP) 140 (GigE) (8-bit)
Read Noise Median (e-)	1.0 - 1.6	0.9 (Rolling) 2.3 (Global)	1.4 e-	1.4 \| 2.6 \| 2.6 7.1 \| 1.7 \| 0.5 MP	1.6
Pixel Well Depth (e-)	55,000 - 85,000	30,000	9,500	23,000 94,000 94,000	9,200
Fast shuttering capability	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Indirect X-ray & Neutron detection	Lens coupled	Lens coupled	Lens coupled	Lens coupled	Lens coupled
Interface	USB 3.0 (4 Lane CXP-6)	USB 3.0 Camera Link	CoaXPress 2.0 / High speed SFP+ 10 GigE interface with Ethernet or Fiber	CoaXPress 2.0 / High speed SFP+ 10 GigE interface with Ethernet or Fiber	CoaXPress 2.0 / High speed SFP+ 10 GigE interface with Ethernet or Fiber
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SWIR Cameras for Physical Science & Astronomy

We also offer a range of SWIR Cameras for Astronomy that provide superb sensitivity and speed performance across the Short-Wave Infra-Red wavelength domain. Technologies include market-leading InGaAs and the unique single photon sensitive ‘e-APD MCT’ imaging innovation.

Sensitivity up to 2.5 µm
Single Photon Sensitive solutions
Up to 3500 images per second
Deep cooled for thermal noise minimization
Imaging and Spectroscopy solutions

Key Applications: Astronomy, Adaptive Optics, Interferometry, Laser Beam Profiling, Hyperspectral Imaging, Advanced Materials and Chemistry

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SWIR Camera Model Comparison for Astronomy

Model	C-RED One	C-RED 2	C-RED 2 ER	C-RED 2 Lite	C-RED 3	C-RED New Space
(mm)	e-APD MCT	InGaAs	InGaAs	InGaAs	InGaAs	InGaAs
Sensor Format	320 x 256	640 x 512	640 x 512	640 x 512	640 x 512	640 x 512
Pixel Size (µm)	24	15	15	15	15	15
Wavelength Range (µm)	0.8 - 2.5	0.9 - 1.7	1.1 - 1.9 1.2 - 2.2	0.9 - 1.7	0.9 - 1.7	0.9 - 1.7
QE max (%)	80	85	82 (1.9) 85 (2.2)	80	78	80
Cooling (°C)	-183	-40	-40 (1.9µm model) -55 (2.2µm model)	25 below case temp	Uncooled	Environment Dependent
Max. Frame Rate (fps, full array)	3500 fps	600 fps	600 fps	600 fps	600 fps	600 fps
Read Noise (e-)	< 1>	23	32 (1.9µm model) 36 (2.2µm model)	28 (@ 5C cooled)	37	< 30
Darkcurrent (e-/pix/sec)	< 80 @ -183C	310 @ -40C	19,500 @ -40C 130,000 @ -55C	25,000 @ +5C	817,000 @ +40C	TBD
Pixel Well Depth (e-)	100,000	1,400,000	1,500,000	1,400,000	1,400,000	1,400,000
Exposure (Shutter) Modes	Global	Global	Global	Global	Global	Global
Interface	Camera Link	USB 3.1 Gen 1 Camera Link	USB 3.1 Gen 1 Camera Link	USB 3.1 Gen 1 Camera Link	USB 3.1 Gen 1 Camera Link	USB 3.1 Gen 1 Camera Link
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EMCCDs for Fast Time Resolution with Ultimate Sensitivity

Featuring single photon sensitivity, TE cooling to -100 °C and > 95% QE, the iXon EMCCD range has been central to many demanding, light-starved observing initiatives, such as the RAVEN ‘Multi-Object Adaptive Optics’ system at the Subaru Telescope (Hawaii), CHIMERA, the Caltech high speed multi-color camera for detecting transiting objects in the Kuiper Belt, and SOFIA (pictured).

With the single photon sensitive EMCCD cameras, Andor have delivered a dedicated, truly high-end, yet accessible scientific camera platform, designed specifically to drive the absolute best from ultra-sensitive EMCCD technology across all critical performance specs and parameters.

Single photon sensitivity
Quantum efficiency > 95%
Up to 1 Megapixel
26 - 2067 full frames per second

Key Applications: Wavefront sensors, High time resolution astrophysics,
Speckle/Lucky imaging and Occultations.

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EMCCD Camera Model Comparison for Astronomy

Key Specifications	iXon Ultra 888 (inc. Blue)	iXon Ultra 897 (inc. Blue)	OCAM²K	OCAM²S
Core Attributes	Field of view, sensitivity and speed	Sensitivity and speed	Ultra-high speed	Ultra-high speed and fast electronic shuttering
Sensor format	1024 x 1024 (Blue 1018 x 1018)	512 x 512 (Blue 506 x 506)	240 x 240	240 x 240
Pixel Size	13 µm	16 µm	24 µm	24 µm
Sensor Diagonal	18.8 mm	11.6 mm	6.9 mm	6.9 mm
Read Noise	< 1 e- with EM Gain	< 1 e- with EM Gain	< 1 e- with EM Gain	< 1 e- with EM Gain
Cooling	-95C	-100C	-45C	-45C
Darkcurrent	0.00011 e-/pixel/sec	0.00015 e-/pixel/sec	<20 e-/pixel/sec	<20 e-/pixel/sec
Spurious Background (CIC)	0.005 events/pixel	0.0018 events/pixel	N/A	N/A
QE Options	BV, EXF, UVB (Ultra); NBB (Ultra Blue)	BV, EXF, UVB (Ultra); NBB (Ultra Blue)	Back-illuminated deep depletion	Back-illuminated deep depletion
Frame Rate	26 fps (670 fps with 128x 128 Crop Mode)	56 fps (595 fps with 128x 128 Crop Mode)	2067 fps full frame	2068 fps full frame
Pixel Well Depth	65,000 e-	145,000 e-	270,000 e-	80,000 e-
Embedded Electronic Shutter	N/A	N/A	N/A	Yes
Interface	USB 3.0 (additional Camera Link Output)	USB 3.0 (additional Camera Link Output)	Camera Link® Full	Camera Link® Full
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Large Area CCDs for Imaging and Spectroscopic Surveys

The 4 Megapixel iKon-L camera has long been the mainstay detector for many observing projects, including SuperWasp and Next Generation Transit Survey exoplanet programs.

4.2 Megapixel back-illuminated CCDs (e2v)
TE cooling to -100 °C - NO liquid nitrogen or cryo-cooling
Near Infra-Red optimization - dwarf star detection

Key Applications: Exoplanet detection (Transit and Radial Velocimetry), Wide Field Spectroscopic Survey, Photometry, Supernova detection.

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CCD Camera Model Comparison for Astronomy

Model	iKon-L 936	iKon-M 934
Sensor Format	2048 x 2048	1024 x 1024
Sensor Diagonal (mm)	39	18.8
Pixel Size (µm)	13.5	13
QE max (%)	95	95
QE Profile Options	BV, BU2, BEX2-DD, FI	BV, BU2, BEX2-DD, FI
Cooling (°C)	-100	-100
Darkcurrent (e-/pix/sec)	0.000059	0.00012
Read Noise (rms e-)	2.9	2.9
Pixel Well Depth (e-)	150,000	130,000
Digitization	16-bit	16-bit
Readout Rates (MHz)	0.05, 1, 3, 5	0.05, 1, 3, 5
Readout Ports	1	1
Fastest Full Image Readout Time (sec)	1.05	0.23
Timestamp	TTL	TTL
Interface	USB 2.0	USB 2.0
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Astronomy Cameras - sCMOS, SWIR, EMCCD & CCD

sCMOS for Fast Time Resolution and Large Sky Surveys

sCMOS Camera Model Comparison for Astronomy

SWIR Cameras for Physical Science & Astronomy

SWIR Camera Model Comparison for Astronomy

EMCCDs for Fast Time Resolution with Ultimate Sensitivity

EMCCD Camera Model Comparison for Astronomy

Large Area CCDs for Imaging and Spectroscopic Surveys

CCD Camera Model Comparison for Astronomy

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