High-Performance Slow-Scan Digital CCD Cameras

S1C, S2C and S3C – high-performance slow-scan digital CCD cameras intended for the low light level imaging with long exposure times in UV, visible and near infrared spectral ranges.

Main fields of their application – astronomy, medicine, biology, nondestructive testing, physical experiment, environmental monitoring, forensic science, etc.

S1C, S2C and S3C cameras are equipped with the Peltier-cooled virtual phase CCD manufactured by Elar. The customized cameras with other CCD sensors are available.

The results of works fulfilled by our customers with the help of CCD cameras S1C, S2C and S3C were repeatedly published in authority journals and in global net:
– Biophysical Jornal Picosecond-Hetero-FRET Microscopy to Probe Protein-Protein Interactions in Live Cell
– Oxford Jornals The truncated prelamin A in Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome alters segregation of A-type and B-type lamin homopolymers
– Review of Scientific Instruments A new diagnostic of the plasma density profile near the edge transport barrier from measurements of the radial profile of the Hα line intensity
– NDT System of digital radiography for non-destructive testing in the radiation energy range 1-20 MeV
– DLR Meteor observations from space with the Smart Panoramic Optical Sensor Head (SPOSH)

S1C comprises 14-bit, dual-mode CCD readout camera. It can be equipped with the external optical shutter.

MAIN PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CAMERAS

Camera model	S1C075	S1C077	S1C079	S3C085
CCD type	ELCM1075	ELCM1077	ELCM1079	ELCM1085
CCD structure	SFF	SFF	FT	SFF
Pixels number	1225×1300	1040×1160	578×578	2050×2300
Pixel size, µm	14×14	16×16	22×22	8.2×8.2
Input image size, mm	17.15×18.2	16.6×18.6	12.7×12.7	16.8×18.8
Frame rate (max), Hz	3	4	12	1
CCD full well (min), ke^-	140	180	250	50
CCD readout frequency, MHz – draft mode – fine mode	5 1
Readout noise, e^- rms – draft mode – fine mode	20…40 10…15
CCD spectral range, nm	200…1000
PRNU, % rms	1.5…3.0
Average dark current at t_CCD-35°C, e^-/pixel/sec	<2…5

Notes:
SFF (split full-frame): photosensitive area of a CCD is split into two identical sub-arrays. Each sub-array has adjoining shift register.
FT (frame-transfer): two-section CCD array with the image section, memory section and readout register with one (two-stage) output amplifier.

S1C camera head

S3C camera head with external optical shutter

CCD control:
• Programmable image formats
• Horizontal and vertical binning up to 8(H)×32(V)
• Support of the various CCD dump algorithms, synchronization with external pulse light sources
• Programmable exposure time: 1 msec to 3000 sec
• Trigger mode
• 14-bit ADC and signal processing

Computer interfaces:
• LP – serial LVDS data flow (distance to PC up to 15 m) via PCI adapter.
• LU – serial LVDS data flow (distance to PC up to 15 m) via USB2.0 converter or Ethernet.
• FP – fiber-optic data flow (distance to PC up to 300 m) via PCI-adapter.
• FU – fiber-optic data flow (distance to PC up to 300 m) via USB2.0 converter or Ethernet.

Optical interfaces: standard C-mount and M42.

Typical system configuration:
• camera head
• power supply unit
• interface adapter

Software is running under Windows^® 9x/2000/XP and provides:
• control of the camera operation parameters
• displaying of the image on the PC monitor (with adjustable zoom, brightness, contrast and gamma)
• saving the images on the PC HDD
• image pre-processing functions: dark field, flat-field and smear correction, digital AGC, digital frame integration, blemishes correction, cross-sections and histogramm

Outline dimensions:
Power supply unit: 190×100×100 mm
Camera head (w/o lens): 100×86×82 mm

S2C model is the version of the S1C, camera, equipped with the ISD-077APF CCD with the fiber-optic input window.

S3C model differs from S1C by the following:
– possibility of the equipping with the optical shutter,
– multifrequency (50 kHz – 5 MHz) programmable CCD readout,
– double 14- & 16-bit ADC,
– possibility of horizontal and vertical binning up to 256 times,
– extended dynamic range (readout noise – 7…9 e^-).

1.6-m telescope with CCD cameras S3C,
Solar observatory in Sayan Mountains

Smart panoramic optical sensor head
(SPOSH) for meteor observations,
Kanzelhöhe Solar Observatory,
Austria

High-performance slow-scan digital CCD camera S2C is modification of camera S1C with CCD ELCM1077 with fiber-optic input window for image intensifier coupling.

CCD camera S2C with image intensifier module

High-performance CCD camera S3C has multi-frequency readout mode in range from 5 MHz to 50 kHz, two 14- and 16-bit ADCs, binning up to 256, readout noise 7…9 e^-.

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