The QHY268M is a new generation of back-illuminated CMOS cameras with true 16-bit A/D and 3.76um pixels. This new Sony sensor is an ideal CMOS sensor exhibiting no amplifer glow. 16-bit A/D gives high resolution sampling of the whole full well range. Digitizing 0-65535 levels yields a smooth image with continuous gradation of greyscale levels.
We recommend to use the QHY268M with the CFW3M-US and the QHY OAG-M.
26 Megapixels APS-C format
The QHY268M/C is a cooled, back-illuminated, CMOS camera based on the Sony IMX571 sensor with native 16-bit A/D and 3.76um pixels.
Back-Illuminated, High QE, Zero Amp-Glow and Extremely Low Dark Current
The back-illuminated Sony Exmor sensor has about twice the QE of similar front illuminated sensors. The QHY268M/C has zero amplifer glow. In addition the dark current is only 0.0005e/pixel/sec @ -20C.
On-chip 16-bit ADC - 65536 Levels
The Sony IMX571 sensor has on-chip 16-bit A/D for highest resolution of greyscale. The output is real 16-bits with 65536 levels. Compared to 12-bit and 14-bit A/D, 16-bits provides higher sampling resolution. At high gain, the camera yields close to 1e-/ADU with no sample error and low read noise.
High Dynamic Range - 75ke Full Well
Great full well brings vivid colors. One benefit of the back-illuminated CMOS structure is improved full well capacity. This is particularly helpful for sensors with small pixels. Even with unbinned, the 3.76um pixels of the QHY268M/C has a superb full well capacity of 75ke-.
Ultra Low Read Noise - 1.1e- Noise at High Gain, 3.5e- Noise at Low Gain
The QHY268M/C has only 0.7 electron of read noise at highest gain and 6.8 FPS at full resolution readout speed. One electron of read noise means the camera can achieve a SNR>3 at only 4 to 6 photons. This is perfect performance when conditions are photon limited, i.e., short exposures, narrow band imaging, etc., making this large area sensor ideal for sky surveys and time domain astronomy.
2GB Image Buffer
In order to get smooth uninterrupted high speed transfer of data, the QHY268M/C has a large 2GByte DDR3 memory buffer.
USB3.0
USB3.0 interface. 6.8FPS
Best Match for HyperStar System
The small pixels and round camera body of QHY268M/C plus the APS-C size sensor make the QHY268M/C an ideal match for the HyperStar and RASA optical systems.
Specifications
Model |
QHY268M/C |
Image Sensor |
SONY APS-C CMOS Sensor IMX571 |
Sensor Type |
Back Illuminated (BSI) |
Pixel Size |
3.76um x 3.76um |
Color / Mono Version |
Only Color Version Avaliable |
Sensor Surface Glass |
Multi Layer AR coating |
Effective Pixels |
26 Megapixels |
Effective Image Area |
6280*4210 (includes the optically black area and overscan area) |
Full Well Capacity |
51ke- (More than 75ke- in extended full well mode) |
A/D |
Native 16-bit (0-65535 greyscale) A/D |
Sensor Size |
APS-C format |
Full Frame Rate |
USB3.0 Port: Full Resolution 6.8FPS @8BIT 6FPS @16BIT 2048lines 13.6FPS @8BIT 11.5FPS@16BIT 1080lines 25.4FPS @8BIT 19.5FPS@16BIT 768lines 35FPS @8BIT 25FPS@16BIT 480lines 50FPS @8BIT 34FPS@16BIT
|
Read Noise |
1.1e- High Gain, 3.5e- Low Gain (5.3e- to 7.4e- in extended full well mode) |
Dark Current |
0.0005e/pixel/sec @ -20C 0.001e/pixel/sec @ -10C |
Zero Amplifer Glow |
Yes |
Exposure Time Range |
30us - 3600sec |
Firmware/FPGA upgrade |
Fully Support. via Camera USB port |
Non-volatile memory / On camera storage |
Build-in total 64MByte Flash Memory. 10MBytes user-accessible space for stellar ROI frames for analysis for exoplanet investigation, occultations, atmospheric seeing measurements, focus, optical analysis, etc. Supports 100*100 image x 500 frames; 50*50 image x 4000frames; 25*25 image x 16000 frames; 10*10 image x 250000 frames . |
Shutter Type |
Electronic Shutter |
Computer Interface |
USB 3.0 |
Built-in Image Buffer |
1GByte/2GByte DDR3 Memory |
Cooling System |
Dual Stage TEC cooler(-35C below ambient) |
Anti-Dew Heater |
Yes |
Telescope Interface |
M54/0.75 |
Optic Window Type |
AR+AR High Quality Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coating |
Back Focal Length |
12.5mm(±0.3) |
Weigth |
Early Bird Version:980g PhotoGraphic Version:980g Pofessional Version:780g |