CCD Cameras

Starlight Xpress HX916 High Resolution Mega-pixel CCD Camera

Sony ICX085AL SuperHAD Progressive Scan CCD Image Sensor corresponds to the 2/3 "video format"
high sensitivity, ultra low dark current, vertical antiblooming, very good blue light performance
CCD size: 8.71mm ( horizontal ) x 6.9mm ( vertical )
Pixel size: 6.7 x 6.7µM square pixels
Image format: 1,300 x 1,030 pixels for 1,339,000 pixels, unbinned and software controlled
Image format: 650 x 515 pixels, 2 x 2 binned with 13 x 13µM pixel size
Spectral Response: QE max at 510nM (~47%), 50% roll-offf at 410nM and 680 nM
Readout Noise: less than 12 electrons RMS
Full-well capacity: dark frame saturation time greater than 100 hrs. Less than 0.1 electrons/sec. @ +10C ambient
Interface: USB 1.1, 16 bit data format, 10-12 sec download time full resolution, 3-4 sec download when binned
63 x95mm compact single-stage cooled cylindrical camera, 15 ft interface cable
first light on Sept. 24, 2001, operational since Sept. 26, 2001

Starlight Xpress MX5-C "single-shot color" Camera

Sony ICX055CK Hyperhad Secondary Color Matrix CCD using Yellow, Magenta, Cyan and Green filters
image area: 4.9mm ( horizontal ) x 3.6mm ( vertical )
9 x 12µM pixels, average pixel size is 11µ
image size is 500 x 290 pixels, resampled to 510 x 373 for square pixels
ultra low dark current with vertical anti-blooming, 0.01 sec to 90 minute exposure settings
12-bit parallel interface using a 15 ft interface cable
parallel port accelerator module decreases image download time to 9 secs on HP Vectra P133
single-stage Peltier module with cooling to -30°C below ambient
50 x100mm cylindrical camera, light weight, only 200 grams (7 oz. )
first light on April 12, 2000

Field-of-Views using Meade f/6.3 or f/3.3 focal reducers

CCD Camera	Single Pixel FOV (arc-secs)	Overall FOV (arc-mins)	Diagonal FOV (arc-mins)
HX916 at f/6.3	~ 0.86	18.7 x 14.8	23.8

MX5-C at f/6.3	~ 1.4	7.7 x 10.5	13.0
MX5-C at f/3.3	~ 3.0	16.2 x 22.1	27.4

CB245 at f/6.3	~ 2.4	10.3 x 13.8	17.2
CB245 at f/3.3	~ 4.9	21.7 x 28.9	36.1

Cookbook 245 CCD Camera

Texas Instruments TC245-40 sensor, with the (LDC) Low Dark Current modification
image area: 6.4mm ( horizontal ) x 4.8mm ( vertical )
17 x 19µM pixels, average pixel size is 18µ
image size is 378 x 242 pixels resampled to 378 x 284 for square pixels
12-bit parallel interface using a gold plated 16 foot extension cable
single-stage 40W Peltier module cooling, closed-loop 4 pint coolant system
first light on July 6, 1996
operational from August 2, 1996 to June 7, 2000
recalibrated and refurbished July 30, 2001

Above views of the Cookbook camera. An ice water bath in a cooler is chilled with freeze packs to adjust the coolant temperature.
The 12V pump circulates 4 pints of coolant through 1/4" plastic hose. The coolant is a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water.
The CCD chip can be cooled to 110° F below ambient. It has reached -35° F in the winter, and -8° F in the summer. Water cooling
offers better temperature control than forced air cooling during the summer, but only as long as you monitor the dew point and add ice.

Cookbook camera modifications

aluminum housing for all peltier module and power supply controls
iron ferrite bead on the peltier module leads to reduce RF noise
aluminum and copper conductive emi / rfi tapes seal the electronic housings
12VDC fan cools the interface electronics
Attwood 12V boat aerator pump set running at 8V circulates the coolant
digital thermometers to monitor the CCD chip, ice water bath, and coolant system temperatures