The QHY411 Scientific Monochrome Camera is the largest resolution cooled CMOS camera in the world. The 150 Megapixel SONY IMX411BSI back-illuminated sensor has a 14192 x 10640-pixel array with 3.76 um pixels. The sensor size is 54 mm x 40 mm. Ultra-low dark noise. QHY411 has both mono and color version are available. This is the monochrome version.
Native 16-bit A/D - 65536 levels
The QHY411 is the world's first scientific CMOS camera with native 16-bit A/D on-chip. The output is real 16-bits with 65536 levels. (Most CMOS sensors are 12-bit or 14-bit. This means that the conversion ratio cannot achieve 1e-/ADU and weak signals are not very highly sampled. Photometric measurements of low signals in such cases are not as accurate. Some camera combines two 12-bit outputs to create 16-bit images, but the actual number of levels is still 4096 x 2 = 8192 levels. Still less than native 16-bits.)
Great Full Well - 50ke- >80ke under extend mode
With its back-illuminated CMOS structure this sensor has improved full well capacity. This is particularly helpful for sensors with small pixels. Even with unbinned 3.76 um pixels, the QHY411 has a full well capacity of 50ke- and >80ke in extend mode. When binned 2 x 2 to 7.5 um the full well is 200ke- and when binned 3 x 3 to 11 um the full well is 450ke-.
Ultra-Low Read Noise - 1e to 3e
This amazing sensor, the QHY411, there is only one electron of read noise at high gain and 1fps (16-bit), or 2fps (8-bit) for high readout speed. One electron of read noise means the camera can achieve an SNR >3 at only 4 to 6 photons. This is the perfect performance when conditions are photon limited, (i.e., short exposures, narrowband imaging, etc.,) making this large area sensor ideal for sky surveys and time domain astronomy.
Back-Illuminated - Electric Rolling Shutter - Low Dark Current
The QHY411 is a back-illuminated Scientific CMOS camera with extremely low dark current using SONY's Exmor BSI CMOS technology. The advantage of an electronic shutter over a mechanical shutter is high-reliability and stability as observatories shoot a large number of pictures. (In general, a fan-blade mechanical shutter will break if it is used 200,000 times or so, and in some specific cases it is easy to fail to switch on or off.) In short, the electronic shutter is a relatively perfect choice for an observatory.
10GigaE / USB3.0
The QHY411 comes in two versions, USB3.0 and 10GigaE. The USB3.0 supports 1FPS readout speed. Each image is 300MByte. The 10GigaE version supports 2.6FPS readout speed. This is the USB3.0 version.
About the IMX411 Sensor:
The IMX411 is a 66.7 mm diagonal (Type 4.2) CMOS active pixel type image sensor with a square pixel array and 151 M effective pixels. This IC incorporates maximum 36 dB PGA circuit and 16-bit A/D converter. 16-bit digital output makes it possible to readout the signals of 151 M effective pixels at high-speed of 2.0 frame/s in still picture mode. In addition, vertical sub-sampling binning and 3-horizontal pixel weighted binning realize high-speed 12-bit digital output for shooting moving pictures.
Features
- Type 4.2 CMOS active pixels.
- Input clock frequency 72 MHz.
- All-pixel readout mode.
- Rolling shutter function in moving picture mode.
- H driver, V driver and serial communication circuit on chips.
- +36 dB gain settable by Bayer color in CDS/PGA on chip.
- Built-in 11-bit/ 12-bit/ 14-bit/ and 16-bit A/D converter.
- 8-channel SLVS-EC output.
- This sensor has both monochrome version and R,G,G,B Bayer filter Color Version. This is the monochrome version.
- Back-Illuminated CMOS image sensor.
- Image size Diagonal 66.7 mm (Type 4.2).
- Total number of pixels 14304 (H) × 10802 (V) approx. 155 M pixels.
- Number of effective pixels 14208 (H) × 10656 (V) approx. 151 M pixels.
- Number of active pixels 14192 (H) × 10640 (V) approx. 151 M pixels.
- Chip size 60.30 mm (H) × 47.90 mm (V) (includes scribe area).
- Pixel size 3.76 μm (H) × 3.76 μm (V).
