TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN UNIVERSE
California Dreamin' NGC1499
- CAMERA QHY600M
- SCOPE Takahashi FSQ-130
Mounts: Paramount ME
Filters: Chroma Ha 5nm, OIII 5nm, SII 5nm
Integration: 11.6h
Photoed BY.
Terry Hancock（US）
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QHY411/QHY461
QHY411 is using the 150 Megapixel SONY IMX411 sensor, with 54*40mm image area, native 16bit ADC, Back-illuminated, while QHY461 is with SONY medium format IMX461 sensor,44*33mm,100mega pixels, back-illuminated,16bit ADC. The features of their sensor are quite similar but the IMX411 sensor is bigger. The QHY411 is so far the largest resolution cooled CMOS camera in the world.
*Please contact QHYCCD about the price.
Related Products
Overview
The QHY411/461 has both USB3.0 and 2*10GigaE interfaces. The 2*10GigaE version supports a higher readout speed.
QHY411/QHY461 have both mono and color version. The application of this camera includes astronomy imaging, astronomy photography, space object survey, satellite tracking, etc.
Native 16 bit A/D
The new Sony sensor has native 16-bit A/D on-chip. The output is real 16-bits with 65536 levels. Compared to 12-bit and 14-bit A/D, a 16-bit A/D yields higher sample resolution and the system gain will be less than 1e-/ADU with no sample error noise and very low read noise.
BSI
One benefit of the back-illuminated CMOS structure is improved full well capacity. This is particularly helpful for sensors with small pixels.In a typical front-illuminated sensor, photons from the target entering the photosensitive layer of the sensor must first pass through the metal wiring that is embedded just above the photosensitive layer. The wiring structure reflects some of the photons and reduces the efficiency of the sensor.
In the back- illuminated sensor the light is allowed to enter the photosensitive surface from the reverse side. In this case the sensor’s embedded wiring structure is below the photosensitive layer. As a result, more incoming photons strike the photosensitive layer and more electrons are generated and captured in the pixel well. This ratio of photon to electron production is called quantum efficiency. The higher the quantum efficiency the more efficient the sensor is at converting photons to electrons and hence the more sensitive the sensor is to capturing an image of something dim.
Zero Amplify Glow
This is also a zero amplifer glow camera.
TRUE RAW Data
In the DSLR implementation there is a RAW image output, but typically it is not completely RAW. Some evidence of noise reduction and hot pixel removal is still visible on close inspection. This can have a negative effect on the image for astronomy such as the “star eater” effect. However, QHY Cameras offer TRUE RAW IMAGE OUTPUT and produces an image comprised of the original signal only, thereby maintaining the maximum flexibility for post-acquisition astronomical image processing programs and other scientific imaging applications.
Anti-Dew Technology
Based on almost 20-year cooled camera design experience, The QHY cooled camera has implemented the fully dew control solutions. The optic window has built-in dew heater and the chamber is protected from internal humidity condensation. An electric heating board for the chamber window can prevent the formation of dew and the sensor itself is kept dry with our silicon gel tube socket design for control of humidity within the sensor chamber.
Cooling
In addition to dual stage TE cooling, QHYCCD implements proprietary technology in hardware to control the dark current noise.
Specifications
| Model | QHY411 | QHY461 |
| Image Sensor | SONY IMX411 BSI CMOS Sensor | SONY IMX461 BSI CMOS Sensor |
| Pixel Size | 3.76um x 3.76um | 3.76um x 3.76um |
| Color / Mono Version | Both Available | Both Available |
| Image Resolution | 14304 x 10748 (Inlcudes the optic black area and over scan area) | 11760 × 8896 |
| Effective Pixels | 151 Megapixels | 102 Megapixels |
| Effective Image Area | 54mm x 40mm | 44mm x 33mm |
| Sensor Surface Glass | AR+AR multi-coating Clear Glass | AR+AR Multi-Coating Clear Glass |
| Full Well Capacity (1×1, 2×2, 3×3) | 50ke- / 200ke- / 450ke- in Standard Mode 80ke- / 320ke- / 720ke- in Extend Fullwell Mode | 50ke- / 200ke- / 450ke- in Standard Mode 80ke- / 320ke- / 720ke- in Extend Full Well Mode |
| A/D | 16-bit (0-65535 greyscale) | 16-bit (0-65535 greyscale) for 1X1Binning 18bit in 2X2 19BIT in 3X3 20BIT in 4*4 software Binning |
| Sensor Size | TYPICAL 4.2inch | TYPICAL 3.4inch |
| Read Noise | Apporx 1 to 3 e (in HGC Mode) | 1e to 3.7e (in HGC mode) |
| Dark Current | Apporx 0.0011e/pixel/sec at -20C | Approx 0.003e/pixel/sec @ -20C |
| Exposure Time Range | 20us – 3600sec | 50us – 3600sec |
| Frame Rate | USB3.0 Port: Full Frame Resolution 2FPS @ 8BIT 1FPS @ 16BIT 5000Lines 4FPS @ 8BIT 2FPS @16BIT 3000Lines 7FPS @ 8BIT 3.3FPS @16BIT 2000Lines 10FPS@8BIT 5.5FPS @16BIT 1000Lines 20FPS@8BIT 10FPS @16BIT 500Lines 35FPS@8BIT 19FPS @ 16BITFiber Port : TBD | 2.7FPS @ 8BIT 1.3FPS@16BIT on USB3.0 2.7FPS @ 16BIT 6FPS @ 14BIT on 10Gigabit Filber |
| Shutter Type | Electric Rolling Shutter | Electric Rolling Shutter |
| Computer Interface | USB3.0 and 2*10Gigabit Fiber | USB3.0 and 2*10Gigabit Fiber |
| Trigger Port | Programmable TrigOut, High Speed Sync Port / GPS interface Port | Programmable TrigOut, High Speed Sync Port / GPS interface Port |
| Filter Wheel Interface | 4PIN QHYCCD CFW Port | 4PIN QHYCCD CFW Port |
| Built-in Image Buffer | 2GByte | 2GByte |
| FPGA Upgrade Via USB | Support | Support |
| Cooling System | Dual Stage TEC cooler（-35C below ambient with air cooling, -45C below ambient with ambient temperature water cooling). More deltaT below ambient can be achieve by using the cooled water cooling. Fan Cooling/Water Cooling Compatible | Dual Stage TEC cooler（-35C below ambient with air cooling, -45C below ambient with ambient temperature water cooling). More deltaT below ambient can be achieve by using the cooled water cooling. Fan Cooling/Water Cooling Compatible |
| Anti-Dew Heater | Yes | Yes |
| Telescope Interface | Six Screw holes (See mechanical drawing) | Six Screw holes (See mechanical drawing) |
| Optic Window Type | AR+AR High Quality Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coating | AR+AR High Quality Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coating |
| Back Focal Length | 16mm(without tilt adjust ring) 28.5mm (with tilt adjust ring) | 16mm (without tilt adjust ring）28.5mm (with tilt adjust ring) |
| Weigth | TBD | TBD
|
QHY411 Curves
As a scientific camera, QHYCCD gives the maxium flexibility to access the setting of the camera and allow user to use all possible readout mode in the CMOS sensor. Currently there is totally 8 readout mode (In future we will active more). The eight readout modes is mode #0 to mode #7. The follwing graph is the system gain, readout noise and fullwell of each mode. Different mode has different behaviour in both fullwell, readout noise , and some other noise conditions. You can select the suitable mode according the applications. You can also download the detailed messured data from this link (excel file) QHY411_CURVES_ALLMODE – Download
QHY411 QE. Since SONY has not release the absolutely QE curve of IMX411. There is only the relativity QE Curve. QHYCCD did some test of absolutely QE for the 3.76um BSI sensor in another model. It can be used for just a reference. This article can be found in https://www.qhyccd.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=23&id=261
Regarding the linearity of QHY411, we conducted a preliminary linearity determination experiment. QHY411 data can be used to enable astronomical metering.
The experiment is to obtain a deviation of a fixed area by shooting the flat field plate with different exposure times. Then, after converting the conversion to a value in units of volume, the curve where the overlapping exposure time is increased and replaced by the image sensor is replaced.
In order to obtain relatively large full-scale range data. We used the QHY411 correction mode with a gain of 0 (GAIN = 60). The obtained curve is as follows. You can see from the picture. QHY411 has very good linearity in a wide range. When the full scale is greater than 75000e, the linearity begins to decrease, and the curve conforms to the general linearity of the image sensor in the near area.
QHY461 Curves
TBA
Advanced Functions
TBA
Mechanical Dimentions
Reference Paper / Document
TBA
User Images
IC 1396 Elephant’s Trunk Nebula in Bi-Color palette (cropped) Capture by Denis Salnikov with QHY461 camera and AG Optical 14.5″ iDK telescope. Full resolution image
Advanced Control Tools
Click to download （2021.1.2）
Run Sharpcap and make sure the QHY Camera works well under it. You will see the continous image appears.
Click “connect” button and it will show camera name and series number.
select QHY Camera tabl.
check on the “Enable TrigOut” Input 2 to the textbox near to the “GPIO PORT MODE”. Then click the “GPIO PORT MODE” Button to set the GPIO working mode.
Check the waveform output from the TrigPort.
The introduction of different GPIO PORT MODE
MODE0: Generic GPIO output mode / Auto Guide Port
In this mode. Four GPIO port is all output . You can control each port to output high or output low with the API. This mode does not controlled by Enable TrigOut.
You can select the check box of MODE0, GPIO1,GPIO2,GPIO3,GPIO4 to test this mode. This mode is also been used to test if the socket io port working well.
MODE1: 6PIN QHY-GPSBOX mode
In this mode, Four GPIO port is configed as gps_clock, gps_data, shuttermeassure,gps_control. You can connect with QHYCCD-GPSBOX. The camera will output the shuttermeassure signal to GPSBOX and GPSBOX will send the data to camera. Camera will replace the first some pixel to the gps data .
MODE2: 5PIN Generic TrigOut / TrigIn mode
In this mode, Four GPIO port is configed as TrigOut, ShutterMeassure, TrigIn, LinePeriod . Only TrigIn pin is input direction and other three pin is output direction.
In some camera, like QHY4040,QHY2020,QHY42PRO,QHY6060, The shuttermeassure waveform rising edge is the start exposure time and falling edge is the end exposure time 。 in other camera like QHY600,QHY268, QHY411,QHY461 etc, The shuttermeassure waveform is the vsync signal . It is near to the end of exposure time of the first row. For more information of TrigOut,LinePeriod. Please see some other document of QHYCCD supplied.
MODE3: 4PIN GPS Card TrigIn mode
In this mode. there is two pin is configured as ouptut . Both of the two pins is the shuttermeassure signal but one of it is inverted. This is suitbale for some GPS card which need such a “differencial signal”. But please note this is not LVDS signal. It is still TTL signa,
MODE4: Multi-Camera Master Mode
TO BE ADDED
MODE5: Multi-Camera Slave Mode
TO BE ADDED
MODE6: LED Calibration Mode
By using the controlled LED pulse, we can calibrate the distance from the TrigOut or ShutterMeassure signal to the real pixel/row start/end exposure time. To use this mode. You need to connect a LED to one GPIO pin and let the camera capture the flash that output from the camera. The start time and end time relative with the TrigOut/ShutterMeassure can be set by APIs. By check if the camera captured this pulse. You will get the delta time of the TrigOut/ShutterMeassure signal and use it to calibrate the messured GPS time.
| mode 0 | mode 1 | mode 2 | mode 3 | mode 4 | mode5 | mode6 |
| GPIO1 | GPSBOX_Control | ShutterMessure+ | ShutterMessure+ | n.a | n.a | ShutterMessure+ |
| GPIO2 | GPSBOX_Data (IN） | TrigIn2 | ShutterMessure- | n.a | n.a | TrigIn2 |
| GPIO3 | GPSBOX_ShutterMessure | LinePeriod | n.a | HSYNC(OUT） | HSYNC（IN) | LinePeriod |
| GPIO4 | GPSBOX_CLK | TrigOut | n.a | VSYNC(OUT） | VSYNC(IN) | LED(OUTPUT) |
| GND | GND | GND | GND | GND | GND | GND |
