DISCOVER NEW HORIZONS
C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)
-
Imaging Camera QHY600
-
Total Integration 12min
L: 450sec
R: 90sec
G: 90sec
B: 90sec
Astrophotographer
Michael Jäger,
Gerald Rhemann G00

DISCOVER NEW HORIZONS
L: 450sec
R: 90sec
G: 90sec
B: 90sec
QHY990 Series cameras include 25mm filter holders. 25 mm filter is a very common filter type for lab applications. The SWIR filter can be easily installed on the camera with a 17.5mm C-mount B.F.L.
Model | QHY990 | QHY990Pro II | QHY991 | QHY992 |
Image Sensor | Sony IMX990 InGaAs | Sony IMX990 InGaAs | Sony IMX991 InGaAs | Sony IMX992 InGaAs |
Sensor Type | Mono Only | Mono Only | Mono Only | Mono Only |
Pixel Size | 5.0 μm * 5.0 μm | 5.0 μm * 5.0 μm | 5.0 μm * 5.0 μm | 3.45 μm * 3.45 μm |
Effective Pixels | 1.3 Megapixels | 1.3 Megapixels | 0.4 Megapixels | 5.32 Megapixels |
Effective Image Area | 1/2 inch | 1/2 inch | 1/4 inch | 1/4 inch |
Effective Pixel Area | 1296*1032 | 1296*1032 | 656*520 | 2592*2056 |
Total Pixel Area | 1392*1052 | 1392*1052 | 752*520 | 2688*2080 |
A/D | 12-bit A/D | 12-bit A/D | 12-bit A/D | 12-bit A/D |
Full Well Capacity (1×1, 2×2, 3×3)
|
Typical 112ke- | Typical 112ke- | Typical 112ke- | 30ke-(LG AllPixel Mode) 23ke-(HG AllPixelMode) |
Read Noise | The measured data is after Bias Frame FPN calibration.
Typical 135e- |
The measured data is after Bias Frame FPN calibration.
Typical 135 e- |
The measured data is after Bias Frame FPN calibration.
Typical 135 e- |
The measured data is after Bias Frame FPN calibration.
83e- (LG AllPixel Mode) |
Dark Current | 64.6 e-/pixel/sec @ -30℃ Gain 0 | 64.6 e-/pixel/sec @ -30℃ Gain 0 | 64.6 e-/pixel/sec @ -30℃ Gain 0 | |
Exposure Time Range | 30μs-300sec | 30μs-300sec | 30μs-300sec | 30μs-300sec |
Shutter Type | Electronic Global Shutter | Electronic Global Shutter | Electronic Global Shutter | Electronic Global Shutter |
Computer Interface | USB 3.0 | 1. USB 3.0 Interface
2*10 Gigabit Fiber Interfaces 2*CameraLink Interfaces (Pro II Version Only) |
USB 3.0 | USB 3.0 |
Filter Wheel Interface
|
4PIN QHYCCD CFW Port | 4PIN QHYCCD CFW Port | 4PIN QHYCCD CFW Port | 4PIN QHYCCD CFW Port |
Trigger Port | One Hardware Trig-In Socket (RCA type).Opto-isolated | One Hardware Trig-In Socket (RCA type).Opto-isolated | One Hardware Trig-In Socket (RCA type).Opto-isolated | One Hardware Trig-In Socket (RCA type).Opto-isolated |
Full Frame Rates | USB 3.0:
66 FPS @ 8 bit 66 FPS @ 16 bit |
USB 3.0:
66 FPS @ 8 bit 66 FPS @ 16 bit
PCIe Mode: 66 FPS @ 8 bit 66 FPS @ 16 bit
CameraLink TBA |
USB 3.0:
123 FPS @ 8 bit 123 FPS @ 16 bit |
USB3.0:
48FPS@8bit |
ROI Frame Rates
|
USB 3.0:
768 lines, 81.8 FPS @ 8-bit, 81.8 FPS @ 16-bit 480 lines, 123.9 FPS @ 8 bit, 123.9 FPS @ 16 bit |
USB 3.0:
768 lines, 81.8 FPS @ 8-bit, 81.8 FPS @ 16-bit 480 lines, 123.9 FPS @ 8 bit, 123.9 FPS @ 16 bit
PCIe Mode: 768 lines, 81.8 FPS @ 8-bit, 81.8 FPS @ 16-bit 480 lines, 123.9 FPS @ 8 bit, 123.9 FPS @ 16 bit
CameraLink TBA |
USB 3.0:
480 lines, 132 FPS @ 8-bit, 132 FPS @ 16-bit 256 lines, 230 FPS @ 8-bit, 230 FPS @ 16-bit |
USB3.0:
1080lines, 83FPS@8BIT,56FPS@8BIT |
Built-in Image Buffer | 128MB DDR2 Memory Buffer | 128MB DDR2 Memory Buffer | 128MB DDR2 Memory Buffer | 128MB DDR2 Memory Buffer |
Air Cooling System | Dual Stage TEC Cooler:
-35℃ below ambient (Test temperature 20℃) |
Dual Stage TEC Cooler:
-35℃ below ambient (Test temperature 20℃) |
Dual Stage TEC Cooler:
-35℃ below ambient (Test temperature 20℃) |
Dual Stage TEC Cooler:
-35℃ below ambient (Test temperature 20℃) |
Liquid Cooling | Available.
-45℃ below ambient with normal water; -60℃ to -80℃ with cold liquid. |
|||
Recommended Flow Rates | 1.6 ml/s | |||
Anti-Dew Heater | Available | Available | Available | Available |
Firmware/FPGA Remote Upgrade | Available via Camera USB port | Available via Camera USB port | Available via Camera USB port | Available via Camera USB port |
Optic Window Type | AR+AR High-Quality Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coating | AR+AR High-Quality Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coating | AR+AR High-Quality Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coating | AR+AR High-Quality Multi-Layer Anti-Reflection Coating |
Back Focal Length | 12.5 mm | 12.5 mm | 12.5 mm | 12.5 mm |
Adapters | Support C-Mount, 1.25 inches (with adapter)
Support D=25mm and D=25.4mm filters. |
Support C-Mount, 1.25 inches (with adapter)
Support D=25mm and D=25.4mm filters. |
Support C-Mount, 1.25 inches (with adapter)
Support D=25mm and D=25.4mm filters. |
Support C-Mount, 1.25 inches (with adapter)
Support D=25mm and D=25.4mm filters. |
Weight | 520 g | About 1 kg | 520 g | 520 g |
Power | 40W/100%
26.5W/50% 10W/0% |
40W/100%
26.5W/50% 10W/0% |
24W/100%
10W/50% 1W/0% |
25W/100% 10W/50% 2W/o% |
QHY990 Sample Image in daytime. With 16mmF1.4 SWIR lens @F2.8 , 1200-1800nm filter. Gain=0, exposure time = 1.3ms. Download 16bit FITs QHY990_DAYTIMEQHY990_DAYTIME
QHY990 Sample image under sky (at night). . With 16mmF1.4 SWIR lens @F1.4 , 1200-1800nm filter. Exposure = 2sec stack 29frames . -11C sensor temperature. Dark frame calibrated.
Here are the stars in the daytime with QHY991 camera by Martin Miller:
The Orion Nebula, First Light Captured with the QHY992 Camera and a 1200-1700 nm Bandpass Filter. The shortwave infrared image reveals details in the nebula’s center that differ significantly from those seen in visible light.
The camera requires an input voltage between 11V and 13.8V. If the input voltage is too low the camera will stop functioning or it may reboot when the TEC power percent is high, causing a drain on the power. Therefore, please make sure the input voltage arrived to the camera is adequate. 12V is the best but please note that a 12V cable that is very long or a cable with small conductor wire may exhibit enough resistance to cause a voltage drop between the power supply and the camera. The formular is: V(drop) = I * R (cable). It is advised that a very long 12V power cable not be used. It is better to place the 12V AC adapter closer to the camera.
First connect the 12V power supply, then connect the camera to your computer via the USB3.0 cable. Make sure the camera is plugged in before connecting the camera to the computer, otherwise the camera will not be recognized. When you connect the camera for the first time, the system discovers the new device and looks for drivers for it. You can skip the online search step by clicking “Skip obtaining the driver software from Windows Update” and the computer will automatically find the driver locally and install it. If we take the 5IIISeries driver as an example (shown below), after the driver software is successfully installed, you will see QHY5IIISeries_IO in the device manager.
Please note that the input voltage cannot be lower than 11.5v, otherwise the device will be unable to work normally.
All-in-one Pack supports most QHYCCD models only except PoleMaster and several discontinued CCD cameras.
Download Page: https://www.qhyccd.com/download/
Video Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/embed/mZDxIK0GZRc?start=1
Before using software, make sure you have connected the cooling camera to the 12V power supply and connected it to the computer with a USB3.0 data cable. If it’s an uncooled camera, 12V power is not needed. We recommend 64-bit Software, like SharpCAP x64 , N.I.N.A x64. etc., especially when you’re using 16bit cameras.
In NINA, you can select the device to connect to QHY Camera directly without ASCOM driver.
If connecting to the camera via ASCOM is desired, first make sure you have installed both the QHYCCD ASCOM Drivers and ASCOM Platform. Then you would select the appropriate camera driver under the ASCOM section. Then click the Connect icon. Here we take NINA as an example, but it’s similar to other software packages supporting ASCOM, like MaxDL, The SkyX, etc.
Launch SharpCap. If the software and drivers mentioned above are installed successfully, the video image will appear automatically about 3 seconds after the software loads. You will also see the frame rate in the lower left corner of the software window as shown below.
If you have already started the SharpCap software before connecting the camera, in order to open the camera, click on the “camera” in the menu bar and then select the device.
Offset adjustment. When you completely block the camera (i.e., like taking a dark frame) you may find that the image is not really zero. Sometimes this will reduce the quality of the image contrast. You can get a better dark field by adjusting the offset. You can confirm this by opening the histogram as indicated in the figure below.
If you want to enter the 16-bit image mode, select the “RAW16” mode.
By selecting the “LX” mode you can expand the exposure setting range and take long exposures.
After cooling devices connected to the 12V power supply, the temperature control circuit will be activated. You can control the CMOS temperature by adjusting the settings in the figure below. Basically, you can control the temperature of CMOS by either adjusting “Cooler Power” or clicking “Auto” and setting “Target Temperature”. You can also see the CMOS temperature at the lower-left corner of the software window.
Note:1.Do not reverse the order of the intake and exhaust ports
2.Before circulating drying, it is necessary to turn off the refrigerator, and then turn on circulating drying after the temperature returns to normal temperature. Only by following this step can the water vapor in the sealed chamber be effectively removed. If the cooler is turned on, the cooler inside the camera will absorb water vapor, causing more water vapor to condense inside the camera instead of being absorbed by the desiccant.
If you find dust on the CMOS sensor, you can first unscrew the front plate of the cam and then clean the CMOS sensor with a cleaning kit for SLR camera sensors. Because the CMOS sensor has an AR (or AR/IR) coating, you need to be careful when cleaning. This coating can scratch easily so you should not use excessive force when cleaning dust from its surface.
All QHY cooling cameras have built-in heating plates to prevent fogging. However, If the ambient humidity is very high, the optical window of the CMOS chamber may have condensation issues. Then try the following:
1. Avoid directing the camera towards the ground. The density of cold air is greater than of hot air. If the camera is facing down, cold air will be more accessible to the glass, causing it to cool down and fog.
2. Slightly increase the temperature of the CMOS sensor .
3. Check if the heating plate is normally working. If the heating plate is not working, the glass will be very easy to fog, the temperature of the heating plate can reach 65-70 °C in the environment of 25 °C. If it does not reach this, the heating plate may be damaged. Please contact us for maintenance.
Please avoid thermal shock during use. Thermal shock refers to the internal stress that the TE cooler has to withstand due to the thermal expansion and contraction when the temperature of the TEC suddenly rises or falls. Thermal shock may shorten the life of the TEC or even damage it.
Therefore, when you start using the TEC to adjust the CMOS temperature, you should gradually increase the TEC power rather than turning the TEC to maximum power. If the power of the TEC is high before disconnecting the power supply, you should also gradually reduce the power of the TEC and then disconnect the power supply.
Under normal circumstances, the frame rate of a CMOS camera will increase accordingly after reducing the exposure time, but the Sony IMX990/991 chip supports two modes.
In the first mode, when the exposure time is lower than the reciprocal of the frame rate, two different background biases will be generated, and the boundary position will change up and down with the exposure time setting.
In the second mode, when the exposure time is less than QHY990 (15ms) 991 (8ms), the frame rate will no longer increase. This mode can avoid the generation of two different background biases in the image.
The modification mode can be installed in QHYSDK and executed as follows: