OEM Support - Apogee Instruments, Inc.

OEM Support 

2011 

151 N. Sunrise Ste 902 

Roseville CA 95661 USA 

tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

www.ccd.com 

Fluorescence image courtesy Dr. David Rapaport, UCSD; echelle spectra, courtesy 

Catalina Scientific; astro image courtesy Tim Puckett and Adam Block.

HIGH PERFORMANCE 

COOLED CCD CAMERAS 

SYSTEM OVERVIEW 

Apogee Alta and Ascent cameras are 

designed for a wide range of demanding 

scientific applications. 

In Ascent, we have reduced the size and 

cost of our electronics and housings, while at 

the same time maintaining the key features 

of our popular Alta Series cameras. We’ve 

added high-speed 16-bit electronics and 

some new sensors with resolutions up to 16 

megapixels. 

The larger Alta cameras offer lower noise 

and deeper cooling than the Ascent cameras. 

They also support very high quantum 

efficiency back-illuminated CCDs. 

For both camera series, the direct USB 

2.0 link between camera and computer allows 

easy installation, portability and fast data 

transfer rate. Ascent maintains compatibility 

with our Alta ActiveX drivers, as well as 

Linux and Mac OS X drivers. 

DIVERSITY ADDS STRENGTH 

Since 1993, Apogee Imaging Systems has 

been manufacturing cooled CCD cameras 

for scientific applications. Our cameras are 

now used in more than 50 countries, from 

government and private research laboratories 

to the best of world-class professional 

observatories. Apogee cameras have been 

used for a wide variety of applications, 

including spectroscopic analysis of water, 

soil, and gems; detection of anthrax; 

development of methods and technologies 

for detection of land mines and improvised 

explosive devices (IEDs); analysis and 

detection of contaminants at nuclear reactors; 

imaging of fingerprints without chemicals; 

x-ray inspection of car parts; fluorescent 

imaging of cell tissues and microtitre plates; 

munitions testing; laser beam profiling; 

poacher surveillance; mammography; 

optics testing; discovery of thousands of 

astronomical objects; and radiometry of a 

wide variety of light sources. 

By expanding into broad markets with 

diverse demands, Apogee has had to develop 

a wide variety of technologies to solve 

our customers’ problems. Our astronomy 

and spectroscopy customers demand low 

noise, high sensitivity, and high quantitative 

accuracy. Our life science customers demand 

speed and ease of use. All customers 

groups are constantly pushing for higher 

performance at lower prices. Ascent and Alta 

cameras address these demands. 

A DECADE OF 

IMPROVEMENTS 

We continue to refine not just our electronics 

and our mechanical designs, but also our 

procedures, documentation, and customer 

recordkeeping. It’s quite an accomplishment 

to manufacture and sell thousands and 

thousands of cameras, but unless they are 

robust, the result is a customer service 

nightmare. 

In our effort to improve our process, we’ve 

achieved the following benchmarks: 

· FCC compliance 

· CE compliance 

· ROHS compliance 

· ISO-9000 compliance (in process) 

INTEGRATION CD 

Apogee has collected all the specification 

sheets and mechanical drawings for all 

camera models onto an Integration Starter 

Kit CD, together with software drivers and 

documentation. 

Apogee Imaging Systems, Inc. 

151 N. Sunrise Ave. Ste 902 


tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

www.ccd.com 

©2011 Apogee Imaging Systems Inc. Alta is a registered trademark of Apogee Imaging Systems Inc. 

Specifications subject to change without notice.

OEM SUPPORT 

OEM EVALUATION PROGRAM 

We can help you choose the right sensor for 

the job. If we do not already support the 

sensor that you need, we can discuss adding 

it to our product line. Once a sensor has been 

chosen, we provide OEM customers with a 

system for evaluation. The best way to feel 

confident that our systems are right for you: 

try one out. 

COST 

We supply the best price/performance in the 

industry. Researchers rely on Apogee to 

provide excellent value for their investment. 

OEMs rely on Apogee Imaging Systems to 

make their products more cost effective and 

competitive. Please contact our sales team 

for a quotation for any quantity, large or 

small. We make it easy for you to get started 

with us. 

BROAD SELECTION 

We offer a wide selection of CCDs, from 

interlines to full frame front-illuminated to 

back-illuminated, from 512 x 512 up to 4096 

x 4096. You can choose from a variety of 

sizes and shapes, from lowest cost to highest 

performance, knowing that you can build an 

entire product line around a single software 

integration. 

QUALITY 

Our goal is steady refinement in every 

aspect of the cameras, including product 

consistency, product lifetimes, rapid delivery, 

ease of adaptation and use, and added 

hardware and software features. 

EASE OF INTEGRATION 

All of our systems run on a single universal 

software driver. If you integrate control 

of one Apogee system into your custom 

software environment, you automatically 

have support for all of our systems. Based 

on the feedback we get from our customers, 

integration is simple and straightforward. 

CUSTOMIZATION 

Apogee Imaging Systems has a long history 

of working with OEM customers to modify 

our product line to fit their requirements. 

Perhaps you need to incorporate custom 

optical elements or to reduce the back focal 

distance of the camera. Let us know how we 

can optimize our cameras to best suit your 

application. 

AIDS TO INTEGRATION 

FACE PLATE ADAPTERS 

Flange adapters allow you to attach 

anything from an SLR camera lens to a large 

instrument pack to your Apogee camera. We 

have sizes to fit all Alta and Ascent cameras. 

These units are machined precisely for 

accurate concentricity. 

LENS & SLIP-FIT 

ADAPTERS 

We carry Nikon F-mount and Canon FD lens 

adapters, as well as slip-fit adapters. 

USB2 EXTENDERS 

www.ccd.com 

The new Icron USB 2.0 Ranger ® extenders 

support USB cameras at distances from 50 

meters (Cat 5 cable) to 10 km (fiber cable).

ASCENT versus ALTA SERIES CAMERAS 

There are many factors to consider when 

choosing a CCD camera: cost, resolution, 

speed, noise, cooling, sensitivity, housing 

size. Other features may contribute to a 

system’s overall suitability, but most of 

these features are shared by the Alta and 

Ascent. In general, consider the following 

key requirements to determine the optimal 

platform: 

Alta: 

Low readout noise 

Maximum cooling 

Back-illuminated CCDs 

Very large format CCDs 

Optional ethernet interface 

Ascent: 

Low cost 

High speed readout 

Compact housing 

LOWER COSTS 

Many applications require clean, quantitative 

images, but do not require the ultimate in 

cooling or low readout noise. The Ascent 

is an ideal solution for many applications 

where several thousand dollars may be more 

important than a few electrons. 

HIGHER THROUGHPUT 

Ascent was designed to operate at speeds 

up to the maximum allowed by USB2. 

Digitization speed is programmable so you 

can choose your ideal trade-off between 

speed and noise. All speeds digitize at a full 

16 bits. 

LOW READOUT NOISE 

Alta’s readout electronics were designed to 

minimize readout noise. The higher speed 

software-selectable 12-bit mode is intended 

for focussing, and not optimized for low 

noise. 

ADVANCED COOLING 

To maximize heat dissipation, Alta’s large 

inner chamber, back plate, and heatsinks are 

machined from a single block of aluminum. 

The four fans have four programmable 

speeds. 

BACK-ILLUMINATED CCDs 

Back-illuminated CCDs are much more 

expensive than front illuminated CCDs, 

so they are chosen when necessary for 

maximum signal-to-noise under low light 

conditions. Their higher dark current per 

square millimeter requires the higher cooling 

of larger Alta housing. 

VERY LARGE FORMAT CCDS 

The Alta platform is available in several 

housing sizes, accomodating CCDs up to 

50mm on a side. 

Dr. Nigel Woolf, University of California, San 

Diego won the second prize in the Nikon Small 

World 2001 contest with the Apogee KX85 

camera, the predecessor to the U2000. 

COMPACT HOUSING 

The Ascent’s smaller, more lightweight 

housing fits in many places that the larger 

Alta cannot.

ASCENT versus ALTA SERIES CAMERAS 

The primary differences between the Ascent and Alta Series cameras: Ascent is very compact with much lower costs, much faster 

digitization, and programmable gain. Alta is larger, with better cooling, and lower noise electronics. See the chart below for an 

overview of the differences. See camera data sheets to get details of a specific model. 

Feature Ascent Alta 

Digitization 16 bit, programmable speed Fast 12 and slower 16 bit 

Maximum throughput Up to 16 Mpixels/sec (Note 1) Up to 7 Mpixels/sec (Note 2) 

Dual channel interline readout Standard (on applicable CCDs) N/A 

Progressive scan for interlines 

Standard 

Video focus mode Standard N/A 

Maximum cooling 40C below ambient (Note 2) 70C below ambient (Note 2) 

Temperature regulation 

± 0.1°C 

Programmable gain & offset Standard N/A 

USB2 interface 

Standard 

Electromechanical shutter N/A Standard, internal (Note 3) 

Programmable fan speed N/A Standard 

Field upgradeable firmware 

Chamber window 

Peripheral communications 

General purpose I/O port 

Programmable LEDs 

Standard 

Fused silica 

8 pin mini-DIN connector 

Standard 

Standard 

Power input 6V 12V 

Internal memory 

32 Mbytes 

Types of CCDs supported Interline CCDs only Back- & Front-Illuminated; Interline 

External triggering 

Image sequences 

Hardware binning 

Subarray readout 

Standard 

up to 65535 images 

Up to 8 x height of CCD 

Standard 

TDI readout & Kinetics mode (Note 6) N/A Standard (See note 4) 

Back focal distance 0.32” (0.81 cm) 0.69” (17.5mm) and up (Note 2) 

C-mount interface (Note 7) Optional, external (Note 5) Standard for D01 & D03 housings 

Software universality 

Standard 

Housing size 4.8” x 3.25” x 2.25” 6” x 6” x 2.5” (Note 6) 

Warranty (Parts & labor) 

Warranty against condensation 

2 years 

Lifetime 

Note 1 

Note 2 

Note 3 

Note 4 

Note 5 

Note 6 

Maximum single channel throughput 12.5 MHz; dual channels at 8 megapixels/sec each 

Varies from model to model. 

Electromechanical shutters are standard for full frame CCDs, and optional for interline CCDs. 

Does not apply to interline CCDs. 

CCDs >1” video format are generally too large for C-mount optics. 

Some housings are larger.

ALTA & ASCENT: SHARED FEATURES 

TWO-YEAR WARRANTY 

All Apogee cameras have a standard two-year 

warranty and a lifetime guarantee against 

condensation in the camera. 

INTERNAL MEMORY 

32 Mbytes of SDRAM image memory is 

included in the Alta U Series and Ascent 

camera heads. Local memory serves some 

important functions: 

First, with some USB2.0 connections, 

consistency in download rates cannot be 

guaranteed. Some manufacturers go to great 

lengths to attempt to lock Windows ® up 

during downloads to ensure that no pattern 

noise results from breaks in the digitization 

process. The Alta and Ascent systems buffer 

the image transfer to protect from noiseproducing 

interruptions. 

Second, on heavily loaded USB2 ports 

and slower USB1.1 applications, the 

maximum digitization rate could be limited 

without a local buffer. Local image memory 

allows very fast digitization of image 

sequences up to the limit of the internal 

camera. 

HARDWARE BINNING 

Every Alta and Ascent camera supports 

hardware binning up to 8 in the horizontal 

direction and up to the height of the CCD in 

the vertical direction. Binning can be used 

to increase frame rate, dynamic range, or 

apparent sensitivity by collecting more light 

into a superpixel. See additional detail under 

CCD University on our website. 

SEALED INNER CHAMBERS 

The sensors for Alta and Ascent cameras are 

sealed into an inner chamber filled with inert 

gas. The chamber has a lifetime guarantee 

against condensation. 

PROGRAMMABLE LEDs 

Two LEDs on the side can be programmed 

to show status of a variety of the camera 

functions, such as the camera has reached 

the set temperature, the shutter is open, or 

the camera is waiting for an external trigger. 

Alternatively, the LEDs can be turned off if 

you are concerned about stray light. 

SOFTWARE 

An ActiveX driver is shipped with every Alta 

and Ascent camera. This driver is universal 

to all Apogee Alta and Ascent cameras, as 

well as legacy AP and KX cameras. If you 

write custom code for an Apogee camera, you 

won’t have to change it later if you change 

models. Our cameras are also supported by 

other programs like KestrelSpec. Linux and 

Mac OS X drivers are also available. 

UPGRADEABLE FIRMWARE 

The Alta and Ascent systems load all camera 

operating code on camera start. These 

configuration files can be updated via the web 

as we add features and make improvements. 

Each camera head has coded information 

identifying the type of system, its 

configuration, and type of CCD used, as well 

as the firmware revision in use. This allows 

automatic configuration of the camera in the 

field and better customer support from our 

offices. 

EXTERNAL TRIGGERING 

The Alta and Ascent camera systems accept 

external hardware trigger signals through 

their camera I/O ports for a number of 

purposes. Software and hardware triggers 

can be used together. For example, a software 

or hardware trigger may be used to initiate a 

single exposure or a sequence of exposures 

of a specific duration and specific delay 

between exposures. Alternatively, a software 

trigger may be used to start a sequence, and 

the external trigger can be used to trigger 

each subsequent image in the sequence. 

In addition, the external trigger can be 

used to trigger row shifts for time-delayed 

integration, or can be used to trigger block 

shifts for kinetic imaging. 

PROGRESSIVE SCAN 

(CONTINUOUS IMAGING) 

Interline transfer CCDs first shift charge 

from the photodiode in each pixel to the 

masked storage diode, and then march the 

charge through the storage diodes to the serial 

register. Acquisition of a new image in the 

photodiodes during readout of the previous 

image is called “progressive scan.” Alta and 

Ascent cameras both support progressive 

scan with interline CCDs. 

SUBARRAY READOUT 

Alta and Ascent cameras support readout 

of an arbitrary sub-section of the array in 

order to speed up frame rate. Reading half 

the array, for example, does not increase 

the frame rate by two because of overhead 

required in discarding unwanted pixels. 

Echelle Spectrograph Image of a Deuterium- 

Image courtesy of Prof. Dale Hunter, Tufts 

Tungsten Light Sourcea (Image courtesy 

University, MA 

Catalina Scientific Corporation) www.ccd.com Specifications subject to change without notice.

SPECIAL MODES OF OPERATION 

ALTA & ASCENT 

ALTA 

ALTA 

IMAGE SEQUENCES 

Image sequences of up to 65535 images 

can be acquired and transferred to camera / 

computer memory automatically. A delay 

may be programmed between images from 

327 microseconds to 21.43 seconds. (This 

does not mean you can acquire images every 

327 microseconds; it means you can program 

a delay of 327 microseconds between the 

end of a readout and the start of the next 

exposure.) 

The Ascent and Alta platforms allow for 

three types of image sequencing: 

Application-Driven Sequencing: 

This is the most common form of image 

sequencing. The application merely takes a 

specified number of successive images. This 

type of sequencing is suitable when the time 

between image acquisitions is not short and 

where slight differences in timing from image 

to image are not important. 

Precision back to back sequencing 

Alta and Ascent incorporate a firmware 

controlled back to back image sequencing 

mode suitable for image-image intervals from 

327uS to a maximum of 21.43 seconds in 

327uS intervals. This provides for precision 

spacing of images in a sequence where 

windows applications cannot respond. 

Fast back to back sequencing (Ratio 

Imaging - Interlines only) 

This is a special form of precision back to 

back sequencing designed for a fixed

ALTA SERIES CAMERAS: 0VERVIEW 

ADVANCED COOLING 

The Apogee cooling system has long been 

one of the most advanced in the industry. 

The Alta control system has been expanded 

to 12 bits, allowing a temperature control 

range of 213K to 313K (-60 to +40 C) 

with 0.024 degree resolution. Sensors 

have been added to monitor the heat sink 

temperature. A power indicator has been 

added to give the user an idea of how much 

drive is being given to the CCD cooler. The 

automatic back-off function is now handled 

by the firmware and driver. If the system 

cannot reach the desired temperature, the 

system automatically backs off to a point 

where regulation can be maintained, 2 

degrees above the maximum temperature 

reached. The new set point is given to the 

user. Cooling deltas of 40-60C (depending 

on sensor area) are typical with simple air 

cooling. 

CABLE LENGTH 

USB2 cables are limited to 5m between 

hubs, with up to 5 hubs, for a total of 30m. 

However, there are USB2 extenders available 

for Cat5 or fiber optic cable, for operation up 

to 10 km. 

PROGRAMMABLE FANS 

Some customers require a complete absence 

of vibration during an exposure. The Alta 

systems have been designed for complete 

control of the cooling fans. The fans may be 

turned off, or run at a much slower speed to 

maintain adequate cooling with no vibration. 

For applications where vibration is not an 

issue, the fan speed may be maximized for 

greatest cooling. The fans used in the Alta 

system were selected for minimum 

vibration. 

DUAL DIGITIZATION 

With our fast USB2 systems, we offer dual 

digitization: high precision, low noise 16 bit 

performance as well as high speed 12 bit for 

focussing and other high frame rate needs. 

Digitization depth is selectable image by 

image in software 

MGF2 COATED 

FUSED SILICA OPTICS 

Professional grade details like magnesiumflouride 

coated fused silica windows. Apogee 

also offers custom windows, including wedge 

windows and customer supplied optics. 

SINGLE 12V POWER SUPPLY 

Alta camera systems include a 12V 

international power supply (100V-240V 

input), but can be operated from a clean 12V 

source. 

LIQUID CIRCULATION 

D02 and D01 housings 

HOUSING OPTIONS 

Alta cameras with small format CCDs have 

a 0.69” (17.5 mm) C-mount back focal 

distance for direct interface to microscopes 

and C-mount lenses. Medium format sensors 

use the D02 housing with 2” thread. Large 

format sensors use the D07 housing with a 

2.5” thread. Back focal distance for the D02 

and D07 housing is approximately 1.04” 

(26.4 mm). All cameras have a bolt circle 

with metric threads for adaptation to a wide 

variety of flanges. 

OPTIONAL WIDE ENTRANCE 

ANGLE HOUSINGS 

Housings with wide entrance angles are 

available for most medium and large format 

CCDs. See the section on Housings for 

additional details. 

OPTIONAL LOW PROFILE 

HOUSINGS 

Lower profile housings are available for all 

Alta models to achieve

ALTA SERIES CAMERAS: 0VERVIEW 

SHUTTERS 

Apogee Imaging Systems uses the finest 

shutters available for our cameras from 

Vincent and Melles Griot. These shutters 

have been carefully integrated into our 

camera heads with minimum impact on 

back focal distance and camera size. These 

shutters have a huge advantage over simple 

rotating blade shutters in terms of light 

blockage and minimum exposure time. 

GENERAL I/O PORT FOR ALTA & ASCENT 

Our general purpose I/O port can tell you 

when the shutter is open, or can be used for 

a wide variety of external trigger inputs, 

including line-by-line control of TDI shifts. 

Alta cameras use three shutter types, 

depending on the aperture. Apogee shutters 

use lower voltage coils then those listed 

as standard by the shutter manufacturers, 

roughly 1/2 of the standard voltage 

requirement. The lower voltages extend the 

lifetimes of the shutters. 

D01 housing, small format sensors: 

Vincent Uniblitz 25mm Shutter 

D02 housing, medium format sensors: 

Melles Griot 43mm Shutter 

D07 and D09 housings, large format sensors: 

Melles Griot 63.5mm Shutter 

Full frame CCDs typically require an 

electromechanical shutter unless the light 

source is gated in some other way. Otherwise 

light falling on the sensor during the readout 

process corrupts the image. Interline 

CCDs shift the charge from the photodiode 

section of each pixel to the masked storage 

diode. For low light applications, the mask 

is sufficiently opaque to prevent smearing. 

However, in high light applications, interline 

CCDs require electromechanical shutters to 

prevent smearing during readout. 

Specifications subject to change without notice. 

www.ccd.com 

M27 by Don Goldman, using Alta U16M camera

ASCENT SERIES CAMERAS: 0VERVIEW 

PROGRAMMABLE DIGITIZATION 

Unlike previous generations of Apogee 

cameras with fixed digitization rates for 

each bit depth, the Ascent cameras feature 

programmable readout rates using 16-bit 

digitization. You can choose the best tradeoff 

between noise and readout speed imageby-image. 

Some CCDs, like the Kodak 

interline transfers, can read two channels at 

up to 8 MHz each, for a total throughput of 

16 megapixels per second. Other CCDs, like 

the Sonys, typically have a single channel 

maximum throughput rate of 12.5 MHz. See 

individual camera data sheets for specifics 

regarding each camera system. 

PROGRAMMABLE GAIN AND 

OFFSET 

All Ascent models feature programmable 

gain and bias offset programmable in the 

analog-to-digital converter. 

ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATED 

FUSED SILICA OPTICS 

The standard chamber window for the Ascent 

system is fused silica. 

SINGLE 6V POWER SUPPLY 

Ascent camera systems include a 6V 

international power supply (100V-240V 

input), but can be operated from a clean 6V 

source. 

COMPACT DESIGN 

The Ascent systems are extremely 

lightweight (0.65 kg) and compact. At 4.7” x 

3.2” (11.9 x 8.1 cm) and only 1.3” (3.3 cm) 

thick with no external electronics, the Ascent 

is a marvel of compact electronics. The 

standard back focal distance for all models is 

about 0.32” (0.8 cm). 

Model CCD* Array Pixels Pixel size 

(microns) 

ASCENT FILTER WHEEL 

Ascent filter wheels are available for 

6-positions for 1” (25mm) filters or 8-position 

for 1.25” (31mm) filters (shown with optional 

Nikon F-mount lens adapter). 

ASCENT MODELS (ALL CCDs ARE INTERLINE TRANSFER) 

CCD Size 

(mm) 

Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

Video 

size (“) 

A340 KAI-0340 684 x 484 313K 7.4 4.8 x 3.6 17.2 6.0 0.37 

A1050 KAI-1050 1024 x 1024 1.1M 5.5 5.6 x 5.6 34.8 8.3 0.52 

A2050 KAI-2050 1600 x 1200 1.9M 5.5 8.8 x 6.6 58.1 11.0 0.69 

A2150 KAI-2150 1920 x 1080 2.1M 5.5 10.6 x 5.9 62.7 12.1 0.76 

A2000 KAI-2020 1600 x 1200 1.9M 7.4 11.8 x 8.9 105.1 14.8 0.93 

A4050 KAI-4050 2336 x 1752 4.2M 5.5 11.3 x 11.3 126.9 15.9 1.0 

A4000 KAI-4022 2048 x 2048 4.2M 7.4 15.2 x 15.2 229.7 21.4 1.34 

A8050 KAI-8050 3296 x 2472 8.1M 5.5 18.1 x 13.6 246.5 22.7 1.42 

A16000 KAI-16000 4872 x 3248 15.8M 7.4 36 x 24 866.5 43.3 2.7 

A205 ICX205 1360 x 1024 1.4M 4.65 6.3 x 4.8 30.1 7.9 0.49 

A285 ICX285 1360 x 1024 1.4M 6.45 8.8 x 6.6 57.9 11.0 0.69 

* KAI = Kodak and ICX = Sony. For complete CCD specifications, including cosmetic grading, see data sheet from manufacturer.

ALTA CCD SELECTION 

In addition to the following CCDs, the Alta Series supports a variety of spectroscopic format back-illuminated CCDs listed on a 

following page. 

Camera 

Model E2V CCD Array Size 

Total 

Pixels 

Pixel Size 

(microns) 

INTERLINE TRANSFER CCDs 

Array size (mm) 

X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

U42 CCD42-40 2048 2048 4194304 13.5 27.6 27.6 764 39.1 

U230 CCD230-42 2048 2048 4194304 15 30.7 30.7 944 43.4 

U3041 Fairchild 3041 2048 2048 4194304 15 30.7 30.7 944 43.4 

U47 CCD47-10 1024 1024 1048576 13 13.3 13.3 177 18.8 

U77 CCD77-00 512 512 262144 24 12.3 12.3 151 17.4 

U30 CCD30-11 1024 256 262144 26 26.6 6.7 177 27.4 

Camera 

Model Kodak CCD* Array Size 

FRONT-ILLUMINATED CCDs 

Total 

Pixels 

Pixel Size 

(microns) 


X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

Mono=M 

Color=C 

U39000 KAF-39000 7216 5412 39052992 6..8 49.1 36.8 1806 61.3 M,C 

U16 KAF-16801E 4096 4096 16777216 9 36.9 36.9 1359.0 52.1 M 

U16M KAF-16803 4096 4096 16777216 9 36.9 36.9 1359.0 52.1 M 

U9000 KAF-09000 3058 3058 9351364 12 36.7 36.7 1346.6 51.9 M 

U8300 KAF-8300CE 3448 2574 8875152 5.4 18.6 13.9 259 23.2 M,C 

U9 KAF-6303E 3072 2048 6291456 9 27.6 18.4 509.6 33.2 M 

U43 KAF-4320E 2048 2048 4194304 24 49.1 49.1 2415 69.5 M 

U3041F Fairchild 3041 2048 2048 4194304 15 30.7 30.7 944 43.4 M 

U10 TH7899* 2048 2048 4194304 14 28.7 28.7 822.1 40.6 M 

U32 KAF-3200 2184 1472 3214848 6.8 14.9 10.0 148.7 17.9 M 

U2 KAF-1603ME 1536 1024 1572864 9 13.8 9.2 127.4 16.6 M 

U6 KAF-1001E 1024 1024 1048576 24 24.6 24.6 604.0 34.8 M 

U1 KAF-0402ME 768 512 393216 9 6.9 4.6 31.9 8.3 M 

U260 KAF-0261E 512 512 262144 20 10.2 10.2 104.9 14.5 M 

U30-OE CCD30-11 1024 256 262144 26 26.6 6.7 177 27.4 M 

Camera 

Model* Kodak CCD Array Size 

BACK-ILLUMINATED CCDs 

*The U10 uses an E2V (formerly Atmel, formerly Thomson) TH7899 CCD. 

Total 

Pixels 

Pixel Size 

(microns) 


X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

Mono=M 

Color=C 

U16000 KAI-16000 4872 3248 15824256 7.4 36 24 866.5 43.3 M,C 

U4000 KAI-4022 2048 2048 4194304 7.4 15.2 15.2 229.7 21.4 M,C 

U2000 KAI-2020 1600 1200 1920000 7.4 11.8 8.9 105.1 14.8 M,C 


www.ccd.com

CCD SELECTION 

CCD SIZES (ACTUAL SIZE) 

BACK-ILLUMINATED 

Apogee also offers a variety of spectroscopic 

format back-illuminateed CCDs. 

U230 

U3041 

2048 x 2048 

15 micron pixels 

U42 

QUANTUM EFFICIENCY 

The QE curves below give general representations of the relative differences between the 

various types of CCDs. For additional detail, please see the data sheets for each camera 

model at www.ccd.com. QE of back-illuminated CCDs depends on the coating (midband, 

broadband, UV-enhanced). There are also variations in front-illuminated CCDs: all 

polysilicon gates; Blue Plus (polysilicon and indium tin oxide gates); microlenses; antiblooming. 

See individual camera data sheets for details regarding each sensor. 

E2V: BACK-ILLUMINATED & OPEN ELECTRODE CCDs 

U30 

U47 

U77 

FRONT-ILLUMINATED 

U43 

2048 x 2048 

24 micron pixels 

U260 

U1 

U2 

U32 

U16 

U16M 

U9000 

U10 

INTERLINES 

U16000 

U8300 

U6 

U9 

U30-OE 

U4000 

Quantum efficiency (%) 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

FRONT-ILLUMINATED CCDs 

CCDs in red also available as color. 

U2000 

Wavelength (nm) 

A205 Kodak E Kodak ME A285 U2000

CCD SELECTION 

Camera 

Model 

These back-illuminated CCD systems set a new standard for low-cost spectroscopic systems. (Monochrome only) 

Hamamatsu 

CCD 

HAMAMATSU: BACK-ILLUMINATED SPECTROSCOPIC FORMAT CCDs 

Array Size 

Total 

Pixels 

Pixel Size 

(microns) 


X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

U1109 S10140-1109 2048 506 1036288 12 24.6 6.1 149.2 25.3 

U1108 S10140-1108 1024 250 512000 12 24.6 3.0 73.7 24.8 

U1107 S10140-1107 512 122 249856 12 24.6 1.5 36.0 24.6 

U1009 S10140-1009 1024 506 518144 12 12.3 6.1 74.6 13.7 

U1008 S10140-1008 1024 250 256000 12 12.3 3.0 36.9 12.6 

U1007 S10140-1007 1024 122 124928 12 12.3 1.5 18.0 12.4 

U98 S9840 2048 14 28672 14 28.7 0.2 5.6 28.7 

Absolute Quantum Efficiency (%) 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

200 

240 

280 

320 

360 

400 

440 

480 

520 

560 

600 

640 

680 

720 

760 

800 

840 

880 

920 

960 

1000 

1040 

1080 


80 

KODAK VERY LARGE FORMATS: KAF-16803 & KAF-09000 

70 

Absolute Quantum Efficiency (%) 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

360 380 400 420 440 460 480 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700 720 740 760 780 800 820 840 860 880 900 920 940 960 980 1000 1020 1040 1060 1080 1100 


Kodak KAF-09000 

Kodak KAF-16803

CCD SELECTION 

CCDs come in many shapes and sizes, as 

well as several different architectures. 

Some architectures were developed 

specifically to address the needs of extremely 

low light applications like astronomy (backilluminated 

CCDs). Other technologies 

can be adapted to astronomy with excellent 

results, but a bit more patience and diligence 

may be necessary (interline transfer CCDs). 

Here are some ideas to keep in mind: 

QUANTUM EFFICIENCY 

Higher sensitivity = higher quantum 

efficiency = shorter exposures to get the 

same results. Shorter exposures = more time 

for other exposures and less frustration with 

guiding and tracking. The peak value of a 

quantum effiiciency curve does not tell the 

full story of a CCD’s sensitivity. The area 

under the curve gives the true comparison of 

a CCD’s relative sensitivity. Twice the area 

under the curve = half the time making the 

exposure. Or, use the same exposure time, 

but get twice the signal. Apogee supports 

back-illuminated, front-illuminated, and 

interline transfer devices. Back-illuminated 

CCDs have the highest overall sensitivity. 

However, they are subject to etaloning (aka 

“fringing”) in the near-infrared. Frontilluminated 

CCDs are much less expensive 

than back-illuminated CCDs. Make your 

own choices regarding the Biggest Bang for 

the Buck. 

UV & NIR WAVELENGTHS 

Between 200-300 nm: E2V Back-illuminated 

UV enhanced CCDs 

Between 300-400 nm: most Kodak CCDs 

have zero QE at 300 nm, increasing linearly 

to >40% at 400 nm. 

Near Infrared: Back-illuminated CCDs have 

the highest QE, but they are also subject to 

fringing (also known as “etaloning”) with 

monochromatic NIR (simply put, the light 

bounces around inside the CCD itself). Some 

companies have developed proprietary versions 

of CCDs that minimize, though not 

eliminate, the effect by changing the thickness 

of the CCD itself. 

www.ccd.com 

PIXEL SIZE 

The smaller the pixel, the lower the signal 

that can be stored in the pixel (“full well 

capacity”). If the noise per pixel is the same 

for two cameras, lower full well means lower 

signal-to-noise, or compromised image 

quality. Such a compromise is hard to see 

when doing bright field imaging. But when 

doing low light imaging, higher signal to 

noise means pulling out those faint elements 

without making the bright areas into a burned 

white blob. 

In many cases, using a smaller pixel in 

order to obtain higher pixel resolution is 

actually dysfunctional. For example, in the 

field of microscopy, pixels smaller than 6 

microns do not provide additional spatial 

information. At only 4X magnification, 

with a numerical aperture of 0.1 and a 

wavelength of 550 nm (green), the limit to 

practical resolution is about a 3.65 micron 

feature. Such a feature maps to 14.6 microns 

on the CCD. Nyquist sampling requires 

oversampling by a factor of 2 in order to 

accurately reconstruct the signal. Thus, a 

7.3 micron pixel is small enough to gather 

all the spatial information provided by the 

microscope. As magnification is increased, 

the required size for the pixel also increases. 

Pixels in the range of 6 to 8 microns are 

the ideal match for microscopy, storing 

maximum signal without compromising 

spatial sampling. 

Image: Gary McAnally, Apogee Imaging 

Systems. Slide courtesy of Chroma. 

COLOR CCDS 

Color CCDs are convenient for one-shot 

color, but they compromise in several ways. 

First, the typical red-green-blue (RGB) Bayer 

pattern over the pixels of the CCD (see 

below) cannot be changed--you cannot do 

monochromatic imaging one day, RGB the 

next, and cyan-magenta-yellow (CMY) on 

the third. Second, color CCDs cannot deliver 

the full resolution of the imager. They can, 

however, deliver all three color channels at 

exactly the same instant in time. 

Typical RGB Bayer filter pattern designed to 

mimic the responsivity of the human eye. 

Quantum efficiency of the Kodak KAI-16000 

CCD: black line is monomchrome version; 

RGB lines are the color version. 

DYNAMIC RANGE 

Interline transfer CCDs have, at most, a 

full well capacity of about 50K electrons. If 

the electronics limits the read noise to 8-10 

electrons, this is a dynamic range of 50K/10 

= 5000:1, or about 12.3 bits. Most argue for 

oversampling by an extra bit, or some argue 

even two. However, a 16-bit analog-todigital 

(AtoD) converter does not upgrade a 

12 bit imager into a 16 bit imager. A Kodak 

KAF-1001E (Alta U6 camera), using the low 

noise (aka high gain) output amplifier, can be 

operated at 6 electrons noise with a full well 

of 200K electrons, or a dynamic range of 

more than 30K:1, about 15 bits. 

Specifications subject to change without notice.

CCD SELECTION 

INTERLINE TRANSFER CCDs 

Interline transfer CCDs, up to the scale of 

35mm film, have inherent anti-blooming, 

but less dynamic range and lower quantum 

efficiency than Kodak’s other frontilluminated 

offerings. Interlines also have 

high dark current in the storage diodes, as 

well as some leakage through the storage 

diode masks. Mass markets for interline 

CCDs mean much lower prices per pixel, 

and a great entry point into professional level 

imaging. 

Because interline CCDs shutter the 

exposure by shifting the charge from the 

photodiode section of the pixel to the storage 

diode of the pixel, exposure times can be as 

short as a few microseconds. Time between 

exposures is determined by the time required 

to read out the entire CCD, which varies from 

camera to camera. 

Interline transfer CCDs cannot do timedelayed 

integration (also known as “drift 

scan” mode) because charge is not transferred 

from photodiode to photodiode, but rather 

into the masked storage diode. 

DARK CURRENT 

Thermally generated signal, or dark current, 

is not noise. The shot noise component of the 

dark current is one element of noise, which 

is the square root of the dark current. You 

can correct for the dark current itself if you 

can measure it, which requires the camera’s 

cooling to be programmable and stable. The 

deeper the cooling, the less correction you’re 

going to have to do. 

E2V CCDs: AIMO & NIMO 

E2V’s AIMO (Advanced I Metal Oxide, aka 

MPP) CCDs have hundreds of times less 

dark current than non-IMO (NIMO) CCDs. 

Some variations of their CCDs, such as deep 

depletion devices with high QE in the near 

IR, are only available as NIMO devices. 


CCD GRADES 

Each manufacturer’s specification sheet for 

an imager defines the cosmetic grades for 

that specific imager. Different manufacturers 

use different procedures; a grade 1 of Imager 

A may allow column defects, but a grade 2 

(lower grade) of Imager B may not. Kodak 

usually grades their CCDs at about 25°C, 

and most of their defects disappear in cooled 

cameras when the images are flat-fielded. In 

most cases, you cannot see the difference 

between the grades. Other companies, 

such as E2V, grade their CCDs at low 

temperatures, so their defects are less likely 

to disappear when the CCD is cooled. 

Defects on CCDs do not grow over time, 

nor do lower grade CCDs wear out faster. 

Most lower grade Kodak CCDs no longer 

allow column defects. These lower priced 

CCDs are excellent bargains. 

You may get an unwanted surprise if you 

do not check the data sheets for each CCD 

carefully before purchasing a system. Some 

large format CCDs allow several column 

defects in the “standard grade” CCD, 

ANTI-BLOOMING 

Anti-blooming (AB) bleeds off excess charge 

from individual pixels so that it does not spill 

over into its neighbors and cause a white 

stripe down the column. For applications like 

astrophotography, AB preserves the aesthetics 

of the image. For photometric applications, 

AB can be used if exposure times are 

carefully controlled to avoid excess charge. 

The disadvantages of AB: normally it lowers 

full well capacity and quantum efficiency. 

SPECSMANSHIP 

CCD manufacturers as well as camera 

manufacturers both describe their products 

in terms of typical performance, and in some 

cases, specify worst acceptable performance. 

A CCD data sheet may, for example, say 

“typical 15 electrons noise” and “maximum 

20 electrons noise” (under very specific 

and perhaps irrelevant conditions). As a 

result, camera manufacturers using such a 

CCD must also use “typical performance”, 

or sort CCDs at a potentially large increase 

in cost. The difference between typical and 

guaranteed is sometimes large, such as a 

factor of two in dark current. 

KODAK BLUE PLUS CCDs 

CCDs create charge due to the photoelectric 

effect. In order to create an image rather 

than random electricity, the charge must be 

held where it was created. “Traditional” 

CCDs using from one to four polysilicon 

gates carry a voltage that traps the charge 

until transferred. Polysilicon has limited 

transmissivity. Indium tin oxide (ITO) gates 

have higher transmissivity, but lower charge 

transfer efficiency. Kodak’s combination 

of one polysilicon gate and one ITO gate 

is marketed as Blue Plus (because of the 

increase in blue sensitivity). The overall 

sensitivity of Blue Plus CCDs is much higher 

than multi-phase front-illuminated CCDs 

using only polysilicon gates. However, 

when researching point sources of light, it is 

good to keep in mind that there is a marked 

increase in quantum effiiency on the ITO side 

of each pixel. (See MICROLENSES below). 

MICROLENSED CCDs 

Many CCDs now use microlenses over 

each pixel. In the case of interline transfer 

CCDs, the microlenses focus the light onto 

the photodiode. In the case of Blue Plus 

CCDs (see above), the microlenses focus 

the light onto the ITO gate side of the pixel. 

Microlenses greatly improve overall quantum 

efficiency, but introduce some angular 

dependency. Fill factor is normally less than 

100%. See data sheets for individual CCDs 

for details. 

www.ccd.com

THANKS (A PARTIAL LIST OF APOGEE IMAGING SYSTEMS CUSTOMERS) 

Apogee Imaging Systems would like to express our gratitude to the thousands of customers from around the world 

that have brought so much to our lives since 1994. 

Aerospace Corporation • Air Force Research Laboratory • Aloe Ridge Observatory (South Africa) • American Red Cross • Anglo-Australian 

Observatory • Ankara University Observatory (Turkey) • Apache Point Observatory • Appalachian State University • Argonne National Laboratory 

• Astronomical Institute of the Czech Republic • Astronomical Observatory Belgrade (Yugoslavia) • Astrophysical Observatory, College of 

Staten Island • Auckland Observatory (New Zealand) • Bacs-Kiskun Observatory (Hungary) • Baja Astronomical Observatory (Hungary) • Ball 

Aerospace • Bang & Olufsen (Denmark) • Baton Rouge Observatory • Baylor University • Bechtel • Beijing Observatory (China) • Big Bear Solar 

Observatory • Boeing • Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (Korea) • Boston University • Brigham Young University • California Institute 

of Technology • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) • Centro de Investigaciones en Optica (México) • Chiang Mai University 

(Thailand) • Chiba University (Japan) • Chinese University of Hong Kong • Clemson University • Colorado School of Mines • Columbia University 

• Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (Argentina) • Copenhagen University (Denmark) • Cork Institute of Technology (Ireland) • Corning • Crimean 

Astrophysical Observatory (Ukraine) • Czech Technical University (Czech Republic) • Daimler Benz Aerospace (Germany) • Department of National 

Defence, Canada • DLR e.V. (Germany) • Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dunsink Observatory (Ireland) • Dworp Observatory (Belgium) 

• Eastman Kodak • Ege University (Turkey) • Florida Institute of Technology / SARA • Ford Motor • Fox Chase Cancer Center • Fudan University 

(China) • Fuji • Fujitsu • Gemini Telescope Project • Gøteburg University (Sweden) • Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics • Harvard 

College Observatory • Heron Cove Observatory • Hida Observatory (Japan) • High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (Japan) • High 

Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) • Hiroshima University (Japan) • Hitachi • Hong Kong University of Science & Technology 

• Imation • Indian Institute of Astrophysics • Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) (Taiwan) • Institute for Astronomy, Hawaii • Institute of 

Astronomy (Switzerland) • Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Taiwan) • Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences (Taiwan) • Institute for 

Quantum Physics (Switzerland) • Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (Spain) • Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (Spain) • Inst. Estudis Espacials 

de Catalunya (Spain) • International Science & Technology Centre (Russia) • IVIC-CBB (Venezuela) • J.Paul Getty Museum • Jagellonian University 

(Poland) • Japan Atomic Energy Agency • Jet Propulsion Laboratory • Johns Hopkins University • Kimberly-Clark • Kim-Hae Observatory (Korea) 

• Kitt Peak National Observatory • Konkoly Observatory (Hungary) • Korea Astronomical Observatory • Korea Research Institute of Standards 

and Science • Kwasan Observatory (Japan) • Kyoto University (Japan) • Lancaster University (UK) • Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl 

(Germany) • Las Cumbres Observatory • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory • Lick Observatory 

• Liverpool John Moores University (UK) • Lockheed Martin • London Health Sciences Centre (Canada) • Los Alamos National Laboratory • 

Lucent Technologies • Lund Observatory (Sweden) • Mauna Loa Observatory • Max Planck Institute (Germany) • McGill University (Canada) • 

MIT • MIT Lincoln Laboratory • Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory • Mt. Diablo Observatory • Mt. Stromlo Observatory (Australia) • Mt. Wilson 

Observatory • Multiple Mirror Telescope • Nagoya University (Japan) • NASA Goddard SFC • NASA Marshall SFC • NASA Langley Research 

Center • National Astronomical Observatory (Japan) • National Central University (Taiwan) • National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan) • National 

Health Research (Taiwan) • National Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (Japan) • National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science 

and Technology (Japan) • National Institute for Materials Science (Japan) • National Institute of Standards & Technology • National Oceanographic 

and Atmospheric Administration • National Solar Observatory • National Sun Yat-Sen University (Taiwan) • National Tsing Hua University (Taiwan) 

• National University of Ireland • Naval Post Graduate School • Naval Research Laboratory • Northwestern University • NTT (Japan) • Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory • Observatoire Côte d’Azur (France) • Observatoire de Geneve (Switzerland) • Observatorio “Carl Sagan” (Mexico) • Occidental 

College • Okayama Astrophysical Observatory (Japan) • Oxford University (UK) • Osaka University (Japan) • Oulu University (Finland) • Panasonic 

• Physical Research Laboratory (India) • Police Scientific Development Branch, Scotland Yard (UK) • Pomona College • Portland State University 

• Princeton University • Purdue University • Purple Mountain Observatory (China) • Queens University (Canada) • Rice University • Riken (Japan) 

• Rockefeller University • Royal Military College of Canada • Royal Observatory (Edinburgh, Scotland) • Russian Academy of Sciences • Sandia 

National Laboratory • Science and Technology Centre of Ukraine • Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory (Azerbaijan) • Smithsonian Observatory • 

South African Astronomical Observatory • Stanford University • State Universities of Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, New 

York (SUNY), North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Texas • Stanford University • Starkenburg Observatory (Germany) • Sternberg 

Astronomical Observatory (Russia) • Steward Observatory • Stockholm Observatory (Sweden) • Subaru Telescope • Swarthmore College • Tel 

Aviv University • Temple End Observatory (UK) • Tenagra Observatories • Texas A&M University • Texas Tech University • Tokyo Institute of 

Technology • Tokyo University • Toshiba • Tuorla Observatory (Finland) • Turku Centre for Biotechnology (Finland) • Universidad de Buenos Aires 

(Argentina) • Universidad de Sonora (Mexico) • Universidade Federal da Paraiba (Brazil) • Universität Hamburg (Germany) • Universität Innsbrück 

(Austria) • University College Dublin (Ireland) • University of Amsterdam (Netherlands) • University of the Andes (Venezuela) • University of 

Auckland (New Zealand) • University of Bern (Switzerland) • University of Birmingham (UK) • University of Bologna (Italy) • Universidad de 

Entre Rios (Argentina) • University of Chicago • Universities of Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, 

Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming • 

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(Slovenia) • University of London Observatory (UK) • University of Manchester Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK) • University of Manitoba (Canada) • 

University of Melbourne (Australia) • University of Miami • University of Munich (Germany) • University of Notre Dame • University of Sao Paulo 

(Brazil) • University of St. Andrews (Scotland) • University of Toronto (Canada) • University of the West Indies • University of Zurich (Switzerland) 

• US Naval Observatory • Valencia University Observatory (Spain) • Vanderbilt University • Vatican Observatory • Virginia Military Institute • 

Visnjan Observatory (Croatia) • Warsaw University Observatory (Poland) • Waseda University (Japan) • Wayne State University • Weizmann Institute 

(Israel) • Westinghouse • Wise Observatory (Israel) • Yale University • Yerkes Observatory (University of Chicago) • Yonsei University (Korea) 

©2011 Apogee Imaging System Inc. 

151 N. Sunrise Ste 902 


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