Product Overview Brochure - Apogee Instruments, Inc.

FULL PRODUCT BROCHURE

ABOUT APOGEE 

APOGEE IMAGING SYSTEMS 

High Performance 

Cooled CCD Camera System 

Our Start 

In 1993, Apogee Instruments, Inc. was founded by Wayne Brown, in San Jose, California. Over the course of the next 

year Apogee developed, tested, and began selling its first line of CCD cameras, the AP ® series. In 1995, Apogee’s 

strength and determination was proved, as the company relocated to Arizona, in an effort to branch out into the scientific 

community. Partnering with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), in 1999, Apogee’s camera was launched on a 

sounding rocket as part of NRL’s VAULT (Very high Angular resolution Ultraviolet Telescope) project. 

Equipped with two new camera lines; KX ® and AM ® series, and camera accessories Apogee returned to Northern 

California in 2001. 

A Growing Reputation 

Already proven in the astronomy community, Apogee worked to expand its customer focus. Apogee cameras have 

become an integral part in many customers’ applications ranging from volcanology and spectroscopy to areas of medical 

research in various facilities spanning the globe. In 2010, Apogee Instruments announced a name change to Apogee 

Imaging Systems. Although a small change to the name, it represented a significant step in the company’s growth in 

both products and customer breadth. 

COMMITMENT TO QUALITY 

Because you need reliable imaging systems to make your science happen, we strive to develop the best possible quality 

assurance system for all of our products, both incoming and outgoing. Through product consistency on incoming inventory 

and constant and consistent cross-checking during the build process, we are able to provide our customers with some 

of the best quality cameras currently on the market. At Apogee we are continually seeking to find ways to make our 

manufacturing processes faster and more efficient, while still maintaining the high level of quality our customers expect from 

us. Our knowledgeable engineering staff works side-by-side with the members of our production team to ensure that new 

products not only meet our customers needs, but are also faster and easier to assemble, so you get your camera on time. 

CORE VALUES 

Here at Apogee Imaging Systems, there are four keys values 

we focus on as a company: 

Strive for excellence. 

In our jobs and in our products, we want to produce our very 

best...every time. 

Practice honesty and integrity. 

These values are the core of our relationships both in house, 

with one another, and with our customers. 

Extraordinary Partnerships 

For two years Apogee’s engineering team worked intently with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, to design a 

custom camera to fly aboard a Black Brant sounding rocket, as part of NASA’s High Resolution Coronal Imager, or Hi-C 

project. In 2012, NASA successfully launched the rocket carrying the Apogee camera to observe the solar corona and 

fundamental structures of the sun providing images with six times better resolution than ever before. 

Apogee Today 

With more than 20 years of experience, Apogee Imaging Systems continues to supply reliable, high performance cooled 

CCD cameras to many disciplines within the scientific community. 

Focus on the customer. 

We provide great customer service, both before and after 

the sale. We try our hardest to go the extra mile for every 

customer. 

Have fun at work. 

We are a growing yet small company...some call it an extended 

family. But first and foremost, we have all found a home at 

Apogee because we enjoy what we do! 

DIVERSITY 

From government and private research laboratories to worldclass 

professional observatories, our cameras are now used in 

more than 50 different countries. Apogee cameras have been 

used for a wide variety of applications, such as: spectroscopic 

analysis of water, soil and gems; detection of anthrax; analysis 

and detection of contaminants at nuclear reactors; imaging 

of fingerprints without chemicals; fluorescent imaging of cell 

tissues and microtitre plates; munitions testing; laser beam 

profiling; optics testing; and the discovery of astronomical 

objects. 

NGC 6853, The Dumbbell Nebula taken by R Jay GaBany with an 

Apogee Ascent ® A8050 using a Half-meter RCOS f/8 

CUSTOMER SUPPORT 

One of Apogee’s top priorities is our dedication to our 

customers. Whether it is assisting with CCD selection, 

helping you build your order , talking through customization 

options, helping you troubleshoot remotely or answering 

any questions you may have about your new camera, 

our customer and sales support staff is always on hand, 

eager to help with any of your needs or questions. 

Sales Support: 

sales@ccd.com 

Technical Support: 

support@ccd.com 

tel: (916) 218-7450 x 219 

hours: 9am to 5pm PST 

MADE IN THE USA 

Apogee is proud to boast that all it’s cameras are 

assembled and tested in our Northern California facility. 

Almost all of the mechanical parts involved in the 

manufacturing of Apogee cameras are produced in our 

own separate machining facility with three 3-axis CNC 

machines. 

©2013 Apogee Imaging 

Systems Inc. Aspen, Alta and 

Ascent are registered trademarks of 

Apogee Imaging Systems Inc. 

By expanding into broad markets with diverse demands, 

Apogee has had to develop a wide variety of technologies 

to fit our customers’ wide array of needs. Be it low noise 

and high sensitivity coupled with high quantitative accuracy 

or speed and ease of use, there is one thing all our customers 

need: high performance at lower prices. At Apogee, we work 

our hardest to meet all your demands. 

Image by Apogee personnel 

COMPANY INFORMATION

OUR CAMERAS 

PRODUCT INFORMATION 



Apogee currently manufactures three camera lines: Alta ® F Series, Ascent ® and now introducing Aspen ® . Each product 

line supports a wide variety of CCD sensors. Below is a chart comparing the vital system features of each camera type 

to better help you determine which product will best suit your needs. Our sales staff is always on hand to assist with 

any questions you may have or to help you select which camera would best suit your individual needs or the needs of 

your company. 

Ascent ® Alta ® Aspen ® 

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

Maximum throughput Up to 16 Mpixels/sec Up to 7 Mpixels/sec Up to 16 Mpixels/sec 

Dual channel readout Standard on most Interline CCDs N/A Standard on most Interline CCDs 

Progressive scan for 

interlines 

Standard Standard Standard 

Video focus mode Standard N/A N/A 

Maximum cooling up to 40ºC below ambient up to 55ºC below ambient up to 70ºC below ambient 

Temperature regulation ± 0.1 ºC ± 0.1 ºC ± 0.1 ºC 

Programmable gain and 

offset 

Standard N/A High speed mode only 

USB2 interface Standard Standard Standard 

Ethernet N/A N/A 2 Mpixels/sec 

Electromechanical 

shutter 

Programmable fan 

speed 

Field upgradeable 

firmware 

N/A Standard on FF, opt on Interline Standard on FF, opt on Interline 

N/A Standard Standard 


Chamber window Fused silica Fused silica Fused silica 

Peripheral 

communications 

General purpose I/O 

port 

8 pin mini-DIN connector 8 pin mini-DIN connector 8 pin mini-DIN connector 


Programmable LEDs Standard Standard Standard 

Power input 6V 12V 12V 

Internal memory 32 Mbytes 32 Mbytes 32 Mbytes 

CCDs supported Interline only Full frame, Interline, Spectroscopy Full frame, Interline, Spectroscopy 

External triggering Standard Standard Standard 

Image sequences up to 65535 images up to 65535 images up to 65535 images 

Hardware binning up to 8 x height of CCD up to 8 x height of CCD up to 8 x height of CCD 

Subarray readout Standard Standard Standard 

TDI readout & Kinetics 

mode 

N/A Standard on Full Frame TDI only 

Back focal distance 0.32” (8.1 mm) 0.69” (17.5 mm) and up 0.69” (17.5 mm) and up 

C-mount interface Optional, external Standard for D01 & D03 housings Standard for G01 

Housing size (small) 4.8” x 3.25” x 3.25” 6” x 6” x 2.1” to 2.7” 6.5” x 6.4” x 3.8” to 4.3” 

Housing size (large) N/A 7” x 7” x 2.7” to 4.1” 6.5” x 6.4” x 4.7” 

Warranty (parts & labor) 2 years 2 years 2 years 

Warranty against 

condensation 

Lifetime Lifetime Lifetime 





TWO-YEAR WARRANTY 

All Apogee cameras are backed with a twoyear 

warranty on the camera and a lifetime 

warranty on the CCD chamber integrity. 

Warranty extensions are available for an 

additional fee. 

INTERNAL MEMORY 

Each Apogee system is equipped with 

32Mbytes of SDRAM image memory. This 

localized memory is important for two 

reasons: firstly, to buffer the image transfer, 

protecting it from any noise-producing 

interruptions that may incur during the 

process. Secondly, it allows for faster 

digitization of image sequences, up to the 

limit of the internal memory of the camera. 

FIELD UPGRADEABLE FIRMWARE 

Every camera arrives coded with 

information that identifies the type of system 

you have received, it’s configuration, the 

CCD used in it and the revision number of 

the active firmware. For an added level of 

convenience, the most current drivers and 

firmware updates are always available 

for download on our website (Support > 

Drivers & Downloads), allowing cameras 

to be updated at any time, from anywhere 

and making it easier for Apogee Customer 

Support staff to troubleshoot remotely when 

necessary. 

LIQUID COOLING 

Apogee offers a liquid cooling option on both 

the Alta ® and Aspen ® systems. By putting 

a liquid recirculation plate in place of the 

fans, the chiller unit is about to remove heat 

from the camera body to reduce warm air 

disturbance around the camera. In some 

cases additional cooling may be gained, 

but the camera housing must not be cooled 

below the dew point. 

Aspen G01 Liquid Recirculation camera 

Our general purpose I/O 

port can be used for a wide 

variety of external trigger 

inputs, including line-by-line 

control of TDI shifts. 

EXTERNAL TRIGGERING 

External hardware triggers can 

be utilized through a general I/O 

port available on every Apogee 

system. External triggers can be 

coupled with software triggers and 

used in a variety of ways to trigger 

image sequences. A software 

or hardware trigger can be used 

to initiate a single exposure or a 

sequence of exposures for a set 

duration and delay between each 

exposure. A software trigger may 

also be used to start a sequence 

with the external trigger used to 

trigger each subsequent image. 

The external trigger can also be 

used to trigger row shifts for timedelayed 

integration or it can be 

used to trigger block shifts for 

kinetic imaging. 

PROGRESSIVE SCAN 

Interline transfer CCDs go through 

a process in which they first shift 

charge from the photodiode in 

each pixel to the masked storage 

diode, 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” or 

continuous imaging. This feature is 

available on every interline transfer 

supported camera. 

PROGRAMMABLE FANS 

Due to customer demand, in both 

the Alta ® and Aspen ® camera series 

the fans may be turned completely 

off or run at a much slower speed to 

maintain adequate cooling with no 

vibration. For applications where 

vibration is not as big of a concern, 

the fan speed may be maximized 

for greatest cooling. 

PROGRAMMABLE LEDS 

There are two LEDs visible through 

each camera faceplate to show status 

of a variety of the camera’s functions, 

such as the camera has reached the 

set temperature, the shutter is open or 

the camera is waiting for an external 

trigger. And if stray light is a concern, 

the LEDs can be turned off. 

HARDWARE BINNING 

All Apogee cameras support 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. For more 

information about the benefits of pixel 

binning, visit the CCD University on our 

website. 

PRODUCT INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION 

ASPEN ® 



Aspen ® is the newest in design innovation from Apogee Imaging Systems. Aspen ® increases cooling performance in a 

smaller package, improves stray light baffling, adds a Network interface with a built-in web server, supports dual output 

CCDs up to 16Mhz and sets a new standard in shutter reliability. All Aspen ® systems are backed by a 2 year warranty 

on the camera and lifetime warranty on the CCD chamber integrity. 

PC Interface 

SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS 

USB 2.0 to 16MHz; Network interface 

with built-in web server, up to 2MHz 

throughput 

G01 - STANDARD FOR SMALL CCDS 

G07 - STANDARD FOR LARGE CCDS 

1” Aperture 

C-Mount 

1-32 UN-2B 

.68” Flange Focal Distance 

(optical) 

35mm shutter on Full Frame 

CCDs 

No shutter on Interline CCDs 

Liquid Recirculation Available 

Max. Cable Length 

USB: 5 meters between hubs; 5 hubs 

maximum (max. total of 30m) 

Ethernet: 100 meters maximum 

2.25” Aperture 

3” Thread Option 

Optional Thread-in Fieldstop 

Digital Resolution 

System Noise (typical) 

16 bits, single or dual channel 

7 e - RMS at 1 MHz 

1.01” Flange Focal Distance 

(optical) 

SYSTEM FEATURES 

• 1 to 16 MHz 16-Bit digitization 

• USB and Ethernet interface 

• Programmable cooling up to 70°C below ambient 

• High reliability shutter (>5 million cycles) 

Pixel Binning 

Exposure Time 

Image Sequencing 

Frame Sizes 

1 x 1 to 8 x height of CCD 

Interline CCDs: 

100 microseconds to 183 minutes 

Full Frame & Spectroscopy CCDs: 

100 milliseconds to 183 minutes 

(2.56 microsecond increments) 

1 to 65535 image sequences under 

software control 

Full frame, subframe, focus mode 

G06 - OPTIONAL LOW PROFILE 

58mm shutter on Full Frame and 

Spectroscopy CCDs 




• 32 MByte camera memory 

• Subarray readout and fast sequencing modes 

• Adjustable fan speed for low/zero vibration 

• General purpose programmable I/O port 

• Programmable status indicators 

• Dual channel CCD support 

• 32/64 bit ActiveX drivers included with every system 

• Field upgradeable firmware 

Cooling (typical) 

Dark Current (typical 

for interline and frontilluminated 

CCDs) 

Temperature Stability 

Thermoelectric cooler with forced air. 

Maximum cooling up to 70°C below 

ambient temperature. 

0.01 e - /pixel/sec (-30°C) 

+/- 0.1 o C 

.55” Flange Focal Distance 

(optical) 

No shutter 


• AR coated silica windows 

• RBI pre-flash on non-Interline CCDs 

•Moisture free chambers 

• Liquid cooling options 

• Precision locking filter wheels optional 

Operating Environment 

Power 

-25º to 40ºC. Relative humidity: 10 to 

90% non-condensing. 

50W maximum power with cooling 

maximum. AC/DC “brick” supply with 

int’l AC input plug (100-240V, 50-60Hz). 

Alternate 12V input from user’s source. 

G09 - HIGHEST COOLING OPTION 


3” Thread Option 

Optional Thread-in Fieldstop 

Remote Triggering 

Op. System Support 

Featured Accessories 

LVTTL input allows exposure to start 

within 25 microseconds of rising edge 

of trigger. 

Windows, Macintosh, Linux 

AFW50-7S Filter Wheel, AFW50-9R 

Filter Wheel, AFW50-10S Filter Wheel 

and AFW31-17R Filter Wheel 

1.36” Flange Focal Distance 

(optical) 

58mm shutter on Full Frame and 

Spectroscopy CCDs 







151 N. Sunrise Ave. Ste 902 

Roseville CA 95661 USA 

www.ccd.com 

tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

ASPEN®

ASPEN ® - G07 CONFIGURATION 

ASPEN ® 



FULL FRAME CCDS 

Model CCD Array Size 

INTERLINE TRANSFER CCDS 

Pixel Size 

(microns) 

Array size (mm) 

X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

CG1 KAF-0402ME 768 512 9 6.9 4.6 31.9 8.3 M 

CG2 KAF-1603ME 1536 1024 9 13.8 9.2 127.4 16.6 M 

CG6 KAF-1001E 1024 1024 24 24.6 24.6 604 34.8 M 

CG9 KAF-6303E 3072 2048 9 27.6 18.4 509.6 33.2 M 

CG32 KAF-3200 2184 1472 6.8 14.9 10 148.7 17.9 M 

CG47 E2V CCD47-10** 1024 1024 13 13.3 13.3 177 18.8 M 

CG77 E2V CCD77-00** 512 512 24 12.3 12.3 151 17.4 M 

CG260 KAF-261E 512 512 20 10.2 10.2 104.9 14.5 M 

Mono=M 

Color=C 

CG8300 KAF-8300CE 3448 2574 5.4 18.6 13.9 259 23.2 M, C 

CG3041 Fairchild 3041 2048 2048 15 30.7 30.7 944 43.4 M 

CG42 E2V CCD42-40** 2048 2048 13.5 27.6 27.6 764 39.1 M 

CG230 E2VCCD230-42** 2048 2048 15 30.7 30.7 944 43.4 M 

CG9000 KAF-9000 3058 3058 12 36.7 36.7 1346.6 51.9 M 

CG16 KAF-16801E 4096 4096 9 36.9 36.9 1359 52.1 M 

CG16M KAF-16803 4096 4096 9 36.9 36.9 1359 52.1 M 


Pixel Size 

(microns) 


X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

Mono=M 

Color=C 

CG285 ICX285AL 1360 1024 6.45 8.8 6.6 57.9 11 M, C 

CG1050 KAI-1050 1024 1024 5.5 5.6 5.6 34.8 8.3 M, C 

CG2000 KAI-2020 1600 1200 7.4 11.8 8.9 105.1 14.8 M, C 

CG2050 KAI-2050 1600 1200 5.5 8.8 6.6 58.1 11 M, C 

CG2150 KAI-2150 1920 1080 5.5 10.6 5.9 62.7 12.1 M, C 

CG4000 KAI-4022 2048 2048 7.4 15.2 15.2 229.7 21.4 M, C 

CG4050 KAI-4050 2336 1752 5.5 12.8 9.6 123.8 16.1 M, C 

CG8050 KAI-8050 3298 2472 5.5 18.1 13.6 246.5 22.7 M, C 

CG16000 KAI-16000 4872 3248 7.4 36 24 866.5 43.3 M, C 

CG16050 KAI-16050 4896 3264 5.5 26.9 17.95 478 32.4 M, C 

CG29050 KAI-29050 6576 4384 5.5 36 24 872 43.5 M, C 

SPECTROSCOPY CCDS 


Pixel Size 

(microns) 


X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

Mono=M 

Color=C 

CG30 E2V CCD30-11** 1024 256 26 26.6 6.7 177 27.4 M 

CG30-OE E2V CCD30-11** 1024 256 26 26.6 6.7 177 27.4 M 

CG1007 

CG1008 

CG1009 

CG1107 

CG1108 

CG1109 

Hamamatsu S10140- 

1007** 


1008** 


1009** 


1107** 


1108** 


1109** 

1024 122 12 12.3 1.5 18 12.4 M 

1024 250 12 12.3 3 36.9 12.6 M 

1024 506 12 12.3 6.1 74.6 13.7 M 

512 122 12 24.6 1.5 36 24.6 M 

1024 250 12 24.6 3 73.7 24.8 M 

2048 506 12 24.6 6.1 149.2 25.3 M 







www.ccd.com 

tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

ASPEN®

DESCRIPTION 

ALTA ® F SERIES 



The Alta ® F Series represents the next step in the evolution of the Alta ® line of cameras with faster readout speeds. The 

Alta ® line continues to support a wide variety of front-illuminated, back-illuminated and interline transfer CCDs. All Alta ® 

systems are backed by a 2 year warranty on the camera and lifetime warranty on the CCD chamber integrity. Current U 

Series customers can easily upgrade their systems to F Series, for more information contact Apogee Customer Support. 

D01/D05 - STANDARD FOR SMALL CCDS 

Standard: D01 

Low Profile: D05 

PC Interface 



USB 2.0 

5 meters between hubs, 5 hubs 

max. (max. total of 30m); or up to 50m 

with icron 2.0 Ranger extender 

D02/D06 - STANDARD FOR MIDSIZE CCDS 

Standard: D02 



16 bits to 8 MHz 



• 32 MByte camera memory 




• Programmable cooling to 55 o C below ambient 

• General purpose programmable I/O port 

• Adjustable fan speed for low/zero vibration 



Pixel Binning 

Exposure Time 


Frame Sizes 

7 to 9 e - RMS at 1 MHz 


Interline CCDs: 

1 millisecond to 183 minutes 

Front- and Back-Illuminated CCDs: 

20 milliseconds to 183 minutes 





D07/D11 - STANDARD FOR LARGE CCDS 

Standard: D07 


• AR coated silica windows 

• RBI pre-flash available 

• Moisture free chambers 

• Liquid cooling option 



Dark Current (typical 

for interline and frontilluminated 

CCDs) 


Maximum cooling up to 55°C below 


0.01 e - /pixel/sec (-30°C) 


+/- 0.1 o C 


Power 



40W maximum power with shutter open 

and cooling maximum. AC/DC “brick” 

supply with int’l AC input plug (100- 

240V, 50-60Hz). Alternate 12V input 

from user’s source. 

Power 

USB 

Status 

LEDs 

I/O Connector 




of trigger. 




AFW50-7S Filter Wheel, AFW50-9R 









www.ccd.com 

tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

ALTA® F SERIES

ALTA ® F SERIES - D07 CONFIGURATION 

ALTA ® F SERIES 



BACK-ILLUMINATED CCDS 

Camera 

Model 

CCD 

FRONT-ILLUMINATED CCDS 

Array Size 

Pixel Size 

(microns) 


Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

F42 E2V CCD42-40 2048 2048 13.5 27.6 27.6 764 39.1 

F230 E2V CCD230-42 2048 2048 15 30.7 30.7 944 43.4 

F47 E2V CCD47-10 1024 1024 13 13.3 13.3 177 18.8 

F77 E2V CCD77-00 512 512 24 12.3 12.3 151 17.4 

F30 E2V CCD30-11 1024 256 26 26.6 6.7 177 27.4 

F1109 

F1108 

F1107 

F1009 

F1008 

F1007 


1109 


1108 


1107 


1009 


1008 


1007 

X 

Y 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

2048 506 12 24.6 6.1 149.2 25.3 

1024 250 12 24.6 3.0 73.7 24.8 

512 122 12 24.6 1.5 36.0 24.6 

1024 506 12 12.3 6.1 74.6 13.7 

1024 250 12 12.3 3.0 36.9 12.6 

1024 122 12 12.3 1.5 18.0 12.4 

Camera 

Model 

CCD 

Array Size 

Pixel Size 

(microns) 


X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

Mono=M 

Color=C 

F16 KAF-16801E 4096 4096 9 36.9 36.9 1359.0 52.1 M 

F16M KAF-16803 4096 4096 9 36.9 36.9 1359.0 52.1 M 

F9000 KAF-09000 3058 3058 12 36.7 36.7 1346.6 51.9 M 

F8300 KAF-8300CE 3448 2574 5.4 18.6 13.9 259 23.2 M,C 

F9 KAF-6303E 3072 2048 9 27.6 18.4 509.6 33.2 M 

F4320 KAF-4320E 2048 2048 24 49.1 49.1 2415 69.5 M 

F43 KAF-4301 2048 2048 24 49.1 49.1 2415 69.5 M 

F3041 Fairchild 3041 2048 2048 15 30.7 30.7 944 43.4 M 

F32 KAF-3200 2184 1472 6.8 14.9 10.0 148.7 17.9 M 

F2 KAF-1603ME 1536 1024 9 13.8 9.2 127.4 16.6 M 

F6 KAF-1001E 1024 1024 24 24.6 24.6 604.0 34.8 M 

F1 KAF-0402ME 768 512 9 6.9 4.6 31.9 8.3 M 

F260 KAF-0261E 512 512 20 10.2 10.2 104.9 14.5 M 

F30-OE E2V CCD30-11 1024 256 26 26.6 6.7 177 27.4 M 

F50 KAF-50100 8176 6132 6 49.1 36.8 1087 61.3 M,C 

INTERLINE TRANSFER CCDS 

Camera 

Model 

Kodak CCD 

Array Size 

Pixel Size 

(microns) 


X 

Y 

Imaging Area 

(mm2) 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

F29050 KAI-29050 6576 4384 5.5 36 24 872 43.5 M,C 

F16000 KAI-16000 4872 3248 7.4 36 24 866.5 43.3 M,C 

F4000 KAI-4022 2048 2048 7.4 15.2 15.2 229.7 21.4 M,C 

F2000 KAI-2020 1600 1200 7.4 11.8 8.9 105.1 14.8 M,C 

Mono=M 

Color=C 







www.ccd.com 

tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

ALTA® F SERIES

DESCRIPTION 

ASCENT ® 



The Ascent ® Camera Series supports a variety of interline transfer sensors with high quantum efficiency and low dark 

current. Most cameras are available with a choice of monochrome sensor or color sensor with a Bayer mosaic. Low 

noise and small pixels are ideal for OEM applications, astrophotography, biological sciences, guiding / adaptive optics, 

and other high frame rate applications. 

CCD CONFIGURATIONS 

Camera 

Model 

CCD Array Pixels 

Pixel size 

(microns) 

CCD Size 

(mm) 

Area 

(mm2) 

A29050 KAI-29050 6576 x 4384 28.8M 5.5 36 x 24 872 43.5 

A16050 KAI-16050 4896 x 3264 15.98M 5.5 26.9 x 17.95 478 32.4 

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

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

A4050 KAI-4050 2336 x 1752 4.2M 5.5 12.8 x 9.6 123.8 16.1 

Diagonal 

(mm) 

PC Interface 


USB 2.0 

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

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

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

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


5 meters between hubs, 5 hubs 

max. (max. total of 30m); or up to 50m 

with icron 2.0 Ranger extender 

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

A694 ICX694 2750 x 2200 6.1M 4.52 12.5 x 9.99 123.6 15.99 

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








Pixel Binning 

Exposure Time 

16 bits (single channel): 3.3 and 

10Mpixels/sec; 8 MHz (dual channel): 

16Mpixels/sec 

4.5 e - RMS at 3.3 MHz (A285); 6 e - 

RMS at 10 MHz (A285)*; 7 e - RMS at 

8/16 MHz (A2150) 


100 microseconds to 183 minutes 


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

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

MECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS 

• Programmable cooling to 35 o C below ambient 

• External triggering and strobe controls 

• Programmable offset and gain 



Frame Sizes 




• CCDs up to 29 Megapixels 

• Dual channel CCD support 

• Moisture free chambers 

• Video focus mode 



Dark Current (typical) 



Maximum cooling up to 30-35°C below 


A205: 0.1 e - /pixel/sec (-15 o C) 

+/- 0.1 o C 




Power 

20W maximum power with cooling 

maximum. AC/DC “brick” supply with 

int’l AC input plug (100-240V, 50-60Hz). 

Alternate 6V input from user’s source. 




of trigger. 

Back Focal Distance 

Standard: 0.32” (0.81cm). [optical] 

Mounting 

1.5” x 2.5” bolt pattern, 6-32 thread. 

Optional C-mount (1” 32 tpi thread), 

Nikon F-mount, or 2” slip-fit adapters. 




CFW25-6R Filter Wheel, CFW31-8R 



©2013 Apogee Imaging Systems Inc. Aspen, Alta and Ascent are registered trademarks of Apogee Imaging Systems Inc. 



www.ccd.com 

tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

ASCENT®

APOGEE ACCESSORIES 

COMPACT FILTER WHEELS 

The compact filter wheels, or CFW, designed for use with the 

Ascent ® series, support two sizes of filters. The CFW25-6R 

holds up to six 25mm or 1” round filters and the CFW31-8R 

holds up to eight 31mm or 1.25” round filters. These filter 

wheels are made to be directly integrated with the Ascent ® 

cameras via a peripheral interface accessible on the front of 

each system. The filter wheels are also capable of coupling 

with a variety of lens and slip fit adapters. 

ACCESSORIES 



Apogee Imaging Systems offers a full line of accessories including precision locking filter wheels that support up to four 

different filter sizes, a wide selection of filters, general and custom face plate and lens adapters, cable extenders and 

various software options. 

CFW25-6R & CFW31-8R 

6 positions / 8 positions 

25mm or 1” round / 31mm or 1.25” round filters 

2 to 5mm thick filters 

Drop-in (both), threaded (8R only) 

Weighs 0.85lbs. (0.39kg) / 1.85lbs. (0.84kg) 

0.775” (19.7mm) / 0.925” (23.5mm) in height 

DOUBLE FILTER WHEELS 

Apogee has now made it possible to attach any two of the 

same Alta ® filter wheels together, back-to-back, with no 

gap. It can be utilized with the AFW50-7S, AFW50-9R, 

AFW50-10S and AFW31-17R. 

ALTA ® FILTER WHEELS 

Alta ® filter wheels, or AFW, are actually compatible with every 

Apogee camera line, not just Alta ® . The AFW comes in four 

different configurations: AFW50-7S, AFW50-9R, AFW50-10S 

and now introducing the AFW31-17R. 

AFW50-7S 

7 positions 

50mm or 2” square filters 


Drop-in 

Weighs 3.5lbs. (1.6kg) 

1.15” (29.2mm) in height 

AFW50-9R 

9 positions 

50mm or 2” round filters 


Drop-in 



AFW31-17R 

17 positions 

31mm or 1.25” round filters 


Drop-in 



AFW50-10S 

10 positions 

50mm or 2” square filters 


Drop-in 



FILTERS 

Apogee carries all major brands 

and types of filters; from single 

notch to multi notch, short pass to 

long pass, Chroma ® to Astrodon ® 

and everything in between. We 

even provide custom sizing and 

coating options upon request in 

order to support all industry of 

filters your project demands. 

FACE PLATE ADAPTERS 

LR001 - LIQUID CHILLER UNIT 

The LR001 Liquid Chiller 

Unit provides precise 

control of the temperature of 

recirculated liquid for optimal 

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 Aspen ® , Alta ® 

and Ascent ® cameras. These 

units are machined precisely 

for accurate concentricity. 

cooling despite ambient 

temperature fluctuations. 

The unit removes heat from 

the vicinity of the camera, 

preventing atmospheric 

turbulence. The unit is best 

suited for use with the Alta ® 

and Aspen ® cameras which are both available with optional 

adaptation for liquid circulation. 

• 151 Watts cooling capacity (Delta T=0) 

• Voltage (100-240 VAC) 

• High accuracy digital controller (+/- 0.1°C) 

• RS-232 serial communication (RS-485 optional) 

• Low fluid level detector 

• Adjustable alarm for low & high temperature limits 

• 7’ (2.1m) detachable power cord (with three global power 

configurations) 

•Compact and quiet 

•Low maintenance 

LENS ADAPTERS 

Apogee Imaging Systems 

will make sure that you have 

an adapter for whatever you 

would like to interface to. If 

we don’t have it, we’ll locate 

it for you. If it doesn’t exist, 

we will provide superior 

mechanical engineering support to provide a custom 

solution. 

So whether it is a Nikon, Zeiss, Olympus, Takahashi, 

Televue, RC Optical systems, ASA, OGS, DFM, Canon, 

AstroOptik, Meade, Celestron, Orion, or a custom 

instrument, we will make it work. 

SOFTWARE 

Apogee cameras are 

compatible with many 

popular imaging 

software products 

including: 

•KestrelSpec 

(Spectroscopy) 

•MicroManager 

(Microscopy) 

•MaxIm DL/CCD (Astronomy, General Sciences) 

•CCDsoft (Astronomy, General Sciences) 

•Linux Support 

ICRON USB 2.0 RANGER 140/440 

The new icron USB 

2.0 Ranger ® 140 

and 440 extenders 

represent a 

significant 

milestone in the 

USB market 

supporting USB 2.0 

peripheral devices 

at speeds up to 480 Mb/s over a distance of 50 m/164 

ft. Powered by patented ExtremeUSB technology, the 

USB 2.0 Ranger 140 supports a single device port; the 

USB 2.0 Ranger 440 supports four device ports via 

an integrated hub. Both solutions are Class A devices 

enabling host computer and peripheral extension over 

standard Category 5 UTP cable. For longer distances 

up to 500m or 10km, the Ranger 442/444 are available. 







www.ccd.com 

tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

ACCESSORIES

APOGEE AND ASTRONOMY 

ASTRONOMY/PHYSICS 



Over the last 20 years, Apogee Imaging Systems has been supplying cooled CCD cameras to astronomers around 

the world. Our cameras are now used in more than 50 countries, from world-class professional observatories to 

backyard domes where “amateurs” add discovery after discovery every day. Over the years, we have kept track of 

every suggested improvement that we could add to the cameras to bring our technology to the next level. We have 

packaged Aspen ® , Alta ® and Ascent ® with as much of your wish lists as possible. With Aspen ® , we aimed at even better 

cooling; with Alta ® F, we focused on improving the speed of our already well known Alta ® U Series; with Ascent ® , we 

aimed at higher speeds and more accessible pricing. 

OUR FOUNDATION 

Our cameras have been used for highend 

astronomical applications like 

capturing the first images of optical 

counterparts of gamma ray bursts, plus 

thousands of discoveries of comets, 

near-Earth asteroids and extra-solar 

planets. Most recently Apogee worked 

side-by-side with NASA on their Hi-C 

Solar Research project, ultimately 

producing the camera that was 

integrated and launched with their high 

resolution star telescope to get close 

up pictures of the solar atmosphere of 

the sun. 

TIM PUCKETT, ASTRONOMY SALES AND OEM MANAGER 

Our Astronomy Sales Manager, Tim Puckett, currently operates a supernova search patrol. Puckett uses custom 

software to keep track of all the telescopes in the network to avoid overlap and to optimize output. To date, Puckett 

has taken more than one million images in the search and discovered more than 270 supernovae. Tim’s photos 

of comets and deep-sky objects have been published in books and magazines in 25 countries. His work has also 

been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CNN, BBC, The Discovery and Learning Channels and Good Morning 

America. Most recently, Tim was awarded the 2011 AAS Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award. Tim’s knowledge 

of astronomy and dedication to customer service are unparalleled. 

TIM PUCKETT 

TPUCKETT@CCD.COM 

(916) 960-9885 

FAX: (916) 218-7451 

Image taken by: Star Shadows Remote 

Observatory (SSRO) with an Alta U9 using 

an RCOS Carbon Truss 16 inch f/11.3 

Ritchey-Chretien telescope. 

BACK-ILLUMINATED CCDs 

Back-illuminated CCDs have 

long been the workhorses of the 

astronomy community. Their 

exceptional sensitivity makes them 

ideal for minimizing exposure time 

and maximizing signal-to-noise 

in such a low light application as 

astronomy. 

Image on left: Solar flare taken by NASA with 

Apogee Hi-C Camera 

LARGE FORMAT CCDs 

Apogee’s Alta F ® Series line currently 

supports three very large format CCDs 

in our D10 and D12 models; the KAF- 

4301, the KAF-4320 and the KAF- 

50100. With up to a 70mm diagonal, 

these sensors are ideal for applications 

ranging from image processing and 

wide field surveys to photometry and 

astrometry, radiography and surveillance 

to situational awareness, volcanic gas 

production analysis and panel display 

testing, as well as pretty much any 

space based applications. 

Cederblad 214 & NGC 7822 by: Tim Puckett and Adam 

Block using an Alta ® U9000 and an Alta ® U9 

KODAK KAF-16803 

The 16803 is partly new product and partly dramatic change 

in Kodak’s pricing of an old standby for huge field-of-view. 

Kodak has added anti-blooming and microlenses, maintaining 

most of the quantum efficiency of the old 16. Available in an 

Alta F16M or an Aspen CG16M. 

Absolute Quantum Efficiency (%) 

KODAK KAI-16000 

Wavelength (nm) 

F16M or CG16M 

4096 x 4096 

9 micron pixels 

36.9 x 36.9 mm 

1359 mm2 

Full Well: 85K e- 

Kodak’s large format interline transfer KAI-16000 CCD 

shares the 35mm film format with the KAI-11002, but with 

lower noise and lower dark current. Smaller pixels are an 

ideal match for large fields of view on shorter focal length 

telescopes. Available in an Alta F16, an Aspen CG16 or an 

Ascent A16000. 


F16000, CG16000 or A16000 

4872 x 3248 

7.4 micron pixels 

36 X 24 mm 

867 mm2 



F6 or CG6 

1024 x 1024 


24.6 x 24.6 mm 

604 mm2 

Full Well: 200K e- Low Noise 

500K e- High DR 

KODAK KAF-1001E 

This large format sensor has two output amplifiers; one for 

low noise and a second for exceptionally high dynamic range. 

Available in an Alta F6 or an Aspen CG6. 


F230 or CG230 

2048 x 2048 


30.7 x 30.7 mm 

944 mm2 



E2V CCD230-42 

The 230-42 is a very large format 4-megapixel backilluminated 

sensor with low read-out noise and phenomenal 

sensitivity which makes it ideal for applications requiring 

large field of view, such as sky surveys. Available in an 

Alta F230 or an Aspen CG230. 



Tim with Gene Shoemaker at Tim’s workshop in Georgia. 

ASTRONOMY/PHYSICS

APOGEE AND LIFE SCIENCE 

LIFE SCIENCE/BIOLOGY 



Apogee cameras are designed for a wide range of demanding scientific applications, with speed and ease of use being 

the primary concerns for most of our life science customers. Ascent ® offers a more compact housing at a lower cost with 

high-speed programmable 16-bit electronics and interline CCDs up to 29 megapixels. Alta ® and Aspen ® both offer better 

cooling and support a wider variety of CCD options, including very high quantum efficiency back-illuminated CCDs, with 

Aspen ® matching the speed of Ascent ® . All camera series are equipped with a direct USB 2.0 link between the camera 

and computer, allowing for easy installation, portability and fast data transfer rates. In addition, Aspen ® has a network 

interface that offers up to 2MHz throughput. 

Image courtesy of Dr. Nigel Woolf, University 

of California, San Diego 

INTERLINE TRANSFER CCDs 

Interline transfer CCDs are a great 

entry point into professional level 

imaging. Interlines have inherent 

anti-blooming, but less dynamic range 

and lower quantum efficiency than 

Truesense’s other front-illuminated 

sensors. However, interlines have 

the advantage of speed and a much 

lower price per pixel. 

With interline CCDs, the time between 

exposures is determined by the time 

that is required to read out the entire 

CCD, which varies from camera to 

camera. Interline sensors shutter 

the exposure by shifting the charge 

from the photodiode section of the 

pixel to the storage diode of the pixel, 

allowing for exposure times to be as 

short as a few microseconds. 

DUAL DIGITIZATION 

With our fast USB2 systems, 

we offer dual digitization: high 

precision, low noise 16-bit 

performance, as well as highspeed 

16-bit for focusing and other 

high frame rate needs. Digitization 

depth is selectable by image in 

the software. On the Ascent ® 

and Aspen ® systems, the ability 

to program readout rates using 

the 16-bit digitization allows the 

user to choose the best trade-off 

between noise and readout speed 

on an image-by-image basis. 

With Truesense’s interline transfer 

CCDs you can read two channels 

at up to 8MHz each, giving a total 

throughput of 16 megapixels per 

second. 

Neuron by Dr. Dale Hunter, Tufts University 

Image courtesy of Scientific Instrument Company 

MICRO-MANAGER SOFTWARE 

Micro-Manager software runs under 

ImageJ and MATLAB ® and provides 

control of automated microscopes, 

supporting time-lapses, multi-channel 

imaging, z-stacks and combinations 

thereof. Micro-Manager works with 

microscopes from all four major 

manufacturers (Leica, Nikon, Olympus 

and Zeiss), and peripherals such as 

stages, filter wheels and shutters. The 

software is free and open source. 


The 8050 has low noise and small pixels making it ideal for 

biological and physical sciences and other high frame rate 

applications. Available in an Ascent A8050 or an Aspen 

CG8050. 


SONY ICX285 

A8050 or CG8050 

3298 x 2472 


18.1 x 13.6 mm 

246.5 mm2 


The 285’s small pixels and high dynamic range make it ideal 

for microscopy. It is available in monochrome or color as an 

Ascent A285 or an Aspen CG285. 


Monochrome CCD (KAI-8050M) 


Color CCD (KAI-8050CM) 

A285 or CG285 

1360 x 1024 


8.8 x 6.6 mm 

57.9 mm2 



F2000, CG2000 or A2000 

1600 x 1200 


11.8 x 8.9 mm 

105.1 mm2 





The KAI-2020 is a 2-megapixel interline transfer sensor with 

high quantum efficiency and twice the dynamic range of 

similar Sony sensors. Low noise and small pixels make it 

ideal for OEM applications, biological and physical sciences. 

Available in an Alta F2000, an Ascent A2000 or an Aspen 

CG2000. 

A4050 or CG4050 

2336 x 1752 


12.8 x 9.6 mm 

123.8 mm2 




This 4-megapixel interline transfer sensor features a 

broad dynamic range, low noise and high sensitivity. 

Available in an Ascent A4050 or an Aspen CG4050. 


Image on left by Dr. Dave Rapaport of 

University of California, San Diego 

Frog retina by Dr. David Rapaport of University of 

California, San Diego 

©2013 Apogee Imaging Systems 

Inc. Aspen, Alta and Ascent are 

registered trademarks of Apogee 

Imaging Systems Inc. 




LIFE SCIENCE/BIOLOGY 

Monochrome CCD (KAI-8050M)

OEM IMAGING SOLUTIONS 

OEM SOLUTIONS 



Apogee is a proven supplier of OEM imaging solutions. Not only do we have one of the largest arrays of CCDs to 

choose from in the business, but we can also work with you to modify any version of our standard systems or create a 

completely new one to fit your applications needs. 

OEM EVALUATION PROGRAM 

Not sure what you want or what would 

work best for you? Let us help you find 

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 

chose, we provide OEM customers 

with a system for evaluation for four 

weeks. The best way to feel confident 

that our systems are right for you is to 

try one out. 

BROAD SELECTION 

We offer a wide selection of CCDs, 

from interlines to full frames and 

spectroscopy sensors, from 313K up 

to 29M pixels. 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. 

Image courtesy of Ventana Medical Systems 

COST 

Apogee supplies the best price/ 

performance in the industry. 

Researchers rely on Apogee to 

provide excellent value for their 

investment. OEMs rely on Apogee 

to make their products more cost 

effective and competitive. Please 

contact our sales team for a 

quotation for any quantity, large or 

small. 

Microarray by Apogee personnel 

JOHN GLUECK, INTERNATIONAL DEALER AND OEM SALES MANAGER 

John Glueck has a diverse background in business information technology 

management, business development, sales management and marketing. 

From Schnitzer Steel Industries, where he managed sales and business 

development for ten years, assisting to double the size of the company in 

that time. With nearly two decades of experience in building successful 

relationships between businesses and international 

customers, John provides the kind of attention and 

support your business needs to successfully sell 

Apogee products. 

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. 

Echelle spectrograph image from deuteriumtungsten 

source (UV at top) 

CUSTOMIZATION 

Apogee Imaging Systems has a long 

history of working with OEM customers 

to modify our product to fit their 

requirements. Perhaps you need to 

incorporate custom optical elements or 

to reduce the back focal distance of the 

camera or maybe just change the color 

of the camera’s housing. Let us know 

how we can optimize our cameras to 

best suit your application. 

JOHN GLUECK 

JGLUECK@CCD.COM 

(916) 288-8377 X 212 

CELL: (916) 864-6831 

FAX: (916) 218-7451 


The KAI-4022 is a 4-megapixel interline transfer sensor with 

high quantum efficiency and twice the dynamic range of 

similar Sony sensors. Low noise and small pixels make it 

ideal for OEM applications, biological and physical sciences. 

Available in an Alta F4000, an Ascent A4000 or an Aspen 

CG4000. 



F4000, A4000 or CG4000 

2048 x 2048 


15.2 x 15.2 mm 

230 mm2 


The 8300 is an ideal low cost camera ideal for applications 

requiring a large field of view with a smaller pixel. The CCD is 

available as monochrome or color. Available in an Alta F8300 

or an Aspen CG8300. 





www.ccd.com 



tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 


F8300 or CG8300 

3326 x 2504 


18 x 13.5 mm 

243 mm2 

Full Well: 25.5K e- 

Absolute Quantum Efficiency (%) Absolute Quantum Efficiency (%) 

F47 or CG47 

1024 x 1024 


13.3 x 13.3 mm 

177 mm2 


F32 or CG32 

2184 x 1472 


14.9 x 10.0 mm 

149 mm2 



F47-UV F47-MB F47-BB 

OEM SOLUTIONS 

E2V CCD47-10 

Back-illuminated CCDs have long been the ideal research 

instruments of the astronomy community. Their exceptional 

sensitivity and low readout noise make them ideal for 

minimizing exposure time and maximizing signal-to-noise in 

low light applications like astronomy. Available in an Alta F47 

or an Aspen CG47. 



This 3-megapixel Kodak Blue Plus full frame sensor has 

a very high quantum efficiency and high dynamic range 

when compared to interline CCDs. Low noise and small 

pixels make it ideal for fluorescence microscopy and 

OEM applications. Available in an Alta F32or an Aspen 

CG32.

CCD SELECTION 

CCD SELECTION 



CCDs come in many shapes and sizes, as well as several different architectures. Some architectures, like backilluminated, 

were developed to address the needs of extremely low light applications, like astronomy. There are many 

factors to be considered when picking the ideal CCD for your unique application, so Apogee’s sales staff is always on 

hand to help answer any questions and make suggestions based on your individual needs. 

PIXEL SIZE 

The larger the pixel, the more 

sensitive the camera will be for any 

given focal length. When we attempt 

to increase the resolution of smaller 

pixels, we risk oversampling images 

and see a reduction in sensitivity. 

Alternately, if pixel size is increased 

too much, there is a risk of producing 

undersampled and blocky images. 

It’s all about finding the right balance 

to get the most out of your imaging 

experience. 

Left: example 

of an 

undersampled 

image of a star 

R i g h t : 

example of an 

oversampled 

image of a star 

DARK CURRENT 

Dark current is thermally generated 

signal that produces electrons in 

the CCD based on the time and the 

temperature of the CCD, even when 

it is not being exposed to light. By 

cooling the CCD, the amount of dark 

current signal can be reduced by half 

for every 5 to 7 degrees of cooling. 

The ability to cool with a tightly 

controlled regulation loop over time 

is key to producing long exposure 

images with the lowest possible dark 

noise each time. 

ANTI-BLOOMING 

Anti-blooming (AB) bleeds off 

excess charge from individual 

pixels so that it does not spill over 

into neighboring pixels, causing 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. 

In the past, AB drastically lowered 

full well capacity and quantum 

efficiency, but newer Truesense 

CCDs have anti-blooming with 

higher quantum efficiency and full 

well capacities. 

QUANTUM EFFICIENCY 

Quantum efficiency, or QE, 

describes a CCD’s response to 

different wavelengths of light. 

Standard front-illuminated sensors 

are more sensitive to colors in 

the 500 to 800 nm range, which 

includes greens, reds and infrared 

wavelengths of light. 

Back-illuminated CCDs have 

exceptional quantum efficiency 

compared to front-illuminated 

CCDs. They have the highest 

overall sensitivity due to the way 

they are constructed. The higher 

the sensitivity of a CCD, the higher 

the quantum efficiency and the 

shorter exposure length is needed, 

allowing for more exposures. 

Interline transfer CCDs can take 

extremely short exposures, but 

have lower sensitivity and a smaller 

dynamic range than full frame 

CCDs. 

COLOR CCDs 

Color CCDs have their pros and cons. 

They are great for convenient one-shot 

color. However, because the typical 

red-blue-green (RGB) Bayer pattern 

is over the pixels of the CCD it cannot 

be changed. There is no way to toggle 

between monochromatic imaging, RGB 

or cyan-magenta-yellow (CMY). They 

also cannot deliver the full resolution 

of the imager, but they can produce all 

three color channels at the exact same 

instant in time. 

Typical RGB Bayer filter pattern designed to mimic 

the responsiveness of the human eye. 

DYNAMIC RANGE 

The dynamic range of a CCD is often 

represented as a log ratio of well depth 

to the readout noise in decibels (dB). 

A system with a well depth of 85,000 

electrons and a readout noise of 12 

electrons, for example, would have a 

dynamic range that looked like: 20 log 

(85,000/12) or 77dB. The higher this 

number is the better. 

DIGITIZATION 

Digitization is the process by which 

charge from the CCD is translated into 

a binary form used by the computer. 

Apogee’s camera systems digitize to 16 

bits. 





MICROLENSED CCDs 

Many CCDs now use microlenses over 

each pixel, as pictured below. In the case 

of interline transfer CCDs, the microlenses 

focus the light onto the photodiode. 

CCD GRADES 

Each manufacturer’s specification sheet for 

an imager defines the cosmetic grades for 

that specific CCD. Different manufacturers 

use different procedures to define CCD 

grades. Truesense Imaging, for example, 

usually grades their CCDs at about 25°C 

and most of their defects disappear in 

cooled cameras when the images are flatfielded. 

In most cases, you cannot see 

the difference between 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. 

Apogee abbreviates CCD grades as follows: 

0 = Grade 0 (e2V only) 

1 = Grade 1 

2 = Grade 2 

S = Standard Grade 

C = Custom Grade 

X = Engineering Grade 



www.ccd.com 

tel 916 218 7450 

fax 916 218 7451 

UV & NIR WAVELENGTHS 

The highest quantum efficiency 

between 200 and 400 nanometers 

is found in back-illuminated 

UV enhanced CCDs from 

manufacturers such as e2v and 

Hamamatsu. Due to the fact that 

back-illuminated CCDs have the 

highest QE in the near infrared, or 

NIR, they are subject to etaloning, 

which is also referred to as 

“fringing”. The long wavelengths 

basically bounce around inside the 

CCD itself. 

Example of etaloning 

SYSTEM GAIN 

System gain is the way of 

expressing how many electrons 

of charge are represented by 

each count (ADU). A gain of 2.5 

electrons/ADU indicates that each 

count or gray level represents 2.5 

electrons. System gains which are 

unnecessarily high can result in 

more digitization noise and gains 

that are too low can minimize noise 

at the expense of the well depth. 

System gain is designed to be a 

balance between digitization noise, 

digitization counts and total well 

depth. 

READOUT NOISE 

Readout noise is specified by both 

the CCD and the overall performance 

of the camera. Noise is specified in 

electrons (e-) and is created when 

unwanted signals either from the CCD 

or the electronics of the camera are 

processed with the imaging signal during 

digitization. Noise is also integrated 

into the signal because the dumping 

of charges from the CCD pixels will 

not always yield the same result during 

analog to digital conversion. The lower 

the noise of the camera system, the 

more useful a signal it will be able to 

obtain from a noisy background in low 

light conditions. 

CCD UNIVERSITY 

Still interested in learning more about 

CCDs, their functions and what features 

are important to making the correct 

CCD choice for your unique needs? 

Visit Apogee’s CCD University at: 

http://www.ccd.com/ccdu.html 

For more in depth information about 

topics the topics seen here and others 

like: camera test methods, correlated 

double sampling, charge transfer 

efficiency and more. 

CCD SELECTION

Product Overview Brochure - Apogee Instruments, Inc.

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