01 Mar 2007 Princeton Instruments/Acton announces the expansion of the renowned PhotonMAX line of high performance EMCCD cameras with a new frame-transfer 1Kx1K back illuminated electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) array. The PhotonMAX is the world’s first and only EMCCD camera with lifetime vacuum guarantee to achieve -80°C cooling without water or liquid nitrogen! Its all-metal, permanent-seal vacuum design is guaranteed for the lifetime of the camera.
“We’ve optimized every aspect of the PhotonMAX: 1024B to achieve unsurpassed sensitivity, speed, reliability, and ease of use. The gold standard for low-light-level imaging systems has just gotten better,” comments Ravi Guntupalli, imaging product manager. “The camera delivers significant improvement in signal-to-noise ratio, speed and field of view; researchers will be able to design experiments previously considered too difficult, or even impossible.”
The new PhotonMAX: 1024B provides large 13.3 µm x 13.3 µm field of view with ~95% peak quantum efficiency, ideal for large format, low light level imaging. The camera provides everything you come to expect from a state-of-the-art EMCCD design: sub-electron read noise with on-chip multiplication gain technology, high and low speed operation, and low spurious and dark noise. It is an ideal solution for applications such as astronomy, multi-spectral imaging, single-molecule fluorescence and plasma diagnostics. Furthermore, the camera’s ultra-deep cooling minimizes dark current, making the PhotonMAX: 1024B suitable for a broad range of steady state imaging applications that require long exposures.
Other unique features of the PhotonMAX include individually optimized dual readout ports (for "2-in-1" camera performance), with 16-bit digitization, and an optional fiberoptic data interface that enables remote operation from distances up to 300 meters. A 12-bit, 4096-step digital-to-analog converter offers precise control over on-chip multiplication gain. The new EMCCD camera’s all-solid-state amplification eliminates the drawbacks (lower resolution and higher susceptibility to damage) associated with image intensifiers and provides superior signal-to-noise ratio.
PhotonMAX cameras are available with Princeton Instruments WinView and WinSpec software packages, which provide powerful data-acquisition capabilities. A macro-record feature automates complex experiments quickly and easily, while advanced circular-buffer data capture enables the real-time viewing and frame access. For simple integration with other laboratory equipment, a full suite of ready-to-use National Instruments™ LabVIEW™ VI modules is available. PhotonMAX cameras are supported under Windows® 2000/XP, Mac OS 10.3 (Panther), and Linux® operating systems. |
