The PCI Express interface for cameras flexes its muscles

Existing CCDs have thus far remained the go-to technology for scientific measurements, in spite of being unable to match the pace of CMOS innovation. The MX377 camera delivers scientific imaging capabilities with high dynamic range and low noise – at high speed. The MX camera line utilizes a multi-lane PCIe interface which is able to deliver data at the maximum rates the sensor is capable of. The MX377 was also designed with cooling for low light level applications.

The MX377 camera can be provided with several versions of the GSENSE6060 sensor, including frontside (FSI) or backside (BSI) illuminated models.

With the sCMOS BSI sensor, the MX377 reaches a maximum Quantum Efficiency of 95%. Due to the large sensor format of 60 x 60mm, 6k by 6k resolution and 10 μm pixel size, the MX377 is a perfect fit for applications demanding a medium to large format sensor. The output signal from the GSENSE6060 pixels is processed by two readout amplifiers (hi and lo) allowing an HDR readout (2 x 12bit ADC) with up to 90 dB dynamic range. All this with a frame rate of up to 44 fps and a full well capacity of 120 Ke-.

The PCIe interface delivers data with near zero latency from the sensor to the operating computer’s RAM (or GPU) for optimum processing capability and speed. The sensor itself has a number of groundbreaking properties with high dynamic range (FWC close what is expected from CCDs) and dual amplifiers for simultaneous integration of the imagery to deliver high bit depth information on the contents of the image.

The MX377 was designed with a wide range of scientific applications in mind, high energy physics, life science, TEM, astronomy, space situational awareness (SSA) and others. These and other applications will benefit from the combination of high-speed CMOS performance with CCD like data quality in dynamic range and noise, further improved by the availability of either air or water based cooling options to reduce thermal noise for long exposures. This large format sensor and all its capabilities comes in a very compact package, compatible with M95 lenses. The compact CNC machined camera housing is designed with XIMEA’s core principles in mind of remaining small and fast.