iXon LifeEMCCD Performance...Superb Value
Key Specifications

Key Applications

3

High Sensitivity: Up to 95% QE

3Fluorescence microscopy

3

Fast Speeds: Up to 56 fps

3Single molecule detection

3

TE cooling to -80°C

3Virology studies

3

NEW SRRF-Stream+

3

Super-resolution

3

Stunning price/performance3

Live cell microscopy

3

UltraVac™ vacuum technology

3

Luminescence

3

FPGA Timestamp: 10 ns accuracy

3

Dynamic biological processes

NOW WITH

SRRF-STREAM+TECHNOLOGY

andor.com

iXon LifeEMCCD ultrasensitivity…breakthrough price!
Andor’s latest iXon Life EMCCD (Electron Multiplying CCD) platform isavailable exclusively for fluorescence microscopy applications and isengineered to deliver single photon sensitivity with absolutely unparalleledprice/performance.
Available in 1024 x 1024 and 512 x 512 sensor formats, each backilluminated, to deliver the highest and broadest QE of any microscopy camera,
and deep cooled down to -80oC for minimal darkcurrent, iXon Life represents
a way to access, quite simply, the ultimate detector technology for single
molecule biophysics and low-light live cell microscopy, in a distinctly budget
friendly format.
Available with NEW SRRF-Stream+ technology, converting most modern conventional microscopes into a realtime super-resolution microscope, for imaging live and fixed cells at low excitation intensities with standard
fluorophores and dyes e.g. GFP and AlexFluor series. Find out about the benefits of the latest improved version
in the SRRF-Stream+ technical note.

EMCCD Technology PerfectedAndor are the market leaders in EMCCD technology, innovating and perfecting this stimulating technology
space for almost 20 years, with well beyond 10,000 EMCCD cameras used in countless publications.
Andor’s superb reputation for performance and quality has been brought to bear in this latest generation
platform in an amazing value format that has been designed exclusively for fluorescence microscopy
customers, yet without compromising on the key performance attributes that are critical for this challenging
area of research.
Specification

888

897

Active pixels (H x V)

1024 x 1024

512 x 512

Pixel Size (H x V: µm)

13 x 1316 x 16

Active Area Pixel Well
Depth (e-)

80,000180,000

Max Readout Rate (MHz)30

17

Relative sensor size of the iXon Life models:

2

Model

Image Area
(W x H, mm)

Diagonal(mm)

888

13.3 x 13.3

18.8

897

8.2 x 8.2

11.6

Features & Benefits
Feature Benefit
Single Photon Sensitive & > 95% QE

Optimal SNR in light starved applications such as single molecule detection
and quantum physics.

Real time, cell super-resolution functionality. Living and fixed cells, works on
NEW ‘SRRF-Stream+’ (optional) most modern fluorescence microscopes. Now updated to deliver even bettersuper-resolution down to 50nm.
Overclocked readout speeds Follow highly dynamic intracellular processes.
Continuous imaging with fastest possible frame rate from centrally
Crop Mode positioned ROIs. Highly enabling for live cell super-resolution and much more(e.g. 251 fps with 256 x 256 ROI).
TE cooling to -80°C Elimination of dark current noise contributions.
Superior Baseline Clamp and EM Stability Essential for quantitative accuracy of dynamic measurements.
RealGain™

Absolute EMCCD gain selectable directly from a linear and quantitative
scale.

OptAcquire

Optimize the highly flexible iXon for different application requirements at theclick of a button. Makes using EMCCD easy.

Quantify your data in electrons or incident photons capture and view data in
Count Convert electrons or incident photons. Applied either in real-time or post-processing,Count Convert does this important conversion for you.
EMCAL™

Patented user-initiated self-recalibration of EM gain. Maintains stability year
after year.

Minimal Clock-Induced Charge Unique pixel clocking parameters, yields minimized spurious noise floor.
UltraVac™
Spurious Noise Filter

Critical for sustained vacuum integrity and maintains unequalled cooling and
QE performance, year after year. Seven year vacuum warranty.
Intelligent algorithms to filter clock induced charge events from thebackground. Real-time or post-processing.

iCam Exposure time fast switching provides market leading acquisition efficiency.
FPGA Timestamp Hardware generated timestamp with 10 ns accuracy.

What difference can the iXon Life EMCCD make?
The new iXon Life delivers on the key attributes of ultra-sensitivity that thousands of Andor iXon EMCCD
customers have been benefiting from for many years:
3 Single Molecule Detection – Single molecule experiments present us with the considerable challenge ofimaging within the limited photon budget of dynamic, individual fluorescent molecules, while also avoiding
photobleaching. Andor iXon EMCCDs remain the definitive detector for the most demanding low lightapplications, capable of working at light levels below that of any sCMOS detector.
3 Reduced phototoxicity – iXon Life facilitates use of lowest possible excitation power while maintaining
superb signal to noise ratio, minimizing phototoxic effects. No other camera is this good at preserving your cell’s
physiological behaviour over extended periods of measurement.
3 Lowest dye concentrations – There is an ongoing drive in fluorescence microscopy to push to lower andlower fluorophore concentrations in order not to perturb the physiology of the living cells being studied. iXon
Life’s superior sensitivity facilitates use of unprecedentedly low label concentrations, thus minimizing the‘observer effect’.
3Application Focus
Single Molecule Detection
For many years, Andor’s iXon EMCCDs have been the gold standard
detectors of the biophysics laboratory and virology laboratories. To thisday they remain the dominant detector type, operating in a low light
regime that has been shown to be less suitedto even back-illuminated
sCMOS cameras, especially under the critically demanding conditions ofminimized fluorophore photobleaching.
The accelerated readout rates of the iXon Life, especially combined with
‘Optically Centred Crop Mode’, means that dynamic single molecule
processes can be better characterised. The 13 μm pixel of the 888 model
provides superb single molecule resolving capability at the diffraction limit,
while preserving optical photon collection efficiency.

Single molecule imaging mRNA (red),
during translation, and proteins, FLAGKDM5B (green) and HA-KDM5B (blue).
Courtesy of Timothy J. Stasevich, IGAF,
Colorado State University.

Virology Studies
Fluorescence imaging techniques such as STORM, TIRF and SIM,
alongside improved labelling strategies are helping greatly in our
understanding of viruses and the intricate relationships with the host cell.
iXon EMCCD cameras have a proven history as the detectors of choice forthe most challenging virology imaging applications. Andor’s latest iXon
Life EMCCD cameras are perfectly suited to capturing the inherently weaksignals found in these experiments and provide higher speeds and wider
fields of view than previous generations of EMCCD cameras.
Ch. 1 (green) is the cellular replication
protein A (RPA32) Ch. 2 (white) is vDNA
labeled by FISH. Ch. 3 (red) is the viral
LT protein. Image courtesy of Douglas
Peters, Garcea Lab

Image on the right of MuPyV infected cells treated with HU (Hydroxyurea)
used to investigate organization within virus replication centres (VRC).
C57BL/6 mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) cells were treated with HU
then allowed to recover for 4hrs prior to fixation.

Super-resolution
Take a look at many super-resolution systems
from dSTORM, PALM, STED, DNA Paint to
3D-SIM, and more often than not you will findan iXon EMCCD camera! This comes as no
surprise as these high-end imaging systems
need the most sensitive detector available. The
new iXon Life EMCCD also provides an option
for the growing number of self-build superresolution systems.
Two sensor sizes and pixel size options provide
flexibility and extract the highest speeds fromthe format. This combines to deliver a superior
solution to that of back-illuminated sCMOS
when the highest sensitivity is required.

4

Sequential PALM (RNAp), PAINT(membrane) and dSTORM (DNA) imaging ofE.coli cells. Scale bar is 1 μm. Courtesy of Christoph Spahn, Ulrike Endesfelder& Mike Heilemann, Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, GoetheUniversity Frankfurt.

Physiology / Ion Imaging & Cell Motility
Capturing fast and dynamic events such as calcium sparks and waves
is difficult from an imaging perspective. Having a fast detector is simply
not enough in practice since the photon levels are highly restricted during
these short exposures. sCMOS cameras, though capable of faster frame
rates, may require longer exposures and this ultimately imposes the limiton their true frame rates. With iXon Life, using EM gain allows operation at
the lowest signal levels present in very short exposures. For this reason, thesensitivity of EMCCD and superb custom ROI speeds combine to make theiXon Life 888 and 897 the best possible detectors for many experiments.
For when signal levels are higher we recommend Zyla and Sona sCMOS
cameras as we can exploit the larger fields of view. requiring high temporal
resolution. The same advantages play equally well to imaging of motile
cells.

Initiation, propagation and termination ofa Ca2+ wave visualized with FURA-2 dye.
Courtesy of Mark Hollywoood, Dundalk
Institute of Technology.

Spinning Disk Confocal
The iXon Life 888 is the ideal detector to drive superlative performancefrom confocal spinning disk technology. Whilst affording superb confocality
and low rates of phototoxicity, spinning disk experiments are inherently
photon starved, by virtue of the photon rejection that results from opticalsectioning. The superior sensitivity of the iXon Life detector brings these
low light images to life!

Adult zebrafish retina: cone
photoreceptors (pink) and two
subpopulations of bipolar cells (redand green). Courtesy of Tim McGinn,
University of Idaho.

Often, confocal systems such as the Andor Dragonfly multi-modal confocal
system are equipped with a second Andor sCMOS camera. This allows for
maximum flexibility of EMCCD sensitivity when required, and when higher
light levels are present, the sCMOS camera can provide a wider field ofview and higher imaging speeds.

Luminescence
Not all studies require high speed imaging. Luminescence based studies require extended exposures of many
minutes and even longer. Luciferase reporter systems may have photon levels as low as 0.05 photons per µm2of the sensor and due to extended exposures required, experiments are limited by dark current.
Andor CCD and EMCCD cameras feature the deepest possible cooling- possible using exclusive permanent
vacuum technology. These deep-cooled CCD detectors have the lowest dark current - 100 to 1000 fold lower
than sCMOS cameras. Broad QE response, superior thermal stability and quantitative accuracy combine toensure the most accurate results over these extended exposures.
For general luminescence studies the iKon CCD series is highly suitable. For the weakest signals e.g. forinvestigating single cells or plant growth promoting bacteria within rhizomes, the iXon EMCCD cameras arerecommended. Read more in our solution note here.

5

SRRF-STREAM+
Super-resolution techniques such as STORM, PALM and STED have broken
the diffraction barrier and enable the structures and inner workings of cells tobe seen in greater detail than ever before. However, many of these techniques
require specialized fluorophores, high illumination intensities or complex and
expensive optical setups. SRRF (Super-resolution Radial Fluctuations) captures
a burst of image frames of short exposure, with the SRRF algorithm building
up each superresolved image based on radial fluctuations of the fluorophores
over time (Gustafsson et al., 2016). Thus, SRRF offers a highly effective
software-based approach that is applicable to many cell biology studies
Right: Comparative TIRF image compared to TIRF with SRRF-Stream super-resolution. Liveimaging of Jurkat T cells. Courtesy of Ricardo Henriques, MCR LMB, University College London.

Making Real-Time Live Super-resolution possible with SRRF-Stream
Exclusive to compatible Andor cameras, SRRF-Stream leverages GPU optimization to greatly increase processing of the
SRRF algorithm. This makes it possible to perform super-resolution microscopy on conventional modern fluorescencemicroscopes in real-time!
Real Time – enhanced workflow, avoids post-processing. View in ‘Live Mode’.
Low Excitation Intensities – prolonged live cell observations & accurate physiology.
Conventional Fluorophores– simple labelling, no photo-switching required.
Live Cell Dynamics – full FOV super-res images every 1-2 secs. > 10 fps using ROI.
Cost-Effective – convert conventional fluorescence microscopes to super-resolution
microscopes.

3
3
3
3
3

Right: Microtubule structure in fluorescently labelled BPAE cells (Fluocells, revealed in highresolution with SRRF-Stream.

NEW SRRF-Stream+
The latest version, “SRRF-Stream+” has been updated to improve image quality
further. By updating and optimizing GPU processing efficiency it has been possible
to increase the number of axis of radiality used in processing intensity gradientsfrom 6 to 24, without impacting speed. This has the effect of eliminating any
artefacts due to limited axes that could be observed in the original SRRF-Stream
for some data sets. With SRRF-Stream+ image quality is therefore enhanced, while
all the other benefits of SRRF-Stream have been maintained. Refer to the SRRF
Stream+ technical note to find out more.

SRRF-Stream

SRRF-Stream+

SRRF-Stream+ uses 24 axis during intensity
mapping allowing for a more accurate
processing of radiality information.

What do I need to run SRRF-Stream+?
SRRF-Stream+ runs exclusively on Andor SRRF-Stream compatible iXon Life and Ultra cameras The following is required for
SRRF-Stream+ enabled super-resolution:
3

SRRF-Stream compatible Andor camera

3



SRRF-Stream license (one per camera)3PC with GPU (Nvidia CUDA enabled)3Software: MicroManager, Fusion or via Andor SDK

To find out more about how to run SRRF-Stream, refer to the SRRF-Stream technical note
Users of the original SRRF-Stream can also avail of this enhanced performance. A SRRF-Stream+ updater utility isavailable from your local Andor product support team as a fast and hassle-free way to upgrade.

6

EMCCD or Back-illuminated sCMOS?
Since the first sCMOS cameras were introduced by Andor,
many have made comparisons with Electron Multiplying(EMCCD) cameras to determine their suitability for different
applications. The arrival of back-illuminated sCMOS
cameras has seen renewed interest in comparisons ofrelative performance against EMCCD. With many tests
being done, we can now get a clearer picture of how thelatest models of the different technologies compare.
For general fluorescence microscopy, when light is not in
the order of single figure photons per pixel, the strengths ofsCMOS such as low noise, speed and large fields of view

make sCMOS ideally suited. However, for applications such as
single molecule studies, or when techniques such as confocal,
TIRF or other techniques that aim to optically section lightare used, light is inherently limited. Therefore, in these morechallenging imaging conditions EMCCD are the preferredsolution. Electron multiplication that happens before readoutof EMCCD cameras boosts the signal many fold above thenoise floor and thus allows EMCCD cameras to operate atlight levels below that of even the latest back-illuminated
sCMOS models. Not only does this mean shorter exposures, or
lower illumination is possible– it means detecting a signal in
the first instance.

Upgrading an older EMCCD Camera

Imaging into the UV or Infrared

Upgrading to the latest EMCCD camera like the iXon Life
888 will bring higher speeds and wider fields of view. They
will also have comparable, or superior sensitivity. If you only
use lower gain settings and have higher level signals thenyou may be able to use a back-illuminated sCMOS camera
such as the Sona 4.2B-11 to allow even faster speeds overwider fields of view.

Some studies call for optimum sensitivity within the UV or NIR
regions. iXon Ultra EMCCD models provide extended response

Working Magnifications
Imaging at lower magnifications requires a smaller effective
pixel size to ensure that the resolution of the optical system
is maintained. sCMOS cameras like the Sona 4.2B-6 havesmaller pixels compared to EMCCD cameras making them
perfectly suited to 40x and 60x. With large 13 or 16 µm
pixels, iXon Life EMCCD cameras prioritize photon collection
and imaging at higher magnifications e.g. 100x. Note that
additional magnification can be added to reduce effective
size to improve sampling.

Log 10 ( Signal to Noise Ratio )100

into these regions.

Upgrading sCMOS or Interline CCD Cameras
Upgrading an older sCMOS or interline CCD camera to thelatest back-illuminated sCMOS cameras with deep cooled
vacuum technology such as the Sona 4.2B-6 eliminating hot
pixels.
Sona 4.2B-6: familiar 4.2 Megapixel sensor format making an
convenient way to access improved sensitivity provided by
95% QE and deeper cooling.
Sona 4.2B-11: Improved sensitivity and at 32 mm, the widest
available field of view.
Still not sure which to choose? Andor have the most sensitive
EMCCD and back-illuminated sCMOS cameras available.
Contact your local Andor representative to arrange a demo of
the best of each of these technologies.

Imaging Regimes Confocal microscopy
Single molecule studies

Fluorescence microscopy

101
iXon Ultra 888
Sona 4.2B-11

0.1
1

10
100
2
Log10 ( Photons per 13 µm area )
m

1000

7

Technical Specifications
System Specifications•2

iXon Life 888

iXon Life 897

BV: Back Illuminated, standard AR coatedSensorActive pixels

1024 x 1024

512 x 512

Pixel size

13 x 13 μm

16 x 16 μm

Image area

13.3 x 13.3 mm with 100% fill factor

8.2 x 8.2 mm with 100% fill factor•3

Pixel Readout Rate

30 MHzMinimum temperature, air cooled, ambient 20°C
Chiller liquid cooling, coolant @ 10°C, >0.75l/min

-55ºC
-65ºC

10 MHz17 MHz10 MHz

-70ºC
-80ºC

-70ºC
-80ºC

-70ºC
-80ºC

± 0.01°C

Thermostatic Precision
Triggering

Internal, External, External Start, External Exposure, Software Trigger

System window type

UV-grade fused silica, Broadband Visible-Near Infrared, 0.5 degree wedge

Blemish specification

Grade 1 sensor from supplier. Camera blemishes as defined by Andor Grade A
16-bit (at all speeds)

Digitization
PC Interface

USB 3.0•12

USB 2.0
C-mount

Lens Mount

Advanced Performance Specifications •2
iXon Life 888

iXon Life 897

Dark current (e-/pixel/sec) @ -80°C

0.000250.0007

Spurious background (events/pix) @ 1000x gain / -80°C

0.005

0.0018

Active area pixel well depth

80,000 e-

180,000 e-•6730,000 e-

800, 000 e-

Pixel readout rates

30, 10 MHz

17, 10 MHz

<1

<1

•4,5

Dark current and background events

Gain register pixel well depth•7

Read noise (e-)

Linear absolute Electron Multiplier gain

1 - 1000 times via RealGain™ (calibration stable at all cooling temperatures)•8

Better than 99.9%

Linearity

Vertical clock speed
Timestamp accuracy
NEW SRRF-Stream mode

8

0.6 to 4.33 µs (user selectable)

0.3 to 3.3 µs (user selectable)
10 ns
Optional

iXon Life 888 - Frame Rates
Standard Mode

•3,9Array size
Binning1024 x 1024

512 x 512

256 x 256128 x 128

1024 x 100

1024 x 32

1024 x 1

1x1

26

50

95

171

220

498

1163

2x2

50

94

170

285

368

699

-

4x4

92

167

281

426

552

870

-

•3,9

Crop Mode (Optically Centred frame rates in brackets)

Array size
Binning

512 x 512

256 x 256128 x 128

64 x 64

1024 x 100

1024 x 32

1024 x 1

1x1

93 (78)190 (251)

670 (697)

2053 (1319)

259

778

9690

2x2

170 (143)

350 (426)

1150 (1019)

3123 (1646)

492

1416

-

4x4

291 (245)

601 (653)

1772 (1504)

4109 (1857)

887

2370

-

512 x 100

512 x 32

512 x 1iXon Life 897 - Frame Rates(Standard Mode)•10

Array size
Binning

512 x 512

256 x 256128 x 128

64 x 64

1x1

56

110

212

397

277

704

2,857

2x2

109

210

394

699

503

1,136

-

4x4

206

385

680

1,099

840

1,613

-

Crop Mode - (Optically Centred frame rates in brackets)•10

Array size
Binning

256 x 256128 x 128

64 x 64

32 x 32

512 x 100

512 x 32

512 x 1

1x1

111 (174)595 (569)

1,433 (1,492)

3,532 (3,024)

296

857

11,0742x2215 (329)

1,085 (1,014)

2,433 (2,329)

5,325 (4,054)

570

1,589

-

4x4

402 (594)

1,802 (1,662)

3,577 (3,237)

6,579 (5,252)

1,050

2,682

-

•11

QE vs. Fluorophore Emissions
100

BV

80

70

70

50
40
30
20

Quantum efficiency
efficiency /%/%Quantum

Quantum efficiency /%Quantum efficiency /%

60

60
50
40
30
20

10

400

100

100

500

600

700

800

Wavelength /nm

900

1000

1100

1200

60
50
40
30
20

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10

100

100

BV BV BV

BV

90

90

90

90

80

80

80

80

70

70

70

70

60
50
40
30

Quantum efficiency /%80

Quantum efficiency /%

90

70

300

100

Quantum efficiency /%

90
80

0
200

100

BV

90

60
50
40
30

60
50
40
30

Quantum efficiency /%100

Quantum efficiency /%Quantum Efficiency (QE) Curve

BV

BV

60
50
40
30

20

20

20

20

10

10

10

10

10

10

0
200

0
0
0
2000
300 0 400 0 500
600
700
800
900
1000 1100 1200
200 400
300200500
400300500400600500
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
200
300
200
400
300
200
500
400
300
500
400
600
500
600
700
300
600
700
800
600
900
700
600
1000
800
700
1100
900
800
1200
700
1000
900
800
1100
1000
900
800
1200
1100
1000
900
1200
1100
1000

Wavelength/nm
Wavelength/nmWavelength
Wavelength/nmWavelength/nm
Wavelength/nm
Wavelength
/nm
/nm

9

Creating The Optimum Product for You
Step 1.

CameraType
Step 2.

Accessories

Step 3.

Choose the camera type option
Description

CodeiXon Life 888: Back-illuminated 1024 x 1024 EMCCD, BV - standard AR coated, max. 30 MHz, with USB 3.0

iXon-L-888

iXon Life 897: Back-illuminated 512 x 512 EMCCD, BV - standard AR coated, max. 17 MHz, with USB 2.0

iXon-L-897

NOTE: If SRRF-Stream real time super-resolution functionality is required with your iXon Life, please order as an‘accessory’ in step 2 below.

Select the required accessories
Description

Order CodeSRRF-Stream real time super-resolution functionality, compatible with iXon Ultra and iXon Life EMCCD
platforms. Camera must be connected to acquisition PC workstation containing an NVidia GPU card
(compute capability v3.0, or above, and 4GB or greater on-board GPU RAM)

SRRF-STREAM-IXON

SRRF-Stream Dell Workstation (English), pre-installed with a recommended and tested GPU card,alongside SRRF-Stream enabled MicroManager and Andor SDK2 with SRRF-Stream

WKST-SRRF-9ZY

Monitor (optional) - Dell UltraSharp U3417W - 34.14” Curved LED

FUS-MNTR-34W

Dell UltraSharp UP3017 - 30” with PremierColor

FUS-MNTR-30

OptoMask accessory, used to mask unwanted sensor area during Crop Mode acquisition (refer to
OptoMask Specification Sheet for further information).

OPTMSK-L/OPTMSKOC-L/ OPTMSK-OC-S

Re-circulator for enhanced cooling performance and/or vibration sensitive measurements

XW-RECR

Oasis 160 Ultra compact chiller unit (tubing to be ordered separately) and/or vibration sensitive
measurements

ACC-XW-CHIL-160

6 mm tubing options for ACC-XW-CHIL-160 (2x2.5 m or 2x5m lengths)

ACC-6MM-TUBING2X2.5/ACC-6MMTUBING-2X5M

15 m Active USB 3.0 connector cable (power supply not required) Icron for iXon Life 888

ACC-ASE-06887

Adjustable feet for secure mounting to microscope side ports

TR-IXON-MNT-110

Select the required software
The iXon Life series requires one of the following software options:
Solis Imaging A 32-bit and fully 64-bit enabled application for Windows (8, 8.1 and 10) offering rich functionality for dataacquisition and processing. AndorBasic provides macro language control of data acquisition, processing, display and export.
Andor SDK A software development kit that allows you to control the Andor range of cameras from your own application.
Available as 32 and 64-bit libraries for Windows (8, 8.1 and 10), compatible with C/C++, C#, Delphi, VB.NET, LabVIEW andMatlab. Linux SDK compatible with C/C++.
Andor iQ A comprehensive multi-dimensional imaging software package. Offers tight synchronization of EMCCD with acomprehensive range of microscopy hardware, along with comprehensive rendering and analysis functionality. Modular
architecture for best price/performance package on the market.

SoftwareThird party software compatibility
Drivers are available so that the iXon range can be operated through a large variety of third party imaging packages.
See Andor website for detail.
For SRRF-Stream
The iXon must be operated either through MicroManager (Open Imaging) open source microscopy software platform, or throughthe Andor SDK, if SRRF-Stream functionality is to be accessed.

Have you found what you are looking for?
Need more flexibility? The iXon Ultra series represents the absolute top of the range in terms of EMCCD performance andrich feature set. For example, the Ultra models include both EMCCD and conventional slow scan CCD modes and a greater
selection of readout speeds. The Ultra also extends cooling down to -95oC!
Need faster frame rates? The Zyla sCMOS platform, configured with CameraLink interface, can deliver 100 fps from a full
4.2 or 5.5 Megapixel array, faster still with sub-array selection.
Need smaller pixels? The Zyla and Sona 4.2B-6 sCMOS cameras offer sensors with 6.5 µm pixel pitch, ideal for x60
objectives without additional C-mount magnification.
Need even broader QE? The iXon Ultra range offers sensor options that extend QE further into the both the blue and NIR
ends of the range, accompanied by fringe suppression options for reduced etaloning when imaging in the NIR. Alternatively,
if you are not speed challenged then why not consider the ‘BEX2-DD’ sensor option of the iKon-M or iKon-L CCD platforms –it doesn’t come broader than that!
10

Product Drawings
Dimensions in mm [inches]

iXon Life 888

iXon Life 897

iXon Life 888 Power Requirements

iXon Life 897 Power Requirements

•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•

Power Input: +12 VDC ± 5% @ 8 A
Power Consumption: 96 W max
Ripple and noise: 120 mV max (peak-peak 0 - 20 MHz)
External Power Supply: 100 - 240 VAC 50/60 Hz

Third-angle projection

Power Input: +12 VDC ± 5% @ 6 A
Power Consumption: 72 W max
Ripple and noise: 120 mV max (peak-peak 0 - 20 MHz)
External Power Supply: 100 - 240 VAC 50/60 Hz

Logic: Connector type: 26 way D Type with 8 programmable digital inputs or outputs for control and sensing of up to 8 external devices,
Minimum cable clearance required: 90 mm, Weight: 3.7 kg [8 lb 3 oz] approx.

11

Order Today
Need more information? At Andor we are committed to finding the correct
solution for you. With a dedicated team of technical advisors, we are able tooffer you one-to-one guidance and technical support on all Andor products.
For a full listing of our local sales offices, please see: andor.com/contact
Our regional headquarters are:Europe					Japan
Belfast, Northern Ireland 			Tokyo
Phone +44 (28) 9023 7126			
Phone +81 (3) 6732 8968
Fax +44 (28) 9031 0792			
Fax +81 (3) 6732 8939
North America				China
Concord, MA, USA 				Beijing
Phone +1 (860) 290 9211			
Phone +86 (10) 5884 7900
Fax +1 (860) 290 9566			
Fax +86 (10) 5884 7901

Items shipped: iXon Life 897:

Footnotes: Specifications are subject to change without notice

1x Andor ACZ-03463: 2m Multi I/O timing
cable, offering Fire, External Trigger, Shutterand Arm
1x 3m USB 2.0 cable Type A to Type B
1x Power supply with mains cable
1x Quick Start guide
1x CD containing Andor user manuals
1x SRRF-Stream Quick Start guide (if applicable)
1x Individual system performance booklet

1. Assembled in a state-of-the-art cleanroom facility, Andor’s UltraVac™ vacuum process combines a permanent hermetic
vacuum seal (no o-rings), with a stringent protocol to minimize outgassing, including use of proprietary materials.
2. Figures are typical unless otherwise stated.
3. At 30 MHz overclocked pixel readout rate, thermal dissipation from the sensor is higher since a greater proportion of timeis spent vertical shifting, and it is necessary to set a higher sensor cooling temperature at this rate. Furthermore, stablecooling performance will depend on other variables such as vertical clock speed, Region of Interest size (Standard or
Crop Mode) and ambient temp. As such, user testing is advised to determine the stable sensor cooling temperature forselected conditions. Status of temperature stability is apparent through the acquisition software.
4. The dark current measurement is averaged over the sensor area excluding any regions of blemishes.
5. Using Electron Multiplication the iXon is capable of detecting single photons, therefore the true camera detection limit
is set by the number of ‘dark’ background events. These events consist of both residual thermally generated electrons
and Clock Induced Charge (CIC) electrons (also referred to as Spurious Noise), each appearing as random single spikes
above the read noise floor. A thresholding scheme is employed to count these single electron events and is quoted as aprobability of an event per pixel. Acquisition conditions are full resolution and max frame rate (30 MHz readout; frametransfer mode; 1.1 µs vertical clock speed; x 1000 EM gain; 10 ms exposure; -80°C).
6. The EM register on CCD201 sensors has a linear response up to ~400,000 electrons and a full well depth of ~730,000
electrons.
7. Readout noise is for the entire system. It is a combination of sensor readout noise and A/D noise. Measurement is forSingle Pixel readout with the sensor at a temperature of -75°C and minimum exposure time under dark conditions. Under
Electron Multiplying conditions, the effective system readout noise is reduced to sub 1 e- levels.
8. Linearity is measured from a plot of counts vs. exposure time under constant photon flux up to the saturation point of thesystem.
9. All measurements are made at 30 MHz pixel readout speed with 0.6 µs vertical clock speed. It also assumes internal
trigger mode of operation. Crop Mode frame rates shown are for ‘Corner Tethered’ ROIs, with ‘Optically Centred’ ROI frame
rates shown within brackets.
10. All measurements are made at 17 MHz pixel readout speed with 0.5 μs vertical clock speed. It also assumes internal
trigger mode of operation. Crop Mode frame rates shown are for ‘Corner Tethered’ ROIs, with ‘Optically Centred’ ROI frame
rates shown within brackets.
11. Quantum efficiency of the sensor at 25°C, as supplied by the sensor manufacturer.
12. iXon Life 888 should work with any modern USB 3.0 enabled PC/laptop, as every USB 3.0 port should have its own
host controller. iXon Life 888 also ships with a USB 3.0 PCI card as a means to add a USB 3.0 port to an older PC, or as adiagnostic aid to interoperability issues.

Items shipped: iXon Life 888:
1x Andor ACZ-03463: 2m Multi I/O timing cable, offering
Fire, External Trigger, Shutter and Arm
1x 3m USB 3.0 cable Type A to Type B•12
PCIe USB 3.0 Card Adapter (2-Port)
1x Power supply with mains cable
1x Quick Start guide
1x CD containing Andor user manuals
1x SRRF-Stream Quick Start guide (if applicable)
1x Individual system performance booklet

Recommended Computer Requirements:
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3.0 GHz single core or 2.6 GHz multi core processor
2 GB RAM
100 MB free disc space to install software (at least 1
GB recommended for data spooling)
USB 3.0 Super Speed Host Controller capable of asustained rate of 60MB/s for iXon Life 888
USB 2.0 High Speed Host Controller capable ofsustained rate of 40MB/s for iXon Life 897
Soild-state drive (SSD) capable of a minimum
sustained write speed of 100MB/S for spooling data
Windows (8, 8.1 and 10) or LinuxSRRF-Stream - If selected, the PC requires an Nvidia
GPU card. See page 7 for further details.

Operating & Storage Conditions•••

Operating Temperature: 0°C to 30°C ambient
Relative Humidity: < 70% (non-condensing)
Storage Temperature: -25°C to 50°C

Power Requirements•

Please refer to page 8

FM40523

EMS91062

OHS502497

LiXonLifeSS 1120 R1