iKon-XL 231

CCDVERY LARGE AREA
ASTRONOMY CCD

NEWBEST noise
P Absoluteand well depth
C TE CoolingP -100(ColdSpace )°TM

P NO liquid nitrogen orP

cryo-cooler
16-bit and 18-bitDigitization

Key Specifications• 16.8 Megapixel sensor (CCD231-84)• -100 °C TE cooled• 2.1 e- read noise• 350,000 e- well depth• Standard silicon or deep depletion

INTRODUCINGIKON-XL 231
Extreme performance, no hassle...
Andor’s iKon-XL is a TE-cooled, very large area CCD camera platform, accommodating large fieldof view sensors that are ideally suited to long exposure astronomy applications. Patent-pending
ColdSpaceTM technology thermoelectrically cools a back-illuminated 16.8 Megapixel sensor(Teledyne e2v) down to -100 0C, avoiding the requirement for liquid nitrogen or unreliable cryocoolers. Extended Dynamic Range technology is complemented by up to 18-bit digitization.
Flexible connectivity is standard through either USB 3.0 or a long distance direct fibre opticinterface. iKon-XL is a high quality, robust and ‘hassle-free’ detector solution, designed to operatewith low maintenance and exceptional longevity, perfect for remote observing sites.
The iKon-XL 231 model uses the Teledyne e2v CCD231-84 ‘astro’ back-illuminated sensor, offeringa very large 61.4 x 61.7 mm imaging area from a 4096 x 4108 array format and 15 µm pixel size.
Available with a range of sensor QE coatings, in both standard and deep depletion formats (thelatter for extended NIR coverage), the model delivers offers the absolute best CCD performance
available, offering exceptionally low read noise of 2.1 e- and a very large well depth of 350,000 e-.
The iKon-XL 231 can be considered the ultimate camera for challenging Astronomy observations,
including exoplanet discovery, large sky surveys, photometry, astro-spectroscopy (Echelle) and debristracking.

Low Maintenance Advantage
liquid nitrogen (LN ) – LN cooled cameras
P NO
require ready access to LN supply and routine top
22

2up of LN2 levels in order to hold temperature, as
well as carrying an additional safety concern. Manyobservatories are in remote locations and in somecases unmanned, making LN2 at best impractical, atworst impossible.

P NO cryo cooler – as many are already painfully

aware, cryo coolers are cumbersome andnotoriously unreliable. iKon-XL can reach typicalcryo-cooled temperatures using only TE cooling andwater supply.

P No vacuum re-pumping – the iKon-XL sensor

enclosure design is based on Andor’s proven,proprietary UltraVacTM process, which carries a
Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) value of > 100years! Where other very large area CCD cameras
require routine re-pumping, expect the iKon-XL tohold firm!

P Field replaceable shutter - No shutter is designedor specified for infinite usage! When it finally fails ina remote observing location, the shutter mountingof the iKon-XL has been purposefully designed suchthat the shutter can be easily replaced by the useron site.

2

FEATURES& BENEFITS
FeatureThermoelectric Cooling to -100ºC(Liquid/Water)
61.4 x 61.7 mm sensor
Extended Dynamic Range(18-bit)

BenefitPatent-pending ColdSpaceTM very large area TE cooling technology avoids need for liquid
nitrogen or unreliable cryo coolers. Minimization of dark current to below the zodiacal
background.
Very large field of view from 16.8 Megapixel, 15 mm pixel pitch sensor
Unique method to achieve lowest noise and large well depth within one scan. Supplemented
by up to 18-bit digitization.

Peak QE over 95% (deep depletion NIRenhanced options available)•1

High photon collection efficiency for maximizing SNR. Deep depletion sensor options forextended NIR sensitivity, including Fringe Suppression technology.

Lowest noise readout

Intelligent low-noise electronics, combined with the ‘astro’ CCD231-84 sensor, deliver thelowest CCD noise available.

350,000 e- well depth
UltravacTM•2‘Deep Cooled’ and ‘Flexi’ versions
Fibre-optic or USB 3.0 interface flexibility
Balanced Quad-port readout

Extremely high well depth for linear quantification of relatively bright signals.
Critical for sustained vacuum integrity and to maintain unequalled cooling and QE
performance, year after year (5 year vacuum warranty).
‘Deep Cooled’ for -1000C water/liquid (no air cooling).
‘Flexi’ for combined -800C water/liquid or -600C air cooled.
Built-in robust plug and play interface options as standard. Fibre optic for long distancesolution.
Tracking stability to ensure all readout circuits experience same temperature and operating
conditions.

Multiple readout speeds, up to 3 MHz

Slower readout for lowest noise, faster speeds for more rapid readout and focusing.

Field replaceable shutter

No shutter is designed or specified for infinite usage! When it finally fails in a remoteobserving location, it can be easily replaced on site.

IRIG-B GPS timestamp
Fully Enclosed Casing (Deep Cooled model)
Easy reference column access
Windows, Linux & Labview
ASTRO.control compatibility

Image GPS timestamp with 10ms resolution for network integration.
Reduced thermal bloom; minimal effect on nearby optics
Easy and flexible software access to dark (shielded) reference columns
Andor’s user-friendly SDK supports both Windows and Linux OS. LabView VI package
available.
Redlogix ASTRO.control is a dedicated platform for control of astronomical telescopes andinstrumentation http://www.andor.com/astrocontrol.aspx

Extended Dynamic Range Technology
CCD cameras always require software selection of amplifier gain to optimize either for low
noise (weak signal) OR high well depth (bright signal). Not both…
…until now! iKon-XL utilizes proprietary Andor CCD expertise to offer low read noise AND
high well depth in one image, with only one gain setting.

3

TECHNICAL
DATA
System Specifications •3
Sensor Options

BV: Back Illuminated CCD231-84 sensor, mid-band AR coating
BB: Back Illuminated CCD231-84 sensor, broadband AR coating (blue optimized)
BEX2: Back Illuminated CCD (231-84) sensor and dual AR coating
BR-DD: Back Illuminated CCD (231-84) sensor, deep depletion with fringe suppression
BEX2-DD: Back Illuminated CCD (231-84) sensor, deep depletion with fringe suppression and dual AR coating

Pixels4096 (H) x 4108 (V)Pixel size

15 x 15 μm

Image area

61.4 x 61.7 mm with 100% fill factor

Minimum temperatures •4@ coolant temperature of 10ºC
@ coolant temperature of 16ºC
air cooled

Deep Cooled Model-100ºC-95ºC
N/A

Flexi Model
-80ºC
-75ºC
-60ºC

Blemish specification

Grade 1 sensor from supplier.

System window type

Single AR coated UV grade fused silica window (>98% transmission)

Advanced Performance Specifications •3Dark Current, e-/pixel/sec •5@ -600C@ -800C0@ -100 C (Deep Cooled Model only)

0.6
0.006
0.00013

Active area pixel well depth (typical)

350,000 e-

Pixel readout rates

0.1, 0.5, 1, 3 MHz

Read Noise (e-)

100 kHz
2.1

500 kHz
3.4

1 MHz
4.6

3 MHz
9.8

Peak QE •1>95% for BV models, >90% for BEX2, BR-DD and BEX2-DD models, >87% for BB models

Binning

User definable

Region of Interest (windowing mode)

User definable (centred in 4-output mode)

Linearity

Better than 99%Digitization

16-bit (all speeds), 18-bit (100 kHz, 500 kHz and 1 MHz)

Output Amplifier Responsivity

High sensitivity (HS) and High Capacity (HC)

Outputs

Quad or Single

Timestamp

IRIG-B GPS with 10 ms resolution

Frame Rates •6Region of Interest

Readout Rate
(MHz)

4096 x 4096

2048 x 2048

1024 x 1024

3

0.50

0.81

10.21

0.5
0.1

Binning Mode (ROI=4096 x 4096)

512 x 512

Readout Rate
(MHz)

1x1

2x2

4x4

1.17

1.51

3

0.50

0.81

1.18

0.37

0.63

0.98

10.21

0.37

0.63

0.11

0.20

0.38

0.64

0.5

0.108

0.26

0.53

0.0220.045

0.087

0.17

0.1

0.022

0.08

0.23

4

Quantum Efficiency Curves •1-1000C

100

BEX2

Quantum Efficiency (%)

9080

BB70

BV6050Standard Silicon Sensor Options

40

BV: Mid-band AR coating
BB: Broadband AR coating (blue optimized)
BEX2: dual AR coating (sensitivity extends to boththe blue and NIR wavelength regions)30
20
100A range of sensor options are available for the iKon-XL
231 that provide high photon collection efficiency formaximizing the SNR. Deep depletion (-DD) sensor
options provide extended NIR sensitivity.

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

Wavelength (nm)-1000C100

Quantum Efficiency (%)

90

BEX2-DD

80

BR-DD70

Deep Depletion Sensor Options

60

BR-DD: deep depletion with fringe suppression(extended response in the NIR region)
BEX2-DD: deep depletion with fringe suppression
and dual AR coating (sensitivity extends to both theblue and NIR wavelength regions)

50
4030
20
100
300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

1100

Wavelength (nm)

Flexible Connectivity
1USB 3.0
USB 3.0 offers a robust high speed plug and play data interface

2TTL / Logic
Connector type: SMB, provided with SMB - BNC cable
Fire (Output), External Trigger (Input), Shutter (Output)

323W

1I2C
Compatible with Fischer SC102A054-130
Shutter (TTL), I2C Clock, I2C Data, +5 Vdc, Ground4

Fibre Optic
Long distance connection via LC Fibre-optic I/O connection

5IRIG-B
Compatible with IRIG-B standard (GPS with 10 ms resolution)

W

Water Cooling
Connection to recirculator or other water/liquid cooling system

4W

5PPPowerConnection to Camera Control Unit (supplied) refer to power
requirements on page 8Notes:
Minimum cable clearance required at rear of camera 150 mm
5CREATING THE OPTIMUM
PRODUCT FOR YOU
XL- EA06 - DS
example shown

Step 1.

Choose the sensor type option
Description

Step 2.

16.8 Megapixel CCD231-84 Back IlluminatedSensor. BB: Broadband AR coating

EA04

16.8 Megapixel CCD231-84 Back IlluminatedSensor. EX2 dual AR coating

EA05

16.8 Megapixel CCD231-84 Back IlluminatedSensor. BR-DD deep depletion with fringe
suppression.

EA06

16.8 Megapixel CCD231-84 Back IlluminatedSensor. BEX2-DD deep depletion with fringesuppression and dual AR coating

Step 4.

Accessories

Description

Code

Flexi Cooling model(max. cooling -80ºC @ coolant temp of 10ºC;-60ºC max. and air cooling)C

Deep Cooled model(max. cooling -100ºC @ coolant temp of 10ºC)

D

Code

16.8 Megapixel CCD231-84 Back Illuminated
EA03
Sensor. BV: Mid-band AR coating

SensorType

Choose the cooling option

Cooling

Step 3.

EA07

Shutter

Select with or without shutter
Description

CodeWith Standard Shutter (0°C to +30°C)

S

WIth Extended Range Shutter(For use between -30°C and +30°C)S-EXT

Without Shutter

0Select the required accessories
Description

CodeReplacement ‘standard’ shutter unit for the iKon-XL.
For use between 0°C and +30°C ambient temperatures.

XL-SH-STD

Replacement ‘extended temperature range’ shutter unit for the iKon-XL.
For use between -30°C and +30°C ambient temperatures.

XL-SH-EXT

15 m camera cable with straight attachment for the CCU-500A (iKon-XL Flexi model)
If this is ordered it will be provided instead of the standard 5 m cable.

XL-F-CAB-ST-15M

15 m camera cable with straight attachment for the CCU-500B (iKon-XL Deep Cooled model)
If this is ordered it will be provided instead of the standard 5 m cable.

XL-DC-CAB-ST-15M

25 m fibre optic cable, LC-LC patch lead OM2 (Standard supplied fibre is 15 m).

FIBR-25M

100 m fibre optic cable, LC-LC patch lead OM3 (Standard supplied fibre is 15 m).

FIBR-100M

Hard shell protective transport case for the iKon-XL Flexi model. Tailored to dimensions of the iKon-XL
Flexi model for secure transport to and from observing sites.

XL-F-TRANS-CASE

Hard shell protective transport case for the iKon-XL Deep Cooled model. Tailored to dimensions of theiKon-XL Deep Cooled model for secure transport to and from observing sites.

XL-DC-TRANS-CASE

Please contact your local sales representative regarding other options such as different mounting types, camera window options orother customizations you may require for system integration or your specific application.

Step 5.

Select the required software
The iKon-XL requires at least one of the following software options:
Solis for Imaging A 32-bit and fully 64-bit enabled application for Windows (7, 8, 8.1 and 10), offering complete functionality
for data acquisition and processing. AndorBasic provides macro language control of data acquisition, processing, display andexport.

SoftwareAndor SDK A software development kit that allows you to control the Andor range of cameras from your own application.
Available as 32/64-bit libraries for Windows (7, 8, 8.1 and 10), compatible with C/C++, C#, Delphi, VB.NET, LabVIEW andMatlab. Linux SDK compatible with C/C++.
Third party software compatibility Drivers are available so that the iKon-XL can be operated through a large variety of thirdparty imaging packages. See Andor web site for detail: http://www.andor.com/software/

6

MECHANICALDRAWINGS
Dimensions in mm

Deep Cooled Model

Flexi Model

Weight (approx): 12 Kg [26 lbs 7]

Weight (approx): 8.25 Kg [18lbs 3]

Camera Control Unit CCU-500 •7

Note: Product drawings of models without shutter can be found at http://www.andor.com/xl-product-drawings

Weight (approx): 6.6 Kg [14 lbs 5]
7

ORDER TODAY
Need more information? At Andor we are committed to finding
the correct solution for you. With a dedicated team of technicaladvisors, we are able to offer you one-to-one guidance andtechnical support on all Andor products. For a full listing of ourregional 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) 8271 9066
Fax +1 (860) 290 9566			
Fax +86 (10) 8271 9055

Items shipped with your camera

Footnotes

1x Fibre Optic PCIe card1.
2.				
3.
4.		
5.
6.				
7.		

1x USB 3 PCIe card
1x iKon-XL camera control unit •7
1x Camera power lead (5m)
3x BNC-SMA cable (2m)
1x USB 3.0 cable (3m)
1x Fibre Optic lead (15m)
1x QuickStart Guide(Note: PC requires 1x slot for
installation of a PCIe card)

Quantum efficiency as supplied by the sensor manufacturer.
Assembled in a state-of-the-art facility, Andor’s UltraVac™ vacuum process combines a permanent hermetic vacuum
seal (no o-rings), with a stringent protocol and proprietary materials to minimize outgassing. Outgassing is the releaseof trapped gases that would otherwise degrade cooling performance and potentially cause sensor failure.
Figures are typical, unless otherwise stated.
Specified minimum temperature with coolant assumes coolant temperature of 10°C or 16°C, measured atcamera head. Note that cooling performance may be affected by distance between camera head and cooler.
Dark current measurement is averaged over the CCD area, excluding any regions with blemishes.
The frame rates shown are for a range of binning or array size combinations. All measurements are made with
102.5 μs vertical shift speed and using the quad output. It also assumes internal trigger mode of operationand minimum exposure time
Camera Control Unit (CCU-500) supplied with brackets for 19 inch rack mounting and mounting lugs forsecuring to optical tables.

Minimum Computer Requirements:

Operating & Storage Conditions:••

3.0 GHz single core or 2.4 GHz

Operating Temperature: 0°C to +30°C ambient(‑30°C to +30°C using extended range shutter)

dual or quad core processor

FM40523

EMS91062•

2 GB RAM•

Operating Altitude: up to 6000m•

100 MB free hard disc to install software (at•Relative Humidity: <70% (non-condensing)least 1 GB recommended for data spooling)•Storage Temperature: -30°C to 50°C

USB 3.0 High Speed host Controller

Power Requirements:
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
• 100 - 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Labview is a registered trademark of National Instruments.
• Power consumption:
Matlab is a registered trademark of The MathWorks Inc.		 Flexi models: Camera Head (inc.External 				 Power Supply) 240V/100V (Typ.): 165/180 W		 Deep Cooled models: Camera Head (inc.		
iKonXL 231SS 0818 R1		 External Power Supply) 240V/100V (Typ): 465/480 W•

capable of sustained rate of 60 MB/s•

Windows (7, 8, 8.1 and 10) or Linux8