iKon-XL SO
Very Large Area Direct Detection
Open Front CCD
Key Specifications

Key Applications

P 16.8 Megapixel sensors
P Down to 2.1 e- read noise
P -80°C TE cooled
P Up to 350,000 e- well depth
P 18-bit extended dynamic range
P USB 3.0 and direct long distanceP VUV/EUV/XUV imaging
P X-ray microscopy
P X-ray tomography
P X-ray diffraction (XRD)
P X-ray plasma imaging
P X-ray ptychography
P Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering

fibre optic connection

andor.oxinst.com

Introducing iKon-XL SO
Very Large Area Open-front CCD for Direct Detection
Andor’s iKon-XL ‘SO’ is a TE-cooled, very large area CCD camera platform, accommodating
big field of view sensors that are ideally suited to low light X-ray imaging applications. It
thermoelectrically cools back-illuminated 16.8 Megapixel sensors (Teledyne e2v) down to-80°C, avoiding inconvenient maintenance-intensive LN2 cooling interface 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.
Both the 230 and 231 series use Teledyne e2v back-illuminated sensors (CCD 230-84 andCCD 231-84 respectively), offering a very large 61.4 x 61.7 mm imaging area from a 4096
x 4108 array format and 15 μm pixel size, ideal for applications such as large field-of-view
VUV/EUV/XUV X-ray Imaging and X-ray plasma.
The iKon-XL ‘SO’ 231 offers the absolute best CCD performance available, combining
exceptionally low read noise of 2.1 e- with a very large well depth of 350,000 e-.

Meet the Family

iKon-M SOSensor
Cooling
Peak QE
Read NoisePixel Well Depth
Frame RateMounting

1 MP (13 µm pixels)-100°C TE cooling>95%
Down to 2.9 eUp to 100 000 e4.4 fps
DN100CF / 6” CF / CF-152
rotatable flange and knife-edge

iKon-L SO
4.2 MP (13.5 µm pixels)-100°C TE cooling>95%
Down to 2.9 eUp to 150 000 e0.953 fps
DN100CF / 6” CF / CF-152
rotatable flange and knife-edge

NEW iKon-XL SO
16.8 MP (15 µm pixels)-80°C TE cooling>95%
Down to 2.1 eUp to 350 000 eup to 0.5 fps (full frame)
DN160CF / 8” CF / CF-203 rotatableflange and knife-edge

13.3 x 13.3 mm
27.6 x 27.6 mm
Right: Comparison of the sensor sizeof the iKon family (actual size).

261.4 x 61.7 mm

Features and Benefits
FeatureOpen-front end
61.4 x 61.7 mm sensor

Benefit
DN160CF / 8” CF / CF-203 rotatable flange and knife-edge sealing provided as
standard for direct interfacing to vacuum chambers.
Very large field of view for extended imaging capabilities.

15 x 15 µm pixel size

Ideal balance of dynamic range and resolution.

Peak QE over 95%•5High photon collection efficiency for maximizing SNR.

Thermo-electric cooling down to -80°C
Low noise readout
Fibre-optic or USB 3.0 interface flexibility
Extended Dynamic Range(18-bit)
Balanced Quad-port readout
Multiple readout speeds, up to 3 or 4 MHz
Windows, Linux & Labview
EPICS software control

Effective dark current and pixel blemish reduction without the inconvenience of liquid
nitrogen (LN2).
Intelligent low-noise electronics offer the most ‘silent’ system noise.
Built-in robust plug and play interface options as standard. Fibre optic for long distancesolution.
Unique method to achieve low noise and large well depth within one scan.
Supplemented by up to 18-bit digitization.
Tracking stability to ensure all readout circuits experience same temperature andoperating conditions.
Slower readout for lowest noise, faster speeds for more rapid readout and focusing.
Andor’s user-friendly SDK supports both Windows and Linux OS. LabView VI package
available.
Seamless integration and operation at EPICS-based particle accelerators and major
telescopes.

Frame Rates
iKon XL ‘SO’ 230
Array size
Readout Rate(Mhz)
4096 x 4112 2048 x 2048 1024 x 1024 512 x 512

Binning Mode (ROI=4096 x 4096)

Readout Rate(MHz)

1x1

2x2

4x4

8x8

16 x 16

4

0.437

0.658

0.877

1.050

4

0.44

0.66

0.88

1.05

1.17

2

0.288

0.474

0.695

0.909

2

0.29

0.55

0.82

1.03

1.16

1

0.181

0.319

0.512

0.736

1

0.18

0.43

0.73

0.99

1.14

0.1

0.023

0.044

0.086

0.160

0.1

0.02

0.04

0.09

0.16

0.28

iKon XL ‘SO’ 231
Region of Interest
Readout Rate
(MHz)
4096 x 4096 2048 x 2048 1024 x 1024 512 x 512

Binning Mode (ROI=4096 x 4096)

Readout Rate
(MHz)

1x1

2x2

4x4

8x8

16 x 16

3

0.50

0.81

1.17

1.51

3

0.50

0.81

1.18

0.81

1.18

1

0.21

0.37

0.63

0.98

1

0.21

0.37

0.63

0.37

0.63

0.5

0.11

0.20

0.38

0.64

0.5

0.108

0.26

0.53

0.26

0.53

0.1

0.022

0.045

0.087

0.17

0.1

0.022

0.08

0.23

0.08

0.23

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

3

Technical Specifications
System Specifications •2
Sensor Options

iKon XL ‘SO’ 230

iKon XL ‘SO’ 231

BN: back-illuminated, uncoated

BEN: back-illuminated uncoated4096 (H) x 4108 (V)PixelsPixel size

15 x 15 μmImage area

61.4 x 61.7 mm with 100% fill factor

Minimum temperatures •3@ coolant temperature of 10°C
@ coolant temperature of 16°C
air cooled (@20°C ambient)-80ºC-70ºC-60ºC
Grade 1 sensor from supplier.

Blemish specification

Advanced Performance Specifications •2iKon-XL ‘SO’ 230
Peak QE •5>95% (BN),
150,000 e-

350,000 e-

0.1, 1, 2 and 4 MHz

0.1, 0.5, 1 and 3 MHz

Active area pixel well depth (typical)
Pixel readout rates
Read Noise (e-)(BN and BN-DD)

100 kHz
4.5

1 MHz
8.5

Dark Current, e-/pixel/sec •4@ -60°C@ -80°C
Frame rate (full frame)

2 MHz
14.04 MHz23

100 kHz2.1500 kHz
3.4BEN
0.60.006

Greater than 0.5 fps

Greater than 0.35 fps

3 MHz
9.8

User definable
User definable (centred in 4-output mode)

Region of Interest (windowing mode)
Linearity •7

Better than 99%

Digitization

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

Output Amplifier Responsivity

1 MHz
4.6

BN
0.001
0.0001

BinningHigh sensitivity (HS)Outputs
Mounting flange
Maximum bake-out temperature
Vacuum compatibility* Please refer to the Andor Technical Note:
Open-front camera flanges for further details.

4iKon-XL ‘SO’ 231

High sensitivity (HS) and High capacity (HC)
Quad or Single

DN160CF / 8” CF / CF-203, rotatable*+55oC>10-8 millibar•5

Quantum Efficiency Curves
1240

124

12.4

Wavelength / nm
1.24

0.124

0.012410090
BN80

The iKon-XL SO isavailable with 2 sensor
options:

BEN

Quantum efficiency (%)

70
60

BN: Back-Illuminateduncoated50

BEN: Back-Illuminated
CCD, enhanced
process, uncoated

40
30
20
100110100

1000

10000

100000

Photon energy / eV

Photoelectrons v Incident X-rays•6Condensation
It is strongly advised that the camera should not be used
in a condensing atmosphere. If used in a condensing
atmosphere the sensor MUST be protected and the use of acold finger is strongly recommended.

10000

Photoelectrons per detected X-ray

Best Practice Guidelines

Contamination & Damage
When not in use, the sensor chamber should be covered andsealed.
1000

Due to the exposed nature of the sensor, extreme care should
be taken with the camera, as damage can easily occur throughmishandling or by contamination.
If the sensor becomes contaminated, due to accident or
misuse, please contact Andor immediately for advice oncleaning.

100Vacuum Operations
Ensure that the vacuum environment to which the camera isfitted is free of water vapour and other contaminants. Careshould also be taken to control pressure change, as suddenpressure changes can potentially cause damage to thesensor assembly.

100.1

1

10

Energy [keV]

5

Creating the Optimum Product for You
XLO- EA11 - C0
example shown

Step 1.

Sensor
TypeStep 2.

Accessories

Step 3.

Choose the sensor type
Description

Code

16.8 Megapixel CCD230-84 Back-Illuminated uncoated Sensor (BN)EA10

16.8 Megapixel CCD231-84 Back-Illuminated uncoated Sensor enhanced silicon (BEN)

EA11

Select the required accessories
Description

Code

Filter holder for iKon-XL SO, minimum recommended beryllium window thickness is 250 µm (notincluded).

SO-FILTER-MNT-IKONXL

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

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

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 (8.1 and 10) and Linux. Compatible with C/C++, C#, Delphi,VB.NET, LabVIEW, MATLAB and Python.
Third party software compatibility Drivers are available so that the iKon-XL can be operated through a large variety ofthird party imaging packages including EPICS (16-bit).
See andor.oxinst.com/third-party-software-matrix

Have you found what you are looking for?
Need a faster frame rate? Andor’s iKon-M SO 934 and iKon-L SO 936 achieve 4.4 and 0.95 fps (full frame) respectively.
Need to detect harder X-rays? Andor offers a range of Indirect Detection cameras (DH/HF range) including the Zyla HF andiKon-M & L HF that are compatible with industry-standard scintillators.
Need a specific mounting? Contact our experienced design team so we can make the perfect fit.
Need a camera for VUV/ X-ray spectroscopy? Andor’s specialist spectrographic cameras (Newton920 and 940 SO series) are ideally suited for vacuum spectrographs.
Need a customized version? Please contact us to discuss your design.

6

A

Mechanical Drawings
8 x 8.4 OR 0.33" CLEARANCE
MOUNTING HOLESTO SUIT M8 OR 5/16 BOLTS
PCD 181.0 [7.13]

B
4.33
110.0
APERTURE

0.23 ±0.020
5.8 ±0.5
SENSOR IMAGE PLANEFIRETRIGGER45USB 3.06SHEET REVISION: 06

6.06
154.0

7.97
202.43AC
PIXEL 1,1

IRIG-B

6.53
165.7
KNIFE EDGE

8.93
226.8

ROTATABLE FLANGEINDEXABLE FOR HOLE OF SLOTAT 12 O,CLOCK POSITION

10.39
264.0

4 OR 0.33" CLEARANCE
0.23 ±0.020
NTING HOLES
in mm [inches] 5.8 ±0.5
UIT M8 OR 5/16 Dimensions
BOLTS
DSENSOR
IMAGE
PLANE
81.0 [7.13]
Weight (approx): 9.5 kg [20lbs15oz]

NOTE: ALL MATERIAL AND FINISHING PROCESSES MUSTCOMPLY WITH RoHS AND COSHH REGULATIONS
MATERIAL

FIRE
TRIGGERUSB 3.04110

JTECAuthor

303/06/24
02/05/24

7.97
202.4

Pleaseconsult
the INCREASED
open-frontBYcamera
02
CASE
LENGTH15mm flanges technicalnote atDescription
andor.com for further technical details on flange
Versionconfigurations
12FILERefer
LOCATION:to
L:\Engineering
Specifications\Controlled
Mech Items\iKon-XL\03
Final Assembly
Flexi - Final AssemblyBest Practice
Guidelines
on page
5 forConfigurations\ACZ-17446
information iKon-XLO
6.06
154.0
on handling open fronted camera models.

SHUTTERFINISH
I²C
2 x QUICK RELEASEWATER CONNECTORSBARBED
WATERCHECKED
03/06/24 (1/4"K. KEAVENY
SUPPLIED)AUTHOR J. TELFORD
Date CONNECTORS
4BCLC FIBRE OPTIC I/O

IRIG-B

POWER

8.93
226.8

FLANGEFOR HOLE OF SLOTCK POSITION

10.39
264.0

Camera Control Unit CCU-500 •8

NOTE: ALL MATERIAL AND FINISHING PROCESSES MUSTCOMPLY WITH RoHS AND COSHH REGULATIONS
MATERIAL

FINISH-34110

JTECAuthor

03/06/24 CHECKED K. KEAVENYAUTHOR J. TELFORD
Date
403/06/24
02/05/24

NOTICE: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THISDRAWING IS PROPRIETARY TO ANDOR TECHNOLOGYAND SHALL NOT BE DISCLOSED IN WHOLE OR IN PART OR
USED FOR ANY DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE EXCEPT WHEN
SUCH USER POSSESSES DIRECT WRITTEN AUTHORISATIONFROM ANDOR TECHNOLOGYDIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS [INCHES]DIMENSIONS APPLY AFTER FINISHINGUNLESSGENERAL TOLERANCES:
-0.2
+0.2
OTHERWISE
000.2
-0.1
+0.1
SPECIFIED:
00.00.100.00
0.05
ANGLE
0.5
SURFACE FINISH TO BE 0.8Ra OR BETTERDO NOTSCALE PRINT5SHEET
1 of 1DTITLEIKON XL (FLEXI) - [BIGFOOT]
iKon-XLO Flexi

PART NUMBERVERSIONXLO-EA**-C002

6ions\ACZ-17446 iKon-XLO Flexi - Final Assembly

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 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.oxinst.com/contact
Our regional headquarters are:Europe					JapanBelfast, Northern Ireland 			Tokyo
Phone +44 (28) 9023 7126			
Phone +81 (3) 6744 4703
Fax +44 (28) 9031 0792			
Fax +81 (3) 3446 8320
North America				China
Concord, MA, USA 				Beijing | Shanghai | Guangzhou
Phone +1 (860) 290 9211			
Phone +86 (400) 678 0609
Fax +1 (860) 290 9566			
Fax +86 (10) 5884 7901

Items shipped with your camera

Footnotes

1x Fibre Optic PCIe card
1x USB 3 PCIe card
1x iKon-XL camera control unit •8
1x Camera power lead (5 m)
1x BNC-SMA cable (2 m)
1x USB 3.0 cable (3 m)
1x Fibre Optic lead (15 m)
1x QuickStart Guide
1x Individual system performance sheet(Note: PC requires 1x slot for
installation of a PCIe card)

2. Figures are typical unless otherwise stated.

1. IMPORTANT - Due to the sensor being exposed to environments outside of Andor’s control there is no
warranty on the sensor. For full details of Andor’s Warranty Policy please refer to our webpage at
http://www.andor.com/contact_us/support_request/. For key information on handling precautionsfor SO/HO open front end systems, please refer to the best practice guidelines on page 5. Note
permanent damage can easily occur due to misuse.
3. Specified minimum temperature with coolant assumes coolant temperature of 10°C or 16°C, measured
at camera head. Note that cooling performance may be affected by distance between camera headand cooler.
4. Dark current measurement is averaged over the CCD area excluding any regions of blemishes.
5. Quantum efficiency data as supplied by the sensor manufacturer.
6. The graph shows photoelectrons generated as a function of photon energy of incident X-ray.
7. Linearity is measured from a plot of counts vs exposure time under constant photon flux up to thesaturation point of the system.
8. Camera Control Unit (CCU-500) supplied with brackets for 19 inch rack mounting and mounting lugs
for securing to optical tables.

Minimum Computer Requirements:• 3.0 GHz single core or 2.4 GHz dual orquad core processor• 2 GB RAM• 100 MB free hard disc to install
software (at least 1 GB recommendedfor data spooling)• USB 3.0 High Speed host Controller
capable of sustained rate of 60 MB/s
• Windows (8.1 and 10) or Linux

Operating & Storage Conditions:• Operating Temperature: 0°C to +30°C
ambient (‑30°C to +30°C ambient on request)• Operating Altitude: up to 6000 m• Relative Humidity: <70% (non-condensing)• Storage Temperature: -30°C to 50°C

FM40523

EMS91062

Power Requirements:• 100 - 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz• Power consumption:
Flexi models: Camera Head (inc. External PowerSupply) 240 V/100 V (Typ.): 165/180 W
Deep Cooled models: Camera Head (inc. ExternalPower Supply) 240 V/100 V (Typ): 465/480 W

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Labview is a registered trademark of National Instruments.
Matlab is a registered trademark of The MathWorks Inc.
EPICS support in 16-bit mode only.
iKonXLSO SS 0924 R1