iKon-XL SO

OPEN-FRONT CCD

NEW VERY LARGE AREA
DIRECT DETECTION CCD
Key Specifications• 16.8 Megapixel sensors• Down to 2.1 e- read noise• -80°C TE cooled• Up to 350,000 e- well depth• 18-bit Extended Dynamic Range• USB 3.0 and direct long distancefibre optic connection

Key Applications
P VUV/EUV/XUV Imaging
P X-Ray Microscopy
P Phase Contrast Imaging
P X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)
P X-Ray Plasma Imaging

INTRODUCINGIKON-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 fieldof view sensors that are ideally suited to low light X-Ray imaging applications. It thermoelectricallycools back-illuminated 16.8 Megapixel sensors (Teledyne e2v) down to -80°C, avoiding
inconvenient maintenance-intensive LN2 cooling interface or unreliable cryo coolers. 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 optic interface. iKon-XL is a highquality, robust and ‘hassle-free’ detector solution.
Both the 230 and 231 series use Teledyne e2v back-illuminated sensors (CCD 230-84 and CCD
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 familySensorCooling
Peak QE
Read Noise
Pixel Well Depth
Frame RateMounting•
•
•
•
•
•
•

iKon-M SOiKon-L SO1 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• 4.2 MP (13.5 µm pixels)• -100°C TE cooling• >95%• Down to 2.9 e• Up to 150 000 e• 0.953 fps•   DN100CF / 6” CF / CF-152
rotatable flange and knife-edge

NEWiKon-XL SO• 16.8 MP (15 µm pixels)• -80°C TE cooling• >95%• Down to 2.1 e• Up to 350 000 e• up to 0.5 fps (full frame)•   DN160CF / 8” CF / CF-203 rotatable              flange and knife-edge

13.3 x 13.3 mm
27.6 x 27.6 mm
Right: Comparison ofthe sensor size of theiKon family (actual size).

61.4 x 61.7 mm
2FEATURES& 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

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.

Extended Dynamic Range(18-bit)

Unique method to achieve low noise and large well depth within one scan. Supplemented by
up to 18-bit digitization.

Balanced Quad-port readout

Tracking stability to ensure all readout circuits experience same temperature and operating
conditions.

Multiple readout speeds, up to 3 or 4 MHz
Windows, Linux & Labview
EPICS software control

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

Binning Mode (ROI=4096 x 4096)

Readout Rate
(Mhz)

4096 x 4112

2048 x 2048

1024 x 1024

512 x 512

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

1x12x24x48x816 x 16

iKon XL ‘SO’ 231
Region of Interest

Binning Mode (ROI=4096 x 4096)

Readout Rate
(MHz)

4096 x 4096

2048 x 2048

1024 x 1024

512 x 512

Readout Rate
(MHz)

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 (weak signal)
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
DATA
System Specifications •2
Sensor Options

iKon XL ‘SO’ 230

iKon XL ‘SO’ 231

BN: back-illuminated, uncoated

BN: back-illuminated uncoated
BR-DD: back-illuminated deep-depletion

Pixels4096 (H) x 4108 (V)Pixel 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 (@22°C ambient)-80ºC-70ºC-60ºC

Blemish specification

Grade 1 sensor from supplier.

Advanced Performance Specifications •2
iKon-XL ‘SO’ 230
Peak QE•5>95% (BN), >90% (BR-DD)

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

100 kHz
4.5

150,000 e-

350,000 e-

0.1, 1, 2 and 4 MHz

0.1, 0.5, 1 and 3 MHz

1 MHz
8.52 MHz
14.0

4 MHz23

100 kHz2.1500 kHz
3.4

BN, BR-DD
0.6
0.006

Greater than 0.5 fps

Greater than 0.35 fps

Binning

3 MHz
9.8

User definable

Region of Interest (windowing mode)

User definable (centred in 4-output 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

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

iKon-XL ‘SO’ 231

High sensitivity (HS)Outputs
Mounting flange
Maximum bake-out temperature
Vacuum compatibility

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

DN160CF / 8” CF / CF-203, rotatable*+55oC>10-8 millibar* Please refer to the Andor Technical Note:
Open-front camera flanges for further details.

4Quantum Efficiency Curves

•5100

124

12.4

Wavelength (nm)
1.24

0.124

90
80

The iKon-XL SO is available
with 2 sensor options:

Quantum efficiency (%)

70
60

BN: Back-Illuminateduncoated50

BR-DD: Backilluminated deepdepletion

4030
2010010100

1000

10000

100000

X-ray energy / eVPhotoelectrons v Incident X-rays

Best Practice Guidelines•6Condensation
It is strongly advised that the camera should not be used in acondensing atmosphere. If used in a condensing atmospherethe sensor MUST be protected and the use of a cold finger isstrongly recommended.

Photoelectrons per detected X-ray

10000

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

1000If the sensor becomes contaminated, due to accident ormisuse, 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 the sensor
assembly.

100.1

1

10

Energy [keV]5

CREATING THE OPTIMUM
PRODUCT FOR YOU
XLO- EA11 - C0

example shown

Step 1.

SensorType

Step 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 (BN)EA11

16.8 Megapixel CCD231-84 Back-Illuminated Deep-Depletion Sensor (BR-DD)

EA12

Select the required accessories
Description

Code

Filter holder for iKon-XL SO, minimum recommended beryllium window thickness is 250 µm(not included).

SO-FILTER-MNT-IKONXL

Beryllium filter, Ø105 mm, 250 µm thick

ACC-OPT-10395

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 (7, 8, 8.1 and 10), offering rich functionality fordata 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 and 64-bit libraries for Windows (7, 8, 8.1 and 10), compatible with C/C++, C#, Delphi, VB6, VB.NET, LabVIEWand Matlab. 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 third
party imaging packages including EPICS (16-bit). See Andor web site for detail: http://www.andor.com/software/

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 and iKon-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 (Newton 920 and 940 SOseries) are ideally suited for vacuum spectrographs.
Need a customized version? Please contact us to discuss your design.

6MECHANICALDRAWINGS

Dimensions in mm [inches]
Weight (approx): 9.5 kg [20lbs 15oz ], (9.7 kg [21lbs 6oz] with filter holder)

Please consult the open-front camera flanges technical note at andor.com forfurther technical details on flange configurations
Refer to Best Practice Guidelines on page 5 for information on handling open
fronted camera models.

Camera Control Unit CCU-500 •8

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

Footnotes1x Fibre Optic PCIe card1.

1x USB 3 PCIe card
1x iKon-XL camera control unit •8
1x Camera power lead (5m)
1x BNC-SMA cable (2m)2.
3.

1x USB 3.0 cable (3m)
1x Fibre Optic lead (15m)

4.
5.
6.
7.

1x QuickStart Guide(Note: PC requires 1x slot for
installation of a PCIe card)

8.  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 precautions for 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.
Figures are typical unless otherwise stated.
Specified minimum temperature with coolant assumes coolant temperature of 10°C, measured at camera
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 of blemishes.
Quantum efficiency data as supplied by the sensor manufacturer.
The graph shows photoelectrons generated as a function of photon energy of incident X-ray.  Linearity is measured from a plot of counts vs exposure time under constant photon flux up to the saturation
point of the system.
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 ambient on request)

dual or quad core processor•

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:•

capable of sustained rate of 60 MB/s•

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

•

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

FM40523

EMS91062

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 0818 R18