-100 °C TE Cooled, Very Large Area CCD

Andor’s iKon-XL is a thermoelectrically (TE) cooled, very large area CCD camera platform, accommodating large field of view sensors that are ideally suited to long exposure astronomy applications. Using the unique, patent-pending ColdSpace™ technology, the ultrasensitive iKon-XL is capable of TE cooling a 16.8 Megapixel sensor (e2v back-illuminated) down to -100 °C, avoiding the requirement for liquid nitrogen or unreliable cryo coolers. The iKon-XL also uses an exclusive Extended Dynamic Range technology, facilitating lowest noise and maximum well depth within one scan, complemented by up to 18-bit digitization capability. Flexible connectivity is standard through either USB 3.0 or a long distance direct fibre optic interface.

The iKon-XL 230 model uses the e2v CCD230-84 back-illuminated sensor, offering a very large 61.4 x 61.4 mm imaging area from a 4096 x 4108 array format and 15 µm pixel size

Key Specifications
Active Pixels	4096 x 4108
Sensor Size	61.4 x 61.4 mm
Pixel Size	15 x 15 µm
Read Noise	As low as 4.5 e-
Active area pixel well depth (typical)	150,000 e-
Maximum Cooling	-100°C
Max. Readout Rate	4 MHz

Features	Benefits
Thermoelectric Cooling to -100°C (Liquid/Water)	Patent-pending ColdSpace™ very large area TE cooling technology avoids need for liquid nitrogen or unreliable cryo coolers. Minimization of darkcurrent to below the zodiacal background.
61.4 x 61.4 mm sensor	Very large field of view from 16.8 Megapixel, 15 µm pixel pitch sensor.
Extended Dynamic Range	Unique method to achieve lowest noise and maximum well depth within one scan. Supplemented by up to 18-bit digitization.
Peak QE over 95%	High photon collection efficiency for maximising SNR.
Low noise readout	Intelligent low-noise electronics offer the most ‘silent’ system noise available from the 230-84 sensor.
UltraVac™	Critical for sustained vacuum integrity and to maintain unequalled cooling and QE performance, year after year.
‘Deep Cooled’ and ‘Compact’ versions	‘Deep Cooled’ for -100 °C water/liquid (no air cooling). ‘Compact’ for smaller form factor and combined -80 °C water liquid; -60 °C air cooled.
Fibre-optic or USB 3.0 interface flexibility	Built-in robust plug and play interface options as standard. Fibre optic for long distance solution.
Balanced Quad-port readout	Tracking stability to ensure all readout circuits experience same temperature and operating conditions, yielding well balanced quadrants. Optional (software selected) single port readout mode.
Multiple readout speeds, up to 4 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 remote observing location, it can be easily replaced on site.
iRig-B GPS timestamp	Image GPS timestamp with 10ms resolution for network integration.
Easy reference column access	Easy and flexible software access to dark (shielded) reference columns
Windows, Linux & Labview	Andor’s user-friendly SDK supports both Windows and Linux OS. LabView VI package available
ASTRO.control compatibility	redlogix ASTRO.control is a dedicated platform for control of astronomical telescopes and instrumentation

Graphs and Drawings

QE Curve - Standard

Dimensions - Front - Flexi Model

Dimensions - Side - Flexi Model

Connector Panel - Flexi Model

Dimensions - Front - Deep Cooled Model

Dimensions - Side - Deep Cooled Model

Connector Panel - Deep Cooled Model

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Author	Title
Q Tian, P Jiang, F Du, ...	The bright star survey telescope for the planetary transit survey in Antarctica