Neo sCMOS Camera - True Scientific CMOS

Vacuum cooled Scientific CMOS with 1 e^- read noise: Rolling and Snapshot exposure

Introducing Andor’s much anticipated, highly innovative Neo sCMOS camera platform. A true scientific CMOS in every sense, Neo sCMOS has been conceptualized and specifically engineered to harness the full performance potential of this new and exciting sensor technology. Unlike any CCD or CMOS camera to come before, Neo is unique in its ability to simultaneously offer ultra-low noise, extremely fast frame rates, wide dynamic range, high resolution and a large field of view, with 'freeze frame' capture capability.

Neo breaks new boundaries in offering an exceptionally low read noise of 1 e^- rms @ 30 fps (full frame), without the need for signal amplification technology. Bursts rates of up to 100 frames/s can be reached, faster with Region of Interest (ROI) selection. In Neo, these speeds are uniquely coupled to a dynamic range capability of 30,000:1 across a 16-bit data range. Importantly, and unlike other CMOS cameras, Neo offers both Rolling and Global (also known as ‘snapshot’) Shutter exposure mechanisms. Snapshot mode provides an exposure sequence that emulates that of an interline CCD, whereby all pixels begin the exposure simultaneously and end the exposure simultaneously, ensuring time-correlated capture of fast moving changes at multiple locations, without distortion.

Neo offers an advanced, yet necessary, set of unique performance features and innovations, including deep TE cooling to -40° C, extensive 'on-head' FPGA data processing capability, a 4 GigaByte image buffer memory and a Data Flow Monitor. Andor’s UltraVac™ vacuum process has been implemented to offer not only superior cooling capability, but also complete protection of the sensor and a unique single window design (anti-reflection coated) to maximize photon throughput.

These capabilities have been implemented to drive best possible performance, image quality and long term reliability from sCMOS technology.

Performance and Innovations of the Neo sCMOS camera

Andor's New Neo sCMOS camera boasts an impressive set of product developments, designed exclusively to drive optimal performance from this exciting and innovative new technology development.

• Lowest Noise Floor - Neo achieves an unprecedented 1 electrons RMS typical read noise @ 30 fps (full 5.5 megapixel). Furthermore, at the full ‘burst’ frame rate of 100 fps, the read noise floor is negligibly compromised, maintaining 1.4 electrons RMS.
• Rolling and Global (Snapshot) Shutter - Neo offers the distinct capability to offer both Rolling and Global Shutter exposure modes within the same camera, such that the most appropriate mode can be selected dependent on application requirements. Snapshot exposure is analogous to an interline CCD exposure, used for freeze frame capture of fast moving/changing events. 'Rolling Shutter only' variant available also.
• Extended Dynamic Range - The Andor Neo is designed to make use of the innovative Dual Column-Level Amplifier design of the sensor, meaning that the full well depth can be harnessed alongside the lowest noise floor. Uniquely for such a relatively small pixel design, this allows for dynamic range performance exceeding 30,000:1.
• Fast Frame Rates - The parallel readout nature of the Neo sCMOS means it is capable of reaching very rapid frame rates, much faster than interline CCDs. 30 fps (full frame) is achievable over extended kinetic series, much faster with ROI. Up to 100 full frames per second is achievable as burst to memory. Distinctively, this is accomplished without significantly sacrificing read noise performance, further distinguishing the technology from CCDs.
• Deep Thermoelectric Cooling - Andor’s Neo offers the deepest sensor cooling available from any CMOS imaging camera on the market, critical for minimization of both darkcurrent and hot pixel blemishes. Liquid cooling option capability allows for fan-off mode, useful for vibration sensitive set-ups.
• UltraVac™ - The Andor Neo is the only vacuum housed CMOS sensor available on the market, meaning that neither cooling performance nor sensor QE will steadily degrade over time.
• 4 GB on-head Image Buffer - Neo is the only scientific CMOS camera on the market with on-head memory. This renders it unique in its ability to acquire bursts of data at frame rates that are faster than the PC write speed, overcoming the need for prohibitively expensive PCs and also providing a buffer against PC performance variability. The additional memory capacity is also used for advanced image processing.
• Dynamic Baseline Clamp – All that should vary is your signal! - Real time algorithm that uses dark reference pixels on each row to stabalize the baseline (bias) offset. Necessary to ensure quantitative accuracy across each image and between successive images and to significantly improve background image uniformity.
• Spurious Noise Filter - Real time optional FPGA filter that identifies and compensates for ‘spurious’ high noise pixels that are greater than 5 electrons (< 1% of all pixels).
• Hardware Timestamp – FPGA generated timestamp with 25ns accuracy. The hardware timestamp is essential to maintain accurate kinetic information relating to image capture, especially when using on-head memory to access accelerated kinetic series capability.
• Single Input Window - The unique vacuum sensor housing of Neo permits use of only a single input window, anti-reflection coated on each surface, designed to maximize photon throughput to the sensor.
• Data Flow Monitor - Designed to provide a simple visual tool that enables you to instantly ascertain if your acquisition parameters will result in a rate of data transfer that is too fast for either interface or hard drive. Also determines if the kinetic series size is within the capacity of camera image buffer memory, hard drive space or PC RAM.
• iCam - iCam technology ensures minimal timing overheads associated with exposure switching. Neo will perform efficiently within multi-channel microscopy acquisition protocols, where exposure times are repeatedly changed in order to sample specimens loaded with multiple fluorophores of varying quantum yields.

Neo project part financed by ERDF under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for NI.