MallinCam SkyRaider DS10CTEC Camera

The new MallinCam SkyRaider DS10C TEC Color video camera - was designed from the ground up to accommodate your most demanding astronomical video imaging applications. Since most CMOS sensors cannot be directly cooled via a cold finger without causing damage and delamination with time shortening their life, a new cooling system had to be developed. MallinCam developed a unique cooling system that provides no direct physical contact between the Peltier cooler and the sensor. (No cold finger is used.) Instead, the Peltier cooler creates a convection system “refrigerator-like” environment to cool the sensor without actually contacting it. This cooling system is unique to MallinCam and it is not found in other astronomical imaging cameras.

The back-illuminated Sony IMX294 class 1 CMOS sensor of the MallinCam DS10cTEC is cooled via convection, instead of using a cold finger. Thus, thermal shock to it and its associated circuitry is reduced. CMOS sensors have other components mounted on the same wafer with the imaging section which do not requires or can be adversely affected by cooling. Examples are the digital logic circuitry (interface, timing, processing, output amplifiers, pad rings and associated oscillators), clocks and timing controls, analog signal processing, and the analog-to-digital converter. The ADC when cooled from a direct cold finger and Peltier system results in instability. Using convection cooling prevents these problems.

MallinCam has successfully produced a working alternative - a cooling chamber called refrigeration cooling - which subjects the CMOS sensor to cooling inside a triple-sealed vacuum sensor chamber controlled with a heating element mounted around the internal optical window to control and avoid dew formation on the optical window and surroundings. A sealed chamber is used to eliminate the use of desiccant material. This technique ensures a dew-free environment for your camera, permanently.

Because of this new technology, the SkyRaider DS10cTEC video imaging camera will not require a dark frame for live applications or imaging in most cases. It is built to laboratory specifications, where CNC machining manufacturing provides the rigid tolerances needed to provide precise component matching. The vacuum chamber has six stainless steel screws securing the chamber cover under 100 pounds of pressure to avoid possible air leaks into the chamber. The internal electronics use Grade 1 components with tolerance of 0.5%, a military and aerospace standard. The camera utilizes a 4Gb DDR3 internal memory to insure the smooth flow of data to the computer. The DS10C TEC also has a built-in USB 2 hub that can support a guider or a USB focuser.

The SkyRaider DS10cTEC Color video camera from MallinCam uses the Sony IMX294 Color CMOS Sensor - Back-lluminated, Class 1 Hand-Picked, (Scientific grade), with Bayer Quad coding. It provides approximately 10.71 M-effective pixels with a maximum resolution of 4096 X 2160 pixels, running 38 FPS @ 0.100 ms exposure. It also includes Correlated Double Sampling signal processing electronics to ensure very low noise read out and a high signal-to-noise (S-N) ratio. The sensor physical size is 21.63 mm diagonal. A spectral range of 350 nm to 1100 nm with good responsivity gives you the images of astronomical objects you want!

Each SkyRaider DS10cTEC camera is subjected to a 24-hour burn-in prior to being shipped to ensure proper operation. This kind of quality testing and other manufacturing details set MallinCam apart from everyone else in the astronomical video camera field.

Specifications:

• Sony IMX294 Color CMOS Sensor - Back-lluminated, Class 1 Hand-Picked, (Scientific grade), Bayer Quad coding
• Approximately 10.71 M-effective pixels
• 1900 mV Output
• Spectral Range: 350 nm to 1100 nm.
• Light Pollution Electronic Removal System using the White Balance Feature
• HCG and LCG Mode ( High Conversion gain, Low Conversion Gain Selectable)
• Correlated Double Sampling signal processing electronics
• A high S/N ratio
• No Amplifier Glow
• 21.63 mm Diagonal Sensor Size
• Resolution Sizes:
• - 4096 X 2160, 38 FPS @ 0.100 ms
• - 3704 X 2778, 35 FPS @ 0.100 ms
• - 2048 X 1080, 70 FPS @ 0.100 ms
• - 1360 X 720, 100 FPS @ 0.100 ms
• Digital Binning Modes: 1 x 1, 2 x 2, 3 x 3, 4 x 4, All in Color
• Global Shutter
• 4 Gb DDR3 Internal Memory for smooth operation
• Image Format, FITS, JPEG, BMP, PNG
• Full Video Mode: AVI, SER
• Free Software, Free updates
• Convection Cooling / Linear Cooling
• Refrigeration Chamber
• Vacuum Sealed Chamber
• Vacuum Sealed Optical Window
• Built-in Heater for Optical Window Dew Removal and Chamber Temperature Control
• 100 lb Chamber Plate Pressure Held with 6 - Stainless Steel Screws
• Built-In USB 2 hub for Guider, Focuser, Filter Wheel etc.
• Four Blue LED Status Indicators ( power, system, cooler, fan)
• High velocity Ultra Quiet Fan With Dual Air Output
• High Grade Hard Carrying Case
• T-mount
• Precision All Aluminum Construction and Stainless Steel hardware
• 10.0 cm X 8.00 cm (3.93 Inches X 3.14 inches)
• 534 grams / 1.17 pounds
• High Speed USB 3.0
• 5 Volt operation @ 900 mA
• 12 Volt DC Cooling via supplied A/C power supply
• One 12 Volt DC power cable for cooler

What's In The Box:

• MallinCam SkyRaider DS10CTEC Camera body
• 5 meter (15 feet) USB 3.0 Cable
• 2" to T-mount adapter
• Guiding Cable
• 12 V DC Cable
• AC power supply
• Software: MallinCam Software-MallinCam SKY
• High Grade Hard Carrying Case