ZWO ASI533MC Pro USB3.0 Cooled Color Astronomy Camera - ASI533MC-P

 ZWO ASI533MC Pro Cooled Color Camera

Sony IMX533 Back-Illuminated Color Sensor

The ZWO ASI533MC Pro uses the Sony IMX533, a CMOS color image sensor with a square pixel array of approximately 9M effective pixels.  The sensor itself is 11.31 mm x 11.31 mm in size, with a diagonal measurement of 15.968 mm.  

The Sony IMX533 has a pixel size of 3.76 um arranged in a 3008 x 3008 high resolution pixel array.  The 14-bit digital output of the IMX533 makes it possible to read out signals of the 9M effective pixels at a high speed of 20 frames per second with read noise as low as 1.0e.  This sensor is suitable for imaging needs that require high definition and low noise.

Back-Illumination

Sony’s back-illuminated CMOS image sensor improves the sensitivity and noise reduction – the key factors to enhancing image quality. It does this by radically realigning the fundamental pixel structure from front-illumination to back-illumination, while still retaining the advantages of CMOS image sensors such as low power consumption and high-speed operation.

With a conventional front-illumination structure, the metal wiring and transistors on the surface of the silicon substrate that form the sensor’s light-sensitive area (photo-diode), impede photon-gathering carried out by the on-chip lens. A back-illuminated structure minimizes the degradation of sensitivity to the optical angle response, while also increasing the amount of light that enters each pixel due to the lack of obstacles such as metal wiring and transistors. These components have been moved to the back-side of the silicon substrate.

USB3.0, DDR3 Buffer & Amp Glow

With features like USB 3.0 and 256MB DDR3 buffer, the ASI533MC Pro provides stable and secure data transmission that can effectively avoid frame-dropping issues during long exposures.

The ASI533MC-P is equipped with a USB 3.0 transmission interface.  In 14-bit ADC mode, the output frame rate can reach 20 FPS.

In addition, the 256M DDR3 memory ensures a more stable data transmission during long exposures without frame loss, and can also relax the hardware requirements of the computer used for data capture.

Traditional CMOS sensors can generate weak infrared light during exposures, causes what is known as amp glow.  The ASI533MC-P uses no-glow circuitry to ensure the best quality images regardless of gain or exposure length.

Cooling & Dew

The two-stage thermoelectric cooler can chill the CMOS sensor to 35 degrees below the ambient temperature, greatly reducing dark current and thereby improving signal-to-noise ratio even with a long exposure of hundreds of seconds.

Please Note: External power supplies are needed for all ASI cooled cameras.  ZWO recommends you use a 12V@3A DC Adapter with a 5.5*2.1mm center pole positive or a lithium battery with 11-15V to power the camera.  Do not use a power supply that goes out of this recommended voltage range or irreparable damage to the camera may occur.

Specifications

• Sensor:  IMX533 by Sony
  
• Type:  Color
  
• Zero Amp Glow:  Yes
  
• Sensor Format:  1" Square
  
• Resolution:  3008 x 3008
  
• Pixel Size:  3.76 um
  
• Read Noise:  1.0 - 3.8e
  
• QE:  80%
  
• Full Well:  50000e
  
• ADC:  14-Bit
  
• Back Focus:  6.5 mm / 17.5 mm
  
• Max FPS:  20
  
• Sensor Diagonal:  15.968 mm
  
• Cooling Temperature:  35-Degrees Celsius
  
• DDR3 Buffer:  256M
  
• USB:  3.0