ST-2000XM

This is preliminary information only. The ST-2000XM camera is still in development and we hope to have more information about its possible release and selling price soon, assuming our continuing field tests of this CCD in an astronomical camera are successful. Preliminary tests are encouraging but not yet complete.

The ST-2000XM is being developed to meet the needs of the casual imager who wants a big CCD with lots of pixels, antiblooming protection, integrated self-guiding and professional software at a low price. A first for SBIG, the new model ST-2000XM (X=high speed USB, M=microlens) uses an high quality interline CCD from Kodak. The KAI-2000M CCD is a 2 megapixel progressive scan detector with an active image area of 1.92 million pixels. The active image area is 1600 x 1200 pixels at 7.4 microns. This array is 75% larger than the Sony CCD used in competitors' "megapixel" cameras and ST-2000XM is a self-guiding camera, utilizing SBIG's patented dual sensor design. The imaging CCD is nearly the same size as the KAF-1602E used in the ST-8XE but due to the smaller pixel size it contains nearly half a million more pixels than the ST-8XE. Full frame download time is approximately 5 seconds with our new high speed USB electronics. This camera is also fully compatible with all of our existing accessories such as CFW8 filter wheel and AO-7 adaptive optics device. The KAI-2000M CCD has antiblooming protection and the quantum efficiency is comparable to the ABG versions of the new enhanced full frame "E" detectors used in the ST-7XE cameras with a shift in the peak sensitivity toward the blue. Compared to the ABG versions of the full frame "E" series CCDs, the KAI-2000M appears to be more sensitive in the blue and green, and slightly less sensitive in the red. Moreover, because the ST-2000XM has two CCDs, it is capable of self-guiding without any compromise in the quantum efficiency of the imaging CCD. In other words, not only CAN it self-guide, it can do so without having to double the exposure time to compensate for the guiding feature.

The ST-2000XM is equipped with our new cooling design including a heat exchanger ready for water circulation as standard equipment. This design will typically cool to -35^o below ambient (-30^o minimum) without water or typically down to -45^o C from ambient (-40^o minimum) with water circulation. Cooling is also regulated to 0.1 degrees. The ST-2000XM has an electronic shutter and, unlike competing models, a mechanical shutter as well. It can therefore not only take very short exposures for high resolution planetary imaging, it can also automatically take and subtract dark frames without having to cover the telescope or remove the camera.

	2 megapixels 7.4 microns High speed USB 5 second downloads Self-guiding CCD
What you get with the ST-2000XM	Feature	ST-2000XM
Megapixels	Total Pixels	2 million (1.92 million image area)
Good pixel resolution on small scopes	Small pixels	7.4 microns
Big field of view on small and medium scopes	Large CCD Array	1648 x 1214 (1600 x 1200 image area)
High blue response	QE at 400 nm	37%
Mechanical shutter for auto dark frames	Auto dark frames	Yes
Second, self-guiding CCD included	Self-guiding	Yes
Regulated cooling to 0.1 degrees	Regulated Cooling	Yes
Additional water cooling available	Water cooling option	Included (up to -45C delta)
Premium software: CCDSoftV5 and TheSky	Extra Software	Yes - at no additional cost
Fast electronics	Transfer rate	up to 400,000 pixels / sec
High speed USB downloads	Full Frame Download	~5 sec
Big Bang for your Buck	Introductory Price	TBA

M3. ST-2000XM "First Light" image.
A single 240 second self-guided exposure through a 5" F/6 refractor from the patio of a light polluted apartment complex.
The camera was uncooled for this exposure (cooling was OFF). Dark frame and log scaled with CCDOPS.
(Log scaling caused halos around brighter stars). Image reduced 50%. Michael Barber / SBIG

M51 and IC4263. ST-2000XM "First Light" image.
A single 600 second self-guided exposure through a 5" F/6 refractor from the patio of a light polluted apartment complex.
The camera was uncooled for this exposure (cooling was OFF). Dark frame and DDP with CCDOPS.
Image reduced 50%. Magnitude 15.1 IC4263 is seen near the lower left corner. Michael Barber / SBIG

M63 and UGC8313 . ST-2000XM test exposure.
Two 600 second self-guided exposures through a 5" F/6 refractor from the patio of a light polluted apartment complex.
DDP applied to each image and co-added with CCDOPS. Images were binned 2x2.
Magnitude 14.7 UGC8313 is seen near the lower right corner. Michael Barber / SBIG

M106, NCG4248 and UGC7356. ST-2000XM test exposure.
A single 600 second self-guided exposure through a 5" F/6 refractor from the patio of a light polluted apartment complex.
Dark frame and DDP with CCDOPS. Image was binned 2x2.
NGC4284 at mag 13.6 is below and to the right of M106. UGC7356 at mag 15.1 is left of center. Michael Barber / SBIG

CCD	Kodak KAI-2000M + TI TC-211
Pixel Array	1600 x 1200 pixels, 11.8 x 8.9 mm
Total Pixels	1.92 million
Pixel Size	7.4 x 7.4 microns
Full Well Capacity (Unbinned)	~45,000 e-
Full Well Capacity (Binned)	~90,000 e-
Dark Current	0.35e¯/pixel/sec at 0° C
Antiblooming	Standard

Shutter	Electromechanical
Exposure	0.01 to 3600 seconds, 10ms resolution
Correlated Double Sampling	Yes
A/D Converter	16 bits
A/D Gain	Unbinned = 0.72e-/ADU Binned = 1.4 e-/ADU
Read Noise	15e- RMS
Binning Modes	1 x 1, 2 x 2, 3 x 3, and 1 x N, 2 x N, 3 x N
Digitization Rate	~ 400khz
Full Frame Acquisition	~ 5 seconds

Field of View	20 x 15 arcminutes
Pixel Size	0.75 x 0.75 arcseconds
Limiting Magnitude (est.)	Magnitude 14 in 1 second
(for 3 arcsec FWHM stars)	Magnitude 18 in 1 minute

Cooling - standard	Single Stage Thermoelectric, Active Fan with Water Assist -35 C from Ambient Typical without water -45 C from Ambient Typical with water
Temperature Regulation	±0.1°C
Power	5 VDC at 1.5 amps, ±12 VDC at 0.5 amp desktop power supply included
Computer Interface	USB
Computer Compatibility	Windows 95/98/2000/Me/NT/XP
Guiding	Dual CCD Self-Guiding

Optical Head	5 inches diameter x 3 inches 12.5 cm diameter x 7.5 deep 2 pounds/0.9 Kg
CPU	All electronics integrated into Optical Head, No CPU
Mounting	T-Thread, 1.25" and 2" nosepieces included
Backfocus	0.92 inches

With the caveat that this is still a product in development, from what we have seen to date, we expect the overall performance the ST-2000XM to be approximatelly comparable to the ABG version of the ST-7XE after accounting for the difference in pixel size. If released into production the ST-2000XM is expected to be priced between the ST-7XE and the ST-9XE.