QHY5III568M Mono Camera

Bernard Karpinski — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 22:02:42 +0000

The QHY5III568M Mono Camera is a back-illuminated planetary & guiding camera of the latest 5III V2 series with a global shutter and true hardware binning.

Note: In order to activate the Charge Binning function of the QHY5III568M Mono Camera, please select “Read Mode–2×2 FD Binning” instead of the normal binning function included in the software (Taking SharpCap for example).

BSI

One benefit of the back-illuminated CMOS structure is improved sensitivity. In a typical front-illuminated sensor, photons from the target entering the photosensitive layer of the sensor must first pass through the metal wiring that is embedded just above the photosensitive layer. The wiring structure reflects some of the photons and reduces the efficiency of the sensor.

In the back- illuminated sensor the light is allowed to enter the photosensitive surface from the reverse side. In this case the sensor’s embedded wiring structure is below the photosensitive layer. As a result, more incoming photons strike the photosensitive layer and more electrons are generated and captured in the pixel well. This ratio of photon to electron production is called quantum efficiency. The higher the quantum efficiency the more efficient the sensor is at converting photons to electrons and hence the more sensitive the sensor is to capturing an image of something dim.

Global Shutter

Unlike the rolling shutter technology used in most CMOS cameras, a global shutter guarantees that the exposure time for the whole image area is uniform, beginning and ending at exactly the same time. This type of shutter is ideal for high precision applications. For high speed moving object and the atmospheric agitation the global shutter can generate undistorted imaging and realizes high picture quality.

FD Binning (Hardware Binning)

Unlike Most CMOS cameras, the camera supports charge-domain binning (FD Binning), which is the true hardware pixel binning similar to CCD cameras.

In the past, only CCD sensors were capable of hardware binning. Most CMOS cameras used digital binning, which relied on algorithms for binning. The disadvantage of this binning method (using 2*2 binning as an example) is that while the signal is amplified by 4 times, it also introduces twice the amount of noise, resulting in only a doubling of the signal-to-noise ratio, and then frame rate can not be improved. In contrast, hardware binning does not amplify additional noise, resulting in a direct 4-fold improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio. What’s more, the frame rate can increase a lot even the ROI function is not activited.

QHY5III Series V2 Introduction

512MB DDR3

The QHY5III (Ver. 2) series planetary and guiding cameras are all equipped with a 512MB DDR3 image buffer which can effectively reduce the pressure on computer transmission, a great help for planetary photography which often requires writing a large amount of data in a short period of time. Some deep-sky astrophotography cameras on the market today only have 256MB, for example.

In comparison, the 512MB DDR3 memory of the new 5III (Ver. 2) series cameras represents a significant upgrade.

New Front-end Design with Better Compatibility

QHY5III (Ver. 2) series cameras have adopted a new front-end design with better compatibility.Here we only take QHY5III200M as example, however, ALL V2 cams in the future share these features.

The BFL of V2 cam is only 8mm, which means you can easily compat a V2 cam with your OAG. The basic top adapter includes 1.25 inch threads and you can still use your 1.25 inch filter.

The top adapter glass of V2 can be easily swiched. One of the adavantage of changable top glasses is you can use one filter even you’re using Lens! You can add a 1.25inch-cs adapter to connect CS lens, or add a second CS-C lens for C-mount lens. The two adapters are all standard accessories of V2 cams.

By the way, there’s a 1.25-inch filter wheel adapter to connect your mono planetary cam with the QHYCFW3-S filter wheel.

USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C Interface

The new QHY5III (Ver.2) series cameras all use the USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C interface. Compared to the USB3.0 Type-B interface used in the previous generation, the Type-C interface has a longer life and is more flexible.

Tips: It is recommended to use the official standard Type-C data cable of QHYCCD. As the market is flooded with a large number of poor-quality Type-C cables, casual use may lead to the camera malfunctioning. If you use your own spare cable, please make sure it is a high-quality cable.

Universal Guiding Interface

The custom interfaces of the previous generation of planetary cameras and guiders has been replaced in the QHY5III (Ver.2) cameras with a more universal ST-4 compatible guiding interface. Now, even if the guiding cable is lost or damaged, you will be able to easily get a replacement on the market at a low cost.

Indicator LED

The new QHY5III568M mono camera is equipped with a status indicator at the back of the camera. If the camera experiences an abnormal status, the multi-colored indicator light will help to determine the situation with different colors signifying different conditions. During normal operation this indicator light is off, so there is no worry about light contaminating the image.

Sample Images

http://astro.christone.net/hsolar/s20240307b_cgo.jpg

http://astro.christone.net/hsolar/s20240310b_cgo.jpg

By Christopher Go
QHY5III568M + Stellarvue SV70 + Coronado SM60

Specifications

Model	QHY5III568M/C
Image Sensor	Sony IMX568
Mono/Color	Both Available
FSI/BSI	BSI
Sensor Size	6.7mm*5.6mm（Type1/1.8）
Pixel Size	2.74μm*2.74μm
Effective Pixel Area	2472*2064
Effective Pixels	5.1 Megapixels
Full Well Capacity	Full Resolution: 8.8ke- 2X2 FD Binning: 9.7ke-
Read Noise	Full Resolution: 1.5e- to 2.3e- 2X2 FD Binning: 1.6e- to 2.7e-
A/D	12-bit (output as 16-bit and 8-bit)
Built-in Image Buffer	512MB DDR3 Memory
Full Frame Rates	64.9FPS@8bit, 34.5FPS@16bit
ROI Frame Rates	1920X1080, 115.6FPS@8bit, 62.1FPS@16bit 800X600, 187.2FPS@8bit, 100.5FPS@16bit 480X480, 221.2FPS@8bit, 118.5FPS@16bit2X2 FD Binning 1236X1032, 283.2FPS@8bit, 142.5FPS@16bit 800X600, 439.6FPS@8bit, 221.9FPS@16bit 480X480, 519.6FPS@8bit, 262.8FPS@16bit
Exposure Time Range	11μs-900sec
Shutter Type	Electronic Global Shutter
Computer Interface	USB3.0 Type-C
Guide Port	Standard ST-4 Style
Telescope Interface	1.25-inch, with CS and C-Mount
Optical Window	AR Anti-reflection Glass (5III568M） IR-Cut filter (5III568C)
Extra Filter	–
Back Focal Length	17mm (with adapter); 8mm（without adapter）
Weight	80g

Curves

Spectral Sensitivity

Mechanical Dimensions

Accessories

User Guide

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QHY5III568M Mono Camera Archives - Modern Astronomy

QHY5III568M Mono Camera

The QHY5III568M Mono Camera is a back-illuminated planetary & guiding camera of the latest 5III V2 series with a global shutter and true hardware binning.