Moravian C1X-61000C Color CMOS camera - Industrial Grade - Sensor D=43.3 mm

C1X Series CMOS Cameras

C1× cameras employ the same sensors like the C3 series — latest generation of Sony APS-C and Full-Frame (24 × 36 mm) CMOS sensors, offering exceptional quantum efficiency thanks to back-illuminated design and very low dark current. Despite relatively small pixels, full-well capacity exceeds 50 ke-, rivaling cameras with much greater pixels. Combined with full 16 bit digitization, perfectly linear response to light and exceptionally low read noise, these cameras are suitable for both aesthetic astro-photography as well as astronomical research. At the same time the C1× camera head is designed to be symmetrical, with as small front cross-section as possible.

The C1× family of cameras combine large APS and Full-Frame sized sensors, used in the C3 series, with a compact body of C1+ cameras. The front cross-section of the C1× camera head is the same like the C1+ one, only its body is a bit longer to accommodate more complex electronics as well as more powerful cooling (here originates the name of the entire series – C1 eXtended). Similarly to the C1+ line, also the C1× cameras lack mechanical shutter.
Using of large sensors up to size 24 × 36 mm required also redesign of the telescope/lens adapters of the C1× line, the M42/M48 × 0.75 threads, used with C1+ camera adapters, are too small for such large sensors. So, the C1× adapters are equipped with new M56 × 1 thread. The front plate of the M56 × 1 adapter also contains four threaded holes, which makes it compatible with C3 camera body and thus the C1× can use the same External filter wheels and other accessories like the C3 line.
Rich software and driver support allow usage of C1× camera without a necessity to invest into any 3rd party software package thanks to included free SIPS software package. However, ASCOM (for Windows) and INDI (for Linux) drivers and Linux driver libraries are shipped with the camera, provide the way to integrate C1× camera with broad variety of camera control programs.
The C1× cameras are designed to work in cooperation with a host Personal Computer (PC). As opposite to digital still cameras, which are operated independently on the computer, the scientific cooled cameras usually require computer for operation control, image download, processing and storage etc.

C1× camera head is designed to be as small and compact as a cooled camera with large sensor can be, and at the same time to be robust and resilient.
C1× cameras are equipped with tiltable telescope interface and tripod mounting threaded holes. They are also compatible with external filter wheels designed for larger C2 and C3 cameras — camera head contains connector to control filter wheel. If the external filter wheel is used, the tiltable mechanism on the camera head is not accessible and tiltable adapters for external filter wheels are used instead. C1× cameras with external filter wheels are then compatible with vast range of other telescope and lens adapters including off-axis guider adapters etc.

C1× camera head is designed to be easily used with a set of accessories to fulfil various observing needs. Camera adapter base back focal distance is 16.5 mm and can be used directly to attach the camera to the telescope focuser using the M56 × 1 thread.

Exposure control
The shortest exposure time of the C1× cameras depends on the used sensor type:

C1×26000 shortest exposure is 17.3 μs

C1×61000 shortest exposure is 19.5 μs

There is no practical limit on maximal exposure length, but in reality, the longest exposures are limited by saturation of the sensor either by incoming light or by dark current (see the following chapter about sensor cooling).

Cooling and power supply
Regulated thermoelectric cooling is capable to cool the CMOS sensor by approx. 35 °C below ambient temperature, depending on the camera type. The Peltier hot side is cooled by a fan. The sensor temperature is regulated with ±0.1 °C precision. High temperature drop and precision regulation ensure very low dark current for long exposures and allow proper image calibration.
The cooling performance depends on the environmental conditions and also on the power supply. If the power supply voltage drops below 12 V, the maximum temperature drop is lower.

Note: Some pictures show accessories which are not included in the scope of delivery.