Detailed information about this product's features  Interline CCD
 Microlens
 Self-Guiding
 Remote Guide Head
The ST-2000XM is a 1.9 megapixel monochrome CCD camera for high resolution wide field deep space imaging. The self-guided ST-2000XM uses two CCD detectors. One is a 657 x 495 pixel detector for guiding. The second is a 1600 x 1200 pixel progressive scan interline detector for collecting the image. The detectors are mounted in close proximity to each other within a single camera body and focused at the same image plane. This patented guiding method allows you to focus both taking and guiding detectors simultaneously. Click on the “Self-Guiding" icon above for more information.
The imaging CCD is the Kodak KAI-2020M chip. It uses an interline-transfer system to collect and download the image, and microlens technology to improve its light-gathering efficiency. For more details, click on the “Interline" and “Microlens" icons above. The ST-2000XM detector is nearly the same size as the one used in the SBIG ST-8XME. However, due to its smaller pixel size, the ST-2000XM detector contains nearly half a million pixels more than the ST-8XME, a camera $1100 more expensive. Does that make the ST-2000XM a bargain? Many CCD imagers think so.
The 1.9 megapixel imaging detector has a vertical overflow drain structure that drains off signals that exceed each pixel’s full well capacity. This provides automatic antiblooming protection and allows electronic shuttering for precise exposure control. Other detector features include improved low dark current, reduced read noise, ten times fewer hot pixels, negligible lag, and low smear. Full frame download time is approximately 4.5 seconds with the high speed USB 1.1 electronics standard in the ST-2000XM.
Compared to the imaging detectors in the ST-7XME and ST-8XME cameras, the ST-2000XM is more sensitive in the blue and green, and slightly less sensitive in the red. While its quantum efficiency is lower in the H-alpha region than the XME detector cameras, the ST-2000XM is quite capable of excellent H-alpha imaging of nebulas through a narrow band filter.
The ST-2000XM is an excellent match to high quality short and medium focal ratio refractors in the 4" to 5" range for wide field imaging. With 1.9 million pixels, it is easily adapted to a variety of focal lengths using binning and/or focal reducers. The various binning modes (1x1, 2x2, 3x3) allow you to match the pixel size to various focal length telescopes, ranging from short focal length refractors and camera lenses to long focal length refractors and SCT’s. For example, with a Takahashi TSA-102 (4" f/8) it provides a huge 36 x 48 arc minute field at 1.82 arc seconds per pixel resolution (very close to the 2 arc second per pixel resolution generally recommended for deep space imaging). Bin the pixels 2x2 and it becomes a good match for an 8" f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain (with or without an f/6.3 reducer).
Kodak classifies their imaging detectors according to the number and type of “defects" found on the chip. CCD Point, Cluster, and Column Defects are defined in the “Astronomical Terms" section of this website. Here's a quick link to those definitions. The
“single class" chip of the ST-2000XM has no more than 20 major dark pixels or 200 minor dark pixels in its entire 1,920,000 pixel imaging area, no hot pixels, no more than 8 cluster defects, and no column defects. The point and cluster defects of the ST-2000XM are easily removed from an image by software during processing.
Self-guided exposures up to one hour are possible with the ST-2000XM. The imaging camera includes an electromechanical shutter allowing exposures of 0.001 seconds to 3600 seconds (one hour), a 16-bit analog to digital (A/D) converter, regulated thermoelectric temperature control, and has all of the electronics integrated into the CCD head. Communication to your PC is through new high speed electronics and a high speed USB 1.1 interface. Data transfer rates are up to 425,000 pixels per second, allowing a full frame download in about 4.5 seconds.
The standard cooling configuration is a single stage thermoelectric cooler with a software-controlled active fan and a newly designed heat exchanger. It includes an inlet and outlet for water circulation should the user desire to maximize the cooling performance for hot climates. A circulating water pump and tubing are available as optional accessories. Typical cooling without water assist is -35° C from ambient (-30° C minimum). With water assist, the cooling increases to a typical -45° C. Even without water cooling, the new single-stage cooling design offers similar performance to previous two-stage cooling with much less current draw than a two-stage cooler. It is therefore less demanding on battery capacity when operating in the field.
The ST-2000XM camera is a complete system. There is no need to pay extra for an interface or an autoguider or a nosepiece or better software to make this camera actually operate as it should, as is often typical with other CCD cameras. Everything that is needed to make the ST-2000XM operational is included in the price. SBIG even includes some non-essential, but desirable, items such as a custom fitted hard carrying case.
The ST-2000XM includes a camera body with an imaging detector, a Texas Instruments TC-237H autoguider detector, new analog and digital electronics, and a cooling fan and new heat exchanger design with water-cooling capability. There’s an I²C accessory port that adds bi-directional communication capability for “smart" accessories. A standard accessory port is also provided to maintain compatibility with the customer’s existing telescope interface cables and backwards compatibility with SBIG’s existing accessories – such as the CFW9 color filter wheel, AO-8 adaptive optics system, and relay adapter box for telescopes that do not have a dedicated CCD guider input.
There is also a remote guide head port for using an optional external guider instead of the built-in guiding chip. Click on the “Remote Guide Head" icon for more information.
The camera body has rack handles that make for easier and safer handling of the camera, particularly in cold weather when wearing gloves (as well as providing a place to attach a safety tether); a high speed USB 1.1 interface port; a user-rechargeable desiccant plug (there’s no need to return the camera to the factory for frosting problems); an internal shutter for automatic dark frames; a 2" nosepiece (a 1.25" nosepiece is optional); a T-thread ring for attaching to T-mount photo accessories; a 1/4"-20 thread side plate for tripod mounting; a 15-foot USB cable (third party USB extenders with a CAT5 cable are available for cable runs up to 300 feet); an adapter plug for the telescope interface cable; a telescope interface cable for autoguiding; and a universal 90-240VAC power supply with a remote on/off switch. You also get a CD-ROM containing full working versions of SBIG's CCDOPS version 5 camera control software, Software Bisque's CCDSoft Version 5 image processing/camera control software, and Software Bisque's TheSky Version 5, level II, with telescope control for Windows. All operating manuals are on the CD-ROM. A custom designed hard carrying case with pre-cut foam is standard.
While the software supplied with this camera is designed for use with a Windows-based PC, SBIG can also supply software to let Apple Macintosh owners control the camera. The software is available free from SBIG upon request to any new SBIG camera purchaser with proof of purchase. Simply send SBIG a copy of your invoice with the camera serial number and request the EquinoX Planetarium Software with SBIG Camera Control. The EquinoX software requires a Apple Macintosh computer (G3, G4 or G5), OS-X 10.2 or later, 30MB of free RAM, and 92MB of hard disk space. The software can control all SBIG ST-series cameras and Ethernet cameras. OS-X drivers for the cameras are also required and can be downloaded from SBIG at no charge.
Detector specifications are as follows: Imaging Detector: Kodak KAI-2020M, single class.
Pixel Array: 1600 x 1200 pixels.
Pixel Size: 7.4 x 7.4 microns.
Total Pixels: 1,920,000 (1.9 megapixels).
Full Well Capacity: ~45,000e- unbinned; ~90,000e- binned.
Dark Current: <0.1e-/pixel/second at 0° C.
Antiblooming: standard.
Guiding Detector: Texas Instruments TC-237.
Pixel Array: 657 x 495 pixels.
Pixel Size: ~ 7.4 x 7.4 microns.
Total Pixels: 325,215.
Readout specifications are as follows: Shutter: electromechanical.
Exposure: 0.001 to 3600 seconds,
Correlated Double Sampling: yes.
A/D conversion: 16 bits.
A/D gain: >0.6e-/ADU unbinned; 0.9e-/ADU binned.
Read noise: 7.9e- RMS.
Binning modes: 1x1, 2x2, 3x3.
Pixel digitization rate: ~ 425,000 pixels per second.
Full frame acquisition: ~4.5 seconds.
System specifications are as follows: Standard cooling: single stage thermoelectric, active fan, water assist ready, -35° C from ambient typical (-45° C from ambient typical with water assist).
Temperature regulation: +/-0.1° C.
Power requirements: 5 VDC at 1.5 amps, +/-12 VDC at 0.5 amp desktop power supply included.
Computer interface: USB 1.1.
Computer compatibility: Windows 98/2000/Me/XP, Mac OS-X.
Guiding: patented dual CCD self-guiding.
Physical specifications are as follows: Optical head: measures 5 inches diameter x 3 inches deep (12.5 cm diameter x 7.5 cm deep), weighs 2 pounds/0.9 Kg.
CPU: no separate CPU required, all electronics integrated into optical head.
Supplied mounting methods: T-thread, 2" nosepiece.
Back focus needed: 0.92"/2.3 cm.
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