ATS SBIG info

The ST-2000XM has been 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 SBIG's 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	Price	*Approx $A7200 inc GST

The overall performance the ST-2000XM is approximatelly comparable to the ABG version of the ST-7XE after accounting for the difference in pixel size with improved blue end response. The SBIG ST2000xm is proving to be an excellent "imaging" camera and it is strongly recommended for those wanting a large detector (comparable to the ST10xme) at about 1/2 the cost of a science camera.