ORCA-Fire Digital CMOS camera

C16240-20UP

Elemental for Discovery

The ORCA-Fire intelligently integrates all the essential elements of a high performance, back-thinned, scientific CMOS (sCMOS) camera. The camera’s excellence is rooted in Hamamatsu’s dedication to low noise and high quantum efficiency sCMOS technology. With the ORCA-Fire, high sensitivity is realized while also achieving excellent resolution and blazing fast speeds. The ORCA-Fire shines when the science demands high throughput but the sample can only deliver a few photons.

Will the ORCA-Fire spark your next discovery?

Highlight Specs

LOW NOISE

1.0 electrons rms (115 frames/s)

HIGH QE

86 % @460 nm (Back illuminated CMOS)

HIGH RESOLUTION

4432 (H) × 2368 (V) (Pixel size 4.6 μm)

HIGH SPEED

115 frames/s (@4432(H)×2368(V) 10.5 Mpixels)

LARGE FIELD OF VIEW

20.4 mm × 10.9 mm (Diagonal 23.114 mm)

HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE

1 : 20 000 (Full well capacity 20 000 electrons)

SMALL PIXELS, BIG RESOLUTION

Optimize your optics to maximize resolution

Low mag imaging (<40×) offers the advantage of large field of view, which can be critical for high throughput applications. To acquire low mag images with maximum information, the imaging system must achieve high resolution by matching pixel size to Nyquist-level or higher sampling rates.  The pixel size of the ORCA-Fire is ideal for most 40× objectives or lower (see chart below).  The ORCA-Fire’s high spatial resolution combined with a large pixel array and high speed readout delivers 2.9× higher pixel throughput over even the fastest 4.2 MP 6.5 μm sCMOS camera.  

Example of appropriate pixel size of sensor according to objective lens magnification and NA

 

Magnification NA δ (μm) Δ (μm) Appropriate pixel size (μm)
4 0.16 2.10 8.4 4.2
10 0.4 0.84 8.4 4.2
20 0.8 0.42 8.4 4.2
40 1.4 0.24 9.6 4.8
40 0.95 0.35 14.1 7.1
60 1.42 0.24 14.2 7.1
100 1.5 0.22 22.4 11.2

* Rayleigh criterion (δ) = 0.61λ / NA

* Wavelength (λ) = 550 nm

* Δ = δ × Magnification of objective lens

Comparison of image quality at different pixel sizes

HIGH QE & LOW NOISE

Realize high sensitivity without sacrifice

The ORCA-Fire uses advanced back-thinned technology with micro-lenses to achieve high quantum efficiency. Combined with readout noise of 1.0 e- rms, the ORCA-Fire continues Hamamatsu's trend of providing sCMOS cameras that offer paramount sensitivity at all light levels.

Deep trench structure and backthinning

High QE is a fundamental expectation and a critical component of high sensitivity imaging.  Achieving high QE through sensor backthinning seems straightforward however there are nuances in backthinned sensor design that can impact image quality.  In conventional back-illuminated detectors, crosstalk occurs between pixels due to poor pixel separation within the active region of the silicon, impairing resolution independent of pixel size.  Our engineers implemented a deep trench pixel structure in the ORCA-Fire that prevents pixel crosstalk and improves resolution. 

What is a trench structure?

SELECT YOUR SPEED

Every ORCA-Fire has CoaXPress and USB connectivity

Readout speed (frames/s)

Readout Mode Area Readout Mode
Scan Mode Standard scan
X(pixels) Y(pixels) CoaXPress

USB3.1 Gen I

(16 bit)

USB3.1 Gen I

(8 bit)

4432 2368 115 15.7 31.5
4432 2304 118 16.2 32.4
4432 2048 132 18.2 36.5
4432 1024 264 36.4 72.8
4432 512 524 72.3 144
4432 256 1020 143 286
4432 128 1980 279 558
4432 8 15 200 2360 5260
4432 4 19 500 3960 7200

Readout speed (frames/s) at 2×2 binning

Readout Mode Area Readout Mode
Scan Mode Standard scan
X(pixels) Y(pixels) CoaXPress

USB3.1 Gen I

(16 bit)

USB3.1 Gen I

(8 bit)

2216 1184 115 63.1 115
2216 1152 118 64.9 118
2216 1024 132 73 132
2216 512 264 145 264
2216 256 524 289 524
2216 128 1020 572 1020
2216 64 1980 1110 1980
2216 4 15 200 10 500 15 200
2216 2 19 500 13 600 19 500

Mega pixels per second

EXPAND YOUR VISION

Field of view comparison

With 4432 (H) × 2368 (V) pixels, the ORCA-Fire can effectively utilize a 22 mm microscope field of view.

Lightsheet : SPECIALIZED FOR THE SPECIALIST

Lightsheet readout mode reduces scattered light effects

Researchers are increasingly turning to fluorescence lightsheet microscopy to study biological processes in living cells and organisms and to capture stunning 3D resolution of cleared tissue.  There are many flavors of lightsheet microscopy but generally the sample is illuminated orthogonally using a “sheet” of light.  This sheet is then scanned across the sample to obtain optical cross-sectional images that can be reassembled into full 3D renderings. The ORCA-Fire implements Hamamatsu’s patented lightsheet readout mode.  In this mode, the lightsheet is synchronized with readout of the sensor, reducing the impact of scattered light and effectively improving image quality and signal to noise.

Lightsheet readout mode frame rates (frames/s)

Readout Mode Lightsheet Readout Mode
Scan Mode Standard scan
X(pixels) Y(pixels) CoaXPress

USB3.1 Gen I

(16 bit)

USB3.1 Gen I

(8 bit)

4432 2368 114 15.7 31.5
4432 2304 117 16.2 32.4
4432 2048 132 18.2 36.5
4432 1024 263 36.4 72.8
4432 512 518 72.3 144
4432 256 1000 143 286
4432 128 1900 279 558
4432 8 11 400 2630 5260
4432 4 13 600 3690 7200

sCMOS lightsheet readout mode comparison

Effective pixel numbers (H)×(V) Readout speed (frames/s)

ORCA-Fire

(CoaXPress)

ORCA-Fusion

ORCA-Flash4.0 V3

4432 × 2368 114 - -
2304 × 2304 117 88.9 -
2048 × 2048 132 100 49
1024 × 1024 263 199 99
512 × 512 518 396 196
256 × 256 1000 784 384
128 × 128 1900 1540 738

Interface: CoaXPress/Camera Link

Image capture mode: Internal synchronous mode

The ORCA-Fire, in lightsheet readout mode, delivers 2.5× more pixels per second that even the fastest low noise sCMOS camera.

Lightsheet : SYNCHRONIZE IN ANY DIRECTION

Bidirectional readout eliminates lag between frames

In the ORCA-Fire, lightsheet readout has four distinct operational modes: forward, backward, bidirectional and reverse bidirectional. In forward mode the readout begins at the top and progresses to the bottom of the sensor. In backwards mode, the readout is initiated from the bottom and ends at the top. Bidirectional mode begins with forward readout in the first frame and switches to backwards readout in the next frame, continuing this alternating pattern frame by frame. As the name suggests, backwards bidirectional mode, begins with the bottom to top backwards readout in the first frame and switches to top to bottom in the next and so on. Both bidirectional modes were implemented to avoid the lag time required to return to the lightsheet to the top or bottom of the sensor for the next frame. 

PC recommendations

With the introduction of the ORCA-Fire, users are now able to stream 10 megapixel images to their computers 115 frames per second. The computer recommendations for this high data rate can be met by using the guidelines listed this PC Recommendations for ORCA-Fire.

Software

Our software provides the interface to access all of our carefully engineered camera features, from simply setting exposure to orchestrating complex triggering for multidimensional experiments.

Specifications

Product number C16240-20UP
Imaging device Scientific CMOS image sensor
Effective number of pixels 4432 (H)×2368 (V)
Pixel size 4.6 μm×4.6 μm
Effective area 20.387 mm×10.892 mm
Full well capacity 20 000 electrons (Typ.)
Readout speed*1 Full resolution, CoaXPress : 115 frames/s
Full resolution, USB 3.1 : 15.7 frames/s
Vertical 4 line, CoaXPress : 19 500 frames/s
Vertical 4 line, USB 3.1 : 3690 frames/s
Readout noise 1.0 electrons (rms), 0.9 electrons (median)
Quantum efficiency 86 % (peak QE) (Typ.)
Exposure time 7.309 μs to 10 s (7.309 μs step)
Cooling method Peltier cooling
Cooling temperature Forced-air cooled (Ambient temperature: +25 °C) + 20 °C
Dark current 0.6 electrons/pixel/s (Typ.)
Dynamic range*2 20 000 : 1 (rms) , 22 000 : 1 (median)
Sensor mode Area readout , Lightsheet readout
External trigger function Area readout mode : Edge trigger , Global reset edge trigger , Level trigger , Global reset level trigger , Sync readout trigger , Start trigger
Lightsheet readout mode : Edge trigger , Start trigger
External trigger signal External input (SMA)
External trigger level TTL/3.3 V LVCMOS level
External trigger delay function 0 μs to 10 s (1 μs step)
External output signal Global exposure timing output , Any-row exposure timing output ,Trigger ready output , Programmable timing output High output , Low output
External output level 3.3 V LVCMOS level
Interface CoaXPress (Quad CXP-6) / USB 3.1 Gen 1
A/D converter 16 bit , 8 bit
Lens mount C-mount
Power supply AC 100 V to AC 240 V, 50 Hz/60 Hz, 2.5 A
Power consumption 100 VA
Ambient operating temperature 0 °C to +40 °C
Ambient storage temperature -10 ℃ to +50 ℃
Ambient operating humidity 30 % to 80 % or less (With no condensation)
Ambient storage humidity 90 % or less (With no condensation)

※1 Using frame bundle function by DCAM-API

※2 Calculated from the ratio of the full well capacity and the redout noise

Dimensions

Instruction manual

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