Product Description
Regulated Two Stage TEC Cooling!
- The cooled version of the ZWO ASI178MC camera allows the sensor to be cooled to 35C to 40C degrees below ambient. Below are the extra features that can be found on the camera body, specifically related to the cooling feature:
- Just below the USB hub (dual 2.0 Out and 3.0 In), you'll find a 2.1 mm center positive input for a cooler power supply (not included). ZWO recommends 12VDC at 2A max
- Below the power supply input is a Cooler Power indicator LED light
- A huge heat sink, which is nearly 2/3 the size of the camera, is located on the side of the body
- The top of the camera sports a MagLev fan, which utilizes the attraction of the magnetic levitation force for low acoustic noise, high temperature endurance, and long life.
More on the ZWO ASI178MC Color Imaging Camera
The ZWO ASI178MC is loaded with the Sony IMX178 back-illuminated, 6.4M pixel image sensor. The 1/1.8" sensor has an array of 3096 x 2080 pixels that are 2.4um square. With a two-stage TEC cooling system, 14bit ADC, super low read noise of 2.2 e, and high sensitivity, the ZWO ADI178MC would make a great camera for microscopy as well as astronomy.
Sony IMX178 CMOS Sensor Features
- High sensitivity, high resolution, and high dynamic range is yours with the Sony IMX178 back-illuminated CMOS image sensor!
- The IMX178 is an "Exmor R" sensor, with significantly enhanced imaging characteristics, including sensitivity and low noise, by changing fundamental structure of "Exmor" adopted column-parallel A/D converter to back-illuminated type.
- Sony STARVIS sensors, of which the IMX178 is one, features sensitivity of 2000 mV or more per 1µm²*, and realizes high picture quality in the visible and near infrared light regions.
- High dynamic range was achieved by featuring 14 bit ADC, which reduced quantization noise and suppressed dark random noise. This enables clear image quality in light and dark areas, even when imaging objects with high contrast.
- Everything you will need to control your ZWO camera is available and easily downloadable in one centralized location on the ZWO website. Click here for ZWO Software Downloads.