Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
Some 'recent technology breakthroughs' in EMCCD technology are eerily familiar to
innovations that Andor have had in place for quite some time!
For example:
-
Andor's ‘Baseline Clamp' is a function that has been selectable in our software
for some years now and gives a rock-solid baseline during kinetic series! It also
keeps the baseline clamped rigid even when EM gain is changed.
-
Andor have had very fine nanosecond resolution (through vernier control) over our
clocking parameters for several years and are well aware of the important such control
is for reducing CIC noise.
However what has been overlooked by some, is that there is also a direct link between
pushing vertical clocks faster and achieving lower CIC – Andor can easily prove
this in demo using software-selectable clock speeds down to 0.3 microseconds for
the 512x512 back-illuminated sensor. Also, due to our faster vertical speeds we
offer the fastest frame rates on the market, significantly so when binning/sub-array
combinations are used – just check out the tables in the spec sheets.
Anyone who knows this market will be well aware that Andor's
iXonEM+ camera, launched in early 2006, has
Real EM-Gain
– a linear and quantitative EM gain control. RealGain™ is also temperature
compensated – this linear and absolute gain calibration is in place at whatever
cooling temperature the customer chooses. Without this compensation, the EM gain
multiplication factor is entirely susceptible to sensor temperature.
Andor are also the pioneers of
EMCAL™
, our patent-pending technique whereby the camera will measure - without need for
light source - its own EM gain and determine if there has been any gain ageing.
If there has been ageing it will reset to the factory-set gain calibration. We
also have ‘anti-ageing' technology integrated into the
iXonEM+
, to make sure any EM gain decline is more restricted in the first place.