pco.edge family & pco.panda: the most versatile sCMOS cameras on the market
As one of the three inventors and developers of the scientific CMOS (sCMOS) sensor, PCO is pioneering a new generation of high-performance cameras (sCMOS cameras) that are used in countless applications. Before introducing sCMOS to the market, scientific applications had to compromise between CMOS sensors for high frame rates or CCD sensors for high image quality.
Now, thanks to new developments in sCMOS sensor design, users get the highest resolution, dynamic range, quantum efficiency and frame rates with the lowest readout noise. PCO’s sCMOS camera systems provide these desirable characteristics combined with special microscopy readout modes in a lightweight and compact camera body. PCO sCMOS cameras are available with a variety of interface options: Camera Link HS, Camera Link, USB3.0 and USB3.1.
Suitable for different applications ranging from: Brightfield microscopy | fluorescence microscopy | digital pathology | single molecule localization microscopy | lightsheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) | calcium imaging | FRET | FRAP | structured illumination microscopy (SIM) | highspeed bright field ratio imaging | high throughput screening | high content screening | biochip reading | TIRF microscopy | spinning disk confocal microscopy | 3D metrology | ophthalmology | photovoltaic inspection | industrial quality inspection | lucky astronomy | bio luminescence | chemo luminescence
| pco.edge 26 | pco.edge 4.2 bi | pco.edge 4.2 pco.edge4.2 LT
| pco.edge 5.5 | pco.edge 3.1 | pco.panda 26 | pco.panda 4.2 bi | pco.panda 4.2 |
Sensor | sCMOS | sCMOS, back illuminated | sCMOS | sCMOS | sCMOS | sCMOS | sCMOS, back illuminated | sCMOS |
Resolution (px) | 5120 x 5120 | 2048 x 2048 | 2048 x 2048 | 2560 x 2160 | 2048 x 1536 | 5120 x 5120 | 2048 x 2048 | 2048 x 2048 |
Pixel size | 2.5 x 2.5 um | 6.5 x 6.5 um | 6.5 x 6.5 um | 6.5 x 6.5 um | 6.5 x 6.5 um | 2.5 x 2.5 um | 6.5 x 6.5 um | 6.5 x 6.5 um |
Frame rate (full frame) | 7.3 fps | 40 fps | 40 fps, 100 fps | 30 fps, 100 fps | 50 fps | 7.1 fps | 40 fps | 40 fps |
Exposure time | 5 μs - 60 s | 10 μs - 20 s | 100 µs - 20 s | 500 µs - 2s (RS) | 500 µs - 2 s (RS) | 5 µs - 20 s | 10 µs - 500 ms | 10 µs - 5 s |
Shutter | GS | RS | RS,GR | RS,GS,GR | RS,GS,GR | GS | RS | RS |
peak QE | 72% | 95% | 82% | 60% | 60% | 65% | 95% | 80% |
Min. read noise | 2.3 e- | 1.8 e- | 0.8 e- | 1 e- | 1.1 e- | 2.3 e- | 1.8 e- | 2.1 e- |
Min. dark current | 0.09 e-/px/s | 0.2 e-/px/s | 0.3 e-/px/s | 0.5 e-/px/s | < 0.5 e-/px/s | 3 e-/px/s | 42 e-/px/s | 15 e-/px/s |
Max.dynamic range | 2000:1 | 26600:1 | 37500:1 | 30000:1 | 27000:1 | 2000:1 | 26600:1 | 21400:1 |
Cooling | Active (air & water) | Active (air & water) | Active (air &/or water) | Active (air &/or water) | Active (air) | Passive | Passive | Passive |
Interface | USB3.1 | USB3.1 | USB3.0, CL, CLHS (10G FOL) | USB3.0, CL, CLHS (10G FOL) | USB3.0 | USB3.1 | USB3.1 | USB3.1 |
Aditional options available: | | UV version | lens control (CLHS), lightsheet scanning mode (CL-SDK) | color version, lens control (CLHS), lightsheet scanning mode (CL-SDK) | color version | color version | UV version | color version |
RS=Rolling Shutter | GS=Global Shutter | GR=Global Reset | | | | | | |