This page provides documentation for an inexpensive CCD camera being developed to read out dark matter detectors. It may also find use for other applications (i.e. neutron detectors).

Please also see new page EMCCD_Ideas about a possible EMCCD camera.

Meeting Notes

• CCD_Camera_17_November_2008

Presentation Materials

• Block diagram and notes on first prototype – ​PDF

​ODG

• [​http://www.kodak.com/US/en/dpq/site/SENSORS/name/ISSFullFrameProductFamily

Kodak CCD Image Sensors]

• ​Proposal Text

2005 for Dark Matter proposal

Development Notes

• ​Camera Interface Documentation
• Ethernet_Camera_Readout
• Ethernet_Camera_Software

Prototype I Documentation

• 'Mechanical CAD
  • ​PCB Mechanical Drawing
  • ​PCB Mechanical Drawing

• 'Schematics and PCB Layouts
  • CCD carrier board
    • PCB Layout – ​PDF ​ExpressPCB
  • Analog board
    • PCB Layout – ​PDF ​ExpressPCB
    • Schematic – ​PDF ​ExpressPCB
• Interface board
  • Schematic – ​PDF ​ExpressPCB
  • PCB Layout – (not yet completed)

• 'Component Data Sheets
  • ​PCB Assembly Parts
  • ​Kodak KAI-2020 Image Sensor
  • ​Header Pins and Socket
  • ​Pin Receptacles

Design Notes

One frame is 1600x1200 or 1.9Mpixel. If we digitize with a 12 bit ADC, well need two bytes per pixel or 3.84MB. (2Mx8 or 1Mx16)

ISSI makes some reasonable-looking synchronous SRAMS which could be used if we go with a custom board.

• ​Note on CCD Sensors

Note that we expect to run this prototype at room temperature. There is also a ​diagram from the 2005 version.

Xilinx Boards

• ​Digilent

​Nexsys2 board

• ++ 256 color VGA
• ++ USB readout supported for data transfers
• ++ Micron PSDRAM (can be used in asynchronous mode)
• ++ only $99
• -- USB software support is windows-only, no source code, an unknown quantity
• -- Brand new product; no user manual (yet!)

• ​Spartan 3E ​starter kit
  • ++ We have them
  • ++ SiTCP support
  • -- VGA port is only 8 colors
  • -- DDR SDRAM (hard to use without microblaze)
  • -- USB port not supported for data transfers

• ​Opal Kelley

​XEM3005 board

• ++ Linux software support
• -- no VGA connector
• -- SDRAM with no obviously-provided example VHDL code
• -- Costs $279