Player One - Mars-C II (IMX662) Color USB3.0

Player One - Mars-C II - USB3.0 Color Camera (IMX662)

It is not only intended for planetary imaging, but it is also very powerful for EAA!

IN BRIEF

• Color sensor SONY IMX662, back-illuminated pixel technology
• Imaging and guiding for planets and deep sky EAA (Electronically-Assisted Astronomy)
• Photos and videos 108 FPS
• USB 3.0 output
• Compatible with Autoguider ST-4
• Barrel diameter Ø 31.7 mm

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Driver and Software Downloads

• https://player-one-astronomy.com/service/software/

Manual Downloads

• https://player-one-astronomy.com/service/manuals/

Designed for planetary imaging and EAA!

Now, a new member joins the Mars series, its name is the Mars-C II (IMX662) camera. The Mars-C II is not only intended for planetary imaging but also very powerful for EAA!

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Product Description

The Mars-C II (IMX662) is a planetary camera developed by Player One Astronomy, which adopts the brand new Sony IMX662 sensor in 1/2.8" format. The pixel size of 2.9um allows for a well depth of 54ke with a total of 2.1MP (the resolution is 1936*1100), and the diagonal is 6.44 mm.

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STARVIS 2 Technology

The Mars-C II (IMX662) is based on Sony's brand new STARVIS 2 technology, a back-illuminated pixel technology used in CMOS image sensors.

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Format

The Mars-C II (IMX662) has a format of 1/2.8″, this size is very suitable for planetary imaging.

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Full Well Increase (Electron Capacity)

The Mars-C II (IMX662) has a Full Well (electron capacity) of 54Ke, which is almost 4.5 times more than the IMX462 (13Ke).

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No Amp-Glow

The biggest surprise of the Mars-C II (IMX662) camera is that its black frame is completely "black", regardless of the strength of the curve, there is no AMP luminescence at all!

The absence of Amp-Glow can give us a very clean background, making it easier to obtain high-quality images. The Mars-C II camera is also very good for lunar and planetary imaging.

Black image of 300s from the Mars-C II camera (actual size):

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Cutting-edge Design

The planetary cameras developed by Player One Astronomy use a regular scientific and technological hexagon to construct the main body, complemented by round chamfers to achieve both rigidity and flexibility. The positive red, reminiscent of a summer fire, is matched with the discreet and stable black, and the very fine finishing process across the surface gives the camera a refined and pleasant appearance.

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Ultra-low Readout Noise of 0.7e

Compared to the same size IMX178, the readout noise of the Neptune-C II can be as low as 0.7e, and the noise is reduced by about 47%, which is as strong as the IMX462!

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2nd Generation - Sensor Tilt Plate

When taking solar photos with the prominence telescope, the Newton ring is bothersome. A smoother solar image without the Newton ring can be taken by adjusting the focal plate. Get a much smaller field curvature from the telescope.

The integrated high-density foam cover blocks light from the side slots without any side infiltration.

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DDR3 Cache 256M

Player One astronomy cameras are the first to integrate DDR3 cache in all planetary cameras in the world! It stabilizes and secures data transmission, effectively preventing image loss and significantly reducing readout noise.

With the DDR3 cache, the camera no longer has high computing requirements, it maintains excellent performance even when connected to a USB 2.0 port.

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DPS Technology

Player One Astronomy's guiding cameras are equipped with DPS (Dead Pixel Suppression) technology. The DPS analyzes many dark images to find fixed abnormal pixels and records the map in the camera's memory. In imaging, for each exposure image, the position of dead pixels is assigned a median value based on the active pixels around that abnormal pixel.

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Surge and Overcurrent Protection Mechanism

The Player One cameras produced by the market leader ensure the safety of your camera and other equipment through surge and overcurrent protection mechanisms.

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Data Port

When the camera is connected to the USB3.0 interface and full resolution preview is used, it can reach 93 FPS in RAW8 mode (10bit ADC). When recording images, the actual write speed may be affected by the write speed of the hard disk itself; if the write speed of the hard disk is slow, the recording may not reach the theoretical speed. It is recommended to use a high-quality hard disk to record data to fully realize the performance of the device.

Use the ST4 guiding cable to connect the camera to the AUTO GUIDE port of the equatorial mount for guiding.

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Performance

HCG open at gain = 210.

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Readout Noise

Regarding readout noise, we solemnly promise that all values are obtained from real tests. And for users, you can use Sharpcap 4 for testing. SC4 has a function called Sensor Analysis, which provides a very simple way to test readout noise.

After numerous rigorous tests of readout noise, the Neptune-C II can achieve a low readout noise of 0.75e at a gain of 350 and about 0.71e at a gain of 400.

If you are interested in testing readout noise, you can try it yourself, which is very simple.

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QE Curve

This relative QE curve is provided by SONY Co., Ltd. These data are authentic and authoritative!

Technical Drawing

FEATURES

• Camera Type: Color
• Sensor: SONY IMX662 (1/1.8")
• Image and Video Size: 1936×1100 pixels (video 108 frames per second)
• Native Sensor Size in Pixels: 1936×1100
• Adjustable Exposure Times: 32μs - 2000s
• Megapixels: 2.1 MP
• Sensor Size in mm: 5.6 × 3.2 mm
• Pixel Size: 2.9 x 2.9 μm
• Bit Depth (ADD): 10
• ST-4 Compatible Autoguider: YES
• CNC Machined Aluminum Housing
• Sensor Protection Glass with Anti-Reflective Coating (High Quality AR Plus)
• Barrel Diameter: 1.25 "(31.7 mm)
• Thread 42.0 x 0.75 mm
• Computer Interface: USB 3.0
• Back Focus: 12.5 mm

PACKAGE CONTENTS

• Mars-C II Camera
• Adapter Ø 31.7 mm
• USB 3.0 Cable 2 m
• ST-4 Autoguider Cable 2 m
• Dust Cap
• Blower
• Allen Key M2 x1