Moravian Instruments Cx series of CMOS astronomical cameras are designed with maximum image quality in mind. The build quality, robustness, thoughtful design, excellent software support, and reliable operation are appreciated by many users all over the world; from backyards to mountaintop professional observatory sites.

The cameras are designed in many sizes and shapes to fit every role in astronomical observation, from the smallest autoguiding camera to the main instrument of the multi-meter class research telescope. They come with resolutions spanning from 1.5 to 150 megapixels.

• Small C0, GC, and C1 cameras are intended as autoguiders as well as Moon, Sun, and planetary imagers. Cameras are powered with a USB3 connection and offer very high FPS.

• Symmetrical cameras with only 78 mm per side lack mechanical shutter. Still, their small shape and symmetry with respect to the optical axis allow them to be used not only with small telescopes, but also at the primary focal point of reflecting and catadioptric telescopes.

  • The C1+ cameras are offered with sensor sizes spanning 1/2” up to 4/3” with both global-shutter and rolling-shutter and offering up to 46-megapixel resolution.

  • The C1× cameras have the same front cross-section and are only slightly longer than C1+ line. They are equipped with APS and Full-frame sized back-illuminated sensors with 16-bit digitization and exceptional image quality.

• Asymmetrical cameras are equipped with mechanical shutter, allowing for the automatic acquisition of dark and bias frames. Cameras from the C2 and C3 series are also offered with optional internal filter wheel. Additionally, a slightly larger camera body allows for more efficient sensor cooling compared to their symmetrical counterparts.

  • The C2 camera line offers the same range of CMOS sensors like the C1+ line from 1/2” to 4/3”.

  • The C3 camera line uses the same sensors like the C1× counterparts — APS and Full-frame (24 × 36 mm).

  • The C4 camera is equipped with GSENSE4040 sensor, which geometrical parameters equal to the famous KAF-16803 CCD sensor used in the G4-16000 camera (4k × 4k resolution of 9 μm pixels, 37 × 37 mm sensor size). The C4-16000 camera may be equipped with either front- or back-illuminated sensor.

  • The C5 camera line is the pinnacle of the entire Moravian Instruments family of astronomical cameras, offering excellent back-illuminated rolling-shutter sensors with 100- and 150-megapixel resolution and up to 53 x 40 mm sensor dimensions.

Moravian Instruments External filter wheels and Standalone filter wheels are compatible with all camera models except for smallest autoguiders (C0, CG, and C1).

Cx cameras are equipped with 5 Gbps USB 3.0 interface, fully backward compatible with 480 Mbps USB 2.0 connections. Up to four cameras of all types can be connected to the Moravian Camera Ethernet Adapter to access them through 1 Gbps Ethernet and TCP/IP protocol from virtually unlimited distance.

C5 CMOS cameras

C5 camera series is designed to accommodate the latest generation of extremely large Sony IMX CMOS sensors with 100 and 150 MPx resolution and diagonal dimension up to 67 mm. Many of the used sensors share the exceptional features of the sensors used in the C3 series, including the 3.76 μm pixel size with the full-well capacity exceeding 50 ke-, very high quantum efficiency thanks to back-illuminated design, and very low dark current. C5 sensors also offer 16 bit digitization, perfectly linear response to light, and exceptionally low read noise.

C5 cameras are made in two versions: Asymmetrical version labeled C5A and Symmetrical version labeled C5S. Both cameras can be equipped with GPS receiver for precise exposure timing.

Asymmetrical C5A variant look shares the same time-proven design school of the C3 and C4 series in both the overall shape and the internal construction. The front cross-section of the C5A cameras is the same as the C3 and C4 series, despite the used sensors being much larger. C5 head thickness corresponds to the thickness of the Enhanced Cooling versions of the earlier models. Asymmetrical models also employ mechanical shutter, allowing to capture dark or bias frames without the necessity to cover the telescope aperture.

Symmetrical C5S variant's main purpose is to be able to be placed at the primary focal point of reflecting telescopes without overhanging their central obstruction. Even though these obstructions are typically large for wide-field telescopes, the asymmetrical variants would not fit. In addition, the symmetrical variant contains a hardware trigger which is not available for the asymmetrical cameras. However, due to mechanical constraints, it lacks a mechanical shutter.

C4 CMOS cameras

The C4-16000 cooled scientific CMOS camera sensors offer the same geometry as the CCDs in the famous G4-16000 cameras — sensor size 37 × 37 mm, 9 μm pixels, and 16 MPx (4k × 4k) resolution. The mechanical design is also inherited specifically from the G4 Mark II cameras, which makes the C4 camera line fully compatible with vast range of telescope adapters, off-axis guider adapters, filter wheels, Camera Ethernet adapters, guiding cameras, etc.

C3 CMOS cameras

C3 cameras employ the latest generation of Sony IMX CMOS sensors, offering exceptional quantum efficiency thanks to back-illuminated design, very low dark current, 16 bit digitization, and perfectly linear response to light. Despite relatively small pixels, the full-well capacity exceeding 50 ke-. It makes these cameras suitable for both aesthetic astro-photography as well as astronomical research. Sensor formats ranging from APS to photographic full-frame (24 × 36 mm) ensure wide field of view and optimally utilize capabilities of the optical systems most commonly used by amateur astronomers.

C2 CMOS cameras

The cooled C2 series cameras are offered with CMOS sensors with global shutter as well as rolling shutter. They were developed for imaging under extremely low-light conditions in astronomy, microscopy, and similar areas. Mechanical design of this series inherits from earlier CCD-based G2 Mark II cameras, which makes the C2 series fully compatible with vast range of telescope adapters, off-axis guider adapters, internal or external filter wheels, Camera Ethernet adapters, guiding cameras, etc.

The global shutter C2 CMOS camera series contains models varying in pixel sizes and also in digitization range.

The rolling shutter C2 CMOS camera series consists of two models.

C1× CMOS cameras

C1× cameras employ the same sensors like the C3 series — latest generation of Sony APS and Full-Frame (24 × 36 mm) CMOS sensors, offering exceptional quantum efficiency thanks to back-illuminated design, very low dark current, 16 bit digitization, and perfectly linear response to light. Despite relatively small pixels, the full-well capacity exceeding 50 ke-. It makes these cameras suitable for both aesthetic astro-photography as well as astronomical research.

C1+ CMOS cameras

The cooled C1+ series cameras are offered with- sensors with global shutter as well as rolling shutter. C1+ cameras are designed to fulfill the gap between the small and lightweight C1 models, intended as Moon and planetary cameras and auto-guiders, and the C2 cameras, equipped with active sensor cooling and mechanical shutter and thus intended for more serious astronomical imaging and research. C1+ cameras are able to work as C1 ones, only being somewhat heavier and bulkier. At the same time C1+ can replace the C2 models, only with slightly less cooling performance and lacking a mechanical shutter.

The global shutter C1+ CMOS camera series contains models varying in pixel sizes and also in digitization range.

The rolling shutter C1+ CMOS camera series consists of two models.

C0 and C1 CMOS cameras

The C0 and C1 series global shutter CMOS cameras were designed to be small, lightweight imagers for Moon and planets and for automatic telescope guiding. With proper image calibration, C0 and C1 cameras can also provide surprisingly good results in entry-level deep-sky imaging. The used CMOS sensors response to light is linear up to very close to saturation point, so, the C0 and C1 cameras can be used for scientific applications like variable star research too.

The C0 and C1 cameras share majority of features, like the used sensors, USB interface, autoguider port, etc. At the first glance, the only difference is the size of camera body; however, larger dimensions of the C1 models allowed for some additional features like a cooling fan and mounting threaded holes.

External Filter Wheels for Cx and Gx CCD cameras

External Filter Wheels for Cx cameras offer more positions compared to internal filter wheels, embedded into camera head. External filter wheel is not connected to the host PC (with separate USB or serial cable) as well as to separate power supply. Only single short 8-wire cable connects the external filter wheel with the camera head. External and internal filter wheels are indistinguishable from the software point of view, same drivers are used to control them.

External filter wheels cannot be used together with internal ones. The C2 and C3 cameras with internal filter wheel cannot be attached to external filter wheel — the camera is manufactured either with internal filter wheel or with connectors and thinner front case for attaching of the external filter wheel. Because of the filter size there is no internal filter wheel for C5 and C4 cameras, these cameras can be used only with external filter wheels.

Moravian Camera Ethernet Adapter

Moravian Camera Ethernet Adapter allows connection of Cx and Gx series cameras to the control computer using Ethernet interface and TCP/IP protocol stack (this means over Local or Wide Area Networks). Single Moravian Camera Ethernet Adapter contains up to four USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 ports and allows connection of up to four Cx and Gx cameras at the same time (regardless of the specific series, cameras can be freely combined).

Off-Axis Guider

Off-axis Guider (OAG) adapters are designed to allow attachment of any guiding camera with 1.25" eyepiece nose, although the nose must be somewhat shorter to achieve focus. Any camera with CS-mount (short version of C-mount standard) can use this adapter to be attached to all variants of OAG adapters.

Off-axis guider adapters for G2/C2 cameras are equipped with standard M42 × 0.75 (T-thread) or M48 × 0.75 thread on the telescope side in a proper 55 mm back focal distance. This means C2 camera with OAG can be used on numerous optical systems, including Newtonian coma-correctors, refractor field flatteners, etc.

Usage of the OAG-2 is limited to C1×26000 and C3-26000 models only. Full frame 61000 model sensor is too big for OAG-2

Off-axis guider adapters for G3/C3 and G4/C4 cameras are equipped with M68 × 1 thread on the telescope side in the distance 61.5 mm from the detector. Two variants (for C3 cameras and for C4 cameras) differ in the mounting holes placement and also in the distance of the reflecting mirror from the optical axis.

Off-axis guider adapters for C5 cameras offers M85 × 1 thread on the telescope side in the distance 61.5 mm from the detector.

Camera control and image processing software SIPS

Powerful SIPS (Scientific Image Processing System) software, supplied with the camera, provides complete camera control (exposures, cooling, filter selection, etc.), including automatic sequencing of images with different filters, different binning etc. With full ASCOM standard support, SIPS can be also used to control other observatory equipment, such as telescope mounts, focusers, dome or roof controllers, GPS receivers, etc.

SIPS also supports automatic guiding, including image dithering. Both “autoguider” port hardware interface (6-wire cable) and mount “Pulse-Guide API” guiding methods are supported. For hi-quality mounts, capable to track without the necessity to guide at last during one exposure, inter-image guiding using the main camera only is also available.

Still, SIPS is capable of doing much more than just camera and observatory control; it offers many tools for image calibration, 16 and 32 bit FITS file handling, image set processing (e.g. median combine), image transformation, image export etc.

As the first “S” in the abbreviation SIPS means Scientific, the software supports astrometric image reduction as well as photometric processing of image series.

SIPS software package is freely available for download. All functions are thoroughly described in the SIPS User's Manual.

Drivers for other software packages

Drivers for ASCOM standard as well as native drivers for third-party software are also available (e.g. TheSkyX, MaxIm DL, AstroArt, etc.). Please, visit the download page for current list of available drivers.

INDI drivers for 32 bit and 64 bit Linux running on x86 and ARM are available. Drivers for TheSkyX package running on macOS are supplied with the camera.