Ceres 462M Camera Details

The Ceres 462M is a guiding camera featuring the Aptina IMX462 1/2.8” format sensor. It boasts a pixel size of 2.9μm, capable of capturing images at a resolution of 1944x1096 (2.1MP), and has a sensor diagonal of 6.5mm. This camera is designed to ensure deep well depth and high-quality imaging performance.

Key Features

• High-Speed Data Transfer: The series includes a USB 3.0 port supporting speeds up to 500Mb/s, significantly faster than the traditional USB 2.0.
• Compatibility: With a diameter of 1.25 inches, the camera fits seamlessly into the 1.25-inch holder of guiding scopes, simplifying the setup process.
• Versatility: Compatible with a 5-100MM CS lens, the camera serves dual purposes as both a guider and a finder.

Additional Features

• Innovative Naming: Reflecting their compact size, the cameras are named after dwarf planets. For instance, the Ceres model features a 1/3″ sensor, while the Xena model is equipped with a 1/1.2″ sensor.
• Technological Design: The cameras exhibit a hexagonal main body design, enhancing both aesthetic appeal and functional ergonomics.
• Advanced Technology: Player One’s cameras are equipped with Dead Pixel Suppression (DPS) technology, which helps to enhance image quality by correcting non-functioning pixels on the sensor.
• Safety Features: Overvoltage and overcurrent protection mechanisms ensure the longevity and safety of both the camera and the connected equipment.
• High Frame Rate: When connected via USB 3.0 and operated in full-resolution preview mode, the camera can achieve up to 136 FPS in RAW8 mode.
• Guiding Support: Integration with ST4 guide cables allows for seamless connection to an equatorial mount for precise guiding.

Performance and Testing

• Readout Noise: The Ceres 462M boasts a low readout noise of 1.1e at a gain of 80, verified through comprehensive testing using tools such as Sharpcap 4, which is detailed in tutorials available on the Player One website.

Software and Manuals

• Drivers and software can be downloaded from Player One Astronomy’s software page.
• Manuals are available at Player One Astronomy’s manuals page.

Conclusion

The Dwarf Planet Series by Player One Astronomy is engineered for both novices and seasoned astronomers, offering a versatile range of cameras capable of meeting various astrophotography needs.

Player One Astronomy guiding camera series, AKA Dwarf Planet Series, is design for guiding and imaging. This series including 3 sub-series, Ceres, Sedna and Xena.

Product Description

Ceres 462M is a guiding camera developed by Player One Astronomy, which adopts the Aptina IMX462 1/2.8” format sensor. The 2.9um pixel size accommodates a well depth of 12ke with a total of 2.1MP  (the resolution is 1944*1096), and the diagonal is 6.5mm.

Highlights

Dwarf planet series integrated USB3.0 data port(500Mb/s), which can provide over 10 times speed than USB2.0 device(60Mb/s). Whatever you wants to do guiding or imaging, this camera series can handle it very well.

Dwarf planet camera diameter is 1.25″, it can slide in 1.25″ holder of guiding scope, makes the whole setup shorter.

With a 5-100MM CS lens attached on the camera, it also can be used as a guider or finder.

Features:

The naming of Player One guiding cameras is interesting. Guiding camera is smaller than planetary camera, that’s why we choose dwarf planets to name it.

The size of each dwarf planet to a certain extent represents the size of camera sensors. We will name Ceres with a 1/3″ sensor camera, and for Xena, we will name it with a 1/1.2 inch sensor camera. All names will be engraved on the housing of the cameras.

Drivers and softwares download: https://player-one-astronomy.com/service/software/

Manuals download: https://player-one-astronomy.com/service/manuals/

Cutting-edge Design

The guiding cameras developed by Player One Astronomy uses technological regular hexagon to construct the main body line.

DPS technology

The guiding cameras from Player One Astronomy have DPS (Dead Pixel Suppression) technology. The DPS is anaylse many dark frames to find out thoes fixed abnormal pixel and record the map in camera memory. In imaging, each exposure frames, thoes position of dead pixels will be given a median value according to the active pixels around that abnormal pixel.

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Overvoltage and overcurrent protection mechanism

Player One cameras produced by the number one player ensures the safety of your camera and other equipment through overvoltage and overcurrent protection mechanisms.

Data Port

When the camera is connected to the USB3.0 interface and full-resolution preview is used, it can reach 136 FPS in RAW8 mode (10bit ADC). When recording images, since the actual writing speed will be affected by the writing speed of the hard disk itself, when the hard disk writing speed is slow, the recording may not reach the theoretical speed. It is recommended that you use a high-quality solid state drive to record data to give full play to the performance of the camera.

Use the ST4 guide cable to connect the camera and the AUTO GUIDE port of the equatorial mount to do guiding.

Performance

Readout Noise

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

We wrote a tutorial on our website: https://player-one-astronomy.com/service/manuals/

After many rigorous readout noise tests, the Ceres 462M camera can reach a low readout noise of 1.1e at a gain of 80.

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

QE Curve

Mechanical Drawing