Scientific cameras

Scientific camera and image acquisition drivers for 15 brands including Andor, Basler, Hamamatsu and FLIR.

Overview

Quatm provides a unified ICamera interface wrapper for 15 major scientific camera brands worldwide, covering EMCCD, sCMOS, high-speed CMOS and industrial cameras.

Andor series: iXon EMCCD / Zyla sCMOS / Shamrock spectrograph

Overview

Quatm provides two Andor camera drivers that deliver high-performance imaging control through the native SDKs:

Driver class	SDK	Applicable models	Interface
`AndorSDK2Camera`	atmcd32d.dll (SDK2)	iXon EMCCD, Luca, Clara	PCIe / USB
`AndorSDK3Camera`	atcore.dll (SDK3)	Zyla, Neo, Marana (sCMOS)	USB3 / CameraLink
`ShamrockSpectrograph`	ShamrockCIF.dll	SR-303i, SR-500i and other spectrographs	USB

All classes inherit from the io.camera interface and support ROI, binning, exposure control and frame buffer management.

Andor SDK2 (EMCCD) `AndorSDK2Camera`

iXon EMCCD Andor SDK2 series

Communication	DLL (atm32cd32)
Readout mode	EM/conventional
ADC frequency	1/5/10 MHz
Pixel depth	16-bit
Cooling	TEC (≤ -100°C)

Suited to extremely low light levels (single atom/ion fluorescence), achieving single-photon sensitivity through electron multiplication (EM Gain).

Driver module: AndorSDK2Camera

Initialization

from quatm.drivers.andor.AndorSDK2 import AndorSDK2Camera

# connect the first camera
cam = AndorSDK2Camera(cam_id=0)

# acquisition parameters
cam.setup_acquisition(
    exposure=0.1,       # exposure time (s)
    em_gain=200,        # EM gain (0-1000)
    readout_rate="5MHz",# readout rate
    pre_amp_gain=2,     # pre-amplifier gain
    hsspeed=0,          # horizontal transfer rate
    temperature=-70,    # target temperature (°C)
)

# acquire a single frame
cam.start_acquisition(nframes=1)
image = cam.read_multiple_images(nframes=1)

Key parameters

Parameter	Description	Typical range
`exposure`	Exposure time per frame	0.001 – 3600 s
`em_gain`	Electron multiplication gain	0 – 1000 (linear or real gain mode)
`readout_rate`	ADC readout frequency	1MHz / 5MHz / 10MHz
`temperature`	Target sensor temperature	-60 to -100°C (depends on cooler)
`pre_amp_gain`	Preamplifier gain	1× – 4×

Andor SDK3 (sCMOS) `AndorSDK3Camera`

Zyla / Neo sCMOS Andor SDK3 series

Communication	DLL (atcore)
Sensor	sCMOS
Interface	USB3 / CameraLink
Pixel depth	12/16-bit
Frame rate	up to 100 fps (full resolution)

Suited to fast sequence imaging and applications requiring a large field of view. Exposure, ROI and triggering are configured through the GenAPI property model.

Driver module: AndorSDK3Camera

Initialization

from quatm.drivers.andor.AndorSDK3 import AndorSDK3Camera

cam = AndorSDK3Camera(cam_id=0)
cam.setup_acquisition(
    exposure=0.05,
    pixel_format="Mono16",
    trigger_mode="Internal",
)

Andor Shamrock spectrograph `ShamrockSpectrograph`

Controls grating selection, centre wavelength and slit width:

from quatm.drivers.andor.Shamrock import ShamrockSpectrograph

spec = ShamrockSpectrograph(idx=0)
spec.set_wavelength(780.24)      # centre wavelength (nm)
spec.set_grating(2)              # select grating
spec.set_slit_width(50, port=1)  # entrance slit (µm)

Device configuration

"emccd": {
    "type": "local",
    "module": "drivers.andor.AndorSDK2",
    "class": "AndorSDK2Camera",
    "arguments": {"cam_id": 0},
}

Calibration note

EMCCD gain must be calibrated for quantitative fluorescence measurements. Excessive gain introduces clock-induced charge (CIC) noise and non-linearity. We recommend establishing a gain–signal curve using fluorescent beads or a calibrated light source.

FLIR / Teledyne / Blackfly S / Grasshopper3

Overview

Quatm wraps the Spinnaker SDK in the TeledyneSpinnakerCamera class, supporting all GenICam/GenAPI-compatible FLIR/Teledyne USB3/GigE cameras.

Blackfly S / Grasshopper3 FLIR Spinnaker series

Communication	Spinnaker SDK
Interface	USB3 / GigE
Pixel formats	Mono8/16, Bayer
Trigger	hardware/software
Frame rate	depends on model

For general laboratory imaging: MOT monitoring, alignment beam imaging and equipment status monitoring.

Driver module: TeledyneSpinnakerCamera

Initialization

from quatm.drivers.teledyne.spinnaker import TeledyneSpinnakerCamera

# list all available cameras
cam_list = TeledyneSpinnakerCamera.list_cameras()

# connect a camera by serial or index
cam = TeledyneSpinnakerCamera(cam_id="serial_xxx")
# or use an index
cam = TeledyneSpinnakerCamera(cam_id=0)

# configure and start acquisition
cam.setup_acquisition(
    exposure=0.02,          # 20 ms exposure
    pixel_format="Mono8",
    width=1920, height=1200,
    offset_x=0, offset_y=0,
)

Key methods

Method	Description
`list_cameras()`	Enumerate all Spinnaker cameras in the system
`setup_acquisition(**kwargs)`	Configure ROI, exposure, pixel format, etc.
`start_acquisition(nframes)`	Start acquisition of the specified number of frames
`read_multiple_images(nframes)`	Read the acquired images
`get_device_info()`	Get the camera serial number, model and firmware version

Common property operations

Camera parameters are read and written directly by GenAPI node name:

# Set gain
cam.set_attribute("Gain", 10.0)
# Enable auto exposure
cam.set_attribute("ExposureAuto", "Continuous")
# Get sensor temperature
temp = cam.get_attribute("DeviceTemperature")

Device configuration

"monitor_cam": {
    "type": "local",
    "module": "drivers.teledyne.spinnaker",
    "class": "TeledyneSpinnakerCamera",
    "arguments": {"cam_id": 0},
}

Multi-camera synchronization

The Spinnaker SDK supports hardware-triggered synchronization of multiple cameras. Setting TriggerMode = On and TriggerSource = Line0 enables nanosecond-level synchronized exposure through an external TTL signal.

stop(): Stop capturing images.
quatm.drivers.blackfly.bfly.Camserver(name, serial)
```
class quatm.drivers.blackfly.bfly.Camserver(object):
    def __init__(self, name, serial):
        pass

    def generateImageIndex(self):
        pass

    def run(self):
        pass

    def sendimage(self, im):
        pass

    def updateBusInfo(self):
        pass
```
- generateImageIndex(): In the current measurement, count the images. If the next run has started (either task, repetition or run changes), reset the counter (imgindex).
- run(): Run loop running forever. Sends images from the camera to the imagestream and initiates reconfiguration of the camera in case properties have changed.
- sendimage(im): Send Blackfly camera image via the imagestream. The image is converted to numpy array, additional information like binning, timestamp, etc., is added to a dictionary and both are sent to the imagestream.
  - Args: im - Blackfly image object.
  - Returns: None
- updateBusInfo(): Detect cameras on the bus and update info in properties if new camera has been found.
quatm.drivers.blackfly.bfly.pc2
```
class quatm.drivers.blackfly.bfly.pc2(object):
    pass
```
- Dummy class in case driver is not installed.

Function:

quatm.drivers.blackfly.bfly.run(name)
```
def quatm.drivers.blackfly.bfly.run(name):
    pass
```
- Initialize a Camserver and run it.

Thorlabs TSI / uc480 scientific cameras

TLCamera `ThorlabsTLCamera`

TSI series Thorlabs scientific camera

Communication	TLCamera SDK
Interface	USB3
Sensor	sCMOS / CCD
Support	ROI, binning

For high-frame-rate scientific imaging with SDK-level control.

Driver module: ThorlabsTLCamera

from quatm.drivers.thorlabs.TLCamera import ThorlabsTLCamera
cam = ThorlabsTLCamera(serial="12345678")
cam.setup_acquisition(exposure=0.01, width=1024, height=768)

Basler — Pylon SDK series

Basler ace / dart Pylon SDK series

Communication	Pylon SDK (GenICam)
Interface	USB3 / GigE
Sensor	CMOS
Pixel formats	Mono8/16, Bayer
Features	ROI, Binning, hardware trigger

Industrial CMOS cameras, suited to routine laboratory imaging tasks such as MOT fluorescence monitoring and alignment beam imaging.

Driver module: BaslerPylonCamera

from quatm.drivers.Basler.pylon import BaslerPylonCamera

# Enumerate all cameras
cams = BaslerPylonCamera.list_cameras()
cam = BaslerPylonCamera(cam_id=cams[0])

cam.setup_acquisition(exposure=0.02)
cam.start_acquisition(nframes=1)

Hamamatsu ORCA series sCMOS

ORCA-Fusion / ORCA-Flash4.0 Hamamatsu DCAM

Communication	DCAM SDK (DLL)
Sensor	sCMOS
Pixels	2048×2048 (Fusion)
Frame rate	up to 100 fps
Readout noise	< 1.6 e⁻

Ultra-low-noise sCMOS, suited to quantitative single atom/single ion fluorescence imaging.

Driver module: DCAMCamera

from quatm.drivers.DCAM.DCAM import DCAMCamera

cam = DCAMCamera(idx=0)
cam.setup_acquisition(exposure=0.1, pixel_format="Mono16")

Photometrics Prime / Evolve series

Prime BSI / Evolve EMCCD Photometrics PVCAM

Communication	PVCAM SDK (DLL)
Sensor	back-illuminated sCMOS / EMCCD
Interface	PCIe / USB3
Pixel depth	16-bit

Back-illuminated sCMOS offers high quantum efficiency; EMCCD models provide single-photon sensitivity.

Driver module: PVCAMCamera

from quatm.drivers.Photometrics.pvcam import PVCAMCamera

cam = PVCAMCamera(cam_name="Prime_BSI_95B")
cam.setup_acquisition(exposure=0.05)

Princeton Instruments PIXIS / ProEM

PIXIS / ProEM / IsoPlane Princeton PICam

Communication	PICam SDK (DLL)
Sensor	CCD / EMCCD
Cooling	liquid nitrogen / TEC
Interface	PCIe / USB

Spectroscopy-grade CCD/EMCCD cameras, commonly used together with Acton/IsoPlane spectrographs.

Driver module: PicamCamera

from quatm.drivers.PrincetonInstruments.picam import PicamCamera

cam = PicamCamera(cam_id=0)
cam.setup_acquisition(exposure=1.0)  # long-exposure spectrum acquisition

PCO edge / dimax high-speed cameras

edge / dimax / pco.panda PCO SC2

Communication	SC2 SDK (DLL)
Interface	CameraLink HS / USB3 / GigE
Frame rate	up to several thousand fps
Sensor	sCMOS / high-speed CMOS

Suited to fast dynamical processes: MOT loading dynamics and real-time observation of ion crystal reordering.

Driver module: PCOSC2Camera

from quatm.drivers.PCO.SC2 import PCOSC2Camera

cam = PCOSC2Camera(interface="USB 3.0")
cam.setup_acquisition(exposure=0.001)  # 1 ms high-speed acquisition

Allied Vision Alvium / Mako

Alvium / Mako / Bonito Allied Vision Vimba X

Communication	VimbaX SDK (GenICam)
Interface	USB3 / GigE / CameraLink
Sensor	CMOS

Compact industrial cameras, suited to space-constrained optical path integration.

Driver module: AlliedVisionVimbaXCamera

from quatm.drivers.AlliedVision.VimbaX import AlliedVisionVimbaXCamera

cam = AlliedVisionVimbaXCamera(cam_id=0)

IDS uEye+ / Ensenso

uEye+ / Ensenso 3D IDS peak

Communication	IDS peak SDK
Interface	USB3 / GigE
Sensor	CMOS

General-purpose USB/GigE cameras, including the Ensenso 3D stereo camera.

Driver module: GenericIDSPeakCamera

from quatm.drivers.IDS.peak import GenericIDSPeakCamera

cam = GenericIDSPeakCamera(cam_id=0)

Generic configuration pattern

All cameras are registered in device_db.py with type: "local":

"imaging_cam": {
    "type": "local",
    "module": "drivers.Basler.pylon",
    "class": "BaslerPylonCamera",
    "arguments": {"cam_id": 0},
}

Frame grabbers

For cameras with a Camera Link interface, Quatm also ships drivers for NI IMAQ, BitFlow and Silicon Software frame grabbers. They are used in the same way as camera drivers: all frame grabbers likewise inherit the io.camera interface.

Scientific cameras

Overview

Andor series: iXon EMCCD / Zyla sCMOS / Shamrock spectrograph

Overview

Andor SDK2 (EMCCD) AndorSDK2Camera

iXon EMCCD Andor SDK2 series

Initialization

Key parameters

Andor SDK3 (sCMOS) AndorSDK3Camera

Zyla / Neo sCMOS Andor SDK3 series

Initialization

Andor Shamrock spectrograph ShamrockSpectrograph

Device configuration

Calibration note

FLIR / Teledyne / Blackfly S / Grasshopper3

Overview

Blackfly S / Grasshopper3 FLIR Spinnaker series

Initialization

Key methods

Common property operations

Device configuration

Multi-camera synchronization

Thorlabs TSI / uc480 scientific cameras

TLCamera ThorlabsTLCamera

TSI series Thorlabs scientific camera

Basler — Pylon SDK series

Basler ace / dart Pylon SDK series

Hamamatsu ORCA series sCMOS

ORCA-Fusion / ORCA-Flash4.0 Hamamatsu DCAM

Photometrics Prime / Evolve series

Prime BSI / Evolve EMCCD Photometrics PVCAM

Princeton Instruments PIXIS / ProEM

PIXIS / ProEM / IsoPlane Princeton PICam

PCO edge / dimax high-speed cameras

edge / dimax / pco.panda PCO SC2

Allied Vision Alvium / Mako

Alvium / Mako / Bonito Allied Vision Vimba X

IDS uEye+ / Ensenso

uEye+ / Ensenso 3D IDS peak

Generic configuration pattern

Frame grabbers

Andor SDK2 (EMCCD) `AndorSDK2Camera`

Andor SDK3 (sCMOS) `AndorSDK3Camera`

Andor Shamrock spectrograph `ShamrockSpectrograph`

TLCamera `ThorlabsTLCamera`