We are pleased to announce our new SBIG® Aluma® Series cooled imaging cameras. These cameras have been engineered from the ground up to provide the highest performance possible in a compact, lightweight package. The Aluma Series features new sensors, including the SONY ICX-694 and ICX-814 CCD sensors. Also included with the initial release is the popular ON Semi (Kodak) KAF-8300 CCD. Additional sensors are in advanced development and will appear over the coming months. Aluma features both USB 2.0 and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n interfaces. This allows Aluma cameras to be controlled directly by tablets and smartphones, as well as conventional Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers. Aluma cameras come with MaxIm AL software for Windows. New Aluma software for tablets and smartphones will be released shortly. An ASCOM driver is included, and an API is available for third-party software on all platforms. All cameras include a high reliability, even-illumination mechanical shutter, which facilitates dark/bias calibration and photometric-quality imaging. Exposure length can range from many hours down to 1 millisecond for interline sensors and 100 milliseconds for full frame sensors. Strong sensor cooling and fast, low-noise readout provide the cleanest possible images. The Aluma Series includes 8 position filter wheels with high precision filter positioning. For astronomical applications a version is available with a built-in autoguider ahead of the filters. Aluma is also compatible with the AO-8A adaptive optics unit.
