Potential for a new OSC Astro camera based on IMX492LQJ

[Adam J]

 

So I had not noticed this before but it looks like Sony have put a OSC / Colour sensor based on the IMX492 design on their website.

Here:

IMX492LQJ_Flyer.pdf (sony-semicon.com)

not to be confused with:

IMX294CJK_Flyer.pdf (sony-semicon.com)

They are not the same sensor. 

The IMX294CJK is currently used in the ASI294mc pro and it uses a odd Quad Bayer Matrix to provide 4.6um effective pixels but with each of the RGGB sub pixels themselves being made up of a cluster of 4....sub sub pixels...

Below this is the IMX492LLJ that is currently used in the ASI294mm pro mono camera, it can be used in 1x1 or 2x2 binning. 

IMX492LLJ_Flyer.pdf (sony-semicon.com)

Note that ZWO assumed that the IMX492LLJ was in effect a mono version of the IMX294CKJ....it seems that as I predicted some time back this is not quite the case and the reason for the IMX492 designation was that the way the pixels are read is different and so a revision of the silicon has taken place. 

SO this new IMX492LQJ is in fact a OSC version of the mono IMX492LLJ used in the ASI294mm pro that is using a conventional RGGB matrix on 2.3um pixels for a 12-bit, 47.08mp sensor. 

I expect two things, 

1) This is going to turn up in Astro cameras at some point in the future. 

2) ZWO having painted themselves into a corner by calling the IMX492LLJ based camera the ASI294mm pro, have a headache now as to what to call a camera based on this sensor.....ASI492mc pro????

 

Adam

Edited April 9 by Adam J

[Elp]

Id be interesting if they go down this route but they'd have to be sure they don't make the OSC the same as the current one with its rainbow causing sensor glass which I believe is what causes the random colour patterns across images. Never experienced such a bad issue with other OSC models.