SPC-QC-104 TCSPC Module3 Channel TCSPC/FLIM Module

The SPC-QC-104 offers the usual modes for recording temporal waveforms of optical signals, sequential recording multi-wavelength recording, time- and parameter-tag recording, FLIM, spatial and temporal mosaic FLIM, triggered accumulation of fast time series of curves and images, and simultaneous FLIM / PLIM.

Unlike the SPC-130 and -180 TCSPC modules, which use a TAC/ADC principle, the SPC-QC uses direct time-to-digital (TDC) conversion.

The TAC-ADC principle uses a linear voltage ramp between a start pulse (usually the photon) and a stop pulse (usually a reference pulse from the laser).

The voltage is converted in a digital data word which expresses the time of the photon in the laser pulse sequence.

In the TDC principle, the photon pulses from the detector(s) and the reference pulses from the laser are sent through chains of delay elements. The timing logic looks at the data in the delay chains, and identifies start-stop pairs of photons and laser pulses, determining the temporal positions of the photons in the laser pulse sequence.

From this data, the usual TCSPC / FLIM photon distributions are built up.

The SPCM operating and measurement software is included with all SPC series modules. SPCM provides online calculation and display (2D, 3D) of data (decay curves, FCS, FCCS) acquired in multiple operation modes. SPCM software undergoes active continuous development. SPCM receives frequent updates with new features.

For advanced fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and single-curve data analysis, please use SPCImage.

For advanced fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and cross-correlation (FCCS) data analysis, please use Burst Analyzer.

For automation and custom software integration, DLLs and LabVIEW drivers are available.

Key Specs

• Three Parallel TCSPC / FLIM Channels + One Sync / Reference Channel or Four Parallel Absolute Timing Channels
• Time Channel Width Down to 4 ps
• IRF Width < 39 ps FWHM
• Typical Timing Jitter 16 ps RMS
• Excellent Timing Stability: Timing Drift over 10 Minutes <5 ps RMS
• Low Dead Time
• Adjustable SYNC Delay ± 128 ns
• High Peak Count Rate, up to 120 MHz
• Parallel FLIM in up to Three Detection Channels
• Fast-Acquisition FLIM
• Recording of Fluorescence Decay and Other Optical Waveforms
• Multi-Wavelength Detection of Fluorescence Decay and FLIM Data
• Photon Time- and Parameter Tagging
• Photon Correlation Down to the ps Range
• Free Instrument Software for Windows 10/11

Photon Channels

• Fluorescence decay measurement
• LIDAR
• Anti-bunching experiments
• Molecular Imaging
• FRET experiments
• Metabolic imaging
• fNIRS and NIRS experiments
• Single-molecule spectroscopy
• Fluorescence correlation