QSI Drivers & Software

Comprehensive Software Support

Every QSI scientific camera is accompanied by a collection of software applications and tools that allow you to begin imaging immediately using Microsoft Windows or Linux platforms.

QSI USB Drivers and Software

The QSI USB drivers and software will normally be installed from the installation CD shipped with your camera. This installer includes the QSI USB Drivers, QSI User Guides, Firmware Updater application and the ASCOM-compatible Custom Application Development API (see below).

Download the latest version of the QSI USB Drivers and Software (.exe) 18.4mb v4.3.4
Download an ISO image of the Installation QSI CD Image (.iso) 80.88mb

Plug-in for MaxIm DL from Diffraction Limited

In addition to MaxIm LE, QSI also supplies a plug-in to allow you to control your QSI camera using your existing installation of MaxIm DL. The plug-in is distributed on the QSI Intallation CD.

Download the installer for the latest version of the QSI MaxIm Plug-in (.exe) 7.7mb v4.3.4

Plug-in for CCDSoft from Software Bisque

Because one shoe doesn't fit all, QSI also supplies the necessary plug-in for CCDSoft, the popular image processing and camera control software from Software Bisque. The plug-in is distributed on the QSI Intallation CD.

Download the installer for the latest version of the QSI CCDSoft Plug-in (.exe) 12.6mb v4.3.6

MaxIm LE

MaxIm LE CCD camera control software is available with all QSI 500 Series cameras for a nominal charge. MaxIm LE is based on the award winning MaxIm DL version 4 from Diffraction Limited providing the fastest and easiest way to image the night sky. All QSI Series 500 cameras include imaging and auto-guiding support. Most popular guider cameras are supported as well. You can upgrade to MaxIm DL/CCD for an attractive price at the time of purchase. Details >>

Other Astronomy Applications

QSI cameras are also supported by other popular astronomy image acquisition and image processing applications, including Astroart from MSB Software and Nebulosity from Stark Labs.

Download the installer for the latest version of the QSI Astroart Plug-in (.zip) 770kb v1.1

QSI cameras are supported in Stark Labs Nebulosity version 1.7.0 and later.
Download the latest version of Nebulosity directly from the Stark Labs web site>>

Custom Application Development

Windows® Custom Application Development

QSI provides an ASCOM-compatible API (Application Programming Interface) enabling users to write their own custom camera control applications. The camera control API is an automation component that communicates with the camera device driver and exports a COM automation interface. COM automation provides an interface that allows Microsoft Office, VB, VBA, C++, and other Windows applications to control the camera. The API is distributed on the QSI Installation CD and is included with the QSI USB Drivers and Software installer above. The API Reference Manual can be downloaded from the documentation page.

Learn more about the ASCOM Initiative.

Using the Windows COM API with LabVIEW, MATLAB and other applications

The QSI camera control Windows API is an automation component that communicates with the camera device driver and exports a COM automation interface. The COM automation interface allows custom camera control applications to be developed for use with National Instruments LabVIEW, MathWorks MATLAB and any other application that adhere to the Windows COM interface. The API is distributed on the QSI Installation CD and is included with the QSI USB Drivers and Software installer above. The API Reference Manual can be downloaded from the documentation page.

Linux Custom Application Development

QSI provides a camera control C++ API for Linux users on Intel x86-compatible platforms. The API provides full camera control and image capture capabilities via the USB interface. The API is implemented as a shared library providing an easy to use camera object that exposes all of the features and capabilities of the camera. It is well suited for both simple scripting, and more sophisticated imaging application development. The QSI Linux API requires Linux kernel version 2.6 or later configured with libusb and is fully tested by QSI on the Fedora Core 6 release. The Linux API is distributed in source code form and can be built using the standard GNU configuration and build tools.

Download the QSI Linux API (.tar.gz) 875kb v4.3.11
The Linux API Reference Manual can be downloaded separately from the documentation page.

Field Upgradeable Firmware

All 500 Series cameras are field-upgradeable to the latest firmware. QSI supplies a simple fail-safe Windows Updater application that handles all the details. The Updater application is automatically installed from the Installation CD. It is also included with the QSI USB Drivers and Software installer above.

To load the latest camera firmware, download the firmware file by right clicking on the firmware file for your specific camera model below and select "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..." to save the file to a folder on your system. Unzip the compressed file. Launch the Updater by clicking the Windows Start button and select "QSI > Updater". Refer to the QSI 500 Series User Guide for complete details on using the firmware Updater application.

Note: Download and install "QSI USB Drivers and Software" release 4.3.4 (above) before attempting to update the firmware in your camera. The firmware files below use a new format that is not recognized by earlier versions of the firmware Updater application.

Please contact QSI Support if you need to reload the original firmware for your camera.