Can LabView support operating Zeiss Microscope - Axiovert 200Mat M, working together with RoperSceintific camera: Cascade 512B?

[Mrs]

We have just purchased "Zeiss Axiovert 200 MAT" microscope, and Roper Scientific camera: "Cascade 512B".

We are interested of creating a system with LabView, that should:
1. Know how to operate these 2 components and many other hardwares in the future.
2. Be able to operate the motorized parts of the microscope: Shutter, Flouresance cubes, nose piese and Z-axis.
3. Know how to do automatic loops of Z-scan / Shutter change / objectives change / fluorescence cubes - with acquisition.

How do we build such a system with LabView? What do I need to get/buy from Zeiss and from Roper-Scientific?
We have already have the latest version of LabView. Maybe I already have all the things I need but I'm not aware to it.

Best regards,
Einav Namer

[waldemar.hersacher]

Hi Einav,

I don't know your hardware. For all of these situations:
For the camera you need a frame grabber card. There a some cards with various interfaces and capabilities in the NI catalog. If you need to analyze the pictures you will need IMAQ products along with LabVIEW.

For the microscope motors there could be a controller already installed in the microsope. Then you need the driver software for the controller. This driver software should come with the microscope. Maybe they have a LV library which you can use. If not you have to build a library upon the driver software. The driver software could be a DLL, Active-X control, Active-X Automation server or an OPC Server. And you need a programming handbook describing how to use the driver software.

Building the software there are various ways to do it. For a first time programmer start programming a group of VIs doing the aquisition at one point of operation. If these VIs will aquire and analyze then build the loops around it varying the parameters. Use while loops which you can interrupt after each aquisition.

[Y3G]

Hi Einav,

Are you any further with your issues? I have cascade Probestation with a camera that I might need to program in the future.

Can you share some experience?

Best Regards

Yariv