This is an overview of the computer controllable devices within the programmable microscope system.
The RS-232 interfaces required vendor specific adaptation/programming of the (ASCII) interface protocols, see table below for device-specific manuals.
The Andor EMCCD camera connects via a camera-link interface to a frame grabber board inside the host PC where a device driver (see Andor SDK) controls acquisition.
Magnetic valves inside the fluidic-microwell interface switched directly by the parallel printer port interface of the host PC.
For time critical tasks where the RS-232 interfaces are to slow or have too much latency like synchronization of image acquisition with laser switching or z-stepping TTL and I²C-bus interfaces were used. They directly connect to the bio@fox internal FPGA which perform in the required time. This FPGA further controls the A/D-converter for temperature measurement (pt1000) and the power H-bridges (pulse width modulated) which drive the peltier elements. A PID controller using this for temperature regulation of the ChµP is realized as a linux device driver inside the bio@fox board.
Device type of interface controlled by
XYZ well controller RS232 host
2 TSE syringe pumps RS232 host
2 8-port 2-pos. valves RS232 host
Laser 561nm RS232 host
AOTF controller RS232 host
(4 x modulation and
1 x blanking input)
AOTF- amplitude modulator I2C bio@fox
EMCCD camera Andor camera link host
2-Position Valves Parallelport host
2 MMT pumps (MDSP3f) RS232 bio@fox
H101 xy-stage, HF108 filter wheel RS232 bio@fox
Piezo z-stage E-665 Controller RS232 bio@fox
Piezo z-stage trigger TTL bio@fox
Peltier elements PWM bio@fox
Up to 3 x cooling & heating of ChµP
Temperature sensors AD-converter bio@fox
(up to 3 PT1000 sensors)
Camera sync TTL bio@fox
(synchronize AOTF and Z-stage
with image aquisition
ChµP (FPGA interface) LvTTL bio@fox