FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find answers to common questions about our microscope system. Is you have a question that is not address here consider asking it on our Discussion Board.

What skill sets are needed to setup a miniscope system of my own?

Basic soldering knowledge is needed for soldering wires to PCBs as well as possibly soldering connectors to coax cables. Some great soldering tutorials can be found [1]. Physically assembling the miniscope system does not require any specialized knowledge or skills.

What design software do you suggest using to modify the miniscope system?

The machined plastic parts of the scope are designed using SolidWorks which is a powerful, each to use and affordable 3D CAD program.

Cypress EZ-USB FX3 SDK contains the programs needed to modify the DAQ firmware, GPIF II interface, and flash the firmware to the DAQ harrdware.

I use Microsoft Visual Studio to develop our DAQ software which can be downloaded for free through [DreamSpark] but is not necessary for writing your own DAQ software. The miniscope hardware enumerates as a generic webcam which means it can be controlled through other open source and commercial webcam software. OpenCV libraries also provide a nice starting point for building your own DAQ software.