Index ............................................................................................... 64
The SC30 Camera
The SC30 Camera
What is the SC30? The SC30 is a quick, high resolution CMOS color camera used for biomedical
and material sciences applications. It was especially developed for acquisitio ns
using light microscopy, has a special compact design, and can be connected to
all types of light-microscopes via the C-mount.
Technical dataSC30
Chip TypeCMOS
Chip Size Inch1/2
Effective Area,
(H) x (V)
Pixel Size µm x µm3.2 x 3.2
BinningColor binning 2x, 3x, 4x
Resolutions
(H) x (V)
at full resolution pixels2048 x 1532
Color binning 2x pixels1024 x 768
Color binning 3x pixels680 x 512
Color binning 4x pixels508 x 384
Frame Rate in the resp.
Analog to Digital Converter Bit10
1)
Under the following conditions:
resolutions
at full resolution fps10
Color binning 2x fps28
Color binning 3x fps37
Color binning 4x fps49
Exposure times61 µs - 1745 ms
PC-interfaceUSB 2.0
Camera MountStandard C-Mount
Pentium D 3 GHz Hyperthreading, 1 ms exposure time
mm x mm6.55 x 4.92
1)
5
The SC30 Camera
System
Requirements
To ensure that you can use your SC30 properly, the following system requirements for your PC and your software need to be met:
Hardware / Software
Processor Intel® Pentium D better than, or equal to, 3.0 GHz
System memory capacity
Removable data media
Operating system Microsoft Windows® XP Professional (32 Bit) SP2
Hard disk
Monitor 1280 x 1024 resolution with 32-bit video card
Interface USB 2.0 with Intel®82801DB/DBM USB2 ENHANCED
Internet browser Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher
A certain minimum amount of performance will be required of the PC you use to
drive your camera if the speeds specified are to be reached in the live mode. The
hardware recommendations are based on typical systems and processors.
These recommendations can't include all of the systems, resp. hardware combinations, that are possible.
6
Image Acquisition Software getIT
Image Acquisition Software getIT
In addition to your camera, you have also received the image acquisition
software getIT. The software offers the basic functions you need to acquire,
view, calibrate, save, load, and print images.
For more complicated tasks, you can connect your camera to a special software
environment for image analysis and management. Olympus offers you a wide
range of imaging system solutions which can be adapted to your individual
needs in many different fields of application in the areas of sciences, industry,
and medicine. They provide you with much more possibilities than getIT as they
enable integrated acquisition, processing, visualization, and analysis of images,
as well as device control, automatization, administration, networking, database
archiving, and the results documentation.
WarningInstall the image acquisition software getIT before connectin g your camera to
your PC. This is necessary so that the operating system does not install the
wrong TWAIN camera driver. The TWAIN camera driver which is necessary for
using the camera is installed together with the software. See page 13 for more
information about TWAIN.
Installation of the software including the camera driver
The following step-by-step instructions outline the principles of a ge neric insta llation. You' ll find more detailed step-by-step instructions in the appendix (see
page 41). They apply for any camera.
1) Close any and all application programs.
2) Place the installation CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive.
" The setup program will start automatically - unless you have deacti-
vated the autorun function. If so, start the setup.exe file via Windows
Explorer with a doubleclick.
3) An installation wizard guides you through the entire software installation.
Simply follow the onscreen instructions and select the relevant entries. Select the camera you wish to use.
" The TWAIN camera driver which is necessary for using the camera is
installed together with the software.
4) After you have successfully installed your software, you may now connect
your camera to your PC.
" The camera driver is not signed and therefore not used automatical ly
under your operating system. So you will have to register the camera
driver with your operating system.
5) Doubleclick the getIT program symbol to start the software.
6) Within the image acquisition software click the Set Input button to check to
see if the camera driver has been integrated successfully into the software.
" Your camera driver has been integrated successfully if the camera is
shown in the Set Input dialog box.
" If your camera does not appear in the Set Input dialog box, click the New
Channel button. Select your camera from the Available devices list and
click OK. Your camera driver should now be integrated successfully.
7
Camera and light microscope
7) Click the button with the cross located in th e upper right corner of the Set
Input dialog box to close it.
Camera and light microscope
Both the correct camera settings and the correct microscope settings are
essential prerequisites for acquiring high quality images. The most important
rules for the microscope settings are mentioned here; a more thoroug h explanation to the topic can be found in the appendix.
1) Use ND-filters to reduce the illumination intensity; do not alter the lamp
voltage.
2) Establish Köhler illumination conditions.
3) Select the appropriate total magnification and the objective for th e task in
question.
White Balance
When using white balance, the individual color channels are scaled in a way that
the white or neutral gray area of the image displayed on the monitor is displayed
correctly as white or gray. The white balance can be carried out automatically on
8
Mode of operation Select an area on the image that is uniformly gray or white. Such an area
Automatic White
Balance
Separate White
Balance
Microscope settings When you make an acquisitions prior to performing a white balance, your micro-
each image or manually for individual images.
contains an equal intensity of the three color comp onents: red , green an d blue.
White balance sets the color channels in such a way that this requirement is
satisfied in the best possible way for the area selected.
White balance is carried out on a part of the image (ROI). Your software alters
the color settings in such a way that the image area in the ROI appears as white,
resp. gray, as possible. After you have once carried out the white balance, you
can reapply it any time, also to a running live-acquisition.
For the automatic white balance, a test image is acquired under optimal ill umination conditions. The individual color channels are then set so that the acquisition also appears white or gray on the monitor. These channel settings are
saved and used automatically for all additional acquisitions.
You carry out a separate white balance on the current image. To do this, you
should select an area in the image which is, for the most part, gray or white.
scope's settings must be the same as those you use in normal practice. This
especially holds true for the filter and the lamp voltage settings. The lamp voltage
of a 12 V halogen lamp should be set to 9 V. It should, however, not be set lower
than 5 V. Use the color neutral ND-filter, should you have to reduce light
intensity.
Related Topics
Appendix I: Microscope settings 37
Camera and light microscope
Monitor Settings for White Balance
Monitor Settings The monitor settings are decisive for the image you see on the monitor. Set your
monitor to the appropriate color temperature, should your device all ow this. To
do this, compare the image's color impression on the monitor and in the
eyepiece.
NoteThe col or temperature setting can be a ltered on most monitors via the monitor
menu buttons located on the monitor. In other cases, the color temperature can
be altered via the operating system.
Changing the color temperature using the operating system
1) Right click on Desktop.
" The Desktop's context menu is opened.
2) Select the entry Properties from the context menu.
" The Display Properties dialog box is opened.
3) Select the Settings tab.
4) Click the Advanced button.
" Another Display Properties dialog box is opened. The app earance an d
function of this dialog box depends on th e graphics card installed on
your system and your monitor.
" Search for a tab with the name Color or Color Management.
NoteThe appearance of the operating elements might differ from the one being
described here because the adaptation of the color temperature is not part of the
operating system, but rather is made accessible by the monitor manufacturer or
the graphics card being used.
5) Select a color temperature whose color impression best corresponds to that
seen in the eyepiece.
" Should your system offer a slide control with the options warm and cold,
do not alter your color temperature with these.
9
Executing White Balance
Specialized
microscopy
techniques
Transmitted Light When using the transmitted light method, look for a position through which the
Reflected light When using the reflected light method, you need a reference surface.
Related Topics
White Balance 17
It may be difficult to execute a white balance in some microscopic methods, e.g.
DIC or polarization. In these cases, execute the white balance using the bright
field method and only then change to the special methods.
light passes through the cover slip, embedding material, and microscope slide,
but not through the specimen. Should such a position not exist, remove the
sample and carry out the white balance without a sample.
Standardized gray cards are best for this. Should one not be available, you can
also use white laboratory porcelain or neutral ND-filter paper. Should your
samples contain very reflective areas, defocus your microscope when setting the
white balance.
The (GUI) User Interface of getIT
The (GUI) User Interface of getIT
GUI The graphical user interface influences the appearance of a program. It deter-
mines which menus there are, how th e individual functions can be cal led up, how
and where files, e.g., images, are displayed, and much more. This chapter
describes the basic elements of GUI.
Button bars The most important commands are linked to a button providing you with quick
Menu bar Some commands can be accessed through the corresponding menu.
Status bar The status bar contains the name of the camera and the current zoom factor of
Image buffer box Your software assigns an individual image buffer to each image. When you start
Image window
Viewport
10
Images button bar The image window contains a button bar with which you can q uickly alter the
Zoom factor The zoom factor shows you by what percentage you have zoomed the image in
and easy access to them.
the active image.
up your image acquisition software all available image buffers will b e empty.
While working with the program, you fill each individual image buffer by loading
or acquiring images. This means that many images are simultaneously accessible during any given work session. Only one image buffer however, may be
active at a time.
You can hide the image buffer box to create more room for other windows, for
example: use the [Alt + 2] shortcut.
The image window is a special window which enables you to view all of yo ur
loaded images. It is possible to view up to 9 images simultaneously. To display
them, the image window is divided up into several windows, i.e. viewports. Each
viewport can display a single image.
appearance of the images in the image window.
or out.
• An automatic zoom factor is set by default. This means that the zoom factor
is adapted to the current size of the Viewport. Alter the size of the window;
in doing so, the image will be zoomed out so that it can always be viewed
in its entirety. In doing so, the zoom factor will not be greater than 100%.
• You can enter a different zoom factor for each Viewport.
• The current zoom factor will be shown in the Viewport's header.
• When using a zoom factor of 100%, a pixel on the monitor corresponds
exactly to one image pixel.
• A fixed zoom factor does not change when you change the size of the View-
port. Thus, in certain cases, only an image segment will be displayed in the
Viewport.
• As soon as an image is larger than the Viewport, a slide control appears
which enables you to move the image in the Viewport to and fro.
• Move the image directly via Pan&Scroll. Click into the image and keep the
mouse button depressed. If the image is larger than the Viewport, the
pointer changes its form. You now move the image by moving the mouse.
The (GUI) User Interface of getIT
11
The (GUI) User Interface of getIT
Optimizing display
1) Use the [Ctrl + Alt + T] shortcut to create a test image.
" The image window contains a button bar with which you can quickly
Press [Ctrl + Alt + T ] to
generate a test image.
Among other things, it
shows you the current
monitor resolution.
Press
[Ctrl + Alt + Shift + T] to
generate a color test
image.
The test image is auto-
matically the same size
as the active viewport.
The test image will
always be displayed at
100% zoom.
12
2) Click the Arrange Viewports button to redefine the number and arrange-
ment of viewports. Select a 1x2 arrangement.
" The image window will be divided up into two viewports. The test image
3) Click the Single View button to display just one image in the image window
- the active viewport image.
" The viewport arrangement and what image buffers are shown in whic h
" The Single View button changes to Tile View.
4) Select one of the entries of the Zoom Factor dropdown list - or enter any
zoom factor desired into the field directly ; e. g., 30%.
" The test image will be reduced to 30% zoom. The viewport will no longer
5) Click the Zoom In button to double the current zoom factor.
" The test image will now be displayed at a zoom factor of 60%.
6) Click the Adjust Zoom button to have the zoom factor adjusted to fit current
viewport size.
alter the appearance of the images in the image window.
is in the left viewport. Image buffers will be reassigned. Zoom factors will
be set to Auto. Though reduced in size somewhat, the entire test image
will be shown.
viewports remain unchanged.
be totally taken up by the image. Where the patterned background
starts (in the viewport) is where the image stops.
Acquiring and saving images
• The length/width ratio of the image will not change. Unlike the automatic
zoom factor, the new zoom factor is not linked to the size of a window - i.e.,
even when you adjust the size of a window, the zoom factor stays the same.
Automatic zoom factor is set by selecting the Auto entry from the Zoom Fac-
tor list.
7) Alter the size of the image window.
8) Click the Adjust Zoom to adjust the size of the window to the size of the cur-
rent image (only available for single view).
Acquiring and saving images
This chapter describes how you can use your camera and software to acquire
images and to save them to a storage medium. A step-by-step instruction briefly
describes a typical sequence of steps. Afterwards, the commands used with all
of the options will be described in more detail.
TWAIN The image acquisition is executed with your image acquisition software, via
TWAIN. This abbreviation stands for "Technology Without An Interesting Name".
TWAIN is a standardized software interface between software programs and
image acquisition hardware such as digital cameras or scanners.
Your camera is controlled by a TWAIN driver. This allows you to make imag e
acquisitions with other application programs which have access to a TWAIN
interface. Examples for this are MS-Word and Adobe Photoshop.
NoteIf you are using an imaging system solution provided by Olympus instead of the
image acquisition software sent with your order, your camera will not require the
TWAIN interface. Your camera will then be controlled directly by the corresponding software and entirely incorporated into the respective procedures.
13
Related Topics
Acquire Image 16
Acquiring, calibrating, and saving images
1) Click the Set Input button to select your camera.
" This step is only necessary if also a scanner is connected to your PC or
if you manage several cameras with your image acquisition software
and would like to choose another camera.
2) In the image buffer box, use your left mouse button to click the image buffer
you would like to use to store your image.
" The selected image buffer will be highlighted in color. If it already con-
tains an image, the next image buffer will be reserved for your image.
3) Click the Acquire Image button to open the TWAIN dialog box.
" The image will be shown live in the TWAIN dialog box.
" Use the live image to optimize the camera settings. Normally you only
have to click the Auto button located in the Exposure time group. Sometimes also a white balance might be necessary.
" Click the Scan button to place the image into the selected image buffer,
thus finalizing the actual image acquisition.
Acquiring and saving images
4) Click the Define calibration button to determine the calibration data required
5) Click the Apply calibration button.
6) Click the Save As button to save the image as an image file to a storage
Set Input
Click this button to select a camera. This is only necessary when several cameras are available and the wrong camera has been selected.
Your image acquisition software enables you to manage several cameras. Each
camera is assigned to a predefined "logical input cha nnel" wi thin th e software if the camera driver has been correctly installed. If you want to acquire an image
with a camera, the corresponding input channel must be activated.
Only one input channel can be activated. It will be highlighted in color in the dialog box's list and additionally displayed in the lower right part of the program window's status bar.
The Set Input command
14
opens the dialog box
with the with the same
name.
for the X/Y calibration of your images.
" This step is only necessary if you would like to carry out a XY calibration
of your images and the required calibration data is not yet available.
" This step is only necessary if you would like to calibrate the acquired im-
age.
" You can always calibrate an image at a later time.
medium.
Related Topics
Define calibration 20
Apply calibration 23
Save As 24
Click the New Channel button to create a new input channel for an additional
camera.
The New Channel com-
mand opens a dialog
box in which all of the
image sources, that can
be currently selected by
your image acquisition
software, are listed.
Select the desired
image source. To dis-
play all image sources,
click on the plus symbol.
Acquiring and saving images
NoteYou can also use the New Channel button, if you have deleted an input channel
by mistake or if the camera driver has not been integrated succe ssfully in to the
software.
Click the Delete Channel, to delete a camera's input channel. You will receive a
message if you really want to do this. If you select Yes, the input channel will be
deleted and the corresponding entry from the Set Input dialog box's list will also
be deleted.
Click the button with the cross located in the upper right corner of the Set Input
dialog box to close it.
15
Acquiring and saving images
Acquire Image
Click this button to open the TWAIN dialog box for the image acquisition.
Before calling up the command, select the i mage buffer into wh ich the i mage is
to be stored. If it already contains an image, then the n ext image buffer will be
reserved for the image.
Description of the TWAIN dialog box
This is what the TWAIN
dialog box looks like for
the SC30 camera.
16
Live image You will find your camera's live image in the left side of the TWAIN dialog box.
The live image enables you to comfortably align, illuminate, and fo cus on the
object, as well as the possibility to optimally set your camera's settings.
Camera
The Camera field shows you the selected cameras with their serial numbers.
Resolution
The Resolution list enables you to select whi ch XY-resolution is to be used for
acquiring the image. A lower resolution results from combining numerous neighboring pixels ("binning") or from partially reading out the pixels ("subsampling").
That depends on the camera type. The frame rate is increased both for binning
and for subsampling. In addition the camera is more sensiti ve for binning. The
SC30 type camera is able to use resolutions of 2048 x 1532, 1024 x 768, 680 x
512 and 508 x 384 pixels, for example.
Exposure time
You can set the exposure time in the Exposure time group.
Exposure time shorter
than 1 ms
Exposure time longer
than 125 ms
Acquiring and saving images
The exposure time required for high-quality acquisitions depen ds on the illumination, the properties of the sample, and the camera being used. The exposure
time should be longer than 1 ms and shorter than 125 ms. Should the exposure
time be outside of these limits, you can take the following actions.
The best means of increasing the exposure time is by placing neutra l density
filters in your microscope's light path. If no neutral density filters are available,
you should reduce your lamp voltage. But make sure that the voltage of a
halogen lamp doesn't drop to below 5 V. When you have reduced your lamp
voltage you will need to carry out a white balance again.
To reduce the exposure time, first remove any ND-filters that are in use. On the
microscope, you can also additionally set the pr ism or the ph ototube's mirror to
"only photo". Should the result still not b e adequate, yo u can then increase the
lamp voltage. After you have increased the lamp voltage, you should carry out
another white balance.
Click the [-] and [+] buttons to change the exposure time in pseudo-logarithmic
intervals. You can also click the arrow buttons next to the display field to alter the
exposure time in linear intervals.
Click the Auto button to automatically set the exposure time.
White Balance
Click the White Balance button to correct a tinge. During a white balance, the
individual color channels for red, green, and blue are set in such a way, that a
white or gray area of an object will be portrayed correctly in white, i.e., gray. All
of the other colors will be shown correctly, as well.
A red rectangle appears in the image. Move it with the mouse to a position as
uniformly white or gray as possible. Change the size of the rectangle by moving
the mouse and simultaneously depressing the mouse button. Rightclick to adopt
position and size of the rectangle and execute the white balance.
17
This is what the Color
Settings dialog box
looks like for the SC30
camera.
Related Topics
White Balance 8
Color Settings
Click the Color Settings button to manually alter your camera's color settings.
Based on the type of camera you are using, this may be done via numerous slide
controls.
Acquiring and saving images
Red, Green, Blue The Red, Green and Blue slide controls can be moved from 0,00 to 10,0. The set
Gamma Use the Gamma slide control to result in a nonlinear contrast enhancement.
What is gamma? The numerical value of gamma influences how the illumination intensity on the
Saturation Use the Saturation slide control as an alternative to the slide controls of the indi-
Brightness Use the Brightness slide control to change the image's intensity. Values smaller
Contrast Use the Contrast slide control to change the image's contrast. Values smaller
18
Default Click the Default button to set all of the slide controls to a predefined defa ult
value is the factor with which the signals of the corresponding color channel are
multiplied.
CCD chip's pixels is converted into the color value of the respective pixels in the
image buffer. Please note that this also applies for the other slide controls. If
gamma equals 1, the conversion from illumination intensity into gray value i.e.,
color value is linear. A nonlinear contrast enhancement is the result if gamma is
not equal to 1. If gamma is less than 1, the light gra y values are spread more
than the dark ones. This results in an improvement of contrast in the image's light
areas. The image, in general, will become darker as a whole. If gamma is more
than 1, the dark gray values are spread more than the light ones. This results in
an improvement of contrast in the image's dark areas. The image, in general, will
become lighter as a whole.
vidual color channels. The Saturation slide control enables you to alter the color
reproduction from black and white to a maximum color saturation.
than 1 lower the image's intensity. Values greater than 1 increase the image's
intensity.
than 1 lower the image's contrast. Values greater than 1 increase the image's
contrast.
value.
Sharpen
Filter On/Off
Sharpen
Filter
Settings
Auto Contrast
Click the Auto Contrast button, to activate or deactivate the automatic contrast
enhancement. Now the image will always be shown with enhanced contrast
onscreen no matter what the actual exposure conditions are, provided there is
no over exposure. For this purpose, the system automatically calculates two
sensible limits for displaying the intensity from the intensity distribu tion in the
image. Intensity values below the minimal value and above the maximum values
will be cut off. The intensity values in between will be spread out on the entire
dynamic range of the camera.
Sharpen filter
Use the sharpen filter to increase the sharpness using edge enhancement
already with the live acquisition.
Click the Sharpen Filter On/Off button to activate/deactivate the sharpen filter.
The manner in which the acquired image is affected by the sharpen filter
depends on the sharpen filter parameter. You can adjust this parameter by using
the Sharpen Filter Settings dialog box.
Click on the Sharpen Filter Settings button to open a dialog box where you ca n
set the sharpen filter parameter:
Acquiring and saving images
To adjust the numerical value of the sharpen filter parameter, use the mouse to
move the slide control to the right or left. Whether the contou rs of the image
appear to be sharper or softer when you apply the sharpen filter, depends on the
position of the Sharpen filter parameter slide control.
Increasing sharpness will accentuate edges, but also brings out more image
noise. Reducing the sharpness makes the image softer. Entering a value of 0 will
result in the sharpen filter having no effect at all.
Please note that when you use the sharpen filter you not only alter the mon itor
display, but the actual image information as well. This means that when you are
planning on quantitatively evaluating your images later, you sh ould not use the
sharpen filter. Your software provides you with commands with which you can
subsequently process an image's sharpness at any time.
The Sharpen Filter Settings button is only available if the sharpen filter has been
activated.
Scan
Click the Scan button to place the image into the selected image buffer, thus
finalizing your image acquisition. The TWAIN dialog box clo ses. You can now
save the image as an image file.
Cancel
Click the Cancel button to close the TWAIN dialog box, without acquiring a n
image. Only a black image will appear in the image buffer. As an alternative, you
can cancel an image acquisition by clicking the button with the cross located at
the upper right corner of the TWAIN dialog box.
19
Acquiring and saving images
Define calibration
Click this button to determine the calibration data required for the X/Y calibration
of your images. Such a calibration is only necessary and reasonable if you use
your camera with a microscope or with a macro stand with one or more definite
magnification ranges.
The image acquisition software enables you to calibrate images after acquisition.
Calibration means that for each magnification the width and height of an object
area is assigned to the pixel representing that ob ject area. This might be, for
example, 0,63 µm x 0,63 µm for a magnification of 5x. This calibration data varies for each magnification.
1) Place a stage micrometer under your microscope and focus.
The illustration shows a
light microscope's
micrometer.
20
2) Click the Acquire Image button to acquire an image of the stage microme-
ter.
" The image will be put into the active image buffer.
3) Click the Define calibration button to open the dialog box required to deter-
mine the calibration data.
4) Click the Calibrate... button.
" The Calibrate Image dialog box opens.
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