Advanced Settings
Advanced Settings provides a further set of device options for the advanced user or to help optimise your experimental setup.
Light Source
Maximum Power: Displays the maximum output power (mW) which can be supported by the laser combiner fibre. This value may be different for different pots and represents the summed power of all emitting lasers. This is to prevent damage to the optical fibres.
Output Power: Displays the current output power (mW) of the laser combiner. The Output Power represents the summed powers of all emitting lasers.
Z Position
Wait for Stage: The protocol waits for confirmation that the Z-stage has finished moving before the protocol continues (Default: ON)
Manual Settle Period: Enables faster execution of a protocol but synchronisation with stage movement is not guaranteed. The specified delay will be used to allow time for completion of stage movement become the protocol continues.
Camera
See also Devices section.
Camera Simulation
Camera Simulation settings and configuration can be set for demo or test purposes.
Zyla
Advanced Acquisition Mode
Default: OFF
By default, this feature is disabled. This means the advanced features are automatically set appropriately depending on the Acquisition Mode of the camera.
When enabled, this option allows advanced features of the camera to be changed independently.
Overlap
By default, Overlap is OFF. When this is enabled, the Finite Burst Protocol will execute at the highest speed, limited only by the Exposure Time; the on-board memory of the camera; the speed of transfer to the computer (e.g. 3-tap, 10-tap or USB 3.0) and the data storage rate of the Root directory.
See also Rolling Shutter GLobal Clear
Rolling Shutter Global Clear
This feature can be activated depending on the model of the camera used. It will be interlinked with Overlap to achieve maximum image quality or maximum speed of acquisition.
For the highest image Quality
- Rolling Shutter Global Clear should be ON.
- Overlap should be OFF.
For Maximum speed:
- Rolling Shutter Global Clear should be OFF.
- Overlap should be ON.
Simulated Global Shutter Clear (Sona only)
This feature simulates the Rolling Shutter Global Clear feature (see above) for Sona cameras,
Auxiliary Output Source
This signal is used to synchronise the camera imaging with the laser excitation.
When Overlap is enabled, it should be set to FireAny. This results in longer duration of laser exposure to the sample, but the highest speeds.
When Overlap is disabled, it should be set to FireAll. This results in shorter duration of laser exposure to the sample, but may result in image artefacts such as that shown below if Overlap is enabled.
Camera Port
Each acquisition device needs to be associated with a camera port on the confocal unit. Selection can be made from either the top port or the side port.
A problem notification will inform users when a camera port is not selected for a specific acquisition device (details are provided within the problem notification link).
Confocal Unit
Actual Disk Speed: Displays the current speed of the disk speed of the confocal unit (rpm).
Disk Speed: Allows the user to edit the disk speed of the confocal unit (rpm).
Filter Wheel Mode: Change the mode (speed) of the filter wheel. (Default: High Quality)
High Quality (default) - ensures the filter wheel moves are synchronised with the camera for optimal image quality.
High Speed - increases the movement speed of the filter wheel, but may result in slight image artefacts such as slight changes in intensity between frames.
Low Vibration - reduces the speed of the filter wheel to minimise vibration of the whole system, which could be useful for high magnification or sensitive experiments.