GT-Vision GXCAM User manual

GT Vision
GXCAM Quick Start
Guide
European HQ:
GT Vision Ltd.
Aspen Grove Farm
Assington Green
Stansfield
Nr Sudbury
Suffolk
CO10 8L
UK
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [email protected]
www.gtvision.co.uk
N America HQ:
10205 Easterday Court
Hagerstown
MD 21742
USA
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.gt-vision.com
www.gxmicroscopes.com

1
Getting Started
ntroduction
This manual describes the most important aspects of the GXCAM camera and software installation procedure in the
simplest form.
Please take a few moments to read through this manual before you begin using the camera and programs,
because it should answer some questions that you may have. ou will find a list of common questions and errors at
the rear of this guide with the relevant solutions. Please contact GT Vision should you still encounter difficulties after
checking this list, or if you have any questions.
System Requirements:
To use the camera and camera control programs, you need:
•A Intel Pentium 4 2.6GHz or higher processor for use with Microsoft Windows XP, 7 or 8
•GXCAM Camera
•A fully powered USB2 port
•512MB RAM
•High quality, modern Graphics Card
•Windows XP, 7 or 8
•HDD 1G unused
•Display memory 32MB
•Large, good quality monitor (we recommend 17” minimum LCD)
Accessories ncluded (Figure 1):
•GXCAM camera (a)
•Camera Driver and software CD for the control of camera
on a PC
•USB cable (b) for connection of PC and GXCAM camera
•0.45X or 0.35x C-mount adaptor (c) for mounting the
camera to an eyepiece (Diameter 23.2mm, normally for
biological upright microscopes)
•Eyepiece adaptors (d) and (e) for stereo microscopes
(Diameter 30mm and 30.5mm respectively, used together
with the 0.45X or 0.35x C-mount adaptor)
•Graticule (f), for measurement calibration
•Quick Start Guide
Fig 1

2
nstallation Procedure:
PLEASE NOTE : Underneath the black screw-on cover on the front/bottom of your camera you may find a film of
protective plastic over the camera sensor. With the sensor pointing down remove this film by pulling the tag.
Installing your GXCAM camera and associated software programs should only take a few minutes. Please follow
the steps below:
•nstalling the camera onto your microscope or lens and the software for your camera into your PC:
1. Before you attach the camera always follow these basic rules when handling your camera. When you
unscrew the camera cover or when you attach a camera adapter to the camera or when you are
generally manipulating the camera ALWA S hold the face of the camera (ie the hole with the chip inside)
pointing vertically downwards, no matter how uncomfortable or awkward it may feel. If you do not do this,
tiny particles of dust or swarf from threaded fittings will definitely land on the chip surface and, especially in
microscopes, these will be permanently visible in your images. They can be extremely difficult to remove.
We recommend that you become obsessive about the cleanliness of your camera, it certainly pays off!
Always place a cap on the camera when not in use and unattached.
2. Attach the camera to your microscope, telescope or lens using the appropriate adapter. Do not
connect the camera to your PC yet.
3. Insert the disk which contains the GXCAM camera driver and GXCAPTURE software
4. Use Windows Explorer to see the contents of the CD
5. Double click on the driver installation
a. ou may have a pop-up ‘Do you want to allow the following program from an unknown
publisher to make changes on this computer?’ – select ‘yes’
b. Run through the wizard for the driver installation
i. When it asks ‘Would you like to install this device software?’ click ‘Install’
ii. Click ‘Finish’
6. Connect the camera to a convenient USB2 port, make a note as to which port you are using (changing
ports requires re-installation of the driver). It is important that the USB port has sufficient power. The
GXCAM draws power from the USB2 port and draws less than the standard amount of power specified for
a USB2 port. owever we have found, very occasionally, that some ports have insufficient power usually
resulting in a black image in the GXCAPTURE application. Disconnecting other USB devices sometimes
increases the power available to a port.
7. Double click on the ‘GXCaptureSetup.exe’ file on the CD.
a. ou may have a pop-up ‘Do you want to allow the following program from an unknown
publisher to make changes on this computer?’ – select ‘yes’
b. Run through the wizard for the software installation
i. When it asks ‘Would you like to install this device software?’ click ‘Install’
ii. Click ‘Finish’
Note:, Reinstallation of driver may be needed when the camera is attached to a different USB port.

3
Troubleshooting:
ERROR: Windows found that this file is potentially harmful. Windows has blocked the installation
This typically occurs with Windows 7. Windows 7 natively blocks unsigned drivers, preventing the installation of these
drivers and making the device you want to install ‘useless’. To get around this you must temporarily disable the
signature verification process.
Solution:
Windows 7: Disable signature verification of drivers:
Computers based on the Windows 7 operating system can block unsigned drivers, and as a result installation of these
drivers is not possible. The problem can be solved if the signature verification pilot is temporarily disabled in Windows
7 . With the help of the Run command, some changes have to be made. Once the PC is restarted, the problem of
installing an unsigned driver can be solved.
Disable signature verification of drivers:
1. Go to Start Menu > Run and type the following command:
a. bcdedit /set nointegritychecks ON
2. If the Run command is unavailable in start menu, please refer to the point below
3. Restart the PC and install the unsigned driver
4. Note that it is highly recommended to enable the signature verification of drivers
5. Go to Start Menu > Run and type the following command:
a. bcdedit /set nointegritychecks OFF
6. Restart your PC
No ‘Run’ Command?:
As in Vista, the Run command is not present by default in the Start menu of Windows 7. ou must
type Run in Search to access it.
If you want to show this command permanently in the Start menu:
1. Right-click on the Taskbar and select Properties.
2. In the Start Menu tab, click Customize and check Run command, then click OK and Apply. The Run
command will now be permanently displayed in the Start menu (under the Help and Support option).
ERROR: ‘DLL not found’ when trying to open the software
ERROR: The software opens but you cannot get a live image: ‘no camera found’
Both of these errors usually have the same solution:
Solution:
1. Do a Windows Update: Control panel – system – windows update
2. Please visit the Microsoft website below and download the corresponding patch:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5555
ERROR: can only obtain an image using the GXCAPTURE software if the resolution is set to 632x472. At higher
resolutions the screen is just white?
Solution: The camera requires a powered USB port.

4
ERROR: GXCapture repeatedly requests the CD at initialization. s there a way to avoid this?
Solution: I am assuming what is happening is that when you start the software, the software opens and you can see
the GXCapture screen but then it asks for the CD. This is because you have the software aiming at the CD drive on
the file tree to the left of the screen. Once you have clicked on to another directory, perhaps a camera images
folder you create on the desktop as your preferred storage location, you will not see the CD request again.