Olympus SC100 User manual

User Manual
SC100
CMOS color camera

Any copyrights relating to this manual shall belong to Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH.
We at Olymnpus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH have tried to make the information contained in
this manual as accurate and reliable as possible. Nevertheless, Olympus Soft Imaging
Solutions GmbH disclaims any warranty of any kind, whether expressed or implied, as to any
matter whatsoever relating to this manual, including without limitation the merchantability or
fitness for any particular purpose. Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH will from time to time
revise the software described in this manual and reserves the right to make such changes
without obligation to notify the purchaser. In no event shall Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions
GmbH be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of
purchase or use of this manual or the information contained herein.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the prior written permission of
Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation which can be registered in various countries.
© Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH
All rights reserved
Printed in Germany
510_UMA_InstallSC100_en_00_10Sep2010
Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH, Johann-Krane-Weg 39, D-48149 Münster,
Tel. [phone], Fax.: [phone]

3
Contents
1 The CMOS color camera SC100 . . . . . . . . . . .4
1.1 Scope of supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3 Operating and storage conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2 General safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
2.1 Avoiding personal injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2 Avoiding device damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3 System environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
3.1 Microscope and camera adaptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.2 PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.3 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
4.1 Step 1: Installing the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2 Step 2: Connecting the camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.3 Step 3: Selecting the camera driver . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.4 Step 4: Selecting the camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5 Care and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
6 Solving problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
6.1 The installation program won't start . . . . . . . . . . . 24
6.2 The camera can't be found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
6.3 A faulty image appears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
6.4 Another problem has cropped up . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
7 Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
7.1 Explanatory notes about conformity and disposal . 36
7.2 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

CMOS color camera SC100
4
1 The CMOS color camera SC100
1.1 Scope of supply
The SC100's scope of supply comprises:
Camera head with protective cap
USB cable
Installation manual
CD with getIT TWAIN software
Other essential
components To be able to use the SC100, you'll also need the following components:
PC with MS-Windows operating system
Light microscope with camera adaptor or something similar, for example a
macro stand
Software to operate the camera (see chapter 3.3 on page 12)
Protective cap
CMOS sensor
USB port type B
Camera head
USB cable Installation manual
USB plug type A USB plug
type B
Driver software

1 The CMOS color camera SC100 Specifications
5
1.2 Specifications
Properties of
the SC100 The SC100 is a CMOS color camera with a very high resolution used for biomedical
and material sciences applications. It was specially developed for acquisitions using
light microscopy, is of a compact design and can be connected to all of the prevalent
types of light microscope by a C-mount. The ICC profile technology guarantees an
optimal color mapping.
Binning modes The SC100 has two binning modes. In the binning mode, the camera's CMOS
sensor combines neighboring pixels into pixel blocks. This results in a higher sensi-
tivity and a shortened processing time but also a lower resolution.
* Binning 4x is technically the same as binning 2x with an additional "subsampling".
With "subsampling" the half of the image’s pixel is ignored. As a consequence the
sensitivity of both binning modes does not differ very much. The advantage of the
"Binning 4x" mode is it's high frame rate.
Technical data SC100
Chip type CMOS
Chip size Typ 1/2,3 Inch
Effective area (width x height) 6.12 mm x 4.59 mm
Pixel size 1.67 µm x 1.67 µm
Maximum resolution 3840 pixels x 2748 pixels
Image type 24-bit color image (RGB)
Read-out speed 5 – 36 MHz
Interface USB 2.0
Camera mount Standard C-Mount
Binning Resolution Max. frame rate Exposure times
Maximum resolution 3840 x 2748 pixels 3.2 images per second 0.34 ms - 14.6 s
Binning 2x 1920 x 1374 pixels 12 images per second 0.19 ms - 3.6 s
Binning 4x* 960 x 686 pixels 42.5 images per second 0.12 ms - 3.4 s

CMOS color camera SC100
6
1.3 Operating and storage conditions
Please operate and store your camera in the following conditions:
The maximum permissible range for the ambient temperature during camera
operation is +0°C to +45°C.
The maximum permissible relative humidity during camera operation is 80 %
(condensation free).
When the camera is stored or transported, the ambient temperature must be
kept between -20°C and +60°C.

2 General safety instructions Avoiding personalinjuries
7
2 General safety instructions
The camera has been developed and produced on the basis of state-of-the-art tech-
nology and in conformity with recognized safety regulations. However, it is not
possible to entirely rule out possible hazards for the user, damage to the camera and
microscope or impairments of the camera's functionality. For this reason, always
read and meticulously observe the general safety instructions and warnings before
and during the installation.
2.1 Avoiding personal injuries
Serious injuries can occur
The warning sign and the word WARNING indicate dangerous situ-
ations that can lead to serious injuries or even death if ignored.
Light injuries can occur
The warning sign and the word CAUTION indicate dangerous situa-
tions that can lead to light injuries if ignored.
Damage to devices can occur
The exclamation mark and the word Attention indicate situations,
where irreparable damage to the camera, microscope, or PC can
occur if ignored.
Reduced functionality can occur
Notices only printed with an exclamation mark indicate that ignoring
them can lead to a failure in, or a diminishing of, the camera's func-
tionalities.
WARNING
CAUTION
Attention
Electric shock due to damaged cable!
When a cable is frayed or damaged, a person touching it risks the danger of an
electric shock.
Shut off the hardware and replace the cable immediately!
WARNING

CMOS color camera SC100
8
2.2 Avoiding device damage
Poisoning due to toxic gases!
In the case of a fire, the material of the camera can give off toxic gases. When
these are inhaled, it can cause irritation of the respiratory passages and damage
to them.
Wear respiratory protection when fighting the fire!
Tripping hazard!
Cables laid across a room can be a dangerous tripping hazard. This can cause
injuries to people and damage to equipment.
Wherever possible, lay cables along the wall or behind furniture. Fix cables that run
across the room into place!
Never open the camera housing!
The camera's CMOS chip is extremely sensitive. Electrostatic discharge can
permanently damage the camera.
Therefore, never, under any circumstances, open the camera housing!
Avoid vibration shocks!
Mechanical shocks and strong vibrations can damage the camera.
Don't drop the camera during installation. Make sure it is securely mounted on the
microscope. When it's not in use, store it in a safe place!
Secure microscopes with additional components!
A top-heavy microscope can tip over or fall down and result in damage to both the
camera and the microscope.
If the microscope is top-heavy or otherwise unstable, fix it to the wall!
Don't touch the cover slip!
The cover slip over the CMOS chip is extremely sensitive and must not come into
contact with bare hands or any other objects, otherwise the acquisitions will be
impaired by fingerprints or scratches.
Remove dust from the cover slip carefully with compressed air. For the removal of
dust stuck due to static electricity, ionized air is recommended.
WARNING
CAUTION
Attention
Attention
Attention
Attention

2 General safety instructions Avoiding device damage
9
Observe the operating conditions!
Exposure to high temperatures or humidity can damage component parts of the
camera.
Always observe the operating and storage conditions (see chapter 1.3 on page 6)!
Don't expose the camera to strong light!
Exposure to strong light can cause the camera to overheat, which may cause
damage to its component parts.
Do not expose the camera to strong light (sunlight) for long periods of time.
Only use the USB cable that is delivered with your camera
Operate the camera only with the USB cable that is part of the camera's scope of
supply. This ensures that the EMC basic standards are fulfilled.
Attention
Attention
Attention

CMOS color camera SC100
10
3 System environment
3.1 Microscope and camera adaptor
Suitable camera
adaptor The system table shows you the camera adaptors you can use to connect the
SC100 to many available Olympus microscopes. Please note that you can also use
microscopes that are not listed there. Basically, all of the camera adaptors with the
magnification factor 0.5 or larger are suitable.
Should you require more detailed information, contact Olympus Soft Imaging Solu-
tions Customer Service (see chapter 6.4.2 on page 34).
USB cable
Software incl. camera driver
PC Monitor
Adaptor ring
U-CMAD3
U-TV1x-2
U-TV0.5xC-3 U-TV0.63xC
GX-TV0.5xC
GX-TV0.7xC
SC100
MVX-TV0.63xC
MVX-TV1xC
Camera head
Camera adaptor
Upright micro-
scope
BX61/BX51/BX41
CX41/CX31
MX61L/MX61/MX51
Inverted
microscope
IX81/IX71/IX51
Stereo
microscope
SZX16/SZX10
SZX7/SZ61
Inverted
metallography
microscope
GX71/GX51
Fluorescence
microscope
MVX10

3 System environment PC
11
3.2 PC
3.2.1 System requirements for the PC
For optimal use, the system requirements listed in the table must be fulfilled.
* Make sure that the software you want to operate the SC100 with supports one of
the operating systems listed here.
3.2.2 Operating the camera with a laptop
Generally speaking, it is possible to operate the camera with a laptop. Owing to the
variety of such products on the market, it isn't possible to make any generally valid
statements about the technical prerequisites for this setup. It is possible that that the
power supply provided by the integrated USB interface won't be sufficient to operate
the camera. Recommendation: Connect the camera to the laptop via an external
USB bus with its own power supply.
Should you encounter any problems, contact Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions
Customer Service (see chapter 6.4.2 on page 34).
System requirements
Processor Intel Pentium D 3.0 GHz, or better
Intel Xenon (DP/MP),
Intel Core™ Duo, or higher (SSE2 compatible)
Hard disk at least 30GB free storage space
RAM at least 512 MB
Screen resolution at least 1280 pixels x 1024 pixels
VGA board 32-bit graphics card, at least 32 MB graphics memory
Drive DVD-ROM drive
Interfaces USB 2.0 with Intel®82801FB/FBM USB2 Enhaced
Host Controller
Operating systems* • MS-Windows 7 (32 Bit)
• MS-Window 7 (64 Bit)
• MS-Windows XP Pro (32 Bit), Service Pack 2 or 3
• MS-Windows Vista (32 Bit)
Ultimate/Enterprise/Business/Home-Premium
Software Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher

CMOS color camera SC100
12
3.3 Software
You'll need the appropriate software to acquire images with the camera. Here are
some basic possibilities:
You can operate the camera with software from Olympus Soft Imaging Solu-
tions that came with the camera.
You can operate your camera with an existing Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions
software.
You can operate the camera with TWAIN software.
Installing an Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions software
Optimal operating You operate the camera optimally with Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions software. At
the present time, the following software products support the SC100 camera:
cellSens
Stream
GetIt
Information on how to make the installation can be found in the chapter 4.1 on
page 13.
Operating the camera with an already existing software
Possible operation Generally speaking, it's basically possible to operate the camera with software from
Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions that you already have. To do so, you'll have to
completely reinstall the software and if possible, choose the SC100 as camera.
Depending on how old the software is, it may not be possible to retroactively install
the camera driver. For this reason, we recommend that you acquire a current update
for your software. Contact Customer Service (see chapter 6.4.2 on page 34), to find
out whether your software version is sufficient for the operation of the camera.
Operating the camera with TWAIN software
Limited operation Should you not want to operate the camera with software from Olympus Soft
Imaging Solutions, you can also use another TWAIN software. A TWAIN interface is
integrated in many programs (for example MS-Word). You will have to install the
TWAIN driver in order to import images from the camera via the TWAIN interface.
This is possible when you use the getIT CD that has been provided with your
camera. Information on how to make the installation can be found in the chapter 4.1
on page 13.
Install the software first!
Connecting the camera to your PC before you've installed the software can result
in problems with the camera driver.
It is extremely important that the software for your camera is installed before
connecting the camera to your PC.

4 Installation Step 1: Installing the software
13
4Installation
This chapter describes the installation of the camera and the software. Please be
sure to follow the steps in the correct order for a proper installation.
1) Install the software
2) Connect the camera
3) Selecting the camera driver
4) Choosing the camera (only for MS-Windows XP)
4.1 Step 1: Installing the software
To operate the camera with your PC, the camera driver has to be installed. This is
accomplished by installing the software with which you operate the camera (see
chapter 3.3 on page 12).
Do the following:
1) Close all running application programs, including the application programs that
run in the background, for instance, an antivirus software.
2) Place the software DVD resp. CD, in the corresponding drive.
The installation program will start automatically.
Follow the
instructions given you
by the installation
wizard.
3) Follow the instructions the installation wizard gives you and make the neces-
sary entries. Then, click the Next > button each time to continue.
4) Should you be asked to choose the device you want to install (for instance with
Stream), select the manufacturer Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions and the
Install the software first!
Connecting the camera to your PC before you've installed the software can result
in problems with the camera driver.
It is extremely important that the software for your camera is installed before
connecting the camera to your PC.
Log on as an administrator
To be able to install software, you must log on to your PC as an administrator.
Should you not possess administrator rights, contact your company's authorized
IT specialist.

CMOS color camera SC100
14
device SC100. With some software packages, it isn't necessary to select the
camera since all of the available camera drivers are automatically installed.
5) At the end of the installation, the files are copied to the PC. You can then
finalize the installation procedure.
The software and the camera driver have now been installed on your PC.
4.2 Step 2: Connecting the camera
Camera
adaptor
SC100 Plug type B Monitor
PC
USB cable
Microscope
Plug type A

4 Installation Step 3: Selecting the camera driver
15
You can connect the camera to the microscope and PC as soon as you've installed
the software. Do the following:
1) Remove the SC100's protective cap.
2) Screw the camera onto the microscope's camera adaptor.
3) Plug the end of the USB cable with the type B plug into the camera socket.
4) Plug the end of the camera's USB cable with the type A plug into a free USB
socket of your PC. Please note that it has to be a USB 2.0 socket. If you are
not certain, try all suitable sockets, also located on your PC's back side, until
the camera is recognized and the hardware wizard starts.
4.3 Step 3: Selecting the camera driver
When you've finished connecting the camera to your PC, the operating system auto-
matically starts the Found New Hardware Wizard. There are different procedures for
the installation of the camera driver, depending on which operation system you use.
Simply follow the instructions for your operating system.
4.3.1 Operating system MS-Windows Vista
1) Click the Locate and install driver software (recommended) entry.
MS-Windows Vista asks for permission to activate the device driver.
2) Confirm this by clicking the Next > button.
USB icon
Make sure that the plug is the right way round
The USB plugs are not symmetrical. Make sure that the plugs are the right way
round, when you plug them into the corresponding camera ports.

CMOS color camera SC100
16
3) Wait until MS-Windows Vista displays the following message box.
4) Click the Install this driver software anyway entry.
Confirm the Olympus
Soft Imaging
Solutions' camera
driver.
5) The following dialog box shows the correct camera driver Olympus Soft
Imaging Solutions USB 2.0 Camera Driver and the installed camera Olympus
Soft Imaging Solutions SC100 Camera. Click the Close button.
6) Start the software that has already been installed.
7) The SC100 has now been registered as a device and is ready for use.
4.3.2 Operating system MS-Windows 7
When you've finished connecting the camera to your PC, MS-Windows 7
automatically installs the camera driver. In the status bar, you will receive a
corresponding message.
1) Wait until the installation of the camera driver has been finished. In the status
bar, you will receive a corresponding message.
2) Start the software that has already been installed.
3) The SC100 has now been registered as a device and is ready for use.

4 Installation Step 3: Selecting the camera driver
17
4.3.3 Operating system MS-Windows XP
1) In the Found New Hardware Wizard dialog box, select the answer No, not this
time. Then, click the Next > button.
2) In the dialog box that follows, select the Install from a list or specific location
(Advanced) option. Then, click the Next > button.

CMOS color camera SC100
18
3) In the following dialog box, select the Don’t search. I will choose the driver to
install. option. Then, click the Next > button.
Confirm the Olympus
Soft Imaging
Solutions' camera
driver.
4) The following dialog box displays the correct camera driver Olympus Soft
Imaging Solutions USB 2.0 Camera Driver. Select this entry. Then, click the
Next > button.
5) Wait until the wizard has loaded the camera driver.

4 Installation Step 3: Selecting the camera driver
19
Continue with the
installation. 6) It's possible that the Hardware Installation dialog box will open. Ignore the infor-
mation in this dialog box and click the Continue Anyway button.
The Hardware Installation dialog box will be closed and the installation of
the camera driver will start.
7) When the camera driver has been installed the next dialog box opens. Click the
Finish button, to finish the Found New Hardware Wizard.
Your camera driver is now correctly installed. Then, only the camera has to
be selected. To do so, follow step 4 of the installation instructions.

CMOS color camera SC100
20
4.4 Step 4: Selecting the camera
After you have selected the camera driver, you have to choose the camera for the
MS-Windows XP operating system. This fourth installation step is similar to step 3,
but instead of the USB 2.0 Camera driver the camera SC100 is shown. The MS-
Windows XP operating system automatically starts the Found New Hardware wizard
again.
1) Select the option No, not this time in the dialog box. Then, click the Next >
button.
2) In the dialog box that follows, select the Install from a list or specific location
(Advanced) option. Then, click the Next > button.
3) In the following dialog box, select the Don’t search. I will choose the driver to
install. option. Then, click the Next > button.