Vision Makrolite 4K User manual

User guide
Makrolite 4K digital microscope
2015

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PREFACE
Copyright
Copyright © 2021 Vision Engineering Ltd., Galileo Drive, Send Road, Send, Woking, Surrey GU23 7ER, UK All Rights Reserved.
Makrolite 4K is a registered trademark of Vision Engineering Ltd. The use of our trademarks is strictly controlled and
monitored and any unauthorised use is forbidden.
Copyright in this document is owned by Vision Engineering Ltd. Any person is hereby authorised to view, copy, print and
distribute this document subject to the following conditions:
 The document may be used for informational purposes only
 The document may be used for non-commercial purposes only
 Any copy of this document or portion thereof must include this copyright notice
Published September 2021 by:
Vision Engineering Ltd.
Galileo Drive
Send Road, Send
Woking, Surrey, GU23 7ER, UK
www.visioneng.com
Disclaimer
This document is provided “as is” without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, statutory or otherwise;
without limiting the foregoing, the warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement are
expressly excluded and under no circumstances will Vision Engineering Ltd. be liable for direct or indirect loss or damage of
any kind, including loss of profit, revenue, goodwill or anticipated savings. All such warranties are hereby excluded to the
fullest extent permitted by law.
We have compiled the texts and illustrations as accurately as possible. However, Vision Engineering Ltd. will not be
responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in this document, which is used at your own risk and should not be
relied upon. The information included in this manual may be changed without prior notice

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PREFACE
General
Safety
Before using your system for the first time, please read the Health & safety section of the user guide.
Ensure that:
 Your system and accessories are operated, maintained and repaired by authorised and trained personnel only.
 All operators have read, understood and observe the user manual, in particular the safety regulations.
Cleaning
 Disconnect your system from the electrical source before cleaning.
 Do not use any unsuitable cleaning agents, chemicals or techniques for cleaning.
 Never use chemicals to clean coloured surfaces or accessories with rubberised parts.
 Use a specialist lens cloth to clean optical surfaces.
Servicing
Repairs may only be carried out by Vision Engineering-trained service personnel. Only original Vision Engineering
spare parts may be used.
Symbols used
Warning!
A potential risk of danger exists. Failure to comply can cause i) a hazard to personnel; ii) instrument malfunction and damage.
Please consult the operating instructions provided with the product.
Warning of electrical shock hazard
This symbol indicates the presence of electric shock hazards. Please consult the operating instructions provided with the
product.
Important information
This symbol indicates important information. Please carefully follow the instructions or guidelines.
Health & safety
Unauthorised alterations to the instrument or non-compliant use shall invalidate all rights to any warranty claims.
Electrical safety
 Disconnect your system from the electrical source before undertaking any maintenance.
Do not disconnect the power cable when the camera is on, or connect the power cable when the mains supply is on.
 Avoid using any form of liquid near the system.
 Do not operate your system with wet hands.
Illumination safety
 Do not look directly at the illuminated LED’s. This may cause damage to the eyesight.

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PREFACE
Environmental considerations
 Avoid large temperature fluctuations, direct sunlight and vibrations.
 Ensure electrical components are at least 10cm from walls and combustible materials.
 Position the system on a firm, rigid and level table.
 The equipment should be positioned so that access to the electrical input connector is always available.
 Avoid positioning your system where bright reflections may affect the image.
Operator wellbeing
 The advanced ergonomic design and construction of Vision Engineering products are intended to deliver superior
ergonomic performance, reducing the exertion of the user to a minimum. Depending on the duration of uninterrupted
work, appropriate measures should be taken to sustain optimal operator performance. This could include: Optimal
arrangement of workplace; Variation in task activity; Training of personnel on workplace ergonomics and general health
and safety principles.
 It is important to set-up and optimise your working environment correctly in order to obtain maximum benefit from the
advanced ergonomic design of your system. For more information visit: www.visioneng.com/ergonomics
Compliance statements
Vision Engineering and its products conforms to the requirements of the EC Directives on Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS).
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the
FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.
This product conforms to the UKCA and CE marks, demonstrating that it meets the requirements of the applicable directives.
Where applicable, other characteristics of the CE directive are implied such as essential health and safety requirements from
all the directives that applies to its product, including low voltage directive and the EMC directive.
If the equipment is used in a manner not specified by Vision Engineering Ltd in this user guide, the protection
provided by the equipment may be impaired.

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CONTENTS
PREFACE
Copyright 3
Disclaimer 3
General 4
Safety 4
Cleaning 4
Servicing 4
Symbols used 4
Warning!
Warning of electrical shock hazard
Important information
Health & safety 4
Electrical safety 4
Illumination safety 4
Environmental considerations 5
Operator wellbeing 5
Compliance statements 5
SYSTEM EQUIPMENT
Makrolite 4K core components 8
Required parts ordered separately 8
Additional parts for PC version 8
Optional accessory (for non-PC version) 8
CONFIGURATIONS
Console Configuration 9
PC Configuration 9
COMPONENTS
Makrolite 4K camera 10
Objective lenses 10
Ring-light 11
Stands 12
Single arm boom stand 12
Double arm boom stand 13
Bench stand 13
Fitting the S417 adaptor 13
Ergo stand / Multi-axis stand 14
Fitting the S416 adaptor 14

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CONTENTS
SET-UP
Console Configuration 15
Camera connections 15
Console controls 16
Notes on console functions 17
Image capture and video recording (option) 17
PC Configuration with ViPlus 18
Component layout and camera connections 18
ViPlus software overview and camera controls 19
Live image tools 20
Captured image tools 21
Calibration & measurement 21
4K Video recording (Blackmagic Media Express utility) 22
SPECIFICATIONS
Camera data 23
Optical data 23
PC requirements 23
APPENDICES
APPENDIX I: 4K capture devices 24
APPENDIX II: ViPlus calibration procedure 25
SERVICE RECORD 27
WARRANTY 28
CONTACTS 29

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SYSTEM EQUIPMENT
Makrolite 4K core components:
 Makrolite 4K camera
 12V power supply
 2m HDMI cable (4K)
 Ring-light
 Console (keypad)
 2m Micro-USB cable (required with PC configuration only).
 M4 x 10 cap screws - 4pcs (for attaching camera to the stand)
 USB Stick (User Guide & console control sheet)
Required parts ordered separately:
 Objective lens
 Stand
 Stand adaptor (if required)
 4K monitor
Additional parts for PC version:
 i7 computer
 4K capture card (Blackmagic Decklink Mini Recorder 4K)
 Software (ViPlus)
Optional accessory (for non-PC version):
 Standalone 4K image and video recorder

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CONFIGURATIONS
Console Configuration
The Makrolite 4K’s HDMI port connects directly to a 4K monitor. Full, stand-alone, control is via a console/keypad.
Controls include: zoom, autofocus/manual focus, aperture & exposure settings, gain, white balance, objective
selection, screen size selection, image flipping, and access to 4 pre-sets buttons whereby all of these settings can
be saved/loaded for rapid set-up.
PC Configuration
The PC version extends functionality through the use of Windows software. The key software option is ViPlus
which provides: full camera control, image capture, measurement, analysis and reporting/tabulation. Saved
calibration files store all camera settings (= pre-sets). Video capture is also possible e.g. using the software
provided with the capture card (see page 22).
Figure 1
:
Console
configuration
Figure 2:
PC
configuration
= M4K core components
= optional
=
required
components
= required for PC version

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COMPONENTS
Makrolite 4K camera
The key parts and connections are shown below.
Objective lenses
Fitting the objective. Objectives can be fitted quickly and easily with the quick release mount; first push the
objective up and back so that the back of the objective pushes against the mount/holder, then bring the front of
the lens up until it clicks into place.
To remove the objective, push it back while bringing the front down.
Figure 3: Makrolite 4K and t
op panel connections
Monito
r
PC
Console
Ring-light
Mains power
Ring-light
dimmer control
Objective
Ring-light
Figure 4a & 4b: Fitting the objective lens

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COMPONENTS
Ring-light
Attaching the ring-light.
Slide the ring-light over the camera objective.
Secure the three thumb screws.
Connect power lead to the ‘ring-light’ socket on the top panel of the Makrolite 4. Ring-light brightness is
controlled using the dimmer control on the front of the Makrolite 4K.
The ring-light may not be required with the bench-stand as this stand includes sub-stage and incident
(overhead) lighting.
Dimmer control
Figure 5a: Ring
-
light
Figure 5b: Ring
-
light fitted to the Makrolite 4K

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COMPONENTS
Stands
Single arm boom stand
The focus control of the stand attaches directly to the interface plate on the back of the Makrolite 4K camera with
the 4 screws provided and using the holes indicated in the image (below right)
The camera is attached by first
fixing the two upper screws with a
3mm hex driver. The screw holes
are accessed by adjusting the focus
control knob (see fig 8a). Once
secured, the lower screw holes are
accessed by turning the focus
control in the opposite direction
(see fig 8b).
With the ring-light attached, the upper few mm of the camera’s travel may be restricted by the ring-light
cable coming into contact with the focus control block.
Figure 6: Single arm boom stand (S206)
Figure 7: Interface plate screw
-
holes for S206
stand
Figure 8a & 8b: Attaching Makrolite 4K to the S206 stand

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Figure 9: Double arm boom stand with clamp (S241)
Figure 10: Double arm boom stand with base (S242)
COMPONENTS
Double arm boom stand (with clamp or base)
These stands attach directly to the Makrolite 4K camera in exactly the same way as the single arm stand (see
previous page) – no adaptors are required.
Bench stand
The S417 adaptor is required to attach the Makrolite 4K camera to the Bench stand.
Note. The microscope support,
pictured left supplied with the
bench and boom stands are not
required with Makrolite 4K.
Unscrew the incident light from
this support (2 screws) and
unscrew this support from the
stand (single screw).
Fitting the S417 adaptor
 attach the adaptor bracket (part A in the image above right) to the stand (single screw)
 attach the incident light to the bracket (two screws)
 attach the adaptor plate (part B) to the interface plate on the Makrolite 4K using the two screw holes indicated in the
image above
 attach the camera/adaptor plate (B) to the adaptor bracket (A) using the two screws holes indicated above.
Figure 13: S417 adaptor
Figure 11: Bench stand (S203
or S240)
Figure 12: Interface plate screw
holes for the S417 adaptor

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COMPONENTS
Ergo stand / Multi-axis stand (with base or mounted direct to the work bench)
The S416 adaptor is required to attach the Makrolite 4K camera to the Ergo and the Multi-axis stands.
Note the orientation of the adaptor (figure 17) as this is critical.
Fitting the S416 adaptor
 Use the 4 hex screws to attach the dovetail bracket and spacer to the interface plate of the Makrolite 4K using
the screw holes indicated in the image above.
 attach the dovetail to the corresponding bracket on the stand. A 2mm hex key is required to tighten the grub
screw on the stand-bracket to ensure the camera is held firmly.
The Ergo stand sub-stage illumination option is not available when used with the Makrolite 4K.
Figure 17:
S416
adaptor
Figure 16: Interface plate screw
holes for the S416 adaptor
Figure 14: Ergo stand (EVB01
0)
Figure 15: Multi
-
axis stand (EVB021 with EVF111)

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SET-UP
Console Configuration
Camera connections
The console (keypad) connects to the USB port labelled ‘Shuttle’ on the top panel of the Makrolite 4K. The
monitor connects to the HDMI port using the 2m HDMI cable supplied. The Makrolite 4K is powered by the 12V
DC supplier supplied. Once connected, switch on the camera and the monitor to complete the camera set up.
When the console is used to change the zoom or any other camera setting, the current setting for that function
appears in the on-screen display (as in fig. 20).
Figure 18:
Component layout and Makrolite 4K
connections
Figure 19: Makrolite 4K
-
console configuration
Figure 20: When the console zoom dial is
moved the current zoom setting is displayed

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SET-UP
Console controls
The console (or keypad) has 15 Buttons. Some have two functions depending on whether the user makes a short
press or a long press. The button functions are shown below.
Button # Button Name Short Press Long Press
1 Mem1 Load set of saved parameters Save current parameters to Mem1
2 Mem2 Load set of saved parameters Save current parameters to Mem2
3 Mem3 Load set of saved parameters Save current parameters to Mem3
4 Mem4 Load set of saved parameters Save current parameters to Mem4
5 Lens Select lens type Switch screen display on/off
6 Mir/Flip Flip in horizontal direction Flip in vertical direction
7 Foc/Exp Switch between manual
focus/autofocus
Switch between manual
exposure/auto-exposure
8 WB White balance adjusts
automatically in this mode
Adjusts white balance (and retains
that setting until changed)
9 Scr. size Display the current screen size
setting
Change the screen size (determines
the displayed zoom)
10 Shutter+ Increase exposure time n/a
11 Gain+ Increase gain n/a
12 Shutter- Decrease exposure time n/a
13 Gain- Decrease gain n/a
14 Aperture- Decrease the aperture n/a
15 Aperture+ Increase the aperture n/a
Jog wheel Manual focus adjustment
Shuttle Zoom adjustment (+ small movement to read current zoom)
1 Memory1
7 Focus/Exposure
4 Memory4
2
Memory2
3 Memory3
5 Lens selection/OSD
6 Mirror/Flip
8 White balance
9 Screen size
14 Aperture-
15 Aperture+
10 Shutter+
12 Shutter-
11 Gain+
13 Gain-
Shuttle
Zoom
adjustment
Jog wheel
Manual focus
Figure 21: Console controls

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SET-UP
Notes on console functions:
Buttons 1, 2, 3 & 4 - Pre-sets: each button enables full camera settings to be saved or loaded at the
press of a button. Hence, up to four pre-sets can be used. The saveable settings include: zoom
position, automatic/manual exposure, gain, iris/aperture, objective lens type, automatic/manual
focus, focus setting and screen size.
Button 5 - short press: select lens (to ensure the correct zoom is displayed). Options are: Sans (no
lens), 0.45x, 0.62x, 1.0x, 1.5x and 2.0x.
Button 8 - Short press: adjusts the white balance and will automatically re-adjust with different lighting
conditions. Long press: adjust the white balance and the white balance setting will remain unchanged until
button 8 is pressed again. NOTE: in general, the white balance is set using a white background (e.g. a sheet
of paper) in the field of view.
Button 9 – long press: select screen size (to ensure the correct zoom is displayed). Options are 15”, 24”,
27” and 28”.
Buttons 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. These camera settings are usable in manual exposure mode only.
Jog. F = 0 corresponds to the longest focal distance setting.
Shuttle. A quick short movement of the dial will display the current zoom position (rather than adjust it).
Image capture and video recording (option)
This option (M4K105) enables 4K image capture and 4K video recording without requiring a PC to be connected to
the Makrolite 4K. It is connected by HDMI cables to the Makrolite 4K and to the monitor (see figures below). It is
straightforward to use; press one button to capture an image (saving to a USB stick) and another to start/stop
video recording. Use either the buttons on the unit or those on the remote controller. The remote controller
also enables review, video playback etc.
Figure 22:
Component layout
with the image/video recorder

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SET-UP
PC Configuration with ViPlus
In this section it is assumed that the PC meets the requirements (see SPECIFICATIONS) with the recommended 4K
capture card (Blackmagic Design – DeckLink Mini Recorder 4K) installed in an expansion slot, and ViPlus software
(v.1.03.00 or later) installed. Alternative capture cards/devices are discussed in Appendix I.
Component layout and camera connections
The 2m micro USB cable (included) connects between micro-USB port on the top panel of the Makrolite 4K and a
USB port on the PC. The HDMI cable (included) connects between the HDMI port on Makrolite 4K and the HDMI-
input port of the capture device. The monitor connects to the PC’s HDMI or Display port using a suitable high
speed cable (this is often supplied with the 4K monitor).
The console cannot be used when the micro-USB cable is connected i.e. when Makrolite 4K is being
controlled via the ViPlus software.
Figure 23:
Component layout and Makrolite
4K
Figure 24: Makrolite 4K
-
PC configuration with ViPlus software.
The 4K
capture card fits into an SFF or PCIe expansion slot on the PC
.

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SET-UP
ViPlus software overview and camera controls
The ViPlus software is a separate Vision Engineering product with its own Installation instructions and user guide.
This section provides a short overview of ViPlus’ general functionality as well as details on functions that are
specific to the Makrolite 4K version.
Several versions of the ViPlus software are included on the USB stick supplied with ViPlus. The version to be
installed for use with Makrolite 4K has the filename Blackmagic – display 4K.
ViPlus provides control of Makrolite 4K; enabling adjustment of zoom, autofocus and camera settings. It is also
used for measurement, annotation, image processing and data reporting.
When the ViPlus software is opened, the user is prompted to select the COM port that the micro-USB cable is
connected to. If an incorrect port is selected, video will still be available (when ‘play’ is selected) but the zoom
controls are greyed out (instead of blue) and are not useable. With the correct COM port selected, selecting the
‘play’ icon in the top left of the screen will bring up the live display.
Figure 25: ViPlus display screen (the main control bar at the top is expanded in the next figure).
Figure 26: ViPlus camera controls

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SET-UP
Live image tools
Selecting ‘Video Command’ on the main menu allows access to the mirror and flip controls (see image below).
This allows the live image to be flipped horizontally or vertically or both. Once set, this orientation will be the
default setting.
There is a similar mirror tool on the main menu bar. However, the selections made here do not become
the defaults settings.
Selecting the ‘Sony Bloc’ camera settings icon opens a window with camera settings that include auto/manual
exposure settings (aperture, shutter, gain) white-balance mode and other image display settings.
Figure 28: Sony Bloc camera settings
window
Figure 27: Image ‘Flip’ and ‘Mirror’ controls.
window