PVCAM for a PCI LVDS interface for CoolSNAP-HQ on WIn7 32bit

[Mel Symeonides]

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Hello,

I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which
came with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS
interface card. After much pain I figured out that this card can only be
run in a 32 bit OS (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they
are asking $1,600 for it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32
bit and installed various versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the
following, even more painful results:

Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at
some point with no indication of what the problem was.

Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.

Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install
the driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the
system freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I
end up having to use System Restore to roll back the installation.

Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without
freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or
under MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.

I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have
a 32 bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a
firmware update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the
version currently on it, and it is V.33.

I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3,
uninstalling PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver
from 3.3.1.3 rather than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also
freezes the system.

Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7
32 bit, and which version did you install?

Thanks,
Mel


--
Menelaos Symeonides
Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
University of Vermont
318 Stafford Hall
95 Carrigan Dr
Burlington, VT 05405
[hidden email]
Phone: [phone]

[Satoru Uzawa]

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Hi Mel,

   For Windows 7 32-bit, the firmware of the PCI LVDS card has to be V.37 (or higher), otherwise it won’t run stably.  Check whether you can upgrade your card to later version (Photometrics has info on how to check it) or not.  For us, the cost was $600.  You may want to just get the PCIe card, if the price is $1600.  The interface is faster and ability to access more memory beyond 2Gb is worth it, in my personal opinion.

Good luck!

Satoru

> On Sep 12, 2017, at 11:51 AM, Menelaos Symeonides <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hello,
>
> I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which came with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS interface card. After much pain I figured out that this card can only be run in a 32 bit OS (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they are asking $1,600 for it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32 bit and installed various versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the following, even more painful results:
>
> Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at some point with no indication of what the problem was.
>
> Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.
>
> Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install the driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the system freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I end up having to use System Restore to roll back the installation.
>
> Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or under MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.
>
> I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have a 32 bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a firmware update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the version currently on it, and it is V.33.
>
> I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3, uninstalling PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver from 3.3.1.3 rather than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also freezes the system.
>
> Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7 32 bit, and which version did you install?
>
> Thanks,
> Mel
>
>
> --
> Menelaos Symeonides
> Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
> Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
> University of Vermont
> 318 Stafford Hall
> 95 Carrigan Dr
> Burlington, VT 05405
> [hidden email]
> Phone: [phone]

[Chris Gell]

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Hi Mel,

I will second Satoru's points.

Further, I was never able to get an old CoolSnap HQ/PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7 (from an old ImageXpressMicro), even when running what is supposedly supported firmware.

Like you, I tried many permutations and combinations of PVCAM/Windows 7 drivers and configurations. I got it to work, using MicroManager, but it was very unstable. Fine some days, not working the next (and hour to hour). Particular problem with repeated snaps in MM I think. Took the first one and then crashed MM and the computer on the second, if I remember correctly, same with PVCAM test.

I would guess I wasted a couple of days with it.

All very painful.

We decided that upgrading to PCI wasn't economic (for us) as it's a good fraction of the cost of a new USB3 Retiga from QI.

Chris

Dr Chris Gell
School of Life Sciences Imaging and Microscopy (SLIM) Facility,
Advanced Microsocpy Unit (AMU)
Room E100
University of Nottingham
The Medical School
QMC
Nottingham
NG7 2UH

[Moulding, Dale]

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Hi Mel,
I also tried many permutations to get this card working on win7 32 bit. It would work intermittently but extremely unstable. Always worked perfectly in XP if you can run that, but my IT won't allow XP on the network. I now run it on a vista PC in micromanager. It's pretty stable, but does freeze every now and then, normally when connecting to the camera rather than mid session, requiring a PC restart. I've not got the exact driver versions to hand but can get them in a couple of weeks when I'm back in the lab if you've had no luck in the meantime.
Good luck
Dale

Dale Moulding PhD
ICH Imaging Facility
Room W2.06, BDRC office
UCL Great Ormond Street lnstitute of Child Health
30 Guilford St
London WC1N 1EH
Tel: [phone]
Mob: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ich/core-scientific-facilities-centres/confocal-microscopy
________________________________
From: Confocal Microscopy List <[hidden email]> on behalf of Menelaos Symeonides <[hidden email]>
Sent: 12 September 2017 19:51:13
To: [hidden email]
Subject: PVCAM for a PCI LVDS interface for CoolSNAP-HQ on WIn7 32bit

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Hello,

I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which
came with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS
interface card. After much pain I figured out that this card can only be
run in a 32 bit OS (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they
are asking $1,600 for it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32
bit and installed various versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the
following, even more painful results:

Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at
some point with no indication of what the problem was.

Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.

Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install
the driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the
system freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I
end up having to use System Restore to roll back the installation.

Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without
freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or
under MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.

I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have
a 32 bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a
firmware update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the
version currently on it, and it is V.33.

I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3,
uninstalling PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver
from 3.3.1.3 rather than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also
freezes the system.

Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7
32 bit, and which version did you install?

Thanks,
Mel


--
Menelaos Symeonides
Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
University of Vermont
318 Stafford Hall
95 Carrigan Dr
Burlington, VT 05405
[hidden email]
Phone: [phone]

[Tomek Węgierski]

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Dear Mel,

Not really answering your question,
but we re-installed our LVDS CoolSNAP HQ
on just another Win XP 32-bit comp
using PVCAM 2.9.5.
This is definitely the cheapest option, as long as you have a spare Win XP comp.

best,
Tomasz

Tomasz Wegierski, PhD
International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, POLAND
tel: [phone]
fax: [phone]
http://www.iimcb.gov.pl/
________________________________________
Od: Confocal Microscopy List [[hidden email]] w imieniu Menelaos Symeonides [[hidden email]]
Wysłano: 12 września 2017 20:51
Do: [hidden email]
Temat: PVCAM for a PCI LVDS interface for CoolSNAP-HQ on WIn7 32bit

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*****

Hello,

I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which
came with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS
interface card. After much pain I figured out that this card can only be
run in a 32 bit OS (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they
are asking $1,600 for it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32
bit and installed various versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the
following, even more painful results:

Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at
some point with no indication of what the problem was.

Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.

Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install
the driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the
system freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I
end up having to use System Restore to roll back the installation.

Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without
freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or
under MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.

I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have
a 32 bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a
firmware update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the
version currently on it, and it is V.33.

I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3,
uninstalling PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver
from 3.3.1.3 rather than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also
freezes the system.

Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7
32 bit, and which version did you install?

Thanks,
Mel


--
Menelaos Symeonides
Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
University of Vermont
318 Stafford Hall
95 Carrigan Dr
Burlington, VT 05405
[hidden email]
Phone: [phone]

[Ian Hallett]

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Mel

We had an original CoolSnap camera which we transferred to a Win7 32 bit system when the institute finally retired XP.  Still have the PC it was on and the info I have is
Firmware version 0.33
PVCAM 2.9.5
Driver 3.0.9.0
As noted by other it took a bit of trial and error to get this to work but for the most part it would operate (occasionally would fail to start and from recollection turning the camera on and off and going into PVCAMtest seemed to sort this out.
Hope this helps
Ian

Ian Hallett
Senior Scientist
Team Leader: Microscopy and Cell Walls
Plant&Food Research
T: [phone]
F: [phone]
[hidden email]
www.plantandfood.co.nz
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Moulding, Dale
Sent: Thursday, 14 September 2017 10:09 p.m.
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: PVCAM for a PCI LVDS interface for CoolSNAP-HQ on WIn7 32bit

*****
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Hi Mel,
I also tried many permutations to get this card working on win7 32 bit. It would work intermittently but extremely unstable. Always worked perfectly in XP if you can run that, but my IT won't allow XP on the network. I now run it on a vista PC in micromanager. It's pretty stable, but does freeze every now and then, normally when connecting to the camera rather than mid session, requiring a PC restart. I've not got the exact driver versions to hand but can get them in a couple of weeks when I'm back in the lab if you've had no luck in the meantime.
Good luck
Dale

Dale Moulding PhD
ICH Imaging Facility
Room W2.06, BDRC office
UCL Great Ormond Street lnstitute of Child Health
30 Guilford St
London WC1N 1EH
Tel: [phone]
Mob: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ich/core-scientific-facilities-centres/confocal-microscopy
________________________________
From: Confocal Microscopy List <[hidden email]> on behalf of Menelaos Symeonides <[hidden email]>
Sent: 12 September 2017 19:51:13
To: [hidden email]
Subject: PVCAM for a PCI LVDS interface for CoolSNAP-HQ on WIn7 32bit

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
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*****

Hello,

I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which came with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS interface card. After much pain I figured out that this card can only be run in a 32 bit OS (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they are asking $1,600 for it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32 bit and installed various versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the following, even more painful results:

Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at some point with no indication of what the problem was.

Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.

Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install the driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the system freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I end up having to use System Restore to roll back the installation.

Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or under MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.

I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have a 32 bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a firmware update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the version currently on it, and it is V.33.

I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3, uninstalling PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver from 3.3.1.3 rather than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also freezes the system.

Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7
32 bit, and which version did you install?

Thanks,
Mel


--
Menelaos Symeonides
Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics University of Vermont
318 Stafford Hall
95 Carrigan Dr
Burlington, VT 05405
[hidden email]
Phone: [phone]
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[Egor Zindy]

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Hi Mel,

I saw a lot of useful info here. PVCAM 2.9.5 is the one we were using
with micro-manager before we retired the system (Dell T3500 machine,
PCI card with upgraded firmware, Win7-32, C-states disabled in the
BIOS as per MM instructions).

One issue we had was: no camera found when running PVCAM test.

This is because the PVCAM.ini file, which is generated during setup or
by RSConfig.exe, is stored in a location that is not searched by the
2.9.5 PVCAM driver.

This note on MM https://micro-manager.org/wiki/PVCAM explains what is happening:

Windows 7 issue

Paul Forscher reported that Micro-Manager does not find any PVCAM
cameras under Windows 7. The problem is that Micro-Manager can not
find the file 'PVCAM.ini'. To fix this, run RSConfig.exe from the
Photometrics folder in the start menu. This will create the proper
PVCam. Ini in the c:\windows folder. If that fails, type 'cmd' in the
"Search programs and files' box in the Start menu, and then type:

copy C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\PVCAM.ini C:\Windows

where you should replace 'username' with your username.

Note
The directory 'Appdata' is not visible to the Windows file explorer.

--Nico 11:33, 31 August 2007 (PDT)

General hardware tweaks described in
https://micro-manager.org/wiki/Personal_computer_setup were also
useful. For instance, MM was not stable at all on our Dell T3500
machine at first. Then we disabled the C-States in the BIOS and the
system finally ran smoothly.

Best of luck!


On 12 September 2017 at 19:51, Menelaos Symeonides <[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hello,
>
> I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which came
> with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS interface card.
> After much pain I figured out that this card can only be run in a 32 bit OS
> (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they are asking $1,600 for
> it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32 bit and installed various
> versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the following, even more painful
> results:
>
> Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at some
> point with no indication of what the problem was.
>
> Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.
>
> Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install the
> driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the system
> freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I end up having
> to use System Restore to roll back the installation.
>
> Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without
> freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or under
> MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.
>
> I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have a 32
> bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a firmware
> update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the version
> currently on it, and it is V.33.
>
> I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3, uninstalling
> PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver from 3.3.1.3 rather
> than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also freezes the system.
>
> Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7 32
> bit, and which version did you install?
>
> Thanks,
> Mel
>
>
> --
> Menelaos Symeonides
> Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
> Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
> University of Vermont
> 318 Stafford Hall
> 95 Carrigan Dr
> Burlington, VT 05405
> [hidden email]
> Phone: [phone]

[Mark Cannell-2]

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Hi Just a thought but could you run XP inside a virtual machine such as vmware?

HTH
[hidden email]
 
 

On 14/09/17, 11:08 AM, "Confocal Microscopy List on behalf of Moulding, Dale" <[hidden email] on behalf of [hidden email]> wrote:

    *****
    To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
    http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
    Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
    *****
   
    Hi Mel,
    I also tried many permutations to get this card working on win7 32 bit. It would work intermittently but extremely unstable. Always worked perfectly in XP if you can run that, but my IT won't allow XP on the network. I now run it on a vista PC in micromanager. It's pretty stable, but does freeze every now and then, normally when connecting to the camera rather than mid session, requiring a PC restart. I've not got the exact driver versions to hand but can get them in a couple of weeks when I'm back in the lab if you've had no luck in the meantime.
    Good luck
    Dale
   
    Dale Moulding PhD
    ICH Imaging Facility
    Room W2.06, BDRC office
    UCL Great Ormond Street lnstitute of Child Health
    30 Guilford St
    London WC1N 1EH
    Tel: [phone]
    Mob: [phone]
    Fax: [phone]
    http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ich/core-scientific-facilities-centres/confocal-microscopy
    ________________________________
    From: Confocal Microscopy List <[hidden email]> on behalf of Menelaos Symeonides <[hidden email]>
    Sent: 12 September 2017 19:51:13
    To: [hidden email]
    Subject: PVCAM for a PCI LVDS interface for CoolSNAP-HQ on WIn7 32bit
   
    *****
    To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
    http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
    Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
    *****
   
    Hello,
   
    I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which
    came with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS
    interface card. After much pain I figured out that this card can only be
    run in a 32 bit OS (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they
    are asking $1,600 for it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32
    bit and installed various versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the
    following, even more painful results:
   
    Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at
    some point with no indication of what the problem was.
   
    Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.
   
    Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install
    the driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the
    system freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I
    end up having to use System Restore to roll back the installation.
   
    Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without
    freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or
    under MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.
   
    I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have
    a 32 bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a
    firmware update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the
    version currently on it, and it is V.33.
   
    I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3,
    uninstalling PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver
    from 3.3.1.3 rather than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also
    freezes the system.
   
    Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7
    32 bit, and which version did you install?
   
    Thanks,
    Mel
   
   
    --
    Menelaos Symeonides
    Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
    Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
    University of Vermont
    318 Stafford Hall
    95 Carrigan Dr
    Burlington, VT 05405
    [hidden email]
    Phone: [phone]
   

[Egor Zindy]

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Hi Mel,


> - When you say updated firmware, do you mean V.33 or V.37?
>
>
Sorry, I will try to find out, but our last system was decommissioned last
year. Basically, I'm talking about the firmware after the LVDS card came
back from Photometrics with its firmware upgraded to run on Win7 32 bit.

- From what I can tell, C-states refers to PCI Express. Does it also apply
> to PCI?
>

I remember quite vividly that disabling the C-states was the last thing I
changed before the system ran smoothly. Before that, we did experience
random freezes during acquisition.


>
> - Is your Windows 7 fully updated? I'm beginning to suspect that the
> Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is at fault and I'm thinking of reinstalling
> Windows with updates disabled. Just wondering if you have it working fully
> updated then I won't bother.
>

Yes, fully updated with SP1.


>
> - Did you ever experience the freezing I'm describing?
>
>
As far as I remember, the freezes were occurring randomly during
acquisition (and did require a reboot). But not during installation. In
your case, something else could be the cause (I'm suspecting the firmware
on the LVDS card).

Cheers,
Egor

> Thanks,
> Mel
>
>
> On 9/15/2017 2:56 AM, Egor Zindy wrote:
>
>> *****
>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
>> *****
>>
>> Hi Mel,
>>
>> I saw a lot of useful info here. PVCAM 2.9.5 is the one we were using
>> with micro-manager before we retired the system (Dell T3500 machine,
>> PCI card with upgraded firmware, Win7-32, C-states disabled in the
>> BIOS as per MM instructions).
>>
>> One issue we had was: no camera found when running PVCAM test.
>>
>> This is because the PVCAM.ini file, which is generated during setup or
>> by RSConfig.exe, is stored in a location that is not searched by the
>> 2.9.5 PVCAM driver.
>>
>> This note on MM https://micro-manager.org/wiki/PVCAM explains what is
>> happening:
>>
>> Windows 7 issue
>>
>> Paul Forscher reported that Micro-Manager does not find any PVCAM
>> cameras under Windows 7. The problem is that Micro-Manager can not
>> find the file 'PVCAM.ini'. To fix this, run RSConfig.exe from the
>> Photometrics folder in the start menu. This will create the proper
>> PVCam. Ini in the c:\windows folder. If that fails, type 'cmd' in the
>> "Search programs and files' box in the Start menu, and then type:
>>
>> copy C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\PVCAM.ini
>> C:\Windows
>>
>> where you should replace 'username' with your username.
>>
>> Note
>> The directory 'Appdata' is not visible to the Windows file explorer.
>>
>> --Nico 11:33, 31 August 2007 (PDT)
>>
>> General hardware tweaks described in
>> https://micro-manager.org/wiki/Personal_computer_setup were also
>> useful. For instance, MM was not stable at all on our Dell T3500
>> machine at first. Then we disabled the C-States in the BIOS and the
>> system finally ran smoothly.
>>
>> Best of luck!
>>
>>
>> On 12 September 2017 at 19:51, Menelaos Symeonides <[hidden email]>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> *****
>>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>>> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your
>>> posting.
>>> *****
>>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which
>>> came
>>> with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS interface
>>> card.
>>> After much pain I figured out that this card can only be run in a 32 bit
>>> OS
>>> (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they are asking $1,600
>>> for
>>> it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32 bit and installed
>>> various
>>> versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the following, even more painful
>>> results:
>>>
>>> Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at
>>> some
>>> point with no indication of what the problem was.
>>>
>>> Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.
>>>
>>> Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install
>>> the
>>> driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the system
>>> freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I end up
>>> having
>>> to use System Restore to roll back the installation.
>>>
>>> Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without
>>> freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or
>>> under
>>> MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.
>>>
>>> I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have
>>> a 32
>>> bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a
>>> firmware
>>> update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the version
>>> currently on it, and it is V.33.
>>>
>>> I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3, uninstalling
>>> PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver from 3.3.1.3
>>> rather
>>> than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also freezes the system.
>>>
>>> Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7 32
>>> bit, and which version did you install?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Mel
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Menelaos Symeonides
>>> Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
>>> Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
>>> University of Vermont
>>> 318 Stafford Hall
>>> 95 Carrigan Dr
>>> Burlington, VT 05405
>>> [hidden email]
>>> Phone: [phone]
>>>
>>
>

[Mel Symeonides]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
*****

Hey everyone,

Thank you so much for all the responses! I've tried everything everyone
suggested, and unfortunately I think I have reached a point where it is
no longer worth my time/effort to keep trying to get this
camera/interface to work on Win7. I think there are fundamental aspects
of how "newer" chipset motherboards (i.e. anything 10 years old or
newer) handle the PCI bus that this PCI interface is just unstable with.
I know that PCIe is constructed very differently than PCI (PCIe is
serial, PCI is parallel), and if the PCI slot on the motherboard is a
subset of a PCIe bus (I haven't been able to find this information for
my particular motherboard, which is an Intel H61 Express chipset board)
and Photometrics's interface card can't handle that, I can see how it
could be causing such problems.

I did actually have the briefest glimpse of a functioning camera image
in PVCamTest, but it promptly freezed within about 10 seconds. Most of
the time merely installing the device driver for the PCI interface leads
to a freeze within 2-3 seconds, and then upon each boot it freezes as
soon as the Windows boot sequence tries to load the driver. I don't even
think this is a Windows 7 issue, I think this would also happen with
Windows XP if it tried to load the driver, but honestly I don't want to
put the effort into trying.

What I've instead decided to do, rather than buy the PCI Express
interface (which, reportedly, is not even available anymore), I am
taking advantage of Photometrics's "Prime SCMOS Upgrade Program" (see
link below - note that I have no affiliation with Photometrics,
obviously, and this is not a commercial posting) and trading in the
camera for a brand new Prime SCMOS for a very sizeable discount. This
will end up costing more than even the PCI Express LVDS card would have
cost for the CoolSNAP HQ, if it were available, but spending a little
more money than that I think is the right way to go to (at least
somewhat) future-proof this more solidly and not dump more cash into
something that has already been obsolete for many years.

https://www.photometrics.com/promos/Prime-CoolSNAP-Upgrade.php

Thanks again for the fantastic response and offers for help, and if
anyone in the future wants to ask me for more details on what I've tried
(honestly? everything with this particular computer) I will be glad to
talk with you about it.

Best,
Mel



On 9/15/2017 2:56 AM, Egor Zindy wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi Mel,
>
> I saw a lot of useful info here. PVCAM 2.9.5 is the one we were using
> with micro-manager before we retired the system (Dell T3500 machine,
> PCI card with upgraded firmware, Win7-32, C-states disabled in the
> BIOS as per MM instructions).
>
> One issue we had was: no camera found when running PVCAM test.
>
> This is because the PVCAM.ini file, which is generated during setup or
> by RSConfig.exe, is stored in a location that is not searched by the
> 2.9.5 PVCAM driver.
>
> This note on MM https://micro-manager.org/wiki/PVCAM explains what is happening:
>
> Windows 7 issue
>
> Paul Forscher reported that Micro-Manager does not find any PVCAM
> cameras under Windows 7. The problem is that Micro-Manager can not
> find the file 'PVCAM.ini'. To fix this, run RSConfig.exe from the
> Photometrics folder in the start menu. This will create the proper
> PVCam. Ini in the c:\windows folder. If that fails, type 'cmd' in the
> "Search programs and files' box in the Start menu, and then type:
>
> copy C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\PVCAM.ini C:\Windows
>
> where you should replace 'username' with your username.
>
> Note
> The directory 'Appdata' is not visible to the Windows file explorer.
>
> --Nico 11:33, 31 August 2007 (PDT)
>
> General hardware tweaks described in
> https://micro-manager.org/wiki/Personal_computer_setup were also
> useful. For instance, MM was not stable at all on our Dell T3500
> machine at first. Then we disabled the C-States in the BIOS and the
> system finally ran smoothly.
>
> Best of luck!
>
>
> On 12 September 2017 at 19:51, Menelaos Symeonides <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> *****
>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
>> *****
>>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which came
>> with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS interface card.
>> After much pain I figured out that this card can only be run in a 32 bit OS
>> (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they are asking $1,600 for
>> it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32 bit and installed various
>> versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the following, even more painful
>> results:
>>
>> Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at some
>> point with no indication of what the problem was.
>>
>> Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.
>>
>> Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install the
>> driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the system
>> freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I end up having
>> to use System Restore to roll back the installation.
>>
>> Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without
>> freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or under
>> MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.
>>
>> I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have a 32
>> bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a firmware
>> update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the version
>> currently on it, and it is V.33.
>>
>> I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3, uninstalling
>> PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver from 3.3.1.3 rather
>> than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also freezes the system.
>>
>> Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7 32
>> bit, and which version did you install?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Mel
>>
>>
>> --
>> Menelaos Symeonides
>> Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
>> Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
>> University of Vermont
>> 318 Stafford Hall
>> 95 Carrigan Dr
>> Burlington, VT 05405
>> [hidden email]
>> Phone: [phone]

--
Menelaos Symeonides
Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
University of Vermont
318 Stafford Hall
95 Carrigan Dr
Burlington, VT 05405
[hidden email]
Phone: [phone]

[Stanislav Vitha-2]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
*****

If your IT department will let you, one option would be to keep the old WinXP PC as an offline isolated microscope controller and have it connected via intranet to another PC (win 7 or later, with antivirus software, ..) serving as a buffer PC.

Data are saved to the buffer PC, it has a second Ethernet card and is connected to Internet so that it is automatically updated and can use university's authentication for people to log in.
Users copy their data from the buffer PC.
The Microscope PC has the USB connectors removed or disabled so that users cannot plug their portable drives to that computer.

We have this arrangement for some of our electron microscopes, where the microscope control computer cannot be upgraded to newer OS.  For IT purposes, the microscope controller is not a computer but an integral part of the microscope.

Best Regards,

Stan Vitha
Microscopy and Imaging Center
Texas A&M Univerity