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Problems with LSM Axiovert

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Wijnholds, Anita

Problems with LSM Axiovert

Hello everyone,

I got the following message from a student. As I’m not familiar with this system, I would ask you if you have any idea.

I have managed to scan my specimens without gettting a very good image, but I know the lasers are working and that is good news. However, the main problem I have is an error that appear after a few times I do the scanning. The following statements appear: "Write Voltage ()failed! Output voltage to AOM not set!" and "Send Cmd impossible because PingPong stopped!". After these errors appear then I can not scan anything, sometimes the laser turns off, sometimes it stays on until I close and start the program again, then it stops iluminating, but it still will not scan. Eventually if I turn the computer and microscope off for some hours then turn everything back on it works fine and then blocks it self after I have tried to scan for half an hour or so.

It is a LSM 510 Axiovert 2.5.

Thank you for your help.

Best regards,

Anita Wijnholds

Theresa Swayne

Re: Problems with LSM Axiovert

I haven't seen that error on our 510s, but it sounds like a hardware or communication error (I know that is so vague as to be no help whatsoever).

I would recommend calling the confocal service hotline. They have diagnosed problems and have even helped me to solve problems without waiting for a service visit.

According to the Zeiss website:

[hidden email]

Hotline: 0184 - 433 533

Good luck,

Theresa

On Jul 16, 2009, at 6:06 AM, Wijnholds, Anita wrote:

I got the following message from a student. As I’m not familiar with this system, I would ask you if you have any idea.

I have managed to scan my specimens without gettting a very good image, but I know the lasers are working and that is good news. However, the main problem I have is an error that appear after a few times I do the scanning. The following statements appear: "Write Voltage ()failed! Output voltage to AOM not set!" and "Send Cmd impossible because PingPong stopped!". After these errors appear then I can not scan anything, sometimes the laser turns off, sometimes it stays on until I close and start the program again, then it stops iluminating, but it still will not scan. Eventually if I turn the computer and microscope off for some hours then turn everything back on it works fine and then blocks it self after I have tried to scan for half an hour or so.
It is a LSM 510 Axiovert 2.5.

------------------------------------

Theresa C. Swayne, Ph.D.

Manager, Confocal and Specialized Microscopy Shared Resource

Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University

1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, 222A

New York, NY 10032

212-851-4613

[hidden email]

http://hiccc.columbia.edu/?page=research/sharedresources/confocal

Mark Cannell

Re: Problems with LSM Axiovert

In reply to this post by Wijnholds, Anita

If you don't know the system you need a service engineer.

Cheers

Wijnholds, Anita wrote:

>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I got the following message from a student. As I’m not familiar with
> this system, I would ask you if you have any idea.
>
> I have managed to scan my specimens without gettting a very good
> image, but I know the lasers are working and that is good news.
> However, the main problem I have is an error that appear after a few
> times I do the scanning. The following statements appear: "Write
> Voltage ()failed! Output voltage to AOM not set!" and "Send Cmd
> impossible because PingPong stopped!". After these errors appear then
> I can not scan anything, sometimes the laser turns off, sometimes it
> stays on until I close and start the program again, then it stops
> iluminating, but it still will not scan. Eventually if I turn the
> computer and microscope off for some hours then turn everything back
> on it works fine and then blocks it self after I have tried to scan
> for half an hour or so.
>
> It is a LSM 510 Axiovert 2.5.
>
> Thank you for your help.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Anita Wijnholds
>

Rietdorf, Jens

Re: Problems with LSM Axiovert

In reply to this post by Wijnholds, Anita

Dear Anita,

check the cable connections to the e-box and make sure there is no excessive heating of the unit.

Cheers, jens

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Wijnholds, Anita
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 12:07 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Problems with LSM Axiovert

Hello everyone,

I got the following message from a student. As I’m not familiar with this system, I would ask you if you have any idea.

It is a LSM 510 Axiovert 2.5.

Thank you for your help.

Best regards,

Anita Wijnholds

George McNamara

Re: Problems with LSM Axiovert

In reply to this post by Wijnholds, Anita

Hi Anita,

Is the dust collection trap under the LSM510 realtime computer full of dust? The RT computer is the silvery panel box that most of the cables go into or come out of. If it is, the inside of the RT computer is likely hotter than it should be. This would explain why if you shutdown for several hours, it works for a short time after power-up.

If your system is under service contract, the Zeiss field service engineer should do the cleaning (and ask them to do it at the annual preventive maintenance). If not, I recommend you contact Zeiss for advice on how to go about cleaning.

Best wishes,

George
p.s. tip of the day: Unlikely to be the source of your problem, but a 2.5 year old Fujitsu-Siemens PC from Zeiss recently flaked out (part of an Apotome purchase). When I opened the PC I found the CPU heat sink dangling.

At 06:06 AM 7/16/2009, you wrote:

Hello everyone,

I got the following message from a student. As Im not familiar with this system, I would ask you if you have any idea.

I have managed to scan my specimens without gettting a very good image, but I know the lasers are working and that is good news. However, the main problem I have is an error that appear after a few times I do the scanning. The following statements appear: "Write Voltage ()failed! Output voltage to AOM not set!" and "Send Cmd impossible because PingPong stopped!". After these errors appear then I can not scan anything, sometimes the laser turns off, sometimes it stays on until I close and start the program again, then it stops iluminating, but it still will not scan. Eventually if I turn the computer and microscope off for some hours then turn everything back on it works fine and then blocks it self after I have tried to scan for half an hour or so.
It is a LSM 510 Axiovert 2.5.

Thank you for your help.

Best regards,

Anita Wijnholds

George McNamara, Ph.D.
Image Core Manager
Analytical Imaging Core Facility
University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine
Miami, FL 33010
[hidden email]
[hidden email]
305-243-8436 office
http://home.earthlink.net/~Pubspectra
http://home.earthlink.net/~geomcnamara
http://www.sylvester.org/AICF (Analytical Imaging Core Facility)

Wijnholds, Anita

Re: Problems with LSM Axiovert

In reply to this post by Theresa Swayne

Hello Theresa,

Thanks for your answer. There were suggestions of plugs/cables which can be loose. If this is not the problem, then the service engineer has to be called.

Best regards,

Anita

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Theresa Swayne
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 6:07 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Problems with LSM Axiovert

I haven't seen that error on our 510s, but it sounds like a hardware or communication error (I know that is so vague as to be no help whatsoever).

I would recommend calling the confocal service hotline. They have diagnosed problems and have even helped me to solve problems without waiting for a service visit.

According to the Zeiss website:

[hidden email]

Hotline: 0184 - 433 533

Good luck,

Theresa

On Jul 16, 2009, at 6:06 AM, Wijnholds, Anita wrote:

I got the following message from a student. As I’m not familiar with this system, I would ask you if you have any idea.

It is a LSM 510 Axiovert 2.5.

------------------------------------

Theresa C. Swayne, Ph.D.

Manager, Confocal and Specialized Microscopy Shared Resource

Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University

1130 Saint Nicholas Ave, 222A

New York, NY 10032

212-851-4613

[hidden email]

http://hiccc.columbia.edu/?page=research/sharedresources/confocal

Jeffrey L. Travis

Re: Problems with LSM Axiovert

In reply to this post by Wijnholds, Anita

Oh, boy! I had a problem like that that lasted for a year and a half. We chased our tail around in circles for a long time. Our system behaved like it had some sort of communication error but it was a tricky one to solve. It may have started when the on-board SCSI board on failed. We replaced that with a PCI-based Adeptec card. Soon after that, the scope would not initialize FW1 and sometimes gave a DSP 1 error.
Like your situation, originally the scope would work if you turned it off and came back the next day. Finally it just wouldn't work at all. We replaced the Axiovert main board, FW1 (twice!), and that problem came back. Finally the root of the problem was traced to firmware problem on the Axiovert stand. Apparently some peripheral went bad (could be the FW1) and corrupted the stand's main board. If you are having a "communication problem" I would call the LSM hotline and have them check it out. They have diagnostic software that can test your system remotely, and now, after diligently wrestling with my problem are probably sensitized to such issues.
Good luck, Jeff T.

Wijnholds, Anita wrote:

Hello everyone,

I got the following message from a student. As I’m not familiar with this system, I would ask you if you have any idea.

I have managed to scan my specimens without gettting a very good image, but I know the lasers are working and that is good news. However, the main problem I have is an error that appear after a few times I do the scanning. The following statements appear: "Write Voltage ()failed! Output voltage to AOM not set!" and "Send Cmd impossible because PingPong stopped!". After these errors appear then I can not scan anything, sometimes the laser turns off, sometimes it stays on until I close and start the program again, then it stops iluminating, but it still will not scan. Eventually if I turn the computer and microscope off for some hours then turn everything back on it works fine and then blocks it self after I have tried to scan for half an hour or so.

It is a LSM 510 Axiovert 2.5.

Thank you for your help.

Best regards,

Anita Wijnholds