XY stability of motorized stage

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lechristophe lechristophe
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XY stability of motorized stage

Dear all,

I'm concerned about the XY stability of a motorized stage. It is a ASI
MS-2000, equipped with XY linear encoders, controlled by Metamorph
Software. Using a 100X objective and a 1.6 magnifying lens, and
aquiring at a fixed position, I can get up to 1 micron drift over half
an our. That is, the amplitude of movement is inside a 1 micron
diameter circle, but the test bead can have a several micron
trajectory inside this circle (up to 5 or 10 microns total movement).
These are the worst cases, usually I have a few pixels drift (that is
around 500 nm). This is

Is that stability acceptable or should I have the stage serviced ?
What can be the cause of instability (I'm already inside a big
incubator box, on an optics air table, with all cables and wires
coming from the ceiling...).

Christophe Leterrier
Michael Herron Michael Herron
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Re: XY stability of motorized stage

As mechanical parts age they get more play in them and you will see  
shifts.  If it is a problem for your research you either need to get  
it fixed or use one of the image stabilization programs such as Image  
Stabilizer for ImageJ
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~kangli/code/Image_Stabilizer.html




On Feb 18, 2009, at 9:47 AM, Christophe Leterrier wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> I'm concerned about the XY stability of a motorized stage. It is a ASI
> MS-2000, equipped with XY linear encoders, controlled by Metamorph
> Software. Using a 100X objective and a 1.6 magnifying lens, and
> aquiring at a fixed position, I can get up to 1 micron drift over half
> an our. That is, the amplitude of movement is inside a 1 micron
> diameter circle, but the test bead can have a several micron
> trajectory inside this circle (up to 5 or 10 microns total movement).
> These are the worst cases, usually I have a few pixels drift (that is
> around 500 nm). This is
>
> Is that stability acceptable or should I have the stage serviced ?
> What can be the cause of instability (I'm already inside a big
> incubator box, on an optics air table, with all cables and wires
> coming from the ceiling...).
>
> Christophe Leterrier

Michael J. Herron,  U of MN, Dept. of Entomology
   [hidden email]
      612-624-3688 (office) 612-625-5299 (FAX)
Watkins, Simon C Watkins, Simon C
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Re: XY stability of motorized stage

In reply to this post by lechristophe
linear encoders inside humidified big boxes get dirty over time.  I have multiple ASI stages and they all have been working very well for periods of up to 10 years... but get stuff on the encoders (dust, media etc) and things go haywire (I know this from clumsy experience).  My advice would be to use an airgun and blow out between the encoder reader and plate.  if this doesnt work send it back to ASI.  They are a very responsive company and I am sure will fix the stage in very short order.
Simon

Simon C. Watkins Ph.D, FRC Path
Professor and Vice Chair Cell Biology and Physiology
Professor Immunology
Director Center for Biologic Imaging
BSTS 225
University of Pittsburgh
3500 Terrace St
Pittsburgh PA 15261
412-352-2277
www.cbi.pitt.edu

________________________________________
From: Confocal Microscopy List [[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Christophe Leterrier [[hidden email]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 10:47 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: XY stability of motorized stage

Dear all,

I'm concerned about the XY stability of a motorized stage. It is a ASI
MS-2000, equipped with XY linear encoders, controlled by Metamorph
Software. Using a 100X objective and a 1.6 magnifying lens, and
aquiring at a fixed position, I can get up to 1 micron drift over half
an our. That is, the amplitude of movement is inside a 1 micron
diameter circle, but the test bead can have a several micron
trajectory inside this circle (up to 5 or 10 microns total movement).
These are the worst cases, usually I have a few pixels drift (that is
around 500 nm). This is

Is that stability acceptable or should I have the stage serviced ?
What can be the cause of instability (I'm already inside a big
incubator box, on an optics air table, with all cables and wires
coming from the ceiling...).

Christophe Leterrier
Zarda, Boris Zarda, Boris
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Antwort: XY stability of motorized stage

In reply to this post by lechristophe
Dear Christophe,

besides looking only for the technical side: it could also be a lateral
movement of the sample, depending on acceleration of the stage, eventual
immersion media etc. Make sure that the sample is really WELL fixed.

Just my 2 cents

Boris Zarda
Dr. rer nat.
Field Support Manager Europe
Leica Microsystems
CH-9435 Heerbrugg
Tel  +41 44 768 36 30
Mob +41 79 609 77 45





                                                                           
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Dear all,

I'm concerned about the XY stability of a motorized stage. It is a ASI
MS-2000, equipped with XY linear encoders, controlled by Metamorph
Software. Using a 100X objective and a 1.6 magnifying lens, and
aquiring at a fixed position, I can get up to 1 micron drift over half
an our. That is, the amplitude of movement is inside a 1 micron
diameter circle, but the test bead can have a several micron
trajectory inside this circle (up to 5 or 10 microns total movement).
These are the worst cases, usually I have a few pixels drift (that is
around 500 nm). This is

Is that stability acceptable or should I have the stage serviced ?
What can be the cause of instability (I'm already inside a big
incubator box, on an optics air table, with all cables and wires
coming from the ceiling...).

Christophe Leterrier


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lechristophe lechristophe
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Re: XY stability of motorized stage

First, thank you all for your replies both private and on the list. As
an image is worth a thousand words, I guess a movie is even better so
I uploaded a little movie that demonstrate the problem (it is a
compilation of four tries, 30 minute movies, one frame every 30s, of
subdiffraction beads taken with 100X 1.46 optovar 1.6, pixel size is
100nm) :

ftp://ftp-jean-roche.univ-mrs.fr/pub/UMR641/christo/microscopy/XY_drift.mov

Christophe


--
Christophe Leterrier
Postdoc
INSERM UMR641 // Ionic channels Lab
IFR Jean Roche, Mediterranée University
Marseille, France
[hidden email]


On Wed, Feb 18, 2009 at 17:32,  <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Dear Christophe,
>
> besides looking only for the technical side: it could also be a lateral
> movement of the sample, depending on acceleration of the stage, eventual
> immersion media etc. Make sure that the sample is really WELL fixed.
>
> Just my 2 cents
>
> Boris Zarda
> Dr. rer nat.
> Field Support Manager Europe
> Leica Microsystems
> CH-9435 Heerbrugg
> Tel  +41 44 768 36 30
> Mob +41 79 609 77 45
>
>
>
>
>
>
>             Christophe
>             Leterrier
>             <christophe.leter                                          An
>             [hidden email]>            [hidden email]
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>             Confocal
>             Microscopy List                                         Thema
>             <CONFOCALMICROSCO          XY stability of motorized stage
>             [hidden email]>
>
>
>             18.02.2009 16:47
>
>
>              Bitte antworten
>                    an
>                 Confocal
>              Microscopy List
>             <CONFOCALMICROSCO
>             [hidden email]>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear all,
>
> I'm concerned about the XY stability of a motorized stage. It is a ASI
> MS-2000, equipped with XY linear encoders, controlled by Metamorph
> Software. Using a 100X objective and a 1.6 magnifying lens, and
> aquiring at a fixed position, I can get up to 1 micron drift over half
> an our. That is, the amplitude of movement is inside a 1 micron
> diameter circle, but the test bead can have a several micron
> trajectory inside this circle (up to 5 or 10 microns total movement).
> These are the worst cases, usually I have a few pixels drift (that is
> around 500 nm). This is
>
> Is that stability acceptable or should I have the stage serviced ?
> What can be the cause of instability (I'm already inside a big
> incubator box, on an optics air table, with all cables and wires
> coming from the ceiling...).
>
> Christophe Leterrier
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
> For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
Beat Ludin Beat Ludin
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Re: XY stability of motorized stage

In reply to this post by lechristophe
Dear Christophe

Have you ever tried switching off the stage? That should at least
tell you whether the stage is moving actively (in which case the
linear encoders are most likely to blame).

Beat

At 16:47 18-02-2009, you wrote:

>Dear all,
>
>I'm concerned about the XY stability of a motorized stage. It is a ASI
>MS-2000, equipped with XY linear encoders, controlled by Metamorph
>Software. Using a 100X objective and a 1.6 magnifying lens, and
>aquiring at a fixed position, I can get up to 1 micron drift over half
>an our. That is, the amplitude of movement is inside a 1 micron
>diameter circle, but the test bead can have a several micron
>trajectory inside this circle (up to 5 or 10 microns total movement).
>These are the worst cases, usually I have a few pixels drift (that is
>around 500 nm). This is
>
>Is that stability acceptable or should I have the stage serviced ?
>What can be the cause of instability (I'm already inside a big
>incubator box, on an optics air table, with all cables and wires
>coming from the ceiling...).
>
>Christophe Leterrier
Rietdorf, Jens Rietdorf, Jens
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Re: XY stability of motorized stage

In reply to this post by lechristophe
Dear Christophe,

We had a very similar problem with one of our ASI stages (also using MM
software, but I think that's less critical). We also had the suspicion
that there was something wrong with the stability of the stage, then did
lots of measurements, then got the linear encoders cleaned et voila,
everything was fine again.
If you want to argue, the measurement you have to do is the following:
take a position on a slide with a target pattern or a pattern of beads.
Program the stage to move away from the original position and come back
to this position. Repeat in different directions from the origin.
Calculate the root mean square: Square all re-localization differences
to avoid negative values, then square root, then take the mean. At least
30 measurements was what I was told to do. Compare the value with the
specs of the stage.
We could not access the linear encoders for cleaning, because we had a
z-piezo version of the stage, so we had to send it in for cleaning. ASI
was kind enough to provide us with a replacement stage while they did
the cleaning. Excellent service, though it took us a while to convince
our system provider of the problem.

Good luck, jens.

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Christophe Leterrier
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 16:47 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: XY stability of motorized stage

Dear all,

I'm concerned about the XY stability of a motorized stage. It is a ASI
MS-2000, equipped with XY linear encoders, controlled by Metamorph
Software. Using a 100X objective and a 1.6 magnifying lens, and
aquiring at a fixed position, I can get up to 1 micron drift over half
an our. That is, the amplitude of movement is inside a 1 micron
diameter circle, but the test bead can have a several micron
trajectory inside this circle (up to 5 or 10 microns total movement).
These are the worst cases, usually I have a few pixels drift (that is
around 500 nm). This is

Is that stability acceptable or should I have the stage serviced ?
What can be the cause of instability (I'm already inside a big
incubator box, on an optics air table, with all cables and wires
coming from the ceiling...).

Christophe Leterrier