Re: Limiting the z travel range on Nikon Ti

Posted by Paul Rigby-2 on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Limiting-the-z-travel-range-on-Nikon-Ti-tp7582197p7582212.html

Hi All,
The Nikon Ti Control software also allows one to set the limits of travel of the X,Y stage. This is very useful to prevent users from driving the stage into an objective. As far as I know, the NIS software does not override this function.
Hope this helps someone.
Cheers
Paul

Assoc. Prof. Paul Rigby
Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis (M510)
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway
Crawley  WA  6007
Australia

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Craig Brideau
Sent: Wednesday, 18 June 2014 2:01 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Limiting the z travel range on Nikon Ti

*****
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.
*****

The Nikon TiControl software lets you communicate directly with the chassis. Buried in the menus is a setting for creating an upper Z-position limit. Once you save the setting it is written to the controller on the chassis. I don't know if Elements can override this or not, but that's the first thing I would try. (I'm still using EZC1 on my system so I don't know what Elements would do)

Craig


On Tue, Jun 17, 2014 at 10:29 AM, Carol Norris <[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.
> *****
>
> You can also release the focus lock without moving in z by holding the
> ‘escape’ button in and then pressing the ‘refocus’ button. I try to
> impress upon my users that they should never ‘refocus’ from someone
> else's ‘escaped’ position.
>
> Regards,
> Carol
>
> Carol E. Norris, Ph.D
> Facility Scientist
> Flow Cytometry/Confocal Microscopy Facility Biotechnology/Bioservices
> Center University of Connecticut Unit 3149
> 91 N. Eagleville Rd
> Storrs, CT 06269-3149
>
> Phone [phone]
> Fax [phone]
>
> On Jun 17, 2014, at 11:46 AM, Sylvie Le Guyader
> <[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.
> > *****
> >
> > Another alternative for the xyz positions is to use the NIS element
> > user
> log in. This way the xyz positions are saved for each user and do not
> show up in the other users' account.
> >
> > I also tell users not to tick in the 'move stage to xy position' as
> > this
> easily leads to accidentally moving the stage. Instead we found that
> if you double click in the x or y columns, the stage moves there
> anyway even if the 'move stage' box is unticked. Single click simply
> selects the line so that it can be edited. Accidents are less likely
> to happen if one needs to double click.
> >
> > Med vänlig hälsning / Best regards
> >
> > Sylvie
> >
> > @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
> > Sylvie Le Guyader
> > Live Cell Imaging Unit Manager
> > Dept of Biosciences and Nutrition
> > Karolinska Institutet
> > Hälsovägen 7
> > Novum, G lift, floor 6
> > 14157 Huddinge
> > Sweden
> > office: [phone]
> > LCI room 1: [phone]
> > LCI room 2: [phone]
> > mobile: [phone]
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Confocal Microscopy List
> >> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Feinstein,
> >> Timothy
> >> Sent: 17 June 2014 17:40
> >> To: [hidden email]
> >> Subject: Re: Limiting the z travel range on Nikon Ti
> >>
> >> *****
> >> 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 Shalin,
> >>
> >> Using the same hardware we have also found the escape button to be
> quite risky
> >> between users.  Of equal concern is preserving saved XYZ positions.
> >> We have had to replace expensive bits (but not yet an objective,
> >> knock
> on
> >> woodŠ) when the stage automatically tries to return to a previous
> user¹s XYZ
> >> position that was set with a very different stage insert installed.
> >> As a result we ask all users to manually lower the objectives and
> delete their saved
> >> XYZ positions when finished.
> >>
> >> All the best,
> >>
> >>
> >> TF
> >>
> >> Timothy Feinstein, Ph.D. | Confocal Manager
> >> 333 Bostwick Ave., N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
> >> Phone: [phone] | Email: [hidden email]
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 6/17/14, 11:20 AM, "Sylvie Le Guyader" <[hidden email]>
> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Hi Shalin
> >>>
> >>> I assume that this happens because one user escapes the objective
> >>> at the end of the imaging session and leaves the system on for the
> >>> next user who then presses the reload button.
> >>> Indeed I do not understand why Nikon has chosen to lock the focus
> >>> wheel when the objective has been escaped so that the only way to
> >>> get in focus again is to reload.
> >>>
> >>> In the meantime I would suggest you do as us: tell users to
> >>> systematically shut down the software and hardware (leaving only
> >>> the gas lasers on) between 2 users. This way when the next user
> >>> turns the system on (it only takes a minute), the objective will
> >>> be automatically escaped and the focus wheel will be unlocked.
> >>>
> >>> Hope that helps :)
> >>>
> >>> Med vänlig hälsning / Best regards
> >>>
> >>> Sylvie
> >>>
> >>> @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
> >>> Sylvie Le Guyader
> >>> Live Cell Imaging Unit Manager
> >>> Dept of Biosciences and Nutrition
> >>> Karolinska Institutet
> >>> Hälsovägen 7
> >>> Novum, G lift, floor 6
> >>> 14157 Huddinge
> >>> Sweden
> >>> office: [phone]
> >>> LCI room 1: [phone]
> >>> LCI room 2: [phone]
> >>> mobile: [phone]
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> -----Original Message-----
> >>>> From: Confocal Microscopy List
> >>>> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Shalin
> >> Mehta
> >>>> Sent: 17 June 2014 16:47
> >>>> To: [hidden email]
> >>>> Subject: Limiting the z travel range on Nikon Ti
> >>>>
> >>>> *****
> >>>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=129&d=od6g0zsIvVNfDzegQ8BtCuVmNylcDld
> >>>> tMr
> >>>> Os9h-cGA&u=http%3a%2f%2flists%2eumn%2eedu%2fcgi-
> >> bin%2fwa%3fA0%3dconfoc
> >>>> alm
> >>>> icroscopy
> >>>> Post images on
> >>>>
> http://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=129&d=od6g0zsIvVNfDzegQ8BtCuVmNylcDld
> >>>> tMu atpBXISA&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eimgur%2ecom and include the
> >>>> link in your posting.
> >>>> *****
> >>>>
> >>>> Hello listers,
> >>>> Our lab has damaged two objectives so far by running them into
> >>>> stage on our  inverted Nikon Ti by using the 'Escape' and 'Return' for Z.
> >>>>
> >>>> Our old Nikon (finite tube length) has a mechanical stop on how
> >>>> close the objective  can come to the stage and all old objectives
> >>>> are in great shape.
> >>>>
> >>>> Can we program the limits on Z travel on Nikon Ti? Asking our
> >>>> local Nikon folks  suggests that the answer is No and we should
> >>>> avoid using escape/return.
> >>>>
> >>>> If this feature is not in the firmware, this is a request to
> >>>> Nikon Japan for such a  feature.
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks
> >>>> Shalin
>