The first digital microscope I purchased was from eBay. It was sent from China and the instruction manual was in Mandarin. The device came with a small disc containing the companion software but when I inserted the disc in my harddrive, nothing happened.
Fortunately, I eventually worked out how to set up my microscope and have since upgraded to a 1000x magnification USB microscope with a hefty instruction manual in English.
After fiddling with a handful of models, I have since discovered that digital microscopes tend to require a similar setup.
Here is a guide to getting your instrument ready to explore the microscopic world.
To set up your digital microscope, begin by installing the required software and connecting your device via the included USB cable. Attach the microscope body to the stand and choose your preferred magnification and lighting. Adjust the focus wheel until the image on the screen is sharp and in focus.
Before you get started, you’ll need to make sure you have the right software installed. If your product comes with companion software, get this downloaded by following the on-screen instructions when you insert your disc.
If your product does not come with specific software, you can either use the webcam program set up on your laptop or install VLC Media Player. AMCap is also a great free software for image capture and video recording.
Once your software is installed, it is time to set up the microscope itself. Digital microscopes are designed to be portable and simple to operate.
Before you do anything, inspect your microscope and locate the focus wheel, magnification ratio, capture button, and light adjustment. If you can’t find any of these on the body of your instrument, check the USB lead. If there is no capture or “snap” button, you will capture images using the companion software.
Occasionally, you may have to adjust the lighting using the software although it may also be the case that your product does not come with dimmable lighting.
If you are using a microscope stand, place it on a hard, flat surface. Make sure that it is close enough to your laptop for the USB cable to reach. When you connect the cable, the image captured by the microscope camera should automatically appear on your screen.
If not, you will need to configure your device using the software settings. When you have done this, place your finger in front of the microscope censor. If your device is synced up successfully, the image of your finger will appear on your screen.
To prepare your microscope for examination, you must first remove the cover from the lens. If your lens is dirty, give it a quick clean using the corner of a lens wipe. Do not use solvents to clean your microscope as this can cause damage to the optics.
Next, place the object you are viewing under your microscope camera. If you using a slide, place your specimen on the clean slide before placing it under your camera lens. If the object of examination is dry, gently touch the camera lens to its exterior. A blurred image should now flash up on your monitor.
Before you touch the focus wheel, adjust the magnification using the zoom wheel. If you are viewing the details of an object, 50x magnification should be a suitable setting. If you are examining cells, you will need to adjust your magnification to at least 400x. The numerical options will be written on the wheel.
If your microscope comes with LED lighting, you usually want to set this to the maximum. As a rule of thumb, the brighter the lighting, the more detail is visible.
Of course, if you are examining a shiny object like a coin, harsh glare can obstruct the image. In this case, it is best to dim the lighting to a lower setting.
When you have the lighting and magnification settings set up, it’s time to adjust the focus. To do this, slowly turn the focus wheel until the image on your screen is sharp and clear.
If you change your magnification midway through your examination, the image will become blurred and you will have to refocus again.
At this point, your digital microscope is set up and ready to go. Depending on the software you are using, there may be additional options to play with such as time-lapse or video capture.
Finding your way around your software should be moderately straightforward but if you need a quick way to capture your microscopic image, the “snap” button on the side of your microscope should do the trick.
How Do I Connect My Digital Microscope To My Smartphone?
These days, most digital microscopes give you the option of connecting your device to your mobile phone. Although most USB microscopes are not compatible with iOS, your device may have WiFi options to enable iPhone connection.
If you are connecting to an android, you will need an OTG cable. This is a tool that allows your phone to read data from a USB device without connecting via your laptop. With one of these, you will be able to plug your microscope into your phone via the OTG lead.
To get your microscope and phone properly connected, you will need to install an app. If your microscope states it is compatible with androids, the product will probably advise you on what software to use. If not, MScopes for USB Camera will enable you to take pictures and videos with your digital microscope.
When your app is open and your USB is connected via the OTG cable, lightly touch the microscope camera lens to your specimen. An image should now appear on your phone screen.
If you have any issues with your phone recognizing the device, unplug your USB and then wait a few seconds before reinserting. It can occasionally take up to a minute for the cam image to appear on the screen.
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