Olympus SC180 User manual
Installation Manual
SC180
Microscope Digital Camera
English
Optical Microscope Accessory
To obtain optimum performance of this camera and to ensure the
safety, study this manual thoroughly before operating the camera
and keep it on hand during operation of the camera.
Keep this instruction manual in a safe place.
Any copyrights relating to this manual shall belong to Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH.
We at Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH have tried to make the information contained in
this manual as accurate and reliable as possible. Nevertheless, Olympus Soft Imaging
Solutions GmbH disclaims any warranty of any kind, whether expressed or implied, as to any
matter whatsoever relating to this manual, including without limitation the merchantability or
fitness for any particular purpose. Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH will from time to time
revise the software described in this manual and reserves the right to make such changes
without obligation to notify the purchaser. In no event shall Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions
GmbH be liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of
purchase or use of this manual or the information contained herein.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the prior written permission of
Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH.
All brands are Trademark or registered Trademark of their respective owners.
The camera driver software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
The software that can be used in combination with the camera may contain 3rd party
components, including open source software. The license information and the source code of
open source software components can be retrieved separately. Please contact your local
customer support for information on how to get the data.
© Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH
All rights reserved
Printed in Germany
510_UMA_UC180_en_02__02March2020
Olympus Soft Imaging Solutions GmbH, Johann-Krane-Weg 39, D-48149 Münster,
Tel. (+49)251/79800-0, Fax.: (+49)251/79800-6060
Contents
1 The SC180 color camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1 Scope of supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 Intended use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3 Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4 Operating and storage conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2 General safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1 Explanation of the symbols used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.2 Avoiding personal injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.3 Avoiding device damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3 System environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.1 General remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3.2 Microscopes and camera adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.3 PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.4 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.1 Step 1:Install the software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.2 Step 2: Connect the camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
5 Care and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
6 Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
6.1 Contacting Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7 Notes on conformity and disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
CMOS color camera SC180
4
1 The SC180 color camera
1.1 Scope of supply
The camera's scope of supply comprises:
Camera with protective cap
USB 3.0 cable
Installation Manual
Other essential
components
To be able to use the camera, you'll also need the following components:
Computer with MS-Windows operating system
Light microscope with camera adapter or something similar, for example a
macro stand
Software to operate the camera (see chapter 3.4 on page 14).
CMOS sensor
USB port type B
Camera
USB plug type A
USB plug type B
USB 3.0 cable Installation Manual
1 The SC180 color camera
5
1.2 Intended use
This camera is intended to be used for the acquisition of digital images, but not for
clinical diagnostic purposes.
1.3 Specifications
Properties of
the SC180
The SC180 is a CMOS color camera with a high frame rate. It was specially devel-
oped for acquisitions using light microscopy. The camera is of a compact design and
can be connected to all common types of light microscope by a C-mount. The ICC
profile technology guarantees an optimal color mapping.
Binning modes The SC180 has several binning modes. In binning mode, the camera's CMOS
sensor combines neighboring pixels into pixel blocks. This results in a higher
sensitivity and a shorter processing time, but also in a lower resolution.
Technical data SC180
Chip type CMOS
Chip size 1/2.3 inch
Effective area (width x height) 6.140 mm x 4.605 mm
Pixel size 1.25 µm x 1.25 µm
Maximum resolution 4912 x 3684 pixels (4:3)
4912 x 2762 (16:9)
Bit depth 24 bit, 48 bit
Read-out speed 96 – 432 MHz
Interface USB 3.0
Camera mount Standard C-Mount
Acquisition mode Image
format
Resolution Max. frame rate Exposure times
Maximum resolution 4:3 4912 x 3684 pixels 10 frames per second 0.025 ms - 1 s
Binning 2x2 4:3 2456 x 1842 pixels 23 frames per second 0.022 ms - 1 s
Binning 4x4 4:3 1224 x 920 pixels 45 frames per second 0.022 ms - 1 s
Maximum resolution 16:9 4912 x 2762 pixels 14 frames per second 0.025 ms - 1 s
4K 16:9 3840 x 2160 pixels 25 frames per second (8 bit) 0.02 ms - 0.7 s
Full HD 16:9 1920 x 1080 pixels 31 frames per second 0.02 ms - 1 s
Binning 4x4 16:9 1224 x 688 pixels 59 frames per second 0.02 ms - 1 s
CMOS color camera SC180
6
1.4 Operating and storage conditions
Please operate and store your camera under the following conditions:
The maximum permissible range for the ambient temperature during camera
operation is +5°C to +40°C.
The maximum permissible relative humidity during camera operation is 80 %
(condensation free).
When the camera is stored or transported, the ambient temperature must be
kept between -20°C and +60°C.
Indoor use only.
Maximum altitude: 2000 m.
2 General safety instructions
7
2 General safety instructions
The camera has been developed and produced in conformity with recognized safety
regulations. However, it is not possible to entirely rule out possible hazards for the
user, damage to the camera or microscope, or impairments of the camera's
functionality. For this reason, always read and follow the general safety instructions
and warnings before and during the installation.
2.1 Explanation of the symbols used
Personal injuries
Device damage
General notes
The warning sign and the word WARNING indicate dangerous situations that can
lead to serious injuries or even death if ignored.
The warning sign and the word CAUTION indicate dangerous situations that can
lead to light injuries if ignored.
WARNING
CAUTION
The exclamation mark and the word ATTENTION indicate situations, where
irreparable damage to the product can occur if ignored.
ATTENTION
This symbol indicates useful advice, tips for the user and important information
about the product.
CMOS color camera SC180
8
2.2 Avoiding personal injuries
Electric shock due to damaged cable!
When a cable is frayed or damaged, a person touching it risks the danger of an
electric shock.
Shut off the hardware and replace the cable immediately!
Poisoning due to toxic gases!
In the case of a fire, the material of the camera can give off toxic gases. When
these are inhaled, it can cause irritation of the respiratory passages and damage
to them.
Wear respiratory protection when fighting the fire!
Tripping hazard!
Cables laid across a room can be a dangerous tripping hazard. This can cause
injuries to people and damage to equipment.
Wherever possible, lay cables along the wall or behind furniture. Fix cables that run
across the room!
WARNING
WARNING
CAUTION
2 General safety instructions
9
2.3 Avoiding device damage
Never open the camera housing!
The camera's CMOS chip is extremely sensitive. Electrostatic discharge can
permanently damage the camera.
Therefore, never, under any circumstances, open the camera housing!
Avoid vibration shocks!
Mechanical shocks and strong vibrations can damage the camera.
Don't drop the camera during installation. Make sure it is securely mounted on the
microscope. When it's not in use, store it in a safe place!
Secure microscopes with additional components!
A top-heavy microscope can tip over or fall down and result in damage to both the
camera and the microscope.
If the microscope is top-heavy or otherwise unstable, fix it to the wall!
Don't touch the protective glass!
The protective glass over the CMOS chip is extremely sensitive and must not come
into contact with bare hands or any other objects, otherwise the acquisitions will be
impaired by fingerprints or scratches.
Remove dust from the protective glass carefully with compressed air. For the
removal of dust stuck due to static electricity, ionized air is recommended.
Observe the operating conditions!
Exposure to high temperatures or humidity can damage component parts of the
camera.
Always observe the operating and storage conditions (see chapter 1.4 on page 6).
Don't expose the camera to strong light!
Exposure to strong light can cause the camera to overheat, which may cause
damage to its component parts.
Do not expose the camera to strong light (such as sunlight) for long periods of time.
Only use the USB cable that is delivered with your camera
Operate the camera only with the USB cable that is part of the camera's scope of
supply. This ensures that the EMC basic standards are fulfilled.
ATTENTION
ATTENTION
ATTENTION
ATTENTION
ATTENTION
ATTENTION
ATTENTION
CMOS color camera SC180
10
3 System environment
3.1 General remarks
To acquire images with best possible quality, the microscope has to be configured
correctly. The illumination for example must be set in a way to enable image
acquisitions with appropriate exposure times.
This camera installation manual does not contain explanations on how to setup the
microscope. Please refer to the microscope manual for this information. Additionally,
the online help of OLYMPUS Stream and cellSens contains detailed information on
image acquisition.
Using the SC180 in special application contexts
Using the camera with non-Olympus microscopes
The SC180 can be used in combination with many available microscopes.
However, its performance in combination with non-Olympus microscopes has not
been tested.
Application context Explanation Countermeasure
Using objectives with
low magnification (<
10x)
Depending on the microscope configuration,
vignetting might occur in the image if objectives
with a magnification of less than 10x are used.
Switch on the shading
correction or use a camera
adapter with a higher magnifi-
cation.
Using objectives with
high magnification (>
40x)
The maximum exposure time might not be suffi-
cient to acquire a correctly exposed image.
Increase illumination intensity
or use a camera adapter with
a lower magnification.
Darkfield and fluores-
cence microscopy
The SC180 is not suitable for darkfield or
fluorescence microscopy due to its limited
exposure range.
No countermeasure
available.
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