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- Open the transmitted light shutter by pressing the button 'TL Shut' on the Orbit keypad
- Focus using the knob on the side of the joystick - NOT the microscope focus knob. You can toggle between coarse, fine and extra fine focus speeds by pressing the Focus Speed button on the joystick. The orange tape on the side of the microscope behind the stage acts as a focus guide. Line the two pieces up and you should be in focus
- Use the joystick to move the stage. You can adjust its speed with the Stage Speed button
- Use the blue, green and red buttons on the Orbit keypad to change fluorescence illumination. These buttons MUST ONLY be used in combination with the second filter set in the microscope fluorescence slider ('Separate BGR')
- The Shutter button blocks the fluorescence light path
- Don't use any of the other buttons
Using Volocity
Open Volocity and create or open a library. The light paths labelled 1 to 9 Before acquiring images you must first create a new library or create an existing library. Libraries are databases where you images will be stored. Click on the video camera icon in the top left corner of the screen to activate the video preview. Adjust the video controls using the palette on the right hand side of the screen. Video controls include exposure, gain, offset and when in colour mode red, green and blue balances. There are also controls for the shutters, filters and motorised focus. Useful settings for bright field and fluorescence modes are stored in the light paths at the top of the video controls palette. The light paths labelled 1 to 9 are:
- Bright Field, 1x binning, colour (i.e. no fluorescence light, transmitted light shutter open)
- Blue Fluorescence, 1x binning, colour (i.e. blue fluorescence filter in position, transmitted light shutter closed)
- Green Fluorescence, 1x binning, colour (i.e. green filter in position, transmitted light shutter closed)
- Red Fluorescence, 1x binning, colour (i.e. red filter in position, transmitted light shutter closed)
- Close Shutters (i.e. cuts off all light)
- Bright Field, 2x binning, greyscale (as 1)
- Blue Fluorescence, 2x binning, greyscale (as 2)
- Green Fluorescence, 2x binning, greyscale (as 3)
- Red Fluorescence, 2x binning, greyscale (as 4)
Note that at 1x binning the camera is in colour mode and the red, green and blue colour balancing sliders are active. In 2x binning the camera is greyscale.