With this tool you configure multi-channel acquisition.

The Channels tool is available in ZEN starter as well.

No coded or motorized components are supported here. However, you can adjust the camera.

Once you have selected the channels, it makes one or more suggestions for acquisition. You can adopt these as required and make further changes to them.

To use longer exposure times than 10 seconds when acquiring images, for some cameras, e.g. Axiocam 7xx series, you have to define and turn on a black reference for long exposure times under 2D Acquisition workbench > Extended Camera tool > Post Processing Section, see Post Processing Section. Black reference defined in the 2D Acquisition workbench is also applied in the 2D Multi-Channel Acquisition workbench.

Parameter

Description

Open Smart Setup

Opens the Smart Setup dialog, see Smart Setup.

Measure Exposure

Starts an exposure time measurement for all currently active channels.

List of channels

Displays a list of channels you have selected from the Add Dye or Contrasting Method dialog, see Configuring Multi-Channel Acquisition with Smart Setup.

If you change the selection of a channel, the live image is switched accordingly. If you modify light source or channel-specific camera settings, e.g. exposure time, the modification is immediately updated in the live acquisition.

Moves the selected channels up or down.

Deletes the selected channels.

Ref.

Sets the selected channel as reference channel for focus actions or stitching during acquisition.

Lightsource

Displays a list with light source settings depending on the used light source. Adjusting the parameters of the light sources is possible without saving it to the hardware settings.

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HXP 120/200 V

Adjusts the intensity in discrete steps with the arrow keys or the slider.

  • Intensity slider
  • Sets the intensity of the sample illumination. 1.0: Illumination off; 100.0: Maximum illumination.
  • Adjusts the values in % with the arrow keys.

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TL Lamp

For Brightfield channel. LEDs refer to %.

  • Manual
  • Use your individual settings.
  • 3200K
  • Adjusts the intensity to a color temperature of 3200K comparable to working with a halogen bulb.
  • Standby
  • Sets the intensity to 0% or 0V.
  • Intensity slider
  • Sets the intensity of the sample illumination. 0.0: Illumination off; 12.3: Maximum illumination.
  • Adjust the values in % or V with the arrow keys.

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Colibri 7/5/3

Up to 7 LEDs are displayed depending on the hardware. The number of available LEDs depends on the used Colibri version.

The following Colbri 7 versions with the corresponding LEDs are available:

  • RGB-UV
    630, 555, 475, 385
  • RYB-UV
    630, 590, 475, 385
  • R[G/Y]B-UV
    630, 590, 555, 475, 385
  • R[G/Y]CBV-UV
    630, 590, 555, 511, 475, 430, 385
  • FR-R[G/Y]BV-UV
    735, 630, 590, 555, 475, 430, 385

The Colbri 5 version RGB-UV is with the corresponding 385, 475, 555, 630 LEDs available.

It is possible to activate all LEDs simultaneously which means that either 555 or 590 nm can be turned on, if both are available.

  • Intensity slider
  • Sets the intensity of the sample illumination.
  • Adjust the values in % with the arrow keys.
  • Excitation Filter of LED 567 button
  • The 567 nm LED is combined with an excitation filter, which determines whether 555 nm (yellow) or 590 nm (green) excitation is used in.

The following Colibri 3 versions with the corresponding LEDs are available:

  • UV-BGR
    385, 470, 555, 625
  • UV-BG
    385, 470, 555
  • BGR
    470, 555

Deactivate all LEDs/Reactivate LEDs

Only visible with Colibri 7/5 lightsource.

De- or reactivates all active LEDs to the status when the deactivate button was last used.

Exposure

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Auto Exposure

The exposure time is calculated automatically every time an image is acquired. For color cameras of the Axiocam series in b/w mode, the exposure time is determined in the b/w mode. This might lead to overexposure of individual pixels. The histogram displays the b/w mode and therefore does not reflect overexposure of individual pixels, which can be detected in the RGB mode with the same exposure time.

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Set Exposure

Starts a one time measurement of the exposure time, which is then used for all subsequent images. Deactivates the Auto Exposure checkbox. For color cameras of the Axiocam series in b/w mode, the exposure time is determined in the RGB mode to avoid unintended overexposure of pixels. Depending on the light source, this might lead to less usage of the histogram, i.e. dimmer images, than specified by the intensity value. To compensate for under- or overexposure, the intensity value can be adjusted.

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Time

Adjusts the exposure time for the camera. Use the slider or spin box.

Select the unit of time from the drop down list:

  • ms
  • s
  • μs

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Intensity

Defines the range of the histogram that is used for exposure determination and therefore compensates for underexposure or overexposure.

  • 5% - 100%: Darkens the image, compensates for overexposure.
  • 100% - 200%: Brightens the image, compensates for underexposure.

Use the slider or spin box to adjust the value.

Shading

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Correction

Uses the calculated shading correction for this channel.

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Define

Automatically calculates the shading correction, see Applying the Shading Correction.

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Global

Performs an objective-specific shading correction.

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Specific

Default method.

Performs channel-specific shading correction. The fluorescence filter block used is saved with the shading file. If the fluorescence channel is changed, a previously created reference image is also loaded.

EM Gain

Only visible for EMCCD camera models. Sets the EM gain value.