Building a full freedom view microscope (6 degrees of freedom planned)  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 08:45:59 pm
content: The inputs i have atm is one encoder for the stepper motor and a trigger to make a picture on the RPi.I think i will automate the trigger.The main idea is to fly around an microscopic object.I want the camera to have X,Y, and Z-offsets (with help of CD-optics slider system..~200nm per steps) and the object holder should have the X,Y, and Z-rotation control (~0,17° per step).Videoof a stop motion here:https://youtu.be/lk3AUYFg4wo//whoop this should land in "Pojects..." not on the "Beginners"-Board

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 09:50:16 pm
content: another video:

author: HAL-42b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 10:03:58 pm
content: You will need to limit the field of view to the center area of the optics, and improve the optics quality if possible.With some focus stacking software this could be amazing.

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 10:41:43 pm
content: those optics are just stuck in a shrinking tube.i wish i could recycle the actual optics from a cd player. the lens is just way to small in diameter, it would cut of everything. the focus of it is about 5mm....here is one. the lens is already replaced(f=~15-20mm):but i don't have any idea how to start with that ..

author: HAL-42b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 11:05:53 pm
content: Take a look at surplusshed.com or ebay even.Full of actual microscope optics. You might be able to pick an objective lens for 5~10$

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2016, 11:44:48 pm
content: thanks, good idea. I just order a proper (M12) lens adapter.. it was under 1€. I hope my 50y old microscope optics will fit.to get that adjustable focus i might stick to the 200µm steps of the camera position system.something like this but in 3d (.. i see it coming, even a arduino mega can't offer me all the output pins i need..)i think for a fine focus adjustment it needs some other system. i would move the whole RPi-Cam. in a 200µm range. i try to keep it simple (;

author: HAL-42b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2016, 12:10:04 am
content: Take a look at these guys

author: johnwa
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2016, 07:13:23 am
content: Looks nice!What are you planning to use for the positioning controls - have you considered a "space mouse" (3dconnexion etc)? These give you 6DOF, and would provide a very natural user interface.It should be possible to interface one with an RPi, though I don't know what the availability of drivers is like.

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2016, 11:41:32 am
content: The 'space mouse' looks ergonomically and intuitive, but i stick to the cheap encoder-knobs for arduino. I don't need driver problems an RPi (; .. I'm glad i could get the RPi-Cam running and take photos on a button push.So the controls might look like this: 3 knob for the 3 rotation axis and i think also 3 knobs for the 3 axis movement. One button to take photos and a reset-position button. Maybe also some light controls. ...that would be the milestone of the first phase of that project.another button could do an automated 360° photo-session. (need to increase the angle-amount. 1 turn =2048 steps)The 3 axis movement would give 4cm in all direction, just in case there the object is unhandy.HAL-42b, i foundhttp://www.picolay.de/.Its a free focus stacking software. I'll try to stack the photos of my first video up here... problem now: not the focus is moving, the object is turning... lets see: ....

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2016, 11:52:45 am
content: nope! my first focus stack failed...i need that focus control on the lens or a super fine axis movement.

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2016, 02:03:46 pm
content: here we go:https://youtu.be/V6NizppASCMthe camera mounted light setup and the sled:

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2016, 03:33:54 pm
content: another try:https://youtu.be/qdw8mj2IRX4can't wait to get my last ebay orders..maybe a 360° shadow tomography could be possible too. software could render basic 3d shapes of small objects...so one rotation axis and one offset axis is working so far!

author: HAL-42b
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2016, 06:41:21 pm
content: Good going!Other things you might have fun with - Use single color light sources and combine the final stack as separate color channels. Play with polarizers.

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 06, 2016, 04:01:02 pm
content: Thanks, I'll try to use some RGB lights.Even though every single color is shining in a different direction.Thinking this further a ring of individually controlled RGB and white LEDs would give alot of information about any object.The frontend controls are in development. I'm not shure if it get's a display for a small menu.Button activated programms could be:FocusStacking,360°,3D-Photo(with a 40° turn ob an object),Laser(shadow)CTand: one old project will go into this.LaserEngraving. the best is, you could watch live in progress. videos soon! (;the controls will be only 2-axis rotation (polarizer-experiments could use that 3-axis for shure). XY-movement, Z for focus. the Z-axis might get microsteps. and the ambient light(withe, r,g,b).btw: making youtube videos is fun! (: those are my first ever!

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2016, 01:36:02 pm
content: I wait to get my ordered stuff! The plans i made are done and the codes are thought thru.The Arduino Mega i ordered would have 1 dig.IO left..Laser Cutter mounted: (its horrible to get both to focus one spot in space)new controllable, adaptive lights will be:Hardware prototyping:(both boards are mounted ontop of the X,Z-sleds)so far so good... still a lot of work to do

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 11, 2016, 01:50:45 pm
content: a great soldering method !!alternative to a complete oven re-flow ??https://youtu.be/KnyB9btlhS8

author: julius oe.
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2016, 12:30:35 pm
content: Update:got the working prototype done. still got issues with the power supply (1Amp drawing through LD293 stepp-motor driver, when certain steps were done.. like every 10.th step is drawing only 0,1A.. so my own breakout-board with passive-cooling is getting quite hot. I'm sure the driver is not going µ-steps, then it would be a reason) and fine optics (yea, its somehow working out to well to search and invest for new optics, but it would be a great upgrading option).still open upgrade (easy) possibilities:- focused-laser-beam (for µ-cuttings)- Display on frontend (needs second arduino and serial communications.. its still a struggle to me)- Bluetooth input via Mobile-app- Serial communications from Arduino-MEGA to R-Pi for automated picture-set-save into a specific folder (even better folder in USB-drive)and much more...for now i have to adjust the code just a bit, so the rudiment functions. just today i lost the 5V bus onboard. (maybe a 7805 had to do too much)Left: 3 rotation axis with a bee. behind the bee is a polarized white LED for dark-field microscopy (special optics are needed). right side: optics on 3 axsis offset-systemOptics & light. R,G,B & white is choosable. single LED can be turned on and off. the R-Pi cam is movable 4cm in any direction, looking with a fix angle in one direction onto the 3 rotating axis.top view: .. bottom right USB-Input. Top-right: Voltage regulation (broken atm)acarde-style frontend. 2 buttons for R-Pi. the rest of the inputs end on the arduino-MEGA through a IDE cable