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Inscoper Device Controller

The Inscoper system separates the two functions that conventional acquisition software combines: user interaction and device control.

  • User Interaction (Inscoper Imaging Software): Configures the acquisition sequence, receives and displays the acquired images, and saves the experimental data.
  • Device Control (Inscoper Device Controller): Communicates directly with the microscopy hardware and executes the acquisition sequence, with the timing generated by the controller hardware.

The Inscoper Device Controller is a hardware appliance, and it is the communication hub between the workstation and the components of the microscope.

flowchart TB
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    classDef dc fill:#00a8cc,stroke:#00a8cc,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff,font-size:13px
    classDef md fill:#fff,stroke:#00a8cc,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#222,font-size:12px

    WS["Workstation<br/>Inscoper User Interface"]:::ws
    DC["Inscoper<br/>Device Controller"]:::dc
    MD["Microscope devices<br/>stage · cameras · focus<br/>shutters · light sources · filter wheels"]:::md

    WS -->|"Image acquisition sequence"| DC
    DC -->|"Communication with devices"| MD
    MD -->|"Images"| WS

    linkStyle 0 stroke:#00a8cc,stroke-width:2px
    linkStyle 1 stroke:#00a8cc,stroke-width:2px
    linkStyle 2 stroke:#00a8cc,stroke-width:2px

Because real-time device management runs on the Device Controller, the timing of a sequence does not depend on the load of the workstation or on the responsiveness of the interface. The Inscoper Imaging Software therefore presents the experiment itself, and the number and complexity of the connected devices do not change how the interface is used.