Resonant scanning with ScanImage 5

mirror

ScanImage 5 supports resonant scanning with a wide range of hardware. So custom rigs can add resonant scanning pretty easily, while sticking with ScanImage for acquisition.

It takes about $10,000 worth of electronics from National Instruments. In addition, you’ll need the resonant and galvo scanners themselves. From Cambridge, resonant scanners are under $2000, and conventional galvos are in the same ballpark. However, resonant scanners are very loud, so they should be sealed up. You can engineer this yourself, or buy a module from Sutter or Thorlabs (this isn’t the right link, you’ll have to email them for a quote for the scan module alone). These sealed optical assemblies include the drive boards from Cambridge, and list for about 11 or 12 grand. So all told, it’s at least a $15,000 – $22,000 investment.

Of course, there are optional add-ons like a piezo objective mover, a Pockels cell, or a more powerful FPGA, and those can tack on another 10-20 grand, depending on what all you want. At least you won’t have to write your own software. Vijay and his team will handle that.

sutter