Raspberry Pi oscilloscope
Posted in Hardware
One can use a Raspberry Pi as a highly customizable 20 MHz scope with this cute little BitScope Micro. (about 120 euros, from the OE store)
They have their own…
MultiSIM BLUE – free circuit design software
Posted in Hardware
MultiSIM BLUE is yet another free, SPICE-based electronics simulator– this one is linked into the MOUSER catalog, to streamline parts sourcing. Also includes PCB design tools.
…
miniPCR – $500 diy open thermocycler
Posted in Hardware
BioCoder recently featured miniPCR on their cover. They currently have a well funded Kickstarter running, if you’d like to jump on board.
It’s a cute little package, weighing less than 1 pound.
…
Rolling shutter vs. global shutter: why it matters
Digital cameras can have global shutters or rolling shutters (some cameras can operate in both modes). Global shutters are preferable for periodic applications, including intrinsic imaging, because rolling shutters can cause artifacts. This article does a nice job of explaining the artifacts…
A Canadian open source two-photon microscope system
Posted in Hardware
This open source two-photon microscope system is adaptable for both slice (with substage detection) and in vivo experiments, and is built with largely COTS parts. The paper is a very nice resource.
See also,…
Resonant scanning with ScanImage 5
Posted in Hardware
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…
Lenses and lenses and lenses and lenses
Posted in Tips
Can anyone suggest a nice way to store lenses? Ideas about storage containers and cabinets, and ideas about overall organization are all welcome.
…
Notes from Austin Blanco
Posted in Tips
Our friend Christian Wilms tipped us to Austin Blanco’s blog, which has some posts you all might be interested in:
Characterizing unknown optical components
A few notes on Arduinos, their timers, and using…
ImageSurfer 64-bit
Posted in Software
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Computer Integrated Systems for Microscopy and Manipulation team released a new version of their popular ImageSurfer software. All 64-bit, with versions for Linux, OSX, and Windows.
…
More mini computers
Posted in Hardware
Raspberry Pi is the most popular mini computer right now, but there are other options.
SolidRun sells two. The first is a sleek cube called the CuBox-i (pictured above). The second is a barebones…
A clock for the Raspberry Pi
Posted in Hardware
The Raspberry Pi is a handy tool, but it has some quirks. One quirk is that there is no internal clock with a battery backup (something most real PCs have). Instead, it syncs with…
Multi-institute grant search
Posted in Tips
Federal RePORTER is a grant search engine that covers NIH, NSF, USDA, EPA, etc. The most recent year available is 2013, so you still have to go to the individual institutes’ sites. But handy…
What’s your favorite LUT?
Posted in Software
Parula is the new default colormap for MATLAB (namesake above, actual map below). It probably collapses to grey better than jet (which is good for colorblind readers).
You aficionados care dearly about…
