Re: Open Microscopy Initiatives?
- From: davem@xxxxxxxxx (Dave Martindale)
- Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:29:05 +0000 (UTC)
ezkcdude <evan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
My research utilizes custom-written software for automated time-lapse
microscopy. It is a very specialized system designed specifically for
Leica microscopes through the serial port interface. I have learned
recently that the new generation upright series (DM6000) has removed
the serial port interface, opting instead for a USB port. There is a
"virtual driver" that should be able to convert serial commands to the
USB protocol, but I do not see that as a long-term solution. Of
course, if my lab had all the time and money in the world we would
dedicate the resources to write new code specifically for the USB
port, but in my estimation it would take several man-months, if not a
year.
Before going off on a tangent, is there a real problem here? Getting a
computer with a serial port is becoming increasingly difficult as
manufacturers remove "legacy" interfaces, but everything these days has
a USB port. So Leica switching from serial to USB is a reasonable thing
to do in the long run. If they also provide a virtual driver that
converts old-style serial commands to new USB commands, and it works
well, that should continue to support older software like yours (as long
as there is a virtual driver available for your operating system - a
potential problem if you run Linux or SunOS).
Have you tried the virtual driver? Do you know that your software will
not "just work" on the new USB hardware? If so, why would you need to
write new code for the USB port? And if you do write new code for the
USB-port versions, presumably to convert to the "native" version of the
USB commands, how could it take several months to do so? As long as the
old functions have equivalents in the new interface, this sounds like a
few days or a week's work, not months - particularly if you isolate the
microscope interface into one module.
So, why is the subject of this message "Open Microscopy Initiative"?
It is quite obvious to me that the reason Leica has abandoned the
serial port interface - which is supported by many commercial software
packages (OpenLab, Compix, Metamorph, etc) in addition to custom-
written software like ours - is that they are basically going down the
road of forcing us to use Leica proprietary software.
If they wanted to force you to use their software, they (a) would not
provide a virtual driver for the old interface, and (b) would not
document the new protocol. More likely they are simply adapting to a
world where computers no longer have serial ports, for the most part.
What is my answer? Well, this might sound crazy, but I would propose
that the US government - through the NIH, NSF, etc - mandate that any
public research funding that is spent on microscopy equipment must
support "open hardware standards". In other words, if Leica wants me
to buy their microscopes, they would required to make their hardware
open.
Of course, the USB hardware interface is already pretty open, and
certainly standardized. It seems like what you most want is for the
firmware command interface to be standardized across manufacturers,
rather like the ATA and SATA disk interfaces, so you could use anyone's
microscope with your software. Is that correct?
Dave
.
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