Troubleshooting Guide¶
General Troubleshooting Tips¶
Before troubleshooting a specific subsystem, check the following:
- Is it plugged in? Confirm the supply voltage is correct before plugging in the system (120 V or 220 V). If the unit is plugged in but will not power on, check the fuse.
- Is the power turned on? It's easy to forget to press the power button.
- Try a full system restart. Turn off the full power and the EMO (emergency-off) to ensure everything is reset.
- Check device visibility. Confirm the device appears in NI MAX (National Instruments Measurement & Automation Explorer) or Windows Device Manager.
- Check configuration files. Verify the hardware and software configuration files match the system under test.
Hardware Troubleshooting¶
LED¶
Symptom: LED will not flash. Checks / Fix: - Confirm the relay that switches LED wavelengths is audibly clicking. - If the relay is clicking, check the LED trigger. - On NT220 systems with SanjCONTROLLER PLUS: check Cable "O" (the LED Trigger BNC connector on the back of the SanjSOURCE) and the Camera trigger cable "G". - On standalone NT220 systems: check the Camera trigger and Timing IO cables. - Open "NI License Manager" from the Start menu and activate the license if the status indicator is not green.
TR Camera (VIS and NIR)¶
Symptom: TR camera will not connect. Fix: - Check NI MAX to confirm the camera is visible and connected. - Ensure the camera is plugged into the motherboard's USB 3.0 connection (not a USB 2.0 port).
Symptom: NI software licensing issue. Fix: Open "NI License Manager" from the Start menu and activate the license if the status indicator is not green.
IR Camera¶
Symptom: IR camera will not connect. Fix: - Check the USB cable connection — unplug and reseat both ends of the micro-USB cable. - Power-cycle the "POWER" button on the back of the controller to restart the FPGA.
Symptom: IR image is blurry. Fix: Not detailed in the source guide; contact Microsanj support for assistance with this issue.
Thermal Stage¶
Symptom: TC-100 controller display is red, or the temperature controller flashes "OPEN." Fix: - Check that the chiller is turned on. - Check that the chiller fluid reservoir is full. If the fluid is low, fill it and "burp" out air bubbles by cycling the chiller on and off a few times.
Symptom: Mechanical interference or wiring issues in the stage. Fix: Ensure no screws in the top plate are contacting the internal wiring of the stage. As a test, try running the thermal stage without any mounting screws installed.
Piezo Autofocus Stage¶
Symptom: No connection to the piezo stage. Fix: Check the USB connection and COM port settings.
Symptom: Stage is not keeping the device in focus. Fix: - Check whether the stage is at the end of its travel range — the X-Y-Z values will read constant at a maximum or minimum (e.g., −15 or 130). - Confirm the magnification setting matches the microscope objective currently in use. - Check the Advanced Filtering settings.
Thermocouple¶
Symptom: Thermocouple readings appear incorrect or unavailable. Fix: Check the TC (thermocouple) address setting. [diagram/image in source — not reproduced here]
Tip: Click "Rectangular Profile" to view the temperature profile across a rectangular region of interest (ROI).
Vibration Mitigation¶
For general background on vibration isolation and optical tables, see Thorlabs' tutorial: https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=8275
Hardware mitigations: - Ensure the optical table is floating and properly installed. - Add strain relief to cables running to the table. - Turn off the chiller when precise temperature control is not required — coolant flow can introduce unnecessary vibration.
Software mitigation: - Capture a reference image using the ROI tool on the "Camera Image" panel. Choose a unique feature near the main region of interest on the device. - Enable the "DAV" (Digital Anti-Vibration) filter. This filters out data below the configured "Alignment %" threshold. If the live "% Match" value falls below the Alignment % threshold, the software will not capture data, and the thermal image on the right side of the display can appear blank.
Software Troubleshooting¶
Symptom: Autofocus is not functioning — stage is not keeping the device in focus. Fix: - Check whether the stage is at the end of its travel range — X-Y-Z values will read constant at a maximum or minimum (e.g., −15 or 130). - Confirm the magnification setting matches the microscope objective currently in use. - Check the Advanced Filtering settings.
Symptom: Temperature readings are not accurate or sensible — values read as negative or unrealistically high, particularly at the edges of the region of interest. Cause: Edge effects, typically related to calibration quality. Fix: Verify system calibration; compare against known good vs. bad calibration references. [diagram/image in source — not reproduced here]
Measurement Troubleshooting¶
Symptom: Measurement will not proceed / move forward. Fix: Check the "System Status" pane, which reports the system's thermal, optical, and mechanical status. Look for any indicator showing bright red (indicators in green or dark colors are normal). [diagram/image in source — not reproduced here]
A common cause is the piezo autofocus stage being at its movement limits. The piezo stage's X-Y-Z range is −20 V to +130 V.
- If the piezo stage is at its X or Y limit: Adjust the chuck stage's X or Y knobs (not the piezo stage) to move the piezo stage back toward its central position (~75 V). Because the piezo stage continuously adjusts its position, allow it a few seconds to respond after each adjustment. [diagram/image in source — not reproduced here]
- If the piezo stage is at its Z limit: Since the chuck stage has no Z-axis movement, use the microscope focus knobs to help the piezo stage return to its central Z position (~75 V). Turning the right knob clockwise (or the left knob counter-clockwise) raises the microscope; the reverse lowers it. As with the X-Y adjustment, allow the piezo stage a few seconds to respond to each height adjustment. [diagram/image in source — not reproduced here]