3XDAC Card
3xDAC Card
The 3xDAC card is designed for controlling galvano-controlled servo mirrors or XYZ piezo-controlled devices utilized in fluorescence microscopy: when using the mirrors, their XY positions (that is the position of the excitation beam on the sample) and the z-position of the microscope objective are recorded along with the fluorescence data acquired; when using a piezo-controlled stage, its position is recorded during the data acquisition.
The card is designed for the ISS confocal microscopes systems although it can be utilized to assemble a custom system. The 3xDAC card works in synchronization with the 4-CH correlator card (utilized for FFS measurements), the FastFLIM and TCSPC cards (utilized for FLIM and FFS measurements).
Scan Mode and Alignment Mode
The board features two modes of operation: scan mode and alignment mode. In scan mode, the three servo mirrors have pre-programmed movement sequences which are executed automatically. The starting point of the sequences within the movement range of the servo mirrors is controlled by a separate offset control. The offset control can only be updated when the sequence restarts. San mode is used for XY-, XZ-, and YZ-image scans. In alignment mode, the control of the three servo mirrors is completely under user control. This mode is used to set the "zero" of the servo mirrors and park the beam in the center or other locations of the image after acquisition.
Applications of the 3xDAC card using VistaVision software
When the 3XDAC card is used with the ISS VistaVision software, a series of experimental setups are feasible:
- control of galvano-controlled XY mirrors for the acquisition of confocal images
- control of galvano-controlled XY mirrors for scanning FCS
- control of galvano-controlled XY mirrors and piezo controlled objective or stage in Z for particle tracking
- the acquisition of Fluorescence Fluctuations Spectroscopy data (in conjunction with the correlator card)
- full control of the XYZ piezo-controlled stage for the acquisition of confocal images
| Feature | Description |
| Bus | 32-bit PCI bus |
| Software driver | Windows 10 OS |
| Digital-to-Analog Converters | 16 bit |
| External CLK | Frequency: 5 MHz to 22 MHz (10MHz nominal) |
| Signal type: sine wave or TTL | |
| Signal amplitude: 100 mVpp to 10 Vpp | |
| Signal impedance: 50 Ohm | |
| CLK Output | Qty. 2, 20 MHz (buffered TTL with 50 Ohm driver) |
| Pixel CLK | TTL with 50 Ohm driver |
| Line CLK | |
| Frame CLK | |
| Position DAC | X, Y, and Z |
| Resolution: 16-bit | |
| Output voltage range: ± 12 V | |
| Output impedance: 50 Ohm | |
| Output current: 25 mA | |
| Slew rate: 1.9 V/µs | |
| Low pass filter: 10 KHz | |
| Gain DAC | Channels: 3 |
| Resolution: 8-bit | |
| Effective voltage range: 160 mV | |
| Null-Offset | Channels: 3 |
| Effective Voltage Range: 160 mV | |
| Resolution: 8-bit | |
| Operation temperature range (°C) | 10-60 |
| Power | 110/240 V |
| Dimensions (cm) | 42.5 (W) x 36 (D) x 10 (H) |
