Software Overview

We are pleased to announce that the latest versions of WinView and WinSpec software packages are now compatible with Windows Vista® (32-bit) operating system.

PI/Acton products are supported by world renowned image acquisition packages. They are ready to cater to the beginner or to the advanced users requiring complete customization of the interface.

WinView

Princeton Instruments WinView is a 32-bit Windows® software package for digital imaging. WinView provides comprehensive image acquisition, display, processing, and archiving functions so you can perform complete data acquisition and analysis without having to rely upon third-party software. WinView also facilitates snap-ins and Macro-record functionality to permit easy user customization of any function or sequence. Other salient features of WinView include

• Support under Windows 2000/XP/Vista
• Complete control of the camera such as exposure time, ROI, digitization speed, temperature etc.,
• Powerful display control including Zoom, auto-scaling
• Support for several file formats including TIF, ASCII, SPE
• Convenient “image info” feature keeps track of camera acquisition conditions for future reference.
• Circular buffers for real time data acquisition and live display
• Macro record and visual basic automation for custom programming from within WinView/Spec
• Advanced features such as kinetics, custom chip and timing on most of the PI cameras
• PVCAM: Renowned universal programming interface for easy custom programming under Windows and Linux*
• Easy to acquire and process data in gated time resolved experiments
• Snap-Ins to extend the software functionality

WinSpec

While the functionality discussed previously is common to both WinView and WinSpec software, the WinSpec package has been optimized specifically for digital spectroscopy. WinSpec provides complete control over Acton Research SpectraPro® spectrometers and AM monochromators, the Jobin Yvon TRIAX, the SPEX 270M (as well as refitted SPEX models), and custom spectrographs. This software control extends to all instrument options, such as multiple gratings, multiple entrance and exit ports, and motorized slits.

Spectrometer control and detector operation are independent functions under WinSpec, so users are able to collect data while simultaneously communicating with the spectrometer. WinSpec software even makes spectrometer calibration easy. Users can employ a simple three-step method to generate a geometric correction that will update the spectral calibration with every move of the grating. Users can also create original calibration routines. WinSpec automatically converts among nanometers, electron volts, wavenumbers, and relative wavenumbers. Whether the application is absorbance, transmission, fluorescence, Raman, or lifetime spectroscopy, WinSpec provides many easy-to-use tools for data acquisition and postprocessing. Peak Find, Peak Labeling, Focus Helper, and Manual Calibration are among the standard WinSpec tools included for spectroscopists.

WinSpec also offers spectroscopists a host of additional features, including:

• Support under Windows 2000/XP/Vista
• Step-and-Glue — allows many high-resolution spectra to be "glued" together to cover a wide spectral range. Users simply input the range to be covered. The software automatically moves the grating, acquires the data, and creates the final spectrum.
• Online Absorbance — allows users to select a reference spectrum from an active strip or file as WinSpec is processing incoming data in order to assess time resolved spectral information.
• Online Y:T — allows users to define up to eight areas and four equations to yield time-resolved information. This ability is particularly useful for process analysis and diagnostics.
• Thermo Galactic™ GRAMS/32® (support option) — allows WinSpec to export images and spectra to the SPC file format. With the Zap-to-GRAMS snap-in, WinSpec can instantly update spectra in GRAMS via a direct link.

SpectraSense

SpectraSense is a comprehensive spectral acquisition and data treatment package. It is designed to work exclusively with PIActon instrumentation and accessories.SpectraSense software will control and acquire data from both single channel detection systems, which require scanning of a monochromator, and CCD based detection systems that may or may not require repositioning of a spectrograph. Depending upon the hardware purchased, either one or both of the modes of acquisition will appear during normal operation.

Scientific Imaging Toolkit (SITK®) for LabView

The Scientific Imaging ToolKit (SITK) allows a user to setup and control all Princeton Instruments and Photometrics cameras and Acton Research spectrometers under LabView™. This toolkit gives the user the ability to setup experimental conditions for a camera (ROIs, exposure, temperature, etc.), collect data from the camera, perform online math and display and store the data. All of this has been optimized in C and is callable from LabView™. Functions are provided that allow the data to be accessed from the handle as images, rows, or individual pixels into LabView™.

SITK Features:

• Operates under Windows™ 2000 and XP
• Support LabVIEW™ 6.1 and 7.0, 7.1, 8.0 and 8.2
• PVCAM Support
• Multiple Camera/Controller Support
• PI-Max/Programmable Timing Generator Support
• Optimized Online Math
• On-line Help and Documentation
• Multiple ROI support
• SPE file and TIFF file support
• Acton Spectrometer support

PVCAM (Programmable Virtual CAMera Interface)

PVCAM is the renowned standard software interface for all cooled CCD cameras from Photometrics and Princeton Instruments.

PVCAM is available for Windows® 2000/XP and Linux*

PVCAM is a library of functions which can be utilized to control and acquire data from the camera when a custom application is being written. For example, in the case of Windows, PVCAM is a dynamic link library (DLL). Also, it should be understood that PVCAM is solely for camera control and image acquisition, not for image processing. PVCAM places acquired images into a buffer, where they can then be manipulated using either custom written code or by extensions to other commercially available image processing packages. PVCam supports circular buffer [link] or ring buffer that allows faster frame update irrespective of the operating systems' load. This is sometimes called data streaming. Images are acquired (or buffered) in to the memory and then passed on to the Operation System for display or storage.

*Contact the factory for information on the current Linux support. Photometrics cameras are also supported under Mac OS X.

PVCAM Software Developer’s Kit (SDK)
The Software Developer’s Kit (SDK) is designed for those who wish to develop their own custom software for all Roper Scientific camera systems. PPK consists of the necessary drivers to enable the software to run on either Windows and LINUX . Also included is a sample program with complete source code, documentation, applications notes, technical support. The heart of the SDK is the PVCAM library; the function calls enable one to access virtually every aspect of the camera operation, as well as acquire images into a buffer. PVCAM provides a virtual interface to all cameras, so that the actual complexities of controlling the camera are masked. Additionally, PVCAM allows the developer to work across multiple platforms with minimal modification to source code.

PPK will be of particular use to software developers who wish to integrate a Roper Scientific cooled CCD camera into a larger system, especially if software has already been written for that system. PPK will also benefit those who wish to control the camera along with several other instruments as part of an experimental setup.

ICL (Imager Control Language)*
Photometrics' proprietary Imager Control Language (ICL) gives you unparalleled flexibility in implementing sophisticated imaging modes. The exposure and readout of the CCD can be controlled via pre-defined settings or programmed through user level scripts. All cameras support complete arbitrary binning ( n x m) and on-chip subregion control without the fixed configuration constraints found on most camera systems. The user can easily implement custom imaging modes like TDI, ratio pairs, kinetics and many others. ICL scripts are available to control TTL in and out signals for complete coordination of other components in the imaging system.

*Contact the factory for support of specific features for your camera

The third-party software providers listed below fully support the many features built into Princeton Instruments' quantitative camera systems. The analysis and presentation functions available in their software packages are specifically designed to generate precise and accurate data. Therefore, it is suggested that users investigate these software options in order to facilitate truly optimal camera performance.

	Media Cybernetics	Image-Pro® Plus advanced data acquisition and processing software and full set of related plug-ins
	MatLab	MATLAB and the Image Processing Toolbox support a broad range of advanced image processing functions. You can extract and analyze image features, compute feature measurements, and apply filter algorithms.
	Digital Optics	V ™ software for a broad range of advanced scientific imaging applications
	Scanalytics	IPLab software for ratiometric imaging, FISH, CGH, etc.
	Origin Lab	Intuitive analysis tools offer statistics, curve fitting, signal processing, and peak analysis. For ultimate power and flexibility, a completely integrated C compiler and over 300 NAG® functions are provided. Now you can directly import SPE files.
	SIDX	Generic image acquisition APIs. Supported under C/C++. Java, .NET, LabView, IDL, Igor Pro environments.