Microscope Control System

A Python-based control system for microscopes using Micro-Manager (MMCore) with remote procedure call (RPC) capabilities.

Overview

This system provides a robust interface for controlling microscope hardware through Micro-Manager, with the following features:

• Remote control capabilities through RPC
• Configurable hardware settings
• Safe hardware initialization and cleanup
• Environment-based configuration management

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• Micro-Manager 2.0 gamma or later
• Required Python packages:
  • pymmcore
  • rpyc
  • typing

Installation

1. Clone this repository: git clone <repository-url>

2. Install the required Python packages: pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Set up your Micro-Manager installation:

   • Install Micro-Manager in your preferred location
   • Update the MM_DIR environment variable or use the default in configs.py
   • Place your microscope configuration file in the mmconfigs directory or update MM_CONFIG

Configuration

The system can be configured through environment variables or default values in configs.py:

• MM_DIR: Path to Micro-Manager installation
  • Default: C:\Program Files\Micro-Manager-2.0gamma
• MM_CONFIG: Path to microscope configuration file
  • Default: ./mmconfigs/Bright_Star.cfg
• Server settings:
  • Port: 18861
  • Hostname: localhost

Usage

1. Start the microscope server: python start_server.py

2. The server will initialize the MMCore instance and wait for client connections

Error Handling

The system includes robust error handling for:

• MMCore initialization
• Configuration loading
• Directory management
• Hardware connections
• Client connections/disconnections

Project Structure

• configs.py: Configuration management
• start_server.py: Main server implementation with MMCore control
• mmconfigs/: Directory for microscope configuration files