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Hi Mel,

I saw a lot of useful info here. PVCAM 2.9.5 is the one we were using
with micro-manager before we retired the system (Dell T3500 machine,
PCI card with upgraded firmware, Win7-32, C-states disabled in the
BIOS as per MM instructions).

One issue we had was: no camera found when running PVCAM test.

This is because the PVCAM.ini file, which is generated during setup or
by RSConfig.exe, is stored in a location that is not searched by the
2.9.5 PVCAM driver.

This note on MM https://micro-manager.org/wiki/PVCAM explains what is happening:

Windows 7 issue

Paul Forscher reported that Micro-Manager does not find any PVCAM
cameras under Windows 7. The problem is that Micro-Manager can not
find the file 'PVCAM.ini'. To fix this, run RSConfig.exe from the
Photometrics folder in the start menu. This will create the proper
PVCam. Ini in the c:\windows folder. If that fails, type 'cmd' in the
"Search programs and files' box in the Start menu, and then type:

copy C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\PVCAM.ini C:\Windows

where you should replace 'username' with your username.

Note
The directory 'Appdata' is not visible to the Windows file explorer.

--Nico 11:33, 31 August 2007 (PDT)

General hardware tweaks described in
https://micro-manager.org/wiki/Personal_computer_setup were also
useful. For instance, MM was not stable at all on our Dell T3500
machine at first. Then we disabled the C-States in the BIOS and the
system finally ran smoothly.

Best of luck!


On 12 September 2017 at 19:51, Menelaos Symeonides <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hello,
>
> I acquired an older Nikon TE-2000E microscope from another lab, which came
> with a CoolSNAP HQ camera (Roper Scientific) and a PCI LVDS interface card.
> After much pain I figured out that this card can only be run in a 32 bit OS
> (only the PCIe interface works with 64 bit, and they are asking $1,600 for
> it), so I built a computer with Windows 7 Pro 32 bit and installed various
> versions of Photometrics's PVCAM with the following, even more painful
> results:
>
> Version 2.6.9 - Will not install at all, the installation just stops at some
> point with no indication of what the problem was.
>
> Version 2.7.6 - Same as above.
>
> Version 2.9.5.2 - It installs fully, then I reboot and manually install the
> driver for the PCI interface (as is required), at which point the system
> freezes. I reboot, and it will not boot into Windows at all. I end up having
> to use System Restore to roll back the installation.
>
> Version 3.3.1.3 - It installs fully, and the driver installs without
> freezing the system, but the camera is not visible using PVCAM Test or under
> MicroManager. It is, however, detected under RSConfig.
>
> I did not try later versions than that because they do not seem to have a 32
> bit version to download. Also note that I'm aware that there is a firmware
> update for this interface (V.33) and I was able to check the version
> currently on it, and it is V.33.
>
> I've also tried saving the PMWDM driver folder from 3.3.1.3, uninstalling
> PVCAM, then installing 2.9.5.2 and installing the driver from 3.3.1.3 rather
> than the one that comes with 2.9.5.2, but that also freezes the system.
>
> Has anyone gotten a Photometrics PCI LVDS card to work under Windows 7 32
> bit, and which version did you install?
>
> Thanks,
> Mel
>
>
> --
> Menelaos Symeonides
> Post-Doctoral Associate, Thali Lab
> Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
> University of Vermont
> 318 Stafford Hall
> 95 Carrigan Dr
> Burlington, VT 05405
> [log in to unmask]
> Phone: 802-656-1161