1. What is a Digital Microscope?
A digital microscope is a magnifying device equipped with a digital camera.  Basically, there are two types; one type is a microscope or magnifying device with a built-in digital camera while the other type is a standard style microscope adapted with a digital camera.

2. What are some of the functions of DINO Digital Microscope?
Dino digital microscopes function as microscope, camera, video-cam and as well as a web cam, depending on the model.

3. Should I choose a Handheld Digital Microscope or Eyepiece camera?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both types.  The handheld digital microscope with the built in camera is more portable and versatile and can provide up to a 360 degree view perspective but is usually more expensive.  Digital camera eyepieces for microscopes are generally less expensive and can be adapted for use as an accessory with any standard microscope.  Both types generally come with software which can be easily upgraded via download.  Both are self contained units and require only simple cleaning for maintenance.  Any serious repair work needs to be handled through the distributor or dealer.

If you require portability, hand-held or mounted versatility and convenience then choose one of the Dino-Lite series of digital microscopes to satisfy these requirements.  If you have an existing standard type (biological, stereo or compound) microscope and you want to convert it to a digital microscope, then you should chose a suitable “EM” or “AM” series digital camera for your microscope.

4.a. Which Handheld Digital Microscope model and accessories should I choose?
AM211 - For entry level, hobbies & collecting, students, entertainment, etc.
AM311S/AM313/AM411T - For the office, shop, industrial, university, etc.
AM413 Series- For professional level applications.
AM412/AM412MN - For use with TV setup only.  For the home, reading aid, entertainment, manufacture, etc.
AM451- For the classroom, field laboratory, home microscope, or conveniences, back up for professional use.

Why AM413MT (Aluminum alloy casing)
-Removable cap that increases working distance by almost an half an inch for viewing at higher magnifications (i.e. viewing at 50x or 200x).
-Diffused light for less glare while using the built in LED’s. (Great for metal molds, or silver objects)
-Smoother rotation of the adjustment knob -Visible Microtouch
-Rugged design built for tougher environments, such as higher temperatures and environments prone to harsh chemicals.
*Aluminum alloy casing (made by CNC machine)
*Additional USB wire protector
*Rigid adjustment knob material and design

4.b. Which accessories should I choose?
MS12C -
(Ideal for graphic arts field, coin, stamp, and other small objects) (**not suggested with "L" & "ZT" series)
MS21W / MS22B / MS32W / MS33W -
(Ideal for home/office use - 360° angle, seldom change of focus/magnification)
MS35B / MS36B
(Suggested for frequent/continuous change of focus/magnification. **36B offers 10" extendable horizontal reach)
MS52BA2 / MS52BA2
(Recommended for industrial use - 360° angle, extendable distance, variable working distance, seldom change of focus/magnification)

Products by Features (pdf)
Products by Application (pdf)
General spec sheet (pdf)

5. How to use DINO Digital Microscope?

Part A.
1. Place the illuminated specimen on the center of the microscope stage.
2. Always start observing using the lowest magnification with the microscope.
3. Aim the specimen through the objective lens.
4. Focus the microscope by slowly turning the coarse Adjustment Focus Knob, for different magnifications, until an image forms ,slowly adjust the focus back and forth to get the best focus, or to reveal hidden structure at different depths of the specimen being examined.
5. To increase magnification, rotate the magnifications or the Objective Lens depending on the models of the Microscope
6. Focusing becomes more critical when using higher magnifications as the objective lens would need to come closer to the specimen to obtain a focus.
7. Use the same techniques cautions in coarse and fine focusing as described above and use care so that the Objective Lens does not come in direct contact with the specimen when achieving a final focus.
8. CLick on “picture” button or “video” button from DinoCapture software for taking the picture you want or recording the video.
9. What are the applications for Dino digital microscopes? Industrial Inspection, Scientific, teaching tool, Skin Check, Scalp Check, Textile Inspection, Jewelry Inspection, Coin Inspection, Printing Inspection, Reading Aid, Web cam for Online chatting, and more.

Part B.
How would we know what magnification to choose for our imaging products?
Always start observing using the lowest magnification with the microscope.
Adjust the objective lens or magnification knob until the desired image comes into focus.
Then increase magnification gradually until satisfied.

To reduce glare simply change the point of view the angle of either the object or the scope by a few degrees.
On models AM311S and higher you are also able to turn off the LED lights if desired.

The TV Video models utilize NTSC analog format which provides “no-delay” images, whereas the USB models use a digital format which may cause a slight delay when focusing.

The current DinoCapture measurement functions have been tested by major LCD manufacturers to be
within a 5% margin of error under 200 x magnifications.

When examining LCD panels it may be necessary to apply a thin coat of oil (baby oil, etc) to the panel
surface in order to view sub-pixels. The “hard coating” (HC) applied to the LCD panel at the factory
may make this necessary in order to view the pixels beyond the polarize level.

Use time-lapsed capture function problem under Windows OS-
Cannot start after using time-lapsed capture function. only shows dino-lite logo and hangs there.
Possible cause: dino-lite accidentally created a corrupted .avi file from time-lapsed capture
solution: Search this particular .avi file, find and delete it.

6. How does the Focus work on a Dino-Lite Microscope -
The Dino-Lite digital microscopes are designed to achieve the specified maximum magnification and clear focus with the scope either in contact with or on the same level as the observed object or surface, such as the skin, etc.  The nozzle length is designed to provide the appropriate focal length to achieve this.  When the scope is in this optimum position then the user will be able to achieve a clear focus in two distinct magnification ranges. In order to focus in the maximum magnification range simply continue to zoom beyond the first clear focus range on the observed object or surface until you see the object again come into focus.  This second stage is the maximum magnification of the scope.   When the scope is further away from the observed object or surface you will only be able to focus in at one magnification range.

General example how the DinoLite handheld digital microscopes optics works -
The way the optics works with our scope is that there is one focus point in each distance. So farther you go the lower the magnification you can get. There is one exception at touching point where there are two focus points. One at around 50x and the other at around 200x. The device would get out of focus and into focus again from around 50x to 200x. To receive the magnification values in between, the focus point would be within the clear protective plastic lens.

7. What are the system requirements for my computer?
         1. Windows 2000 or XP, Vista (32 or 64 Bits)
         2. Intel CPU Pentium 1.5GHZ, Celeron or above.
         3. RAM of 256 MB or more recommended.
         4. At least 150MB of free disk space.
         5. VGA Card: 16bit or above
         6. CD-ROM drive
         7. At least one USB 2.0 port.

8. How to set-up the Hardware and Software?
User’s Manual on CD is included, be sure to read the User Manual before use. Please retain the CD for future reference. Installation of Dino Capture Application Software is easy. Just follow the step by step instructions. The CD will guide you through to the end of the installation.  IMPORTANT: Connect the digital microscope to your computer AFTER the software is installed.

9-a. Field of view chart
The viewable area varies depending on the distance of the scope from the object.  Each hand-held Dino-Lite scope has a clear protective “nozzle” which provides a “buffer” of approximately 2 cm between the scope lens and the end of the nozzle. 


Distance from object                             viewable area
AM 3xx Series Working Distance Example
Magnification    Working Distance                Viewable Area
~200X  -------- Zero Distance - “viewable area” ~ 0.066” (L) x 0.049” (W) / 1.67mm x 1.25mm
~60x  --------   Zero Distance - “viewable area” ~ 0.23” (L) x 0.17” (W) / 5.8mm x 4.3mm
~30x  --------    2cm / 0.79” -                 "                 ~ 0.4"(L) x 0.27” (W) / 10mm x 7mm
~20x  --------    5.0cm / 2.0” -               "                  ~ 0.7” (L) / 0.4” (W) / 18mm x 10 mm
~17x  --------   10cm / 3.9” -                 "                 ~ 0.9” (L) x 0.6” (W) / 23mm x 15mm
~15x  --------   15cm / 5.9” -                 "                 ~ 1.5” (L) x 0.9” (W) / 38mm x 23mm
~10x  --------   20cm / 7.9” -                 "                 ~ 1.9” (L) x 1.5” (W) / 48mm x 38mm

AM 4xx Series Working Distance Example
Magnification    Working Distance                   Viewable Area
~200x  --------   Zero Distance - “viewable area” ~ 0.098" (L) x 0.078" (W) / 2.5mm x 2mm
~50x  --------    Zero Distance - “viewable area” ~ 0.35" (L) x 0.27" (W) / 9mm x 7mm
~40x  --------    0.8cm / 0.3” -                 "                 ~ 0.4” (L) x 0.3” (W) / 10mm x 8mm
~20x  --------   3.8cm / 1.5” -                 "                ~ 0.8” (L) x 0.6” (W) / 20mm x 15mm
~12x  --------   10.2cm / 4” -                  "                ~ 1.5” (L) x 1.2” (W) / 40mm x 30mm

*** To obtain magnifications of 60X~180X, the object must be within the clear plastic cap of the microscope which is about 20mm long.
While viewing at 60X~180X, be cautious not to touch the internal components or lens.
Here are some approximate distance to magnification of the object
placed within the clear plastic protective cap.
75x ~ 3.5mm
100x ~ 6mm
125x ~ 6mm
150x ~ 3.5mm
175x ~ 3mm
(Note that placing objects within the clear plastic cap is originally not recommended by the manufacturer.
The purpose of the cap is to protect the internals of the microscope.)

AM413MT (Metal shell) has additional Magnification after remove len cover
Magnification / Working Distance
50x ~ 12mm
75x ~ 8.5mm
100x ~ 6mm
125x ~ 6mm
150x ~ 7.5mm
175x ~ 9mm
200x ~ 12mm

AM413 "L" Series (20x~92x) Working Distance Example
(Model AM413TL, AM413ML)
Magnification    Working Distance                   Viewable Area
~92x   --------   4.7 cm /1.9” - “viewable area” ~ 0.15” (L) x 0.11” (W) / 3.8mm x 2.85mm
~79x   --------   5.0 cm /2.0” - “viewable area” ~ 0.18” (L) x 0.13” (W) / 4.5mm x 3.3mm
~52x   --------   6.3 cm /2.5” -                "             ~ 0.27” (L) x 0.20” (W) / 6.8mm x 5.1mm
~27x   --------   11.5 cm /4.5” -              "             ~ 0.52” (L) x 0.38” (W) / 13mm x 9mm
~20x   --------   14.4 cm /5.7” -              "             ~ 0.7” (L) x 0.4” (W) / 18mm x 10 mm

AM 413MT5 / T5 (500X fixed magnification) Working Distance Example
Magnification    Working Distance                   Viewable Area
~500x      --------  0mm~3mm “viewable area” ~ 0.026" (L) x 0.02" (W) / 0.666mm x 0.499mm

AM Series with MS12C - VARIABLE VIEW RANGE CADDIE KIT
MS12C - INCLUDES BASE CADDIE PLUS TWO VARIABLE VIEW RANGE ADAPTORS
Base view range -about 0.58 inches away from object~ 40x
Base + 1 Adaptor -about 1.6 inches away from object ~ 25x
Base + 2 Adaptors-about 2.40 inches away from object ~18x magnification

9-b. Depth of field
The depth of field of different magnification rates has been obtained as following:
~20x --> ~12 mm
~40x -- >~1.6 mm
~60x --> ~0.7mm

Link - Viewable Area Example

10. Applications for Digital Microscope and eyepiece cameras?

11. What is the largest magnification you carry on the Digital Microscope?
The Dino Digital AM Series Handheld Microscopes offer magnification ranges from 10X to 200X.
The Dino Digital AM413 T5 Handheld Microscopes offer 500x fixed magnification.
The Dino Digital AM451 Table top Microscopes offer magnification ranges from 50X to 600X.

12. Which format should I use?
With VGA and SVGA models, the JPEG file format is easiest to save and email. JPEG also uses least amount of storage space.

Use the BMP (AM and EM series) or TIFF (EM series only) file format for better quality image when printing or publishing.

Use TIFF, PSD or EPS formats (EM series only) if CMYK true color images are required when printing or transferring images. 

- Reference of RESOULUTION VALUES –
Pixel counts can be expressed as a single number, as in a "three-megapixel" digital camera, which has a nominal three million pixels, or as a pair of numbers, as in a "640 by 480 display", which has 640 pixels from side to side and 480 from top to bottom (as in a VGA display), and therefore has a total number of 640 × 480 = 307,200 pixels or 0.3 megapixels.

A megapixel is 1 million pixels, and is a term used not only for the number of pixels in an image, but also to express the number of image sensor elements of digital cameras or the number of display elements of digital displays.
For example, a camera with an array of 2048×1536 sensor elements is commonly said to have "3.1 megapixels" (2048 × 1536 = 3,145,728).
Therefore: Width x Height
640 x 480 = 307,200pixels / 1,000,000 = 0.3Megapixels
1280 x 1024 = 1,310,720pixels / 1,000,000 = 1.3Megapixels

VGA 640 x 480
SVGA 800 x 600
XGA 1024 x 768
WXGA 1366 x 768
SXGA 1280 x 1024
UXGA 1600 x 1200
QXGA 2048 x 1538

Pixel resolution - Under VGA Model 640 x 480 image, the resolution of a single pixel can be calculated to be
1757.3 microns/640 pixels = 2.745 microns (0.002745mm) per pixel

Pixel resolution - 1.3MP - 1280 x 1024 image, the resolution of a single pixel can be calculated to be
1757.3 microns/1280 pixels = 1.37 microns (0.00137mm) per pixel

13. Measurement tips -
About DinoCapture measurement feature.
The Dino-Lite Pro microscope has higher measurement accuracy at higher magnifications such as 50x or 200x. Generally you can expect up to about 4% deviation from the correct measurement results.
You can calibrate the software to acquire more accurate measurements. (Only with the measurement models of the AM4XX series).

Limitations of the measurement feature:
-The measurements only can measure two dimensions (X,Y).
-There is no edge finder currently built into the program, so calibration and measurements require visual judgment.

------------------------------------------------------
Measurement features are only available on the AM313 series and AM413 models
AM313 series Measurement features are not available on Mac OS

The term Mil means one thousandth of an inch (0.001 inch).
A circular mil is the area of a circular wire with a diameter
of one mil, 0.001". ...
Current we can select mm = 1,000um (micrometer / microns) = 0.1 cm

mil = 0.001 inch.
inch= 1,000 mil.
um = 0.001 mm
mm = 1,000 um (micrometer / microns)

comparative product images

Link - AM313 Series & AM413T's Measurement

Link - How to Use the Calibration Function in DinoCapture (Available on AM413 Series only)

Link - How to accurately calibrate the AM313 Series Dino-Lite measurement function

Video Demo - Video library
http://www.bigc.com/demo/video/measurement_%20v1.wmv

14.a. What is the purpose of LED light?
Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. LED lights are brighter in one spot while regular lights are softer.

14.b. What is the purpose of near UV LED light?
With a near UV light digital Camera you can capture very detailed data, which can be undetected by human eyes. Below are images depicting the greater detail (scratches, blemished, etc.)
that can be captured when using a UV camera versus a standard camera.
SURFACE INSPECTION
IDENTIFICATION
3D INSPECTION SELECTION
PCB INSPECTION/SOLDER INSPECTION

What Is Ultraviolet Light?
Ultraviolet light is part of the light spectrum, which is classified into three wavelength ranges:
UV-C from 100 nanometers to 280 nm;
UV-B from 280nm to 315 nm; and,
UV-A from 315 nm to 400nm.
These waves are invisible to the human eye, but some insects like bumblebees, can see them. The human eye responds to light with wavelengths from about 400 nm (violet) to 700 nm (red).

Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the colors of the rainbow. Each color has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength and violet has the shortest. When all the waves are seen together, they make white light.

What Is the Dino-Lite near UV series light output power (mW or mW/cm2)?
The light output power of the near UV LED for
AM413T-FVW is about 16mW x 4 LED = 64mW
AM413-FVT is about 16mW x 8 LED = 128mW
AM413-FVT2 is about 11mW x 8 LED = 88mW

 
15. How to Enlarge Dino Capture Screen or in normal view -
1) Click “Full screen” button on top right corner of window left of “Exit” button to view image in full screen.
2) To exit full screen: right click your mouse and choose “Exit” from the menu that pops up. Or just press “Esc” on your keyboard to exit full screen.

16.a. Adjust Brightness or Darkness or view objects at right Color
A1 Move the mouse pointer under the live view window to view in the DinoCapture program to view the exposure bar (Left # is default, Right # is user defined) available Version 2.5.0.0 or +
or
Go to Settings> Real-time image settings> on the “Settings” tab you can adjust the “Brightness” or “Exposure” to your liking.

A2. Select Video setup and simply adjust the brightness using the Brightness feature.  This allows you to adjust brightness of the monitor/display only. 

A3: Turn on/off the LED’s and use external light (suggest using natural light source)

16.b. How do you get better color quality?
A: There are many different things that effect images such as lighting and the angle of your camera.
A tip on getting better image results other than using the default settings for our scopes is to adjust
the camera settings by going to Settings > Real-time image settings. From there you can adjust settings
such as white balance, exposure, and saturation.
A tip for adjusting image results for better color quality is to manually adjust the color by adjusting
the white balance and exposure to match a white surface such as white paper.

How to get accurate colors with coin or jewelry
Suggest using nature light source such as Dazor 318A3 3 Tube Desk Lamp or different backgrounds

Background for coins
* Natural light or the LED’s on the scope provide the best lighting
* For orange colored objects such as gold. A blue background would provide a good image
* For light colored objects such as silver. A black background would provide a good image
* For dark colored object such as an old dark brown coin, a white background would provide a good image

17. To invert image -
 To view your image upside down, select Video Setup then select both the “mirror” and “flip” options.

18. Draw a circle area on an image -
First “capture” the observed image.  Then double click the captured image.  Then select “drawing” from tool bar options then choose “ellipse” or “circle”.  Now left click and drag on the area of the image in which you wish to circle until you reach the desired diameter then release

19. Transfer Captured image to word file -
Open a Word file and just drag the captured image to the Word file and release

20. Compare multiple images -
Double click any captured image and that image will open and be displayed.  Simply open and display multiple images then drag them into desired positions (ie; side by side) for comparison purposes.

21. Keyboard Function Key options -
Use the function keys on your keyboard to capture pictures, start video or time lapse video as well as “hold” real time images.  Simply press the following function keys on the keyboard when image is ready:

F1: Help
F7: To start time-lapse Video
F8: To Hold or stop Real Time Image (Press F8 once). To Release this held Image (Press F8 again).  
       NOTE: This will not capture the image as a photo.
F10: Full screen / normal screen ( Version 3.0..0.0 or later)
F11: To take a Picture or “capture” image
F12: To start Video

22. Using the Crossbar
Cross hair can be moved around. Click on crosshair to start moving it and click again to stop it. You can add new lines by going to the right edge of the window for the vertical line, and for the horizontal the additional lines are located at the bottom of the view window.

23. Install two or more DINO-Lite products -
Install 2 or more Dino products do not yet support the DinoCapture software at this time.

24. Temperature Environment -
For the electronics component -- 0°C ~ 55°C // (32°F ~ 131°F)
For the housing (casing) -- 0°C ~ 75°C/80°C // (32°F~ 167°F/176°F)

Recommendation: Use Metal Shell models for high temperature environment

25. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) and Dino-Lite Microscopes -
Dino-lite Microscope Body:--- No Significant Static
Dino-lite Microscope Nozzle:--- Minor static generation*** (Internal company test test Approx 3-5K Volts)
BigCatch MS12C Portable Cradle Stand:--- No Significant Static

*** Any generated static was quickly dissipated.

26. How sensitive to infrared light are the Dino-Lite Digital Microscopes?
The Dino-Lite digital microscopes is sensitive up to 850nm
• Excitation: near-UV LEDs (on/off software adjustable), 390-400nm
• Excitation: near-UV LEDs 365nm~375nm
• Emission Filter Cutoff Wavelength: 425nm

NOTE: Only the AM413FIT has no IR cut filter

27. What is the wavelength of the white LED’s?
The wavelength of the LED’s range from 5500-9500K.