Pixelina
The problem
In almost every lab where there is a a microscope, there is a need to document images. But the needs varies largely for different labs and organizations. In the easiest case you probably just want to capture one or a few images, save it to file, and later use them in some kind of report. In the more advanced scenario, you might have requirement to document all samples analyzed, with thousands or even hundred of thousands images per year.
Almost certainly you want to share your images with others and even with other labs or departments in your organization.
Our products can do all the above. This article is to explain which products might suit you best.
system requirements
Short version
Picsara/Omnimet as a software does not require any special harware requirements.
However, if using with a camera (as most people do), the camera in it self put quite specific requirements based on two factors,
* Camera resolution
* Frames per second
If you intend to use the amazing AI features (From Picsara 2025) we strongly recommend a more powerfull
computer, again it also depends on the camera. As a good starting point, aim for a Intel i7-Gen13 and add a Nvidia RTX 3060 or higher.
We belive that a decent frame rate is more important than high resolution, and in order to achive this you need a good and well optimized computer. This includes CPU raw performance, a Graphics board and a suitable USB Controller. The higer the camera resolution, the higher the specs.
There is no specific requirement for any given camera, but the 3 suggestions bellow will point you in the right direction. If you ignore this, and just go for a cheap laptop, you are likely to be disapointed.
If you are interested in the details about how digital cameras work and really want to fine tune your system, please read Camera Basics for useful information. If not, just build your system according to one of these recommendations.
Suggestions
Budget
A system where the price is most important.
This configuration works well for students, simple inspection and other less demanding applications
If you are on a budget, we strongly recommend you do not buy a to advanced camera, it will not work well with you standard low cost computer.
This is our proposal:
* An Allied Vision Alvium 1500 C-235 (USB 3.0 1936 × 1216 = 2.4 Mpix, 52 fps) (big chip)
or Allied Vision Alvium 1500 C-240 (USB 3.0 1936 × 1216 = 2.4 Mpix, 52 fps) (medium size chip)
* A 25" 1920 x 1280 Monitor
* A standard PC or laptop with at least an Intel Core i5 or i7 Generation 7 or higher PC.
* Dedicated built in USB 3 port (never connect your camera to a USB hub)
MID Priced
The middle segment is likely to suit most imaging and analysis applications
Configured for AI-usage:
* An Allied Vision Alvium 1800-U319 (2064 x 1544 = 3 Mpix USB 3.0)
* A 27"4K (3840 x 2160) Monitor, with HDMI or Display Port connection
* A desktop Core i7 Gen 13 computer with at least 3.4 Ghz.
* A Nvidia RTX 3060, 1MB or higher
* A Build in USB-3 port
If you do not intend to use AI:
* An Allied Vision Alvium 1800-U319 (2064 x 1544 = 3 Mpix USB 3.0)
* A 27"4K (3840 x 2160) Monitor, with HDMI or Display Port connection
* A desktop Core i7 Gen 10 computer with at least 1.8 Ghz.
* A computer with integrated GPU, or dedicated GPU Nvidia GT710 with built in HDMI/Display Port connector.
* A Build in USB-3 port
ProfesSional
This level is recommended for research and other high end applications. Here you will not get away with a standard low cost computer, and we strongly recommend that all parts of the system matches these recommendations.
This is our proposal:
Configured for AI-usage:
* An Allied Vision Alvium 1800 U-508 (2464 x 2056 = 5 Mpix, USB 3.0)
* A 28-32" 8K (5120 x 2880) monitor
or a 28-32" 4K (3840 x 2160) Monitor with HDMI or Display Port connections
* A Desktop Intel Core i7 Gen 14700 or a Core i9 with 32 MB or higher
(At this level we strongly discourage the use of laptops)
* A Nvidia RTX 3070 or higher
* A high end USB-3 port (in this range, a standard build in USB-3 ports might not be sufficient)
Configured for AI-usage:
* An Allied Vision Alvium 1800 U-508 (2464 x 2056 = 5 Mpix, USB 3.0)
* A 28-32" 8K (5120 x 2880) monitor
or a 28-32" 4K (3840 x 2160) Monitor with HDMI or Display Port connections
* A Desktop Intel Core i7 Gen13700 with 32 MB or higher
* A low cost Nvidia Graphic board
* A high end USB-3 port (in this range, a standard build in USB-3 ports might not be sufficient)
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Saving many images
If you plan to save large sets of images into a SQL database, you need a server with high throughput, a lot of memory and fast disks.
If you go for a local SQL Express solution, make sure you have plenty of memory, at least 16-32 GB. Also, it make sense to have both large and fast hard drives.
Also, if working with large image sets, we recommend a high resolution monitor (so you can look at many images at the same time)