Back to Hooker Microscopy Facility main page

Michael Hooker Microscopy Facility (MHMF.ORG)

Go back

Leica SP2 Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope

 Location: 6123 Thurston Bowles

Dealing with software crashes and microscope stand lockups

System Crashes & Recovery - Brief Notes

System Crashes & Recovery - More Details

The software will tend to crash if a human runs any of the motorized functions on the microscope stand while the computer is trying to control the microscope stand at the same time.  So hands off while the stand is being switched from visual to scan (or pressing Continuous), and also while the software is initializing (2.5 minutes), and while it is shutting down too.  Please be patient while there are clicks and buzzes coming from the microscope.  These kind of lock ups are annoying, but harmless to the hardware.

The treatment for when the "Can not communicate" or "Can not initialize" message pops up is to close the Leica LCS software down, check that the microscope still responds to commands from the human-input motorized controls (e.g. focus, change fluorescence filter, etc.) and restart the software. 

And if the microscope stand is not responding to human-input motorized commands then shut the power off on the stand controller [2] for 15 seconds, re-power it, then restart the software. 

If there are further problems on re-initialization, then the software should be shut down, the stand powered down and the scanner [5] powered off as well, wait 15 seconds then power things back up as per the standard instructions, i.e. power up in this order: the microscope stand, wait 15 seconds, the scanner, wait 30 seconds, then restart the software.

On rare occasions a error with the word SCSI may appear.  When this happens then the software, stand, and scanner are shut down/powered off, the computer, as well, should be powered off after the Windows operating system is properly exited (i.e. ctrt-alt-del and choose the shut down button--If this does not work. log off Windows then choose Shutdown).

Another time things do go a muck is when the objective turret is not properly registered in a click stop position.  Most commonly this will manifest itself as a "Can not initialize" type error on startup of the Leica LCS software.  As per above, if this happens just exit the software, make sure the objective is in a click stop position and restart the software.

Now you know it all, except if the Leica LCS software locks up.  If this is the case then use Ctrl-shift-Esc hit the "Process" tab, select the LCS software and hit the "End Process" button.

That's about it on recovering from Leica Confocal crashes.


Booking Resources
Copyright 2001-2015  Dr. M. Chua, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Go Back Booking Resources
Questions/comments/problems: Michael Chua

Hit Counter

Last Updated: 2014-07-24