Leica TCS SP8 SMD, User Manual

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Troubleshooting
31 Troubleshooting
Make sure that all components of the TCS SP8 system as well as of the SMD upgrade are
switched on.
31.1 Hardware Configuration Gets Lost or Software Needs to be
Installed Again
The actual hardware configuration of your SMD upgrade (LSM trigger signal configuration,
name of the TCSPC unit and corresponding settings, number of detection channels, etc.) is
saved in a *.cfg file. Restoring the configuration using the CFG file is also useful if you have
to reinstall the software.
Select the Restore from CFG file menu item in the Setup menu ( Figure 219 ). The original
settings of the SMD upgrade are stored in the Settings folder in the SymPhoTime program
directory and in the MicroTime 200.cfg file on the external USB memory stick included in the
standard delivery of the instrument.
Figure 219: SymPhoTime menu for restoring the configuration settings
If the hardware equipment is changed, the CFG file needs to be changed accordingly to
adapt the software to the hardware changes. Please contact Leica Microsystems CMS
GmbH in this case. As the system is delivered already configured, it is not recommended to
change settings without the supervision of Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH.
31.2 The Instrument Is Losing Sensitivity
• We recommend installing a power meter in the lab in order to measure the laser
intensities for selected wavelengths. This is especially true for FCS measurements, since
the laser power is a crucial parameter for FCS.
• If you have purchased an SMD upgrade with one or two APD detectors attached, the
performance of the instrument can be checked using FCS traces of a dye solution with a
dye that can be effectively excited. At a given laser intensity, filters and objective, and
distance to the cover slip surface, the molecular brightness is a stable, characteristic
value that can be used to monitor the instrument's performance. Suitable dyes for
various wavelengths: