This feature exists to give the possibility of inserting artificial values to the z-position of the stage. A useful tool for volume scanning when the stage is uncoupled from the SciScan Software (in case non-Scientifica hardware is being used, or you are using the controller in another software and don’t want to release it).

Using the “artificial Z Motor.vi” allows you to insert various z-position in Sciscan while the stage is moving and controlled by other software.

How to use the artificial Z Motor

1. Ensure that “XYZ stage handler_coMD.vi” is listed as an optional module in the .ini file and that “XYZ stage communication_coMD.vi” is commented out as below:
2. Start SciScan as normal
3. Once SciScan has finished loading its modules, start “artificial Z Motor.vi”
   
4. Use the VI to artificially add values to the Z-Stack table in SciScan
5. Type the desired value into the posZ box and press OK to set the motor to that position.
6. Press ADD to add the current position (and laser power) to the Z-Stack table.

Example: To set up a 400um piezo scan

1. Set the Z position to “0”
2. Add the “0” Position
3. Set the Z position to “400”
4. Add the “400” position
5. Enable the Piezo and configure the rest of the piezo scan as described here.

Please note: as standard, SciScan is configured to use a 400um piezo and has a default scale factor of 0.025 Volts/micron. This can be switched to a scale factor of 0.1V/um for a 100um piezo, or an arbitrary scale factor by making changes in the .ini file described here.