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Why Micro-Manager
Why do we need the Micro-Manager?
Nenad Amodaj, August 10, 2006
Software control of microscopes and associated hardware (shutters,
filter wheels, stages, cameras, etc) has become very important in
biological research. Currently, there is a large number of
commercial
software packages available, some produced by microscope or camera
manufacturers, others by third parties. In fact, almost every hardware
vendor pushes its own software package for microscopy. The industry
seems to have reached the conclusion that you need to have your own in
order to boost sales of your hardware and to simplify support. Viewing
software as a vehicle for selling hardware or manipulating the
competitors, led us to the situation where every company is almost
forced to develop its own variation of the same software, over and over
again.
In the situation where you already have too many choices, the decision
to make yet another one, may seem contradictory. But, what we really
have right now is that various hardware and software vendors
are competing to supply the complete solution by attempting to
provide all required software in a single package. Unfortunately,
in automated imaging there is no such thing as the “complete
solution”, and users are faced with a number of mutually
incompatible software packages, each inadequate in its own way.
Sometimes, due to some obscure technical incompatibilities you
need to use two different software packages within the same
hardware setup. You probably know the story: "To use camera X, I need
software A, but device Y works only with software B". Another problem
with commercial packages is that they can not be easily extended to
support new devices and novel acquisition techniques. You are pretty
much dependent on the vendor for fixing problems, adding new
functionality and supporting new (or legacy) devices.
In such circumstances there is an obvious need for more flexible and
affordable solution. Open Source licensing of the software will enable
unrestricted modifications and extensions of the functionality and
device support, by various parties, both commercial and non-commercial.
It creates the possibility for various users contributing their drivers
and functionality extensions to the community. It also gives the device
manufacturers the chance to supply (contribute or even sell) the best
possible Micro-Manager drivers for their hardware, because they have
full access to the source code. And finally system integrators may find
it easier to provide customized turn-key solutions with Micro-Manager.
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