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miniFRAME_Software

1. Software Philosophy​

Modern microscopy requires orchestration. openUC2 relies on ImSwitch, an open-source microscopy control framework designed for:

  • Modular hardware abstraction
  • Time-synchronized workflows
  • Automation and long-term experiments

To reduce installation complexity, ImSwitch is bundled into a fully versioned operating system image for the Raspberry Pi.

Our goal: “Become the Raspberry Pi for optics.”

2. ImSwitch OS (Forklift-based)​

The openUC2 Raspberry Pi image is built using Forklift, a GitHub-like system for operating systems.

Key Advantages​

  • Fully versioned OS builds
  • Reproducible images
  • Docker-based ImSwitch services
  • CI-built via GitHub Actions
  • Tested before release

Suggested image placeholder: [Screenshot: ImSwitch OS desktop / landing page]

3. Downloading the Image​

Currently, images are hosted externally due to size constraints.

Download location (placeholder): [URL: Google Drive / Zenodo release link]

Future releases will be published directly via GitHub releases once size constraints are resolved.

4. Flashing the SD Card​

Requirements​

  • Raspberry Pi 4 (≥4 GB RAM recommended)
  • microSD card ≥ 64 GB (minimum ~46 GB required)
  • Raspberry Pi Imager

Flashing Steps​

  1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager
  2. Select Custom Image
  3. Choose the downloaded .img file
  4. Flash to SD card
  5. Insert SD card into Raspberry Pi

5. First Boot and Access​

After boot, connect to the WiFi network:

  • SSID: openUC2-XXXX
  • Password: youseetoo

Open a browser and navigate to:

  • http://openuc2.local
  • or http://192.168.4.1

6. Landing Page Dashboard​

The landing page provides:

  • System status overview
  • Network information
  • Links to ImSwitch
  • Remote access options
  • Developer tools

Suggested screenshot placeholder: [Screenshot: openUC2 landing dashboard]

7. ImSwitch Interface​

Click ImSwitch Instance on the landing page.

Features include:

  • Live camera view
  • Stage control
  • Illumination control
  • Experiment orchestration

Configuration is accessed via:

Settings → Configuration (top right)

8. Configuration Files​

Currently, experiments are defined using JSON configuration files.

  • Location: /home/pi/Documents/ImSwitchConfig/config/

Preconfigured examples exist for:

  • HIK cameras
  • LED matrices
  • UC2 ESP32 stages

Improving usability and introducing guided configuration tools is an active development goal.

9. Networking and Internet Access​

Options​

  • Ethernet (recommended)
  • Switch to external WiFi network via landing page
  • Standalone hotspot mode

Ethernet provides the most stable setup for updates.

10. Remote Access (Tailscale)​

The system supports Tailscale for secure remote access.

  • Enable via landing page → Remote
  • Allows maintenance, debugging, and remote experiments

Suggested image placeholder: [Screenshot: Remote access configuration section]

11. Developer Access​

Terminal Access​

  • Username: pi
  • Password: youseetoo

Access methods:

  • Web terminal via landing page

  • SSH:

    ssh pi@openuc2-xxxx.local

12. Updates and Recovery​

Updates​

  • Docker containers can be updated via developer tools
  • OS images are versioned and reproducible

Recovery​

If the SD card becomes corrupted:

  • Re-flash the image
  • Note: experiment data and configs are lost unless backed up

13. Where Configuration Lives​

All ImSwitch-related files:

/home/pi/Documents/ImSwitchConfig/

Includes:

  • Hardware configs
  • Experiment definitions
  • Scripts
  • Logs

14. DPC and Advanced Imaging​

For Mini-FRAME systems, the DPC Controller can be enabled via the ImSwitch App Manager.

It enables time-synchronized acquisitions using:

  • Left
  • Right
  • Top
  • Bottom illumination

From these, DPC images are computationally reconstructed.

Suggested image placeholder: [Diagram: DPC illumination sequence]

15. Next Steps​

  • Customize your configuration JSON
  • Explore ImSwitch workflows
  • Enable remote access
  • Integrate additional UC2 modules