# Controlling a Non-Supported Microscope with µManager
**URL:** https://forum.microlist.org/t/controlling-a-non-supported-microscope-with-manager/2042
**Category:** Software
**Tags:** micro-manager
**Created:** [January 19, 2023, 5:06pm UTC](https://forum.microlist.org/t/controlling-a-non-supported-microscope-with-manager/2042 "2023-01-19T17:06:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@hzw](https://forum.microlist.org/u/hzw)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2023, 5:06pm UTC](https://forum.microlist.org/t/controlling-a-non-supported-microscope-with-manager/2042/1 "2023-01-19T17:06:50Z")
Hi everyone,
This is actually a [cross-post from the image.sc forum](https://forum.image.sc/t/controlling-a-non-supported-microscope-with-manager/75878/1) as I was advised that I might be luckier in this forum here.
I am using a Tomocube [HT-2H](https://www.tomocube.com/product/ht-series/#HT_series_cont) Optical Diffraction Tomography microscope for my experiments. Currently, it is only controllable via the GUI software the vendor provides and there is no API. I was wondering if there is a way to control such a microscope via µManager, e.g. using macros that translate commands into mouse actions, or alternatively via more low-level control of the device. Are there any experiences in this direction?
Searching through this forum hinted me at that it’s easier if the device is supported, but I couldn’t find any final conclusions so far.
Latest update: I went through the USB devices that appear once the microscope is plugged in. Indeed I found out that the camera is a Point Grey Research, and I managed to capture the stream in Python using Spinnaker ( flir. com/products/spinnaker-sdk/ - can only post two links, I’m sorry). Now I’m wondering if there would be a way to control the input as well. These are the devices that show up in Python:
| Class | FriendlyName | vendor\_id | product\_id | vendor\_name | product\_name | component |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| USB | USB Serial Converter | VID\_0403 | PID\_6001 | Future Technology Devices International, Ltd | FT232 Serial (UART) IC | |
| USB | USB Composite Device | VID\_0451 | PID\_C900 | Texas Instruments, Inc. | | DMD? |
| HIDClass | USB Input Device | VID\_0451 | PID\_C900 | Texas Instruments, Inc. | | DMD? |
| PGRDevices | USB3 Vision Camera | VID\_1E10 | PID\_4000 | Point Grey Research, Inc. | | Camera |
| USB | Generic USB Hub | VID\_2109 | PID\_2813 | VIA Labs, Inc. | VL813 Hub | |
| USB | Generic SuperSpeed USB Hub | VID\_2109 | PID\_0813 | VIA Labs, Inc. | VL813 Hub | |
I’m not 100% sure regarding the TI DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) but that’s what given the most related hits. I assume I don’t want to control this one directly.
The FT232 is a USB-to-serial interface. To be honest, I have no idea if I can use this one for anything.
The same applies to both of the Via Labs USB hub controllers.
I appreciate your help if you have any ideas about how to use these devices, or in what directions to look further. Thank you for all your efforts!
Best wishes
Henning
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### Author:  [@Hazen\_Babcock](https://forum.microlist.org/u/Hazen_Babcock)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://forum.microlist.org/t/controlling-a-non-supported-microscope-with-manager/2042/2 "2023-01-19T20:29:51Z")
My guess is that most of the commands to control the microscope go through the USB to serial converter. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like anyone has yet reverse engineered what these commands are. If you can find documentation of the commands you can use a Python library like pyserial to send the commands and control the microscope.
I’m not sure Micromanager is the best choice for running the manufacturers software by macros. You might better luck with a Python library like pywinauto for something like this. If you can figure out how to directly control the microscope than Micromanager would be a good choice as it has a driver for the Point Grey camera.
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### Author:  [@BiologyTools](https://forum.microlist.org/u/BiologyTools)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://forum.microlist.org/t/controlling-a-non-supported-microscope-with-manager/2042/3 "2023-11-24T16:37:22Z")
I once automated a Olympus FV1000 using GUI automation to capture the live view, move the focus take stacks etc. Since you are working with python I would look into GUI automation libraries for python to automate the microscope functions using the program the manufacturer provided.