unfolding disasters http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~wking/blog/archives/hardware/index.html notes and ideas vaguely related to AFM force spectroscopy en-us Trevor 2010-03-02T07:10:56-05:00 http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~wking/blog/archives/2008/07/15/index.html#e2008-07-15T13_48_17.txt MultiMode head connection deconstructed 2008-07-15T13:48:17-05:00 Trevor Hardware After some tapping-mode debugging, I now know what almost all the lines connecting the MultiMode head to the base do. Take a look at my notes.

If anyone has figured out line 4, or is using a MultiMode as an STM, please send me an email.

Now, back to work on my Kramers' checks...

]]> http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~wking/blog/archives/2008/07/07/index.html#e2008-07-07T14_54_09.txt Grr Multimodes 2008-07-07T14:54:09-05:00 Trevor Hardware There was some trouble with tapping-mode imaging this morning, and with Prof. Yang's help things seem to be straightened out now. I tried both Nanoscopes with both Multimodes (we have two nominally identical systems), but had not bothered to swap heads. As it turned out, we had been using the infrared head (we have three heads), which wasn't working. Not that that was the only problem. As it turned out, tapping seems to be working with the combination

  Nanoscope 2 -- Multimode 1 -- Head 1 or 2

As far as I can tell, the problem is generating the voltage for the piezo that vibrates the cantilever, which seems to take place on the Multimode main board. Unless something is seriously wrong with the Nanoscope, it shouldn't matter which Nanoscope we use. I suppose I should trace the Nanoscope-Multimode communication in both cases and look for something different.

I've no idea how generating a tunable sine wave can be so complicated. The simple solution is to stick to modular equipment with open-standard, easily-accessible communication between them, but I don't have time to develop a system like that. Some day I will give up on Nanoscope troubleshooting and build a GXSM system.

]]> http://www.physics.drexel.edu/~wking/blog/archives/2008/07/02/index.html#e2008-07-02T19_18_04.txt Tables! 2008-07-02T19:18:04-05:00 Trevor Hardware You wouldn't think that spending most of the day reorganizing the lab would be lots of fun, but it was. Maybe just because its more enjoyable to try and picture my ideal lab than it is to puzzle through other people's cryptic theories. That's also fun, but I burn out faster :p. Anyhow, we put in some nice tables today with shelves and racks to get the Nanoscope controller & computers up out of the way. I'm looking forward to cluttering up all the new empty space ;).

I think it would be cool to have a lab with most everything suspended from the ceiling. You could route all the supporting cables over to a line of cleats or belaying pins running down one wall. Then you could set up your experiment with plenty of space in the center of the room, lowering whatever setup equipment you needed down to arms reach & hoisting it back up out of the way when you were done. You could also stash servers and stuff up out of the way, but you'd need a side table somewhere for monitors and printers. Hmm, maybe I'll make some drawings up to get a better feel for the idea.

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