VariSpec software in conjunction with MATLAB

I'm currently trying to use a laser alongside a VariSpec Liquid Crystal Tunable Filter (LCTF) for fluorescent imaging microscopy. Long story short, the software that goes with the microscope is Micro-Manager and the software for the LCTF is VSGUI (or VariSpecGUI).

I want to write code that will effectively carry out a sequence of events on the VSGUI and MM software for me using MATLAB, automatically. From what I've read, this is fairly straightforward to do for the Micro-Manager software as there's some pre-written .m files / script that can be used for the operation of MM and if push comes to shove there is also the Microscopy Toolbox. However, with the VariSpec VSGUI software, I'm struggling to find any files relating to it. I know they exist because the manual for the LCTF states "CRi provides a set of MATLAB files to control VariSpec filters. There is a core support .DLL file and a series of .m files"

So great, the files exist and I don't need to start from scratch, however, this CRi company does not seem to exist (think it might have been bought over?) and there are no websites that I can find with the files.

Long shot, but does anyone have any of the files that I'm talking about to operate the VariSpec filters? I don't think I'm fully capable of writing out a full script from scratch.

[Refah Mahmoud]

Hi Nicola, I'm looking to purchase a VariSpec LCTF for myself. From where did you buy yours? Any interest in selling it?

[Sofie Cambré]

Dear Refah,

did you manage to acquire such a Varispec LCTF and if yes, from which company? We bought one two years ago and it has issues, but the supplier does not exist anymore and no one seems to be able to help us. They all claim it was no longer availalbe a few montsh after we bought it. Since you were willing to buy one in 2018, did you still manage to do so?

[Jesse Ivers]

Hey Nicola,

I am 4 years too late, but I have the files. I believe they were included with the orignal install CD and I just happened to find them on an old machine while trying to solve this same mystery.

Unfrotunately, it seems the .dll file needed for the control functions to work may no longer be supported by MATLAB. I've been trying to find a workaround. If you are still working on this project, I'd be happy to send you all the files and maybe you will have better luck.

SInce it's been four years, I am optimistic you've already solved this! In that case, can you share what you did to control the LCTF?

Jesse

[john]

Jesse,

Do you still have that software handy? I recently purchased a raman system ont he secondary market that had the computer taken out of it for ip security reasons, and I'm hoping to breath life back into it.

I'd love to get the software from you.

[Jesse Ivers]

John,

For your sake, I hope you haven't been waiting for my reply and have found other anserws, but in case someone else ends up here, I'm attaching the files. The .VsDrvrNET directory and subdirecty containg the dll file was originally installed into the C:\Windows\assembly\GAC_64 directory, and that works fine on that machine, but when I moved these files to another machne, I was unable to get the GUI to work without copying the driver file (VsDrvrNET.dll) to the same directory as the GUI .exe file. I palced them all in a single directory within Program Files.

If it's helpful, I've also got a small repo of MATLAB-based controllers on GitHub that I use to make synching the LCTF with other hardware easier, here.

Hope this helps.