MadModder

That is an interesting little microscope. Very compact and quite unusual in that it seems to have only one set of eyepieces. Most of them tend to have two sets of eyepieces so that an assistant or trainee can help with the operation or view the procedure. Most modern ones have an inbuilt camera in addition to the two sets of eyepieces which gets fed to an external monitor.

In my opening post, I suggested typing 'Zeiss Op-Mi6' into Google and going to the photos offered there.  Among those photos there are many showing other variants of the Op-Mi6 including lots with multiple sets of eyepieces.

On the one I have here there is a dummy beam-splitter sandwiched between the eyepieces and the main body of the microscope head.  This one is just there to maintain the correct optical path length (aka 'tube length') but it could have been replaced by a functional beam-splitter and one or two additional sets of eyepieces.  I used the past tense because Zeiss ceased to support the Op-Mi6 a long time ago!!

My first job was with EMI Ltd.  One of their departments developed a colour television system.  It didn't win the competition for the broadcast market so they had a go at the surgical training sector.  It was reported of the inaugural trial that when the surgeon made his initial incision both the camera operator and the guy at the vision mixer panel in the OB van outside fainted and were caught by porters stationed by the surgeon for just that purpose!!  (They might not have been porters.) 

I agree fully with your method Andrew, go away and do something else that keeps your mind busy, and let the unconcious computer have a go at the problem. You can only get so far in one session, and then you start to get frustrated and think yersen round in circles! Take a break. Earth shifting sounds fine, but always leaves me with a flasback just as I am falling asleep, I am back on the digger, and it has just gone beyond the point of no return, and is going over!
Phil

Appropriate name for a manufacturer 
"Near-OK"
 

So, the rubber duck approach : explain to us ducks exactly what you are doing, what you expect to happen, and what does happen.
Sometimes the act of explaining it helps you to realise the issue.
Or, less likely, one of us may see the flaw.



Russ

Well I'm STILL going round the houses trying to get 'spindle orientation' working. 

Today I've identified EVERY connection to the KTK Mentor spindle drive, and proved to my satisfaction that it is working properly when commanded. I have also been through every input line and output line that has anything remotely to do with the spindle or it's positioning, and proved it works. At a logical level it's pretty simple. The Mentor drive takes in an analogue value that represents speed (-10,0,+10) and has an input from a tacho generator that represents actual speed. There are various enable and inhibit signals all of which work. If I drive the spindle at 1000 rpm clockwise I get an analogue input of +3 volts and a tacho gen output of -60 (rounded figures). If I drive the spindle anti-clockwise at 1000rpm I get an analogue value of -3 volts and a tacho gen output of + 60 volts. If I manually turn the spindle I can display the output of the shaft encoder in degrees and they are sensible.

Conclusion: the Mentor drive system is working, as is the encoder feedback of position to the controller. The problem MUST lie in the controller itself or it's parameters.

I've then been through every parameter that I can find that has anything remotely to do with M19 spindle positioning, and again everything looks sensible. I've re-loaded the controller three times from the back ups that I sourced - even set the baud rate for loading down a couple of notches in case something was being miss-read.

. . . argh !

So to restore my sanity I've swung the Tail stock Door now it's paint is a bit harder. Paint is a bit lighter than the original, but will have to do.

Earth shifting tomorrow if the weather is kind, so maybe my spinning head will clear !