Skip specialized digital microscope drivers: Here's the alternative

To use digital microscope software on a computer, you often need a digital microscope driver, usually proprietary to the manufacturer’s microscope. These drivers are readily available for download on the manufacturer’s website and only require a simple installation process. But why should you even bother with digital microscope drivers when you can skip them all together and use generic drivers instead?

That’s a question we at TAGARNO asked ourselves back in 2016 when we launched our FHD line of digital microscopes. And the truth is, we couldn’t see any reason why you as a user should bother with specialized digital microscope drivers. As a result, all FHD digital microscopes from TAGARNO either run all microscope software directly on the microscope itself or use a USB video class driver, also known as a UVC driver, if you need to connect a computer. This UVC driver is included with the microscope and allows it to act like a regular webcam, regardless of whether you’re using a Windows or Mac computer, and eliminates the need for proprietary digital microscope drivers.

Let’s have a look at some scenarios where you’d typically use digital microscope driver and where we’ve introduced a different solution:

• Use digital microscope software without digital microscope drivers
• Share microscope live image with UVC drivers
• Take photos of your inspections without digital microscope drivers

Use digital microscope software without digital microscope drivers

A key benefit of using a digital microscope is the wide range of microscope software that you can use as part of your inspection. On some microscopes, this software runs on a separate computer and in order for the software to work, you need a digital microscope driver.

With TAGARNO’s microscopes, however, the software runs directly on the microscope itself. This eliminates the need for a separate computer and thus a digital microscope driver.

The only exception is if you’re using the TAGARNO Open API. This does require a separate computer to perform the commands, but the microscope can be connected to the computer using a UVC driver.

Share the microscope live image in an online meeting with remote colleagues.

Share microscope live image with UVC drivers

If you need to discuss a sample with a colleague or business partner who is not available for a physical meeting, you can share the microscope live image during an online meeting. This allows both of you to see what is happening underneath the microscope without being in the same room or sending the sample back and forth for individual inspections.

To share the microscope live image, connect the microscope to any computer using a USB 3.0 port and open the included Camera app to see what the microscope sees on the computer. No digital microscope driver needed. Then, share your screen in your preferred online meeting platform and you’re ready to go.

Take photos of your inspections without digital microscope drivers

More and more businesses need to document their inspections and findings. With a digital microscope, it’s incredibly easy to do so. Especially if the microscope has a computer built into the microscope itself. In this case, all it takes is a press of a button.

If the microscope doesn’t have a built-in computer, however, it does require a separate computer. In this case, you can connect the TAGARNO microscope to a computer using a USB 3.0 port and the Camera app. Again, no digital microscope driver needed.

What if I have a non-FHD TAGARNO microscope?

If you’re using a microscope from our discontinued line of HD microscope and want to take photos of your work, you need to connect it to a computer. This requires a digital microscope driver. Even though the line of microscopes was discontinued in 2017, we still offer this driver. Simply contact [email protected] for more info.

Similarly, if you’re using a HD microscope with a permanent MILLI or MICRO license, collectively known as a TMS license, you also need a digital microscope driver. This, however, will only work on Windows 7 computers unless you managed to purchase an Upgrade license for Windows 10 before this also was discontinued.

Never deal with digital microscope drivers again

If you’d like to never deal with digital microscope drivers again, you can explore our range of digital microscopes with UVC drivers only.