Connection to SPM

Gwyscope hardware itself is not enough to perform SPM measurements, it is only the Digital Signal Processor for it. To run a SPM experiment with Gwyscope, you need a microscope hardware and some electronics: usually at least some kind of probe-sample force detection electronics and piezo amplifiers.

Two examples of how we connect it to our test setups are be provided below. The first example shows a standard AFM cantilever deflection detection based on optical lever. The detector which is typically a quadrant photo diode provides input for fast feedback. This signal is acquired by Red Pitaya's fast input. The 3D stage is driven by high voltage amplifiers with analog inputs. Input voltages for these amplifiers are generated by high resolution (20-bit) DACs. If signals related to the actual stage position are available (typically from strain gauge sensors), they can be read simultaneously using 18-bit ADCs. Communication including data transfer between the DSP and PC is realized using Ethernet connection.

The second example is similar to the first one, however here we demonstrate the capability of digital communication between the stage controller and the DSP via the RS-232 serial link.