Mr. Alai:

We use a Zeiss Stemi SV 6 and a B/W FastCam to record very rapid DEP liquid
microactuation at transient speeds approaching 25 cm/second.  At 1000 fps,
we miss some details of the motion, but we are generally very pleased with
this system.  The optics are superb for the price -- good resolution
combined with excellent working distance.  If we had more money (ha ha),
maybe we would have gone for the color option for the FastCam, though, in
that case, our 450 MHz computer would have been inadequate to the task of
capturing the videos and, furthermore, the mpg files would be truly massive.
In searching for a good video system, you might want to look closely at the
trade-off between speed, resolution, and the lapsed time (=number of
recorded frames).  Good luck.

Tom Jones


9:34 AM +0800 2/15/02, Ajay Alai wrote:
> Hi,
> Can anybody suggest a good microscope and a video camera for MEMS viewing.
> Actually, I need to capture actuator movement at 500Hz.
>
> Thanks
> Ajay Alai
> Project  Leader



________________________________________________
Thomas B. Jones
Professor of Electrical Engineering
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY   14627   (USA)
phone:  1-585-275-5233    NEW AREA CODE
fax:    1-585-273-4919    NEW AREA CODE
research website:            www.ece.rochester.edu/users/jones/
electrostatics demos: www.ece.rochester.edu/~jones/demos/
________________________________________________