UNDER THE SCOPE: BUILD YOUR OWN USB MICROSCOPE FOR £15

Torturing webcams so you don’t have to...

Issue 227 June 2009 £5.99 Outside UK & ROI £6.49

Empire Total War

guide

FALLOUT 3 THE PIT: DIGGING DEEPER

COMPANY OF HEROESTALES OF VALOR

61 Games90 AppsSee page 118

FREE

PERFORMANCE GEAR & GAMING

VISTA VS XP VS WINDOWS 7THE DEFINITIVE BENCHMARKS

IS IT TIME TO CONSIDER LINUX?INSTANT BOOTING AND GAMING

HER

E’S TO SW

IMM

ING

WITH

BOW

LEGG

ED W

OM

EN

WW

W.PCFO

RM

AT.CO.U

KISSU

E 227JU

NE 2009

THERE’S MORE…Big screens from £140AMD’s budget super-computerGame coding: Explosions

ISSUE 227 HERE’S TO SWIMMING WITH BOW LEGGED WOMEN

Nvidia GTX275 versus AMD HD 4890

PCF227.cover 1 15/4/09 3:17:54 pm

Make

We’re not sure why we have a pathological hatred of webcams, but if we’re not ripping them apart, then

we’re trying to permanently epoxy them to other things. Our latest endeavour came about after another trawl of the bargain aisles at the local eBay. After playing around with our USB telescope from two issues ago we stumbled across a cheap microscope.

It struck us that in a similar way it’d be perfectly possible to capture images from the microscope onto the bare face of a webcam’s detector. All that’s needed is a contraption to mount the webcam in the right place over the microscope’s eyepiece. Beyond that it’d be just a case of focusing the image onto the webcam’s detector just as you’d focus it onto your retina.

It sounds simple enough: fi nd a suitable section of tubing, cut a slot to take the webcam’s innards, line it up correctly and fi x the whole thing in

Make: A USB microscopeIn our continuing quest to strap things to webcams, we delve into the microscopic world

place. The best bit about this build is that it works beautifully. Old microscopes can be picked up for as little as £10, while most people have an old webcam, or else again these can be picked up for peanuts online.

These are great things to play with as you can easily watch organisms grow in ordinary tap water or just examine slices of plants or vegetables. It’s perfect for projects and if connected to your PC you can record videos. ¤ Neil Mohr

What you will need¤ Microscope¤ Webcam¤ 25mm tubing (from tinfoil pack)¤ Hotglue gun¤ Hacksaw¤ Stanley knife

64 June 2009

Future Publishing Limited provides the information for this project in good faith and makes no representations as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions in this project do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgment in determining the appropriateness of parts, equipment, sealants and other

adhesives for a particular use. (Yes, we know, but it’s what the lawyers tell us to print).

Protective clothing, gloves and goggles/safety glasses should also be worn at all times, when using drills. Use of the USB microscope may void a product’s warranty (like you care, but, again, we have to say this for the stupid people). To

the fullest extent permitted by law, Future Publishing Limited takes no responsibility for any person relying on the information relating to this project and disclaims all liability for any errors, omissions, damage or injury to users or their equipment as a result of or relating to their making and use of the USB miscroscope.

Cost: £15

2

3

1

4

5

PCF227.make 64 17/4/09 9:37:30 am

Make a USB microscope

How to make a microscopeAs always, please take proper safety precautions while undertaking these Makes. We get our mums to look after us, which also means a steady fl ow of free sandwiches (1). To start we need to rip open the webcam. The plastic case is often just unnecessary fl uff (2). We’re just interested in the logic board and sensor. Remove any lens array that might be attached (3). The plan is to slide a suitably sized tube over the lens – typically this will be about 25mm in diameter – then mount the webcam at the end of this (4). The webcam sensor needs to be around 1cm from the eyepiece, but more importantly it has to be central. Put the tube in place and mark where the slit will need to be for the sensor to sit correctly (5). Use the Stanley knife or a hacksaw to cut a section out for mounting the webcam. You may want to add tape to the inside of the tube to create a tight fi nal fi t (6). Power up the webcam and work out where its central position is by looking for a bright spot. You may need to move the tube up and down to hit the correct focal point (7). You can add extra rings for a fi nal fi t but once you have the webcam in position hotglue the logic board in place (8). While it may not be the prettiest of sights it’s a functioning beast and enables normal use of the microscope afterwards (9). Et viola, tiny things pleasing tiny minds (10).

June 2009 65

67

8

10

9 “The best bit about this build is that it works beautifully. Old microscopes can be picked up for as little as £10”

PCF227.make 65 17/4/09 9:37:32 am