Changelog

This list oulines major new features and bug fixes between releases of the ImAFM™ suite. Each release typically also includes additional minor bugfixes and smaller new features.

Version 4.3

Release date: 2022-10-26

Bugfixes

  • Bugfix for non-english Windows versions

Version 4.3

Release date: 2022-07-08

New features

  • DC component of all inputs now stored together with spectrum in “.imp”-files. Used for instance to store the height sensor signal with the spectrum.

  • ImAFM Nanomechanical panel can now display raw spectrum data, DC and material parameters.

Improvements

  • New setting ‘next_scanner_position’ for how scanner should react when there is an expected end-of-image.

  • K-means plugin: colors can be manually swapped between cluster, cluster image can be exported as ascii.

  • Reduced risk of Too Busy message in ImAFM Nanomechanical when computer is under load.

Bugfixes

  • Additional fix for exe-version not working on some Windows computers due to language settings.

  • Fix to JPK data loader failing for some files.

  • Unit scale error in ImAFM NM parameter maps for “max Fi”-curves

Version 4.2

Release date: 2021-12-11

New features

  • Intermodulation Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (ImCFM) mode added.

  • Added Neural network (MPL) classification to BlackboxAnalysis plugin.

  • Result from BlackboxAnalysis (mean spectra) can be transfered back to software for further analysis.

Improvements

  • Ability to delete addon images in Addon image viewer.

Bugfixes

  • Fix missing DLL’s in previous release.

  • Fix for exe-version not working on some Windows computers due to language settings.

  • Various additional bug fixes and improvements.

Version 4.1

Release date: 2021-03-23

Note: see changenote for 4.0.1 regarding updating from earlier versions.

New features

  • ImAFM Nanomechanical imaging panel, directly see mechanical parameters as you are scanning.

  • K-means clustering can work on a small part of the image using the patch tool.

  • K-means clustering result now has multiple color scales.

Improvements

  • More clear plotting of model fit Fi and Fq curves.

  • Ability to copy-paste histogram results.

  • Improvements to resonance tracking plugin.

Bugfixes

  • Fix position of new windows could be outside screen.

  • Button to show all tools in toolbar in small screens.

  • Fix incorrect unit in Frequency sweep panel.

Version 4.0.2

Release date: 2019-11-07

Note: see changenote for 4.0.1 regarding updating from earlier versions.

Improvements

  • ImEFM turns on output amplifiers if needed.

Bugfixes

  • Fixed exporting force curves from data tree.

  • Fixed 3D-viewer on Windows.

  • Fix to ImFFM which could freeze.

Version 4.0.1

Release date: 2019-09-09

Due to changes in the hardware bootup sequence the following commands must be run from the built-in Python shell once for every MLA (if it was shipped with an older version).

from mlaapi import setup
setup.upload_bootware(mla.hardware.ip_address)

Additionally, if the IP-address has been changed from the default 192.168.42.50 you must also run

setup.set_ip_address(mla.hardware.ip_address, mla.hardware.ip_address)

Improvements

  • Various improvements to Frequency sweep: voltage kept at zero after sweep, individual curves can be shown / hidden from toolbar.

Bugfixes

  • Removed transients appearing during startup.

  • Fix bug in ADFS force volume export.

  • Various bugfixes in cantilever calibrator: allow <1kHz range, allow user to re-zoom while acquiring data.

Version 4.0

Release date: 2019-07-24

We have made a major transition of the software under the hood. It is now based on Python 3 instead of Python 2, and is therefor more future proof. With this upgrade we are simulatenously dropping support for MLA gen2, there will be no parallell releases of gen2-software. Data obtained with MLA gen2 hardware can however still be opened and analysed in this and future versions to make use of the latest analysis techniques.

New features

  • Support for MLA gen3.1 (serial numbers >= 3100).

  • Stream Recorder saves DC values of all four inputs with lockin data.

  • Verbose flag added (-v) to show more warnings and error messages

Improvements

  • Model fit parameter maps speed up.

  • New entry-point to software with more obvious name “start_afm.py”

Bugfixes

  • Fix in Stream Recorder with low df.

Version 2.8 / 3.2

Release date: 2019-02-22

New features

  • “Moving surface model” analysis plugin included by default.

  • Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) included in BlackboxAnalysis plugin

Improvements

  • DMT_EXP model renamed DMT_ExpDamp to clarify exponential damping.

Bugfix

  • Fixed set new calibration from Session overview.

  • Several fixes related to non-square scans.

  • Removed a lot of unecessary warnings when booting up (start software with –verbose to see more warnings).

Version 2.7.1 / 3.1.1

Release date: 2018-09-05

Improvements

  • Frame title shows if we are in OFFLINE mode.

Bugfixes

  • Fix name collision (version, version.dll) which prevented software from starting on Window 10.

  • Fix some deprication warnings.

  • Fix a connection time-out error that effected some machines.

Version 2.7 / 3.1

Release date: 2018-07-05

New features

  • Compatibility with MLA generation 3 (version 3.1)

  • GUI to change config.ini settings (Advanced->All settings)

  • New menu “MLA” for to access additional lockin functionality

  • Fitted force model is now displayed also in the Fi and Fq-plots.

  • K-means clustering: ability to cluster either in force or deflection domain, new gui to select file.

Improvements

  • GUI library updated to wxPython 4

  • Message log does not pop up on every error, instead a message is printed in the status bar in the bottom of the screen. Double-click to see whole message.

  • Addonviewer: colorscale selector (right-click on colorbar) and scroll zoom implemented.

Bugfixes

  • PNG export from model fit did sometimes not work if no scan size had been set.

  • New firmware for gen 3 (205), fixes a small glitch in feedback output signal.

Version 2.6

Release date: 2018-03-27

New features

  • Lockin monitor to easily view lockin values in Manual Setup panel.

  • New Script Panel for scripts in the style of the IMP MLA software.

  • Previous Scripts have been renamed into Plugins. NOTE: Old scripts have to be manually moved from IMP Sessions and settingssettingsscripts to settingsafm_plugins.

  • Input and output port selector in Frequency Sweep.

  • Ability to set a different DC offset for each lockin time window.

  • ScanData addon images can be viewed directly in the Session overview.

Improvements

  • A lot of stability fixes in the underlying MLA library.

  • Significant speed-up of noise calibration.

  • Easier to integrate customized analysis in Session overview.

  • ImEFM: allow changing DC offset while scanning.

Bugfixes

  • Fixed a bugs which could prevent processing of retrace in AFMs with only one trigger per line, such as Asylum Cypher.

  • mla.osc.ad_is_in_safe_range was not properly detecting a clipped input.

  • Fix resolution of non-square images in Gwyddion loader.

  • Frequency Sweep, fixed limits for max V and frequency.

Version 2.5.2

Release date: 2017-09-04

New features

  • Principal-component-analysis (PCA) added to black box model scripts.

  • “Smooth pixel tool”, calculate force curves from the avarage of several pixels.

  • Physical ports for vertical and horizontal signal can be set from config.ini.

  • New panel (Menu->Advanced->Message Log) to see error messages and debug print outs.

Improvements

  • Improved interface for measure just lifted.

  • Improved color scales with more linear lightness.

Bugfixes

  • reset_tones_on_new_pixel was set automatically when running start_lockin, affecting some custom imaging modes.

  • Software did not start after having reached 9999 measurement files.

Version 2.5.1

Release date: 2017-04-04

Bugfixes

  • Ability to import height data from Nanoscope version 9.2

  • Corrected scaling of Nanoscope height files when height sensor calibration existed, but height sensor was not used.

  • Tweaks to make measure just lifted more stable.

  • Modified behaviour of session log book to reduce the risk of deleting log entry by mistake.

Version 2.5

Release date: 2017-03-02

New features

  • Background force compensation using new measure lift function.

  • Changes to force curve plotting: ADFS default (no longer polynomial), plot only modulated range.

  • Stavitzky-Golay smoothing of ADFS force curves.

  • Speed-up of FI and FQ calculation.

  • Speed-up of ADFS force curves, force volume export almost 40x faster.

  • New Mode: Intermodulation Frictional Force Microscopy (ImFFM) with torsional eigenmode calibration.

  • Support for input multiplexing feature of the MLA (needed for ImFFM) available from Drive Constructor.

  • Mouse wheel zoom features in all plots and images.

  • Drag-and-drop support for opening files and folder.

  • Graphs showing convergence of calibration.

  • Simplified ImAFM set-up (automatic modulation range).

  • Script for calculating True Topography using feature on FI FQ curves.

  • Level data tool in analysis pannel

  • New scheme in ImEFM for improved surface tracking.

  • Improvements to Drive Constructor.

  • Improvements to 3D viewer, use amplitude and phase images as texture.

  • Update and improvement of the User Manual.

Bugfixes

  • Lasso tool picks data from correct scan pass (trace / retrace).

  • Zoom fixed in ImEFM.

  • Improvements and fixes to Gwyddion loader

  • Can now load newer JPK files

Installation notes

  • Application has been renamed from “IMP Software Suite” to “IMP AFM Software Suite”. Manual uninstallation of previous version required to clean up start-menu and desktop icon.

Version 2.4.1

Release date: 2016-10-04

New features

  • Frequency sweep: reverse sweep direction.

  • Manual setup panel for setting up the lockin.

  • New ScanData file format version (9) keeping track of scan type (ImAFM, ImEFM etc).

  • Model fit parameter maps additionally stored as ASCII files.

  • Lifted motion displayed together with free motion in show meta data browser.

Bugfixes

  • ScanData: fixed export to ascii and sampling frequency was not correct when using drive constructor.

  • Easier to use binary Gwyddion loader for “.imp”-files. Does not require any special version of or python Gwyddion for windows. Note: requires installation of Visual Studio 2015 redistributables from Microsoft.

Version 2.4

Release date: 2016-06-30

New features

  • New MLA firmware: MLA can measure DC-component at all inputs simultaneously.

  • Script to record ramps / approach curves using DC signal.

  • Support fo NT-MDT triggers.

  • New format for storing calibration in ScanData files.

Bugfixes

  • Improved interpretation of EOL and EOF signals from AFM. Trace/retrace and left/right flipping is automatically syncronized after EOF trigger. First and last scan line of images now stored correctly.

  • Fix model fit force curves not appearing when using area tool.

Version 2.3

Release date: 2016-04-06

New features

  • Measure lift.

  • When saving an image directly from the GUI you will now get a dialog box where you can type the resolution. There is also a new option in the “Save as type” field named “Native resolution png”. With this option pure png files will be saved with the same resolution as the data. In addition, separate files with the colorbars will be generated. This could be practical if you want to assemble the figure yourself in for example powerpoint.

  • There is a hold-off time (default 1 ms) before a new trigger can be accepted to avoid bouncing.

  • Phase feedback using port OUT C. This is activated from the python shell with:

    mla.feedback.activate_phase()

    The full phase range of -pi to +pi corresponds to a voltage range of -1 V to +1 V. You can offset the voltage with mla.feedback.set_phase_offset(val), when val is -32768 to 32767.

    A more convenient way to adjust the offset may be to use mla.feedback.set_current_phase_to_value(V), where V is a voltage (-4 to +4). This will read the current phase value and adjust the offset of the phase feedback so that the resulting voltage on port OUT C is the specified value.

    Before you can do anything with the phase feedback, the normal feedback must be set up as usual with the “Setup” button in the “Scanner” or the “Advanced setup” perspectives. This phase feedback is to be considered experimental.

  • Gwyddion plug-in to open ScanData files. Instructions for how to install it in the folder C:Program FilesIMP Software SuiteExtToolsGwyddion

  • New icon in the start menu to start the software in Debug mode.

Bugfixes

  • Better handling of unusual values of amplitude and df.

  • The rotation of merged Asylum images is fixed.

  • The data transfer speed is improved so it should be possible to scan faster.

Version 2.2

New features

  • Plot of free oscillation accessible from data tree

  • Many additional new features

Bugfixes

  • Live parameter map works with half scan speed

  • Additional minor tweaks including description of units in imp-files

Version 2.1

New features

  • Improved smaller icon set (white emblem on blue background)

  • Many additional new features and bugfixes

Version 2.0

New features

  • First version software to use the second generation multifrequency lockin amplifier (MLA)