Plugable 250x Digital USB Microscope with Observation Stand

Some specific device classes, such as USB cameras, are handled differently by operating system privacy/security settings. If you aren't seeing an image output from the microscope, or you see a message that your "Camera is being used by another application", you may need to change these privacy/security settings.

Instructions for Windows

1. Press the or click on the Windows key to open the Start Menu, and type "Settings" into the search bar.
   
   
2. Then, click the gear-shaped icon to open up the Settings menu.

   

   
   
3. In the settings, click Privacy.

   

   
   
4. Click Camera, on the left hand side menu.

   

   
   
5. Now, we can see that the ability for the system to Allow access to the camera on this device is off. We also see that the ability for the system to Allow apps access to your camera is off as well. Please note, one or both of these options may be off for you.

   

   
   
6. Click Change, to turn on the ability for the system for the system to Allow apps access to your camera. Then, click to Allow apps to access your camera, click the little button to toggle it from off to on.

   

   
   
7. Now, we should see that the Camera access for this device is on, and the ability for Windows to Allow apps to access your camera is on as well.

   

   
   
8. We can double check this by scrolling down on this page to make sure the Digital Viewer software is listed.

   

   
   
9. Restart the computer after confirming the privacy settings are on. Once the computer reboots, please open the Digital Viewer program only. We want to make sure to leave other programs closed so we have a clean environment to test the microscope.
   
   Click on the gear-shaped icon in the in the top left corner of the Digital Viewer window to enter the Settings. Then, click on the drop-down menu for Device, and pick the USB Microscope. Then click Apply to make the change.

   

   
   
10. Now, you should see the USB Microscope is set as the default device. Feel free to change the resolution or other settings, and start examining things!

    

    
    

Click Here, to see an official article from Microsoft if you'd like to get further details about privacy and security settings.

Instructions for macOS

1. Click on the Apple Menu icon in the top left of your screen, and then click on System Preferences.

   

   
   
2. Click on Security & Privacy to open more options.

   

   
   
3. Click on Privacy, and then on Camera. You should see a listing for the Digital Viewer, and may see other other camera programs and capable apps listed as well.

   

   
   
4. Check the box next to the Digital Viewer listing. Depending on your settings, you may need to click the lock at the bottom of the screen and put your password in to authenticate changes. Restart the computer once the Digital Viewer is checked.

   

   
   
5. Restart the computer after confirming the privacy settings are on. Once the computer reboots, please open the Digital Viewer program only. We want to make sure to leave other programs closed so we have a clean environment to test the microscope.
   
   Click on the gear shaped icon in the top left corner of the Digital Viewer window to enter the Settings. Then, click on the drop-down menu for Device, and pick the USB Microscope. Then click Apply to make the change.

   

   
   
6. Now, you should see the USB Microscope is set as the default device. Feel free to change the resolution or other settings, and start examining things!

   

Click Here, to see an official article from Apple if you'd like to get further details about privacy settings for your Mac.

We hope this was helpful! Feel free to reach out to us directly at support@plugable.com if you have any questions or concerns, and we'll be here to help you.

Thank you

Please note: From the factory, the LED control is in the off position. For most indoor lighting conditions, you will need to turn the LEDs on by rotating the grey light control wheel to see anything.
 

When you connect a Plugable USB2-MICRO-250X microscope to your system, the LED light will NOT turn on automatically.  You must manually launch Digital Viewer or another webcam software to use the microscope.  The LED will power on when the device is in use by an application.

Applicable To

USB2-MICRO-250X, Digital Viewer Application

First, make sure that the microscope is set as the default device in the Settings menu. The Settings menu can be opened by clicking the grey gear-shaped icon in the upper-left corner of the Digital Viewer window.

In some cases, the devices in this menu have incorrect names. If you have the microscope selected in this menu and still see output from another webcam, try selecting each device in this menu until the preview window shows the microscope's output.

Windows Camera Mix-up Issues

Windows has a specific issue that can pop up with the microscope. The microscope uses the same USB Video Class drivers as most built-in and external cameras, which can cause Windows to mix up the listing.

If you set the microscope as the default device but see your other camera, it's likely that the listing was mixed up. To check if the listing was mixed up, try picking your other camera from the drop-down menu, and see if the microscope view shows up instead.

If the microscope view appears on your monitor after selecting your other camera, the listing was mixed up. There are steps that we could try to see if we can fix the listing. Please note that, as this is a Windows issue, it may recur with Windows Updates and other events. Let's give these steps a try to see if it clears up the listing:

1. Press the Windows Key, and type in Device Manager. You should see a listing for Device Manager in the search results. Click on it to open the Device Manager
   
   
   
    
2. Now that we have the Device Manager open, click on View, and choose Show Hidden Devices. We want to be sure to remove all entries related to the microscope
   
   
   
    
3. The microscope should appear in the Cameras section, but it may also appear in Imaging Devices. Click the little arrow on these sections to expand the listings, and find the "USB Microscope/Digital Microscope" Listing (In the picture below, mine is right next to the on-board camera Windows is confusing it with.) You may see other listings that appear faint, or grayed out, which is why we checked for Hidden Devices
   
   
    

Once you've found the listing(s), try these steps:

1. Right-click on the USB Microscope/Digital Microscope, and click to Uninstall Device for each listing you see
   
   
   
    
2. A message will pop up telling you that you're about to uninstall the device from your computer. Click Uninstall to proceed
   
   
   
    
3. Restart the computer after the microscope has been uninstalled. After you restart, open only the Digital Viewer software and check whether the microscope appears when you set it as the Default Device.

If the Issue Persists

If the microscope still displays output from another webcam or the listing mix-up reoccurs, please reach out to us directly at support@plugable.com. 

Regrettably, no iOS device, such as an iPhone, will work with any USB camera.

Why USB Cameras Do Not Work on iOS

The iOS operating system natively does not support external USB cameras.

Applicable To

USB2-MICRO-250X

It depends on the Android system you are using. Not all Android tablets or phones are compatible with Plugable microscopes. 

A Plugable microscope is recognized as a webcam by a system.  To use the device, the system must:

1. Support a common UVC device driver (needs to be included in the OS and active)
2. The system allows to use an external webcam

Some Android phones or tablets may not support using an external webcam device. This depends on the device manufacturers and models. Unfortunately, this information is usually not published or documented. If you are uncertain about it, please contact the manufacturer of your system to confirm.

If the Android tablet/phone supports an external webcam, Plugable microscopes should work with the camera applications such as 'USB Camera'.  Plugable doesn't provide webcam software for Android. 

The microscope uses the same chipset as the Oculus DK2 sensors making the system believe it is just an additional Oculus sensor. In order to help the operating system correctly identify the microscope as a USB camera, we must change which driver the microscope uses. The steps below should correct this problem.

1. Disconnect all Oculus Rift devices.
2. Connect the microscope.
3. Open the Device Manager in Windows. This can be done several ways, if you’re uncertain how to access Device Manager perform these steps:
   • Press the Windows key and R (Win + R).
   • In the window that pops up, type devmgmt.msc, then click OK
4. Look for the microscope. It will likely be listed as a Rift DK2 sensor, under Oculus VR Devices.
   • If you’re not certain if you found it, disconnect the microscope and the entry should disappear. Reconnect the microscope and the entry should come back, that’s how we’ll know for certain we’re looking at the correct device.
5. Once you've identified the microscope, right-click on it and choose Update Driver > Browse My Computer For Driver Software > Let Me Pick From A List Of Device Drivers On My Computer
6. Select USB Video Device, then click Next to complete the driver installation.

NOTE: After completing these steps, Windows will still name the microscope as "Rift DK2 Sensor". To confirm these steps worked, look for an entry for Rift DK2 Sensor under Imaging Devices. You must select "Rift DK2 Sensor" to use the microscope in Plugable Digital Viewer or other applications.

This typically occurs because the microscope's LED lights are turned off or the viewing software lacks permission to access the device. You can resolve this by rotating the light control wheel to turn on the LEDs, or by adjusting your operating system's security settings.

How to Fix a Black Screen Issue

1. Turn the LEDs on by rotating the grey light control wheel, as the LED control is in the off position from the factory and requires illumination for most indoor lighting conditions.
2. Modify your operating system's security settings to grant the software permission to access the microscope.

Applicable To

• USB2-MICRO-250X

In a recent review of the Digital Viewer software, a typo was discovered in the maximum file size limitation instructions under Movie Setup. When the maximum file size is entered as shown (4097 MB), the following error message is displayed: “Video size setting is incorrect; out of range.” As a workaround, customers should enter 4096MB (or lower) as the maximum file size.

Make sure to click ‘Apply’ after your changes have been made.

Note: The Maximum File Size is a limitation of the software currently and may be raised at a later date in an updated version. We will update this document accordingly at that time

We hope this was helpful! Please feel free to reach out to us directly at support@plugable.com, if you have any further questions.

Thank you!

With microscopes on Chromebook, we need to be sure to check a few things:

1. We need to make sure that the Chromebook operating system is up to date. To do so, go into  Settings > About Chrome OS > Check for updates. If an update is available, please let it run. (Click here, for official information from Google about updating.)
   
   
2. After that, let's check and make sure that the Camera app is the current version from the Chrome Webstore: Chromebook Camera App
   
   
3. Restart the Chromebook after the updates to make sure they finalize
   
   
4. After reboot, connect the microscope and launch the Camera App
   
   
5. In the bottom left hand corner, there is a button with two arrows rotating around a circle. This button is there to "Switch to next camera". Click the button to switch over to the microscope
   
   

We hope this was helpful. Feel free to reach out to us directly at: support@plugable.com if you have any further questions or concerns.

It sounds like the Time Lapse mode is on. This mode will continually take pictures at preset intervals until you click the button again to Stop Time Lapse.

Let's check and see if Time Lapse mode is on:

1. Open the Digital Viewer software
   
   
2. Hover your mouse over the icon of a camera with a clock inside, and see if a message pops up that says Stop Time Lapse
   
   
   
3. Click the button and the Time Lapse mode should stop

We hope this was helpful! Please feel free to reach out to us directly at: support@plugable.com with any other questions.

Thank you!