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.

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

In some cases, the devices in this menu have the wrong name. 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 output from the microscope.

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 its likely that the listing was mixed up. To check if 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 shows up on your monitor after picking your other camera, the listing was mixed up. There are steps that we could try to see if we can fix the listing. We do need to be clear, that as this is a Windows issue, it may reoccur with Windows Updates and other events. Let's give these steps a try to see if it clears the listing up:

1. Press the Windows Key, and type in Device Manager. You should see a listing for the Device Manager in the search. 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 show up in the Cameras section, but it may show up in Imaging Devices. Click the little arrow on these sections to expand the listings, and find the "USB 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, 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 the Digital Viewer software only, and check to see if the microscope shows up when you set it as the Default Device.

We hope this was helpful. Feel free to reach out to us directly at support@plugable.com with any questions or concerns.

Thank you!

Regrettably, iOS does not support external USB cameras, so no device that runs iOS, such as iPhone, will work with any USB camera.

Locating Digital Viewer

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.

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 in order to see anything.

In some cases, this happens because the software does not have permission to access the microscope. If so, security settings in your operating system must be modified.

It is very exciting to see that iPads are now compatible with external cameras like our USB2-MICRO-250X! In order to use our microscope iPads must have:

• A USB C port
• iPadOS version 17.x or higher

You'll also need to install an additional camera app to see the microscope image like:

• CamX
• USB Camera

We've tested and confirmed compatibility with the apps listed above, but there are surely other compatible apps as well. After installing an app, start it with the microscope plugged in and you should see the microscope image. You may have to go into the settings for the camera app, and set the microscope as the default app.

We hope this was helpful! Have you found a compatible app you'd like to share? Feel free to reach out to us directly at: support@plugable.com with any questions or concerns!

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!

Yes. Our Plugable USB2-MICRO-250X Digital USB Microscope must be used with software to process, display, and capture images and video.

Where can I get the software?

We offer our free Digital Viewer software package for use with the microscope on Windows and macOS! You can also use other camera software packages such as:

• Windows Camera on Windows 
  
  
• Photo Booth on macOS
  
  
• Webcamoid on Windows , macOS, and Linux
  
  
• Cheese on Linux , and very useful on Raspberry Pi systems
  
  
• Google Camera on Chromebooks . Chromebooks use the built in Camera application, and need to be updated regularly for overall functionality. You may want to check with your Chromebook manufacturer for more information about your model

Great! I've downloaded and installed some software. What do I do now?

We need to start the software, and set the microscope as the default device. Using our Digital Viewer software as an example, here's some basic steps to get you started:

1. Restart the computer for changes from installation to take full effect
2. Plug the microscope in to a USB port
3. Start the software, and go into the Settings menu by clicking the Gear-shaped icon in the top left corner of the Digital Viewer screen
   
   
   
4. Then, click on the drop-down menu and set the microscope as the default device. Click Apply when you're finished
   
   

You should now be able to see the microscope image appear, and be ready to examine things! This is a fairly typical setup for most camera programs. But, it's always a good idea to review any instructions from the application developer for specifics.

We see a lot of people use the microscope for their coin and stamp collections, plants, circuits, and other hobbies. Here's an example of a few items under the microscope, including a speckled vinyl record, some moss spores, and a quarter:

We hope this was helpful! Have you found some new camera software we should test out? Feel free to reach out to us directly at support@plugable.com and let us know, or if you have questions or concerns.

In this knowledge base article, we aim to clarify the functionality of our USB2-MICRO-250X microscope, particularly regarding magnification and focus capabilities.

Understanding Magnification and Focus:

The USB2-MICRO-250X microscope does not feature a traditional zoom function. Instead, it offers magnification and focus functionalities to achieve varying levels of "zoom." Users can adjust the magnification and focus by moving the microscope closer to the object and adjusting the focus accordingly.

However, it's essential to note that our microscope does not have a digital zoom like some other cameras. Instead, it utilizes digital focus adjustment and magnification.

Usage Instructions:

1. Begin by placing the microscope on the observation pad grid, nose-down, and resting on the clear shield.
2. Rotate the focus lens mechanism fully in one direction until it stops.
3. Slowly rotate the focus lens mechanism in the opposite direction while observing the changes in the preview window of the Digital Viewer app until the object is in focus.

Observations:

• At the closest distance with the clear shield touching the object, there are two possible magnifications.
• The first magnification is approximately 60x, but by continuing to rotate the focus wheel, the image will initially become blurry and then sharp again at a much higher magnification.
• There are two focal points with the clear shield touching the object, offering focus at two magnification levels.

If you have any further questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our customer support team at support@plugable.com.

Overview

With the release of Apple’s M3 CPU chips and the Sonoma 14.6 update your base MacBook Air and MacBook Pro systems with M3 chips can now host two external displays natively in clamshell mode. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up and using two external displays with the lid closed on your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro equipped with an Apple M3 chip.

Requirements

Before getting started, ensure you have the following:

• MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with an Apple M3 chip.
• macOS Sonoma 14.3 or later for an M3 MacBook Air or macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later for an M3 MacBook Pro.
• Two external displays with compatible video inputs (e.g., HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C).
  • A dock or graphics adapter can be used as well.
• External keyboard and mouse (wired or wireless).
• Power adapter or power source for your MacBook
  • A docking station that provides adequate charge can be used in place of the native power adapter, be sure to check the wattage your dock provides.

Steps to Set Up Dual External Displays with the Lid Closed

1. Set Up Your External Keyboard and Mouse

• If you’re using a wired keyboard and mouse, connect them directly to your MacBook or Plugable dock.
• For wireless peripherals, ensure they are paired with your MacBook and functioning properly.
• An AC adapter/power cable of some kind will also need to be connected for clamshell mode to function properly. This adapter can be one from a docking station or the included Apple adapter.

2. Connect Your Displays

• Connect the first external display to your MacBook using the appropriate cable (e.g., HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C)
• Close your laptop’s lid.
• Connect the second external display using a similar method.
• Ensure both displays are powered on and set to the correct input source.

3. Configure Display Settings

• Open System Settings on your MacBook.
• Go to Displays.
• You should see both external displays listed. Arrange them according to your preference by dragging the display icons.
• Adjust the resolution, refresh rate, and other settings as needed.

4. Enable "Clamshell Mode" (Lid Closed Mode)

• With your external displays connected and set up, close the lid of your MacBook.
• Your MacBook will automatically switch to "Clamshell Mode," where the internal display turns off, and the external displays become your primary screens.
• Ensure your MacBook is connected to a power source to prevent it from entering sleep mode.

5. Check the Display Arrangement

• With the lid closed, check that the external displays are functioning as expected.
• If necessary, re-open the Displays settings to adjust the arrangement, resolution, or other preferences.

Troubleshooting Tips

• No Display on External Monitors: If the external displays are not showing anything, open the lid of your MacBook and check the connections.
• MacBook Sleeps When Lid Is Closed: Make sure your MacBook is connected to a power adapter. Clamshell Mode requires the MacBook to be plugged into an external power source.
• Performance Issues: If you experience lag or performance drops, try lowering the resolution or refresh rate of the external displays.

Thunderbolt Dock Users

With these steps, one can use Plugable Thunderbolt docks to enjoy a dual-display setup without the need for additional software installation. The dock leverages the native capabilities of the MacBook Air M3 and MacBook Pro M3, providing a straightforward and efficient solution for expanding your workspace with additional USB ports, audio, and ethernet (as well as the dual displays).

Additional Resources

If you should need any assistance with your setup, please feel free to reach out to our support team at support@plugable.com.