WeMacro Rail Manual

PART 1: Quick Installation Guide of WeMacro Rail

PARTS LIST:

1. AC Power Adapter (different ones are available)

2． nylon screws to support lens(using ring support will be better )
3． Shutter cable (depending on camera)
4. 18650 battery box for outside
5. Stepper motor cable
6. Rail
7. Controller
8. Specimen holder
9. USB cable
10. Shutter extension cable
11. 1/4 inch screw
12. Quick release clamp and plate

Diagrams of cable connection:

1
Diagram1- Controlled by PC

Diagram 2: Controlled by Smartphone via Bluetooth Diagram3: Controlled by Helicon Remote

INSTALLATION STEPS:
1. Install the camera on the rail by using the supplied 1/4-20 inch screw or the quick release
clamp on the platform.

2. Install the rail on a stable supporter or surface either via the arca-swiss compatible rail,
the various mounting and threaded holes, or by other means. There are 4 kinds of holes
available on the rail: 1/4 inch threaded holes, 3/8 inch threaded hole, 6.5 mm diameter
and 10 mm diameter through holes. Or mount the rail on the wemacro’s vertical stand.

3. Connect the shutter extension cable to the control box, and connect the camera via the
dedicated shutter cable to the extension cable.

4. The controller can be connected to a PC via the supplied dongle. The stepper motor is
connected to the controller via the cords shown below. There’s a groove that allows
secure connection as illustrated by the white arrow.

2
 5. The computer will notify the user with a “new hardware found” prompt. Drivers are
necessary for the system to function correctly. The drivers can be found here:
http://www.wemacro.com/?p=509

Notice：
 Please avoid letting the carrier block travel to both extreme ends of the rail. This might
cause jam. If it jams up, turn off the power, then rotate the coupling by hand (counter-
clockwise at motor side, clockwise at front side, look from motor side).

 The cable on the motor can not be bent or pull hard.

Please unplug the connector by holding connector
shell.

 Two nylon screws are supplied to provide some support for longer tube systems.

The nylon screws can be attached to the carrier block as illustrated above. For more adequate
support, we offer a ring support with 3 nylon screws that can be attacked to the rail. It’s much
better.

PART 2: Software Using Guide

The rail can be controlled using the following methods, please search APP or download apk/Software via below
methods:
1) Windows PC by USB (Please find the program at download page)
2) Mac OS by USB or Bluetooth 4.0 (Please find the program at download page)
3) iOS by Bluetooth 4.0 (Please search “WeMacro” at app store)
4) Android by Bluetooth 4.0 (Please find the apk file on WeMacro website)

System Controlled by PC (Diagram 1)

3
1) Windows
 Driver Installation and Program Download
The drivers need to be installed first, they can be found here: http://www.wemacro.com/?p=509
There are video tutorials on our website www.wemacro.com “Software setting page”
For FT232 chip please visit FTDI website. There is a link for different windows system on wemacro’s download
page. Win10 should recognize it and install the driver from Microsoft automatically. Earlier than 2019’s controller is
CH340 chip , please use ch341ser.exe to install driver if the windows does not recognize it automatically.
After the drivers have been installed, extract the whole Wemacro zip to a folder. Inside you will find
“wemacro.exe”, double click to run it. Pressing F4 allows language changes, currently there’s Chinese and
English interfaces available.

 Software Launching
1．Make sure all cables and wires has connected via diagram 1, especially the USB cable has linked the control box
and PC, then turn on the control box.

2．Choose the corresponding USB port on top left part “select device” of the interface, then click “Connect”.
The ports are named “COMX” where X is a number. This depends on the USB port that the controller is
connected to. The correct port can be found in “device manager” or just by trial and error (selecting every
single available option to see which one works).If your computer had connected too many COM port device,
the drop down list might not show it ,please clear COM port number first.

You can find which port to choose in device manager:

3．Press “Save” button to take effect WeMacro system.
Note: Please do not forget to PRESS “Save” after input or change any parameters.
Above setup allows the rail to response to the software, you will find different Stacking Modes setup below.
4
2) Mac OS
There’s two ways to control the rail. Via Bluetooth version 4.0 or above, or using the USB dongle. A different
program is offered for each method. For Bluetooth to work, please make sure your system supports 4.0 or
above. You can check this by navigating to “About this Mac” -> System Report -> HCI Version (0X6 and
above has capability)
1．Mac OS Bluetooth program: http://www.wemacro.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/WeMacroOS.dmg

Select “HC-08” then “connect”. Click on “Save”to set parameters.

2．USB: From 10.14.0 MacOS build in driver. Former version MacOS ,correct drivers need to installed
first, find them in download page at www.wemacro.com
Select “device” then click on “connect” Press “Save” to save the parameters.

Note: The controller needs to be turned off and on again if you need to control the rail using other means, such as going

from controlling the rail on a PC to using a smartphone.

The MacOS interface :

If you encounter any driver installation issues for the MacOS, or you are running an earlier
version than 10.12, please contact us at William@wemacro.com. We will provide the correct
driver files and assist with installation. From 10.14.1 and later version of MacOS, Apple had built
in serial chip driver already. Please use the USB program without install of the driver first.

5
 Parameters Setup for PC

 Stacking Modes
Two stacking modes are offered, “distance” and “start to end”.
 By Distance mode
Here, you decide the total travel distance of the carrier block and the length of each step. The program
will calculate the total amount of steps necessary.

Formula:

Total distance÷Step Length = Total steps

Total distance：travel distance of the carrier block

Step length (DOF): length of each step, it should be smaller than theoretical value of DOF, avoid
focus bend. Such as 0.8* theoretical value of DOF as step length.

After setting the total distance and step size, press “Save” button to keep the settings. It’s important.
The position of the carrier which the camera sits on can be adjusted by clicking on the “Forward” and “Backward”
buttons.
When the desired location is set, click on Run to start a stack. The program will approximate the time required. The
program also compensates for backlash, simply tick the box next to “return” which allows the carrier to return to the
starting position and then click on “Calibrate”. The “Calibrate” need to be pressed before you start a stack and after last
movement is “backward”. Such as you move backward to close to the starting point or the rail move back to the
starting point after it return and wait for another stack.
During a stack, the “Run” button can be clicked to stop the stack, it will be displayed as “stop”.
Difference in Mac: The “total steps” will not show automatically, you need to navigate to the number area and click on
“total step” to generate the new step number. Then click on “Save”.

 Start to End mode

In the settings “run mode”, choose “Start to End”. Tick “return”, and then input in the step length desired,
click “Save” to save the settings. On the right side, make sure you can see “As Start”, if it displays “As
End”, simply click on it to fix it.

6
 Adjust the position of the carrier by clicking on the forward or backward buttons. It will be better use move forward to
get close to starting point. (Because by this way, it will be free from backlash) When the desired starting point is found,
click “As Start”, this sets the current location as the starting point.
Click “forward” or “step forward” (forward direction only)to find the desired ending location, and
click “As End”. The rail will automatically adjust the carrier block to the starting point. Click on “Calibrate” to
compensate for backlash before you press “Run”.
When everything is finalized, click on “Run” to begin the stack. It is important to click “calibrate” before running a stack
to compensate for backlash, this will ensure the best results possible. It will remove the small horizontal shift in the
whole stack.

Notes
1. Shutter waiting time(settle time): Refers to the amount of waiting time after each step is made. This
depends on the camera settings and sometimes flash light charging. Some camera requires a lot
to time to process the files after many shots. When it comes to flashes, some time is needed for the
flash to recharge. Please notice the flash recharge time will increase after working for a while.
2. Shutter per step: Amount of times the shutter is triggered in each step. For example, Such as
Canon’s mirror lockup mode requires the shutter to be triggered twice. HDR bracketing also needs
multiple triggers.
3. Interval of shutters: If you want the shutter to be triggered more than once during each step, the
time interval between the successive shutter actuations must be longer than exposure time.
4. Backlash: It’s the small gap between the screw and nut. If you are not sure about exact value，
please set this to 220 microns. This is needed for calibration, which has been explained above.
5. Save: The controller will only receive the parameter after you press “Save”.
6. Shutter signals may be affected if third party control software such as Canon’s EOS Utility or Nikon’s
Camera Control Pro Liveview, or Helicon Remote is used. Turn off “Liveview” on PC will allow the
shutter cable work.
7. EFSC functions on the camera can be used with an external field display, connected via the HDMI
ports. This is useful for continuous lighting and setup. For Canon, turn off mirror lock-up and liveview
on camera will activate EFSC simply, please extend “Interval of shutters”.

System Controlled by Phone via Bluetooth (Diagram 2)

1) Android
Apk package can be found here: Please use browser on android phone to visit www.wemacro.com It is in the
bottom of homepage or download page.
It is recommended to use the phone’s browser, this will allow the apk to be installed.
1. After installation, make sure your phone are within 1 meter to the controller box. Turn the controller on.
2. Open the app and wait for about 5 sections, the app will automatically connect to the controller and notify the user.
It will show “Remote Device Connected”
3. If this does not happen, restart the app. Sometimes the app runs in the back ground, in earlier than Android 8
version of this can cause issues. Kill the process and restart the app.

2) iOS:
1. Install the app, search for “wemacro” in the app store.
2. Make sure you are within 1 meter to the controller box. Turn the controller on.
3. Open the app and wait for about 5 seconds, the app will automatically connect to the controller. Press “Save” show
“Save done” means connected.

7
 4. If this does not happen, restart the app. Sometimes the app runs in the back ground, this can cause issues. Kill the
process and restart the app.
Settings can be saved and loaded. It is saved as a .txt file for Android and .wm for iOS. It might not be possible to
delete the files unless remove the APP. The file can be revised.

 Stacking Modes
Two modes are offered, distance and start to end. This is essentially the same as what one would see on the PC
interface.

 Distance mode
Here, you decide the total travel distance of the carrier block and the length of each step. The program
will calculate the total amount of steps necessary.
After everything is set, tap “confirm” to save settings to the controller.

Changing the distance will affect the amounts of steps needed, likewise changing the step length will also affect this
outcome.

Swiping gives you the second interface, where you can adjust the position of the carrier rail. If you tick return, tapping
calibrate will compensate backlash, ensuring the accuracy of the next run of sequence.

8
 When the rail is running, the “run” button will be displayed as “STOP”. Tapping on it allows you to stop the rail. It’s not
PAUSE.

The “stop” button needs to be tapped after the stack so it displays as “run”.

 Start to End
This mode allows you to set a starting point and an ending point, as well as the step size. The controller will calculate
the amounts of steps required.

The starting and ending positions can be altered on the second page. Adjusting in microns is slow, you may
temporarily set the steps to millimeters size, remember to change it back.

When the desired starting point is found, tap “As Start”, this sets the current location as the starting point.

Tap forward to find the desired ending location, and tap “As End”. The rail will automatically adjust the carrier block to
the starting point. Tap on “Calibrate” to compensate for backlash.

The most importance in this mode is ：Press Forward or Step Forward only. The software does not count if you

press backward distance while setting the ending point. If you pass the ending point a little, let it be, press as
end. Or restart from setting the start point.

When everything is finalized, click on “Run” to begin the stack. It is important to click “calibrate” before running a stack
to compensate for backlash, this will ensure the best results possible.

.Tips
1. It may be necessary to end the program’s process on smart phone, if you want to completely end or
restart the program. Simply pressing the home button will not stop the program from running in the
background. Refer to the phone’s manual on ending processes. It is usually pressing home button
twice for Apple phones. The application will not be able to detect the rail if it has been running in the
background disconnected. Please do not try to pair the device HC-08 in Bluetooth list, the app pair
by itself.
2. Turn on the controller, then starting the app for Apple and Android devices.
.Trouble shooting
If Bluetooth doesn’t work, there could be several fixes.
1. USB cables, make sure none are connected.
2. Turn the phone Bluetooth function off and then back on.
3. End the process of the app completely and restart. The app should detect the controller and connect
to it after the app is running, it usually takes 5 seconds.
4. Make sure the Bluetooth device is close enough to the controller, 1 meter proximity.
5. Restarting the phone might help.
6. If carrier jams at the motor side, disconnect the motor cable first, then rotate the silver coupling by
hand or tools(counter-clockwise). If jams on the other side , turn clockwise by hand. Please avoid
the carrier hit both side, but it will not hurt motor inside if hit, please do not worry about it.
.Setup tips
The suitable modes to use depend on the user. Generally, for lower magnifications (below 5x), “Start to End”
mode is more intuitive. For higher magnifications, such as 10x and 20x “distance” mode is preferred. You
can simply get the carrier to a starting point and set an appropriate distance.
It is better to change the camera settings using camera control programs, which can avoid touch the camera,
especially in high magnification. If contacting the camera is a must, make sure the camera settings are
finalized before setting up a stack.
If you want to use Helicon Remote, please refer the page on www.wemacro.com---->Helicon Remote
Control.

9
 DOF Estimates For Macro (Depth of field, Step sizes)
（just for your reference）

1.Using Macro Lens

Camera Type: Full-Frame

Magnification f/2.8 f/4.0 f/5.6 f/8.0 f/11 f/16 F Number
1.00 325 464 650 928 1276 1856 DOF: Depth
2.00 122 174 244 348 479 696 of field or
3.00 72 103 144 206 284 412 Step Sizes
4.00 51 73 102 145 199 290 (Unit:
5.00 39 56 78 111 153 223 microns

Camera Type: APS-C

Magnification f/2.8 f/4.0 f/5.6 f/8.0 f/11 f/16 F Number
1.00 258 368 515 736 1012 1472 DOF: Depth
2.00 97 138 193 276 380 552 of field or
3.00 57 82 114 164 225 327 Step Sizes
4.00 40 58 81 115 158 230 (Unit:
5.00 31 44 62 88 121 177 microns)

Camera Type: Four-Thirds

Magnification f/2.8 f/4.0 f/5.6 f/8.0 f/11 f/16 F Number
1.00 168 240 336 480 660 960 DOF: Depth
2.00 63 90 126 180 248 360 of field or
3.00 37 53 75 107 147 213 Step Sizes
4.00 26 38 53 75 103 150 (Unit:
5.00 20 29 58 58 79 115 microns)

2.Using Microscope Objective lens (1mm=1000 microns)

Numerical Aperture
(NA value marked on DOF (step size)
objective lens)
0.1 (5X or 4X) 55 microns
0.14 (Some 5X) 28 microns
0.2 (Some 10X) 14 microns
0.25 (Some 10X) 9 microns
0.28 (Some 10X) 7 microns
0.3 (Some 10X 20X) 6 microns
0.35 (Some 20X) 4 microns
0.4 (higher than 20X) 3 microns
0.5 (higher than 20X) 2 microns

10