Today s world moves at a lightening pace and researchers

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2 Today s world moves at a lightening pace and researchers have to be flexible, mobile and have results available at a moment s notice. Images are becoming the backbone of many research projects and image data must be safely archived and readily accessible from almost any location. You need a system that can match the requirements of safe data storage with easy set up and widespread availability.

3 That system is our new Taipan Server Appliance for the laboratory of today. Our system is designed to capture data from almost any digital imaging instrument. With Taipan as the central archive for your laboratory, your data is only a network or Internet connection away. The Taipan Server Appliance combines low cost of ownership, simple installation, large storage capacity and completely secure data accessibility via the LAN or through the Internet. SAVE IT, SECURE IT, SHARE IT Taipan is the right system for your busy laboratory.

4 What is Taipan? Taipan is a unique combination of hardware and software a server appliance engineered specifically to meet the data storage and communications needs of small and medium-sized laboratories. Low Cost of Ownership Expressly designed NOT to require professional IT support, Taipan is easy to set up and manage. Just provide a power connection, a network connection and follow the on-screen instructions. Taipan can communicate simultaneously with up to 10 instruments or client computers. The number of users that can connect through a web browser is not restricted. There are no Client Access Licenses to purchase, or keep track of, when you want to expand. The standard Taipan system includes a 1 Terabyte RAID array that allows you to store 750 Gigabytes of user data that s more than 900,000 SEM images at 1,024 by 768 resolution. Taipan s system status is constantly monitored by internal software. If an issue requires your attention, you will be sent a status by the system. System status can also be viewed on the system s built-in display Management functions, such as adding new users, are carried out through easy-to-use web pages. Reliability & Security Taipan is carefully constructed with premium components to help to ensure years of trouble-free service. Taipan includes a RAID 5 disk system that provides increased reliability by storing your data on multiple drives. If a hard drive fails, your data will still be available to you on the remaining drives. Taipan s RAID storage system distributes your data across four hard drives and stores parity information that is used to reconstruct your data completely in the event of a drive failure. Because it is an embedded system, if you cycle the power on your Taipan server, the operating system will be restored to the state in which it was delivered from the factory. In the unlikely event that a virus penetrates the system, it can probably be cleared out simply by cycling the power. Of course, all of your user data remains intact when the power is cycled. Should it ever be necessary, complete reconstruction of the operating system is done simply by inserting a recovery disk and cycling the power. Access to the system is controlled by user names and passwords and access to individual files and records can be controlled on a user-by-user basis protecting your data against unauthorized viewing and manipulation. The optional Data Security Package includes a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to guard against power failures, a portable USB hard drive that allows you to keep off-premises back-ups and a hardware firewall to provide additional protection against incursions from the Internet.

5 What does Taipan do? Taipan includes a complete suite of applications for laboratory data management and communication. The Taipan server offers the following features: Web-based instrument booking and scheduling Sample management General-purpose file server data storage Security management Laboratory database management Web-based historical data search functions Web-based collaboration and remote control (options) Built-in DVD burning Built-in back-up and restore functions Built-in management functions The Taipan server works with our popular Quartz PCI Data Acquisition and Viewing Software to provide: Instrument operation security Data acquisition from numerous instruments Report generation in Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF formats PC PC Data accessed through a web browser UNIX Laboratory Instrument Taipan Mac Mac Collaboration Microscopy Retrieving data via PCI Client software Office PC

6 The web-based instrument booking process The Taipan Instrument Booking Software is a complete web-based booking module that allows regulated booking of instrumentation in the laboratory. The Taipan Booking System puts you in full control of the operation of the instrumentation in your laboratory and offers your users a quick and convenient web-based method to book or check instrument availability. ACCESSIBILITY, CONVENIENCE and ACCOUNTABILITY Taipan has it covered in your laboratory. Taipan Booking Software. The log-in process With the high cost of instrumentation in the laboratory most corporations or research facilities are eager to protect their assets by ensuring that the instruments are used only by the right people at the right time. Using our optional Gatekeeper software, Taipan only allows authorized users to access the control GUI of the target instrument. RFID reader and card Log-in process Once the simple log-in procedure is completed, the instrument is instantly available for use. Gatekeeper simply obscures the instrument GUI, so there is no need to wait for the instrument software to restart each time a user logs in. At the same time, the ID of the user is logged to the Taipan administration database as well as the time of the start of operation. At the end of the instrument session, the user logs out of the instrument and the time of the end of the session is recorded in the administration database. An optional RFID reader and log-in card system is also available to further simplify the log-in process. RFIDs work by encoding user information on to a tiny microchip that is embedded into a credit card like device. Users are able to operate the instrument by passing their ID Card over a card reader that is installed at a convenient place on the instrument. The card reader instantly authorizes approved users and logs the session as before. Your users have the benefit of self check-in and check-out on the instrumentation. No manual log-in procedure is required while maintaining the very highest level of asset management for your valuable investments. Administration software allows easy set up and operation of an RFID asset tracking system within the Taipan system. Card programming software is provided to the laboratory administrator and re-usable RFID cards may be purchased for any number of users. The Taipan user database can handle thousands of users, if necessary. What better way to make sure that your valuable instruments are being used in the correct manner by authorized users? ASSET MANAGEMENT, SECURITY, EASE of USE Taipan makes sure that your instruments are in the best hands.

7 The data acquisition process The typical laboratory contains many different types of instrumentation. The ability to interface to a variety of different systems revolves around the fundamental question, How do I get my data from the instrument in to the data management system? Fortunately Quartz Imaging has the answer. We have developed a number of different software and hardware interfaces that will connect almost any imaging instrument to our central data management system. Our Quartz PCI Data Acquisition modules are the way in which operators can acquire data at the target instruments and seamlessly transfer the data in to the central system. This maximizes efficiency, minimizes data entry errors and ensures that a wide variety of old and new instruments can be easily supported. Taipan Connector software and hardware includes modules for PC based optical microscopes, Analog Electron microscopes, UNIX based imaging systems and digital electron imaging and analytical systems. Our connector modules: Eliminate manual data transfer errors Increase the sample throughput in you laboratory Reduce the complexity and IT overhead and cost of implementation Improve compliance with better traceability and structured methods of transferring data Quartz PCI Data Acquisition modules ensure that data gets to the right place in a well managed way. EFFICIENT, ERROR FREE DATA TRANSFER with MINIMAL IT INVESTMENT.

8 The collaboration process Sharing your instrument The Taipan system can easily link with our Quarz PCI Collaboration Microscopy module. Sharing your instrument with a wider audience is easy using our totally integrated, webbased solution. The Collaboration Microscopy module (option) consists of a stand-alone hardware-based video server that can be installed at a target instrument. PCI Collaboration Microscopy uses web technology to bring your lab and its clients together wherever they are located around the world. Imagine: Clients can interact with operators to ensure they are getting the images they actually need. Colleagues can work together to resolve engineering problems. Managers can help less experienced operators. Educators can teach students. Service personnel can diagnose problems. Talon Remote Control Software Our Talon remote control module allows you to control Hitachi PC-SEMs over the Internet, with complete replication of the instrument s graphical user interface. The unique feature of Talon is the ability to combine the transmission of the target instrument s GUI with the high speed transmission of a video signal. Many instruments rely upon video rate, visual feedback, during operations such as focusing and astigmatism correction, and the response rate is critical to the correct operation of the imaging system. Talon minimizes bandwidth utilization by transmitting a high quality compressed video stream in combination with the complete GUI of the instrument. Only screen changes in the GUI are transmitted from the host computer to the client along with the streaming video signal. SHARE IT WITH SECURITY Taipan allows you to take your instruments to a global audience.

9 The desktop process By storing data from the instrument on the central Taipan server, you can make it available for further review, measurement, annotation and adjustment in our Quartz PCI Desktop Client software. By moving these functions off the instrument and back to the office, you can free up instrument time. The Quartz PCI Desktop Client includes a comprehensive set of tools for working with images. Image manipulation functions include contrast, brightness and gamma adjustment, color correction, histogram adjustments, zooming, smoothing, sharpening, median filtering, rotating and resizing. Annotation tools, which operate on a separate overlay layer, are provided to place text, lines, arrows and various geometric shapes on your images. Tools are also provided for measuring distances, angles and areas. Measurement data is presented in a spreadsheet grid and can be easily transferred to other applications, such as Microsoft Excel. SOPHISTICATED BUT EASY-TO-USE IMAGE ANNOTATION TOOLS at your fingertips with the Quartz PCI Desktop Client and Taipan.

10 The report generation process Once all the data has been generated and placed in a central management area, the user can then access the system to produce a final report. The creation of reports is often left to third party software that may not be suited to the production of customized laboratory documents. The Quartz PCI Report Generator is the quickest and easiest way to present your data in an attractive report. Reports may be tailored to corporate specifications or customized to match a wide variety of styles. The secure, printable report may be easily distributed for peer review in a number of standard output formats including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Adobe PDF. Data and images can be quickly inserted in to a template page with the drag and drop functionality of the Report Generator. Images may be moved, resized, enhanced and annotated and tables of data and graphs can be easily imported in to the document. The Quartz PCI Report Generator makes it simple to gather data from multiple instruments to produce the final professional report in a few easy steps. DRAG and DROP DATA, FORMAT and ANNOTATE, OUTPUT in standard formats the Quartz PCI Report Generator makes it so simple. Web data search form The data retrieval process Taipan includes a built-in web server that allows you, and your colleagues and clients, to search for and retrieve stored data. You specify the search parameters by filling in a simple web-based form. The system will then retrieve thumbnail images of the data that meets your search criteria. You can view or download images by clicking on the thumbnails. You can even select multiple thumbnails and request that they be downloaded in a single, convenient Zip file. In addition to displaying image data, the system also displays all of the information associated with the file such as job and sample parameters. Of course, the data retrieval process is secure showing data only to those users who have been given permission to access it. Web data search results QUICK, EFFICIENT DATA TRANSFER Taipan delivers.

11 Taipan server management Taipan was designed to minimize the administrative burden. The system administrator interacts with the system either through the built-in touch-screen display or via web pages. Initial Set-up Upon installation, Taipan s built in display will request that you specify the network settings for your installation you can specify either a fixed IP address or that DHCP will be used. Following entry of the network settings, you will be asked to connect to the Taipan server from a web browser in which you will be guided through the set-up wizard. The setup wizard asks you to specify such details as the administrator s password and the current local time. Status Display At any time, the current system status can be viewed on the front panel display. Adding Users One of the main roles of the system administrator is to permit new users to access the system. New users can request access to the system simply by going to the Request Access web page. On this page, the new user will be asked to enter the relevant information and an will be sent to the administrator indicating that the request has been made. The administrator then need only go to a web page in order to approve or deny the request. Back-Ups Another important role of the Administrator is to make periodic back-ups of the system and to store those back-ups off-premises in case of fire, theft or other disaster. The Taipan software allows the Administrator to schedule automatic back-ups of the system or backups can be made on demand by the Administrator via the front panel. Burning CDs or DVDs The Taipan system includes a built-in DVD writer. Data from recent jobs can be easily recorded to CD or DVD through front-panel functions. Managing Old Data Despite the huge storage capacity of the Taipan server, there may come a point when you want to remove old data. Management functions are provided to delete data according to a specified date range. SPEND YOUR TIME MANAGING YOUR LAB, NOT YOUR COMPUTER Taipan offers all of the server functions you need in an easy-to-manage package.

12 Taipan Specifications Data Storage RAID 5 disk system Data and parity striping 1TB disk capacity (750GB storage capacity) USB 2.0 Port for back-up device DVD writer Connectivity Autosensing 10/100/1000 Base-T Ethernet DHCP or static IP address assignment 10 simultaneous instrument/client connections permitted via SMB Unlimited web connections Front Panel Control Built-in x 768 TFT Touchscreen Display for administration functions Low Maintenance Design Embedded operating system provides resilience to attacks by viruses and worms Power cycle resets operating system to factory image Updates are installed from single disk RAID system reduces the possibility of data loss caused by hard drive failure Built-in back-up function facilitates creation of off-premises back-ups Administrator alerted to system problems by Configuration and set-up wizard Interface to UPS for controlled shutdown during power failure Web Server Web-based functions accessible via Intranet or Internet Request access Data search Instrument booking Administration Compatible with standard web browsers Dynamically resizes and reformats images on server side in response to users requests Database Server Embedded client/server DBMS Full implementation of the Quartz PCI Enterprise Database Database tracks jobs or projects, instrument sessions, samples, images and other documents Permits composition of sophisticated database queries Robust record and file locking in multi-user environment Record-level security controls access to data ODBC compliance ensures compatibility with third-party applications such as Microsoft Access File Server SMB Protocol NTFS Security Use to store data from Quartz PCI Use as general network file store for data from other applications Administration Web Pages System configuration User management Network configuration Back-up / Restore View system logs View system status Front Panel Functions Network configuration Back-up / Restore System Status Includes guidance for replacement of failed drive Burn instrument session data to CD or DVD Data Acquisition (Purchased Separately) PCI/PCSEM : PCI/SEMSara : Hitachi PC-based SEMs Hitachi S-4000, S-4100, S-4200, S-4500 and S-5000 PCI/Slow-Scan : Other SEMs, STEMs PCI/Video : Video cameras PCI/Spider : PC-based instruments PCI/TWAIN : Scanners, cameras PCI/EDX : 3rd party EDX systems XOne : Standalone EDX system Optional Collaboration Microscopy Collaborate with lab personnel from any location via intranet or internet connection Video inputs for up to four NTSC/PAL video sources per instrument workstation Live video resolution of 320 x 240 x 24 bits at up to 30 frames per second or 640 x 480 x 24 bits at up to 10 frames per second Supports H.263, M-JPEG and JPEG video compression formats Two-way audio transmission via network Uses HTTP transport (Port 80) for easy transmission through firewalls Typical bandwidth usage: 40kBytes per second (H.263) at 320 x 240 resolution at 30 frames per second 100 Base-T Ethernet port Saved images and microscope operating parameters are automatically transferred as soon as they are stored by the operator Permits multiple clients to connect simultaneously Optional Talon Remote Control permits remote operation of Hitachi microscopes with complete replication of the instrument GUI Optional Gatekeeper Locks instrument workstation until user is authenticated Authentication by user name and password or, optionally, by RFID card Not necessary to log in and out of Windows or restart instrument software between users. Saves time Communicates with Quartz PCI so that files are saved using authenticated users credentials Records instrument time used by operator Optional Data Security Package 500 GB external USB hard drive 750 VA UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Hardware network firewall Electrical Requirements AC 100 ~ 240 V 50 ~ 60 Hz 210 VA Copyright 2006 Quartz Imaging Corporation. All rights reserved. We gratefully acknowledge Ian Cotton of Hitachi High-Technologies Canada, Inc. for suggesting the name Taipan for this product. The Taipan, native to Australia, is widely regarded to be the world s fastest and most poisonous snake. Quartz PCI and Taipan are trademarks of Quartz Imaging Corporation. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Adobe is a registered trade mark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders. In keeping with our policy of ongoing research and development, specifications are subject to change without notice. One Gigabyte equals one billion bytes. Represented by: QUARTZ IMAGING CORPORATION DIGITAL IMAGING SOLUTIONS PO Box 36, Clarica Building 1140 West Pender Street, Suite 1620 Vancouver BC Canada V6E 4G1