Adapters for Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes

Adapters for Epi-Illumination, Lamphouse, Camera, Trinocular, Eyepiece, and Condenser Ports
Modify Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes Using Thorlabs' Optomechanical Components

SM1A58

Camera Port
Adapter

Application Idea

SM1A58 Camera Port Adapter Used to Mount
Thorlabs’ Scientific Camera

SM2N2

Eyepiece
Adapter

LED4A5

Epi-Illumination Module
Bayonet Mount Adapter

LCPN1

Condenser Port Adapter

SM2N3

Lamphouse Port Adapter

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Overview
Microscope Dovetails
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Click on Each Port to View Available Adapters

Upright Nikon Eclipse Ports

Nikon Eclipse FN1 Microscope

Features

Extends Versatility of Thorlabs' Construction Systems to Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes
Provides Compatibility with SM1 (1.035"-40) Lens Tubes, SM30 (M30.5 x 0.5) Lens Tubes, SM2 (2.035"-40) Lens Tubes, and 30 mm and 60 mm Cage Systems
Contact Tech Support About Custom Adapters, Including for Other Microscopes

Illumination Adapters
Thorlabs offers adapters to modify the epi-illumination pathway to accept SM threading or a cage system. Adapters with a male Nikon bayonet mount adapt LED light sources and other collimated illumination sources.

The SM2N3 adapter is designed for a collimated illumination source to mount onto the lamphouse port.

Camera Port Adapter
The SM1A58 adapter is designed to allow components with SM1 threading, SM2 threading, or 30 mm cage system compatibility to be mounted to the camera port. These adapters are also compatible with Thorlabs' Cerna^® microscopes and are ideal for inserting custom optics, as well as our CCD and CMOS cameras, into brightfield and fluorescence microscope systems.

Trinocular Adapters
Custom widefield viewing and image detection setups or Olympus trinoculars with a D5Y dovetail can be connected to the trinocular port using an LCPN2 or LCPN3 adapter, respectively. See the Microscope Dovetails tab for details about Olympus' D5Y dovetail.

Eyepiece Adapter
The SM2N2 adapter replaces the lens element on an eyepiece of the Nikon microscope's trinoculars, allowing custom image detection or viewing setups to be attached to the microscope.

Condenser Adapter
The LCPN1 adapter connects to the condenser holder, allowing the attachment of DIY setups that condition incoming light for trans-illumination.

Note: Thorlabs does not guarantee compatibility with other industry-standard microscopes not mentioned on this wepage.

Adapters for Industry Standard Microscopes
Cerna DIY Series
Leica DMI
Nikon Eclipse Ti (Inverted)
Upright Nikon Eclipse
Olympus BX and IX
Zeiss Axioskop and Examiner

Thorlabs Dovetail Reference^a
Type	Shape	Outer Dimension	Angle
95 mm	Linear	95 mm	45°
D1N	Circular	Ø2.018"	60°
D2N^b	Circular	Ø1.50"	90°
D2NB^b	Circular	Ø1.50"	90°
D3N	Circular	Ø45 mm	70°
D5N	Circular	Ø1.58"	90°
D6N	Circular	Ø1.90"	90°
D7N	Circular	Ø2.05"	90°
D1T	Circular	Ø1.50"	60°
D3T	Circular	Ø1.65"	90°
D1Y	Circular	Ø107 mm	60°
D2Y	Circular	Ø2.32"	50°
D3Y	Circular	Ø1.75"	90°
D4Y	Circular	Ø56 mm	60°
D5Y	Circular	Ø46 mm	60°
D6Y	Circular	Ø41.9 mm	45°
D1Z	Circular	Ø54 mm	60°
D2Z	Circular	Ø57 mm	60°
D3Z	Circular	Ø54 mm	45°

These dovetail designations are specific to Thorlabs products and are not used by other microscope manufacturers.
D2N and D2NB dovetails have the same outer diameter and angle, as defined by the drawings below. The D2N designation does not specify a height. The D2NB designation specifies a dovetail height of 0.40" (10.2 mm).

Click to Enlarge
This photo shows the male D1N dovetail on the trinoculars next to the female D1N dovetail on the epi-illumination arm.

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This photo shows the male 95 mm dovetail on the microscope body and the female 95 mm dovetail on the CSA1002 Fixed Arm.

Introduction to Microscope Dovetails

Dovetails are used for mechanical mating and optical port alignment of microscope components. Components are connected by inserting one dovetail into another, then tightening one or more locking setscrews on the female dovetail. Dovetails come in two shapes: linear and circular. Linear dovetails allow the mating components to slide before being locked down, providing flexible positioning options while limiting unneeded degrees of freedom. Circular dovetails align optical ports on different components, maintaining a single optical axis with minimal user intervention.

Thorlabs manufactures many components which use dovetails to mate with our own components or those of other manufacturers. To make it easier to identify dovetail compatibility, we have developed a set of dovetail designations. The naming convention of these designations is used only by Thorlabs and not other microscope manufacturers. The table to the right lists all the dovetails Thorlabs makes, along with their key dimensions.

In the case of Thorlabs’ Cerna^® microscopes, different dovetail types are used on different sections of the microscope to ensure that only compatible components can be mated. For example, our WFA2002 Epi-Illuminator Module has a male D1N dovetail that mates with the female D1N dovetail on the microscope body's epi-illumination arm, while the CSS2001 XY Microscopy Stage has a female D1Y dovetail that mates with the male D1Y dovetail on the CSA1051 Mounting Arm.

To learn which dovetail type(s) are on a particular component, consult its mechanical drawing, available by clicking on the red Docs icon () below. For adapters with a female dovetail, the drawing also indicates the size of the hex key needed for the locking setscrew(s). It is important to note that mechanical compatibility does not ensure optical compatibility. Information on optical compatibility is available from Thorlabs' web presentations.

For customers interested in machining their own dovetails, the table to the right gives the outer diameter and angle (as defined by the drawings below) of each Thorlabs dovetail designation. However, the dovetail's height must be determined by the user, and for circular dovetails, the user must also determine the inner diameter and bore diameter. These quantities can vary for dovetails of the same type. One can use the intended mating part to verify compatibility.

In order to reduce wear and simplify connections, dovetails are often machined with chamfers, recesses, and other mechanical features. Some examples of these variations are shown by the drawings below.

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Two examples of how circular male dovetails can be manufactured.

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Two examples of how circular female dovetails can be manufactured.

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Epi-Illumination Module Bayonet Mount Adapters for Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes

Bayonet Mount Adapter and 4-Channel LED Attached to the Back of an Epi-Illumination Module

Click to Enlarge
LED4A5 Adapter Securing a 4-Channel LED Source to an Epi-Illumination Module

These adapters allow a collimated illumination source, such as Thorlabs' Solis^® LEDs, to attach to the epi-illumination module of an upright Nikon Eclipse microscope. Each adapter uses a male Nikon bayonet mount to connect to the module port. See the table below for adapter attachment compatibility.

Item #	SM1A26	SM2A18	LED4A5	SM2A17
Click Image to Enlarge
Microscope Connection	Male Nikon Bayonet Mount
SM Threading	Internal SM1 (1.035"-40)	Internal SM2 (2.035"-40)	External SM2 (2.035"-40)	External SM2 (2.035"-40)
Cage Compatibility	30 mm Cage (4-40 Tap, 4 Places)	-	-	-
Anodization	Black	Black	Silver	Black

Lamphouse Port Adapter for Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes

Item #	SM2N3
Click Image to Enlarge
Microscope Connection	Female D6N Dovetail^a
SM Threading	Internal SM2 (2.035"-40)

This dovetail designation is specific to Thorlabs products; see the Microscope Dovetails tab for details.

The SM2N3 adapter is designed to allow a collimated trans-illumination source, such as a Thorlabs Solis^® LED with an SM2T2 adapter, to be attached to the lamphouse port of a Nikon Eclipse Ti microscope. This adapter utilizes a female D6N dovetail to connect to the lamphouse port of the microscope; the dovetail is secured by the included setscrew (5/64" [2 mm] hex). See the Microscope Dovetails tab for details.

This adapter features internal SM2 (2.035"-40) threading for Ø2" lens tubes, and includes one SM2RR retaining ring to secure an optic against the internal lip of the adapter.

Camera Port Adapter for Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes

Scientific Camera Imaging with a Filter Wheel

Click to Enlarge
An FW102C Filter Wheel and Scientific Camera attached to the Trinoculars of a Cerna Microscope. In addition to the SM1A58 adapter, an SM1L20 lens tube, SM1T10 lens tube coupler, and SM1A9 SM1 to C-Mount adapter are used to ensure parfocality of the camera.

Item #	SM1A58
Click Image to Enlarge
Microscope Connection	Male D2N Dovetail^a
SM Threading	Internal SM1 (1.035"-40) External SM2 (2.035"-40)
Cage Compatibility	30 mm Cage System (4-40 Tap, 4 Places)

This dovetail designation is specific to Thorlabs products; see the Microscope Dovetails tab for details.

The SM1A58 is designed so that custom-built optical systems or detectors based on Thorlabs' components may be attached to the camera port of Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes or Thorlabs' Cerna Microscopes. This adapter utilizes a male D2N dovetail to secure the adapter to the port.

The SM1A58 features internal SM1 (1.035"-40) threading for Ø1" Lens Tubes, external SM2 (2.035"-40) threading for Ø2" Lens Tubes, and 4-40 tapped holes on 30 mm centers for attaching cage system rods. Since Thorlabs' USB CCD cameras are provided with a C-Mount to SM1 adapter, our cameras can also be easily integrated into microscope systems for general imaging applications. Our Scientific CCD Cameras can be attached directly to the internal SM1 threads of the SM1A58 using the SM1A39 external C-Mount to external SM1 adapter, available separately. Our SM1 or SM2 lens tubes can be used to place the camera at the correct parfocal distance; the exact distance will depend upon the specific trinoculars or other camera ports present on your Nikon microscope.

For microscopes with trinoculars that create an inverted image, the camera sensor should be placed at a distance of 4.15" from the camera port; this can be achieved with a combination of the SM1A58 adapter, SM1T10 SM1 lens tube coupler, SM1L30 3" long SM1 lens tube, and SM1A9 C-Mount to SM1 adapter. For microscopes with trinoculars that create an erect image, an additional adapter available from Nikon is required to utilize the SM1A58 adapter. This space between the adapter and the camera can also be used for inserting custom optics and mechanical assemblies such as filter wheels (shown to the right) or our two-camera mount. For more details on integrating the SM1A58 adapter with Thorlabs' Cerna Microscope components, please see our complete Cerna Widefield Viewing Modules webpage.

In addition, an SM1-threaded dust cover (Item # SM1CP2) is included to keep the port closed when not in use.

Trinocular Port Adapters for Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes

Item #	LCPN2	LCPN3	WFA4111
Click Image to Enlarge
Microscope Connection	Male D1N Dovetail^a
Additional Dovetail	-	Female D5Y Dovetail^a	-
SM Threading	Internal SM30 (M30.5 x 0.5)		Internal M38 x 0.5 External SM2 (2.035"-40)
Cage Compatibility	30 mm Cage System (4-40 Tap, 4 Places) 60 mm Cage System (Ø6 mm Bore, 4 Places)	60 mm Cage System (Ø6 mm Bore, 4 Places)	-

This dovetail designation is specific to Thorlabs products; see the Microscope Dovetails tab for details.

Our trinocular port adapters modify the trinocular port on an Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscope to accept custom widefield viewing setups (Item #s LCPN2 and WFA4111) or Olympus trinoculars (Item # LCPN3). These adapters utilize a male D1N dovetail to connect to the trinocular port of the microscope, featured on the epi-illuminator module as well as on the microscope body itself. These adapters can only be attached by first removing the microscope's trinoculars, as shown in the image to the lower left.

The LCPN2 and LCPN3 feature internal SM30 (M30.5 x 0.5) threading for Ø30 mm lens tubes; two SM30RR retaining rings are included to secure an optic inside the adapter. Four through holes, each with two side-located locking setscrews (5/64" [2 mm] hex), can be used to attach Ø6 mm cage rods for 60 mm cage systems. The LCPN2 adapter is designed to be used with custom widefield viewing setups and includes additional 4-40 tapped holes on 30 mm centers on the side opposite the dovetail for 30 mm cage systems. The LCPN3 adapter features a female D5Y dovetail to allow Olympus tronoculars with a male D5Y dovetail to be used with Nikon Eclipse or Cerna microscopes.

The WFA4111 is designed for custom widefield viewing setups and features internal M38 x 0.5 threading, which is compatible with our SM38RR retaining rings, as well as external SM2 (2.035"-40) threading for SM2 lens tubes.

The dovetail designations are specific to Thorlabs products; see the Microscope Dovetails tab for details.

Click to Enlarge
The LCPN3 Adapter with the D5Y Dovetail

LCPN2 Adapter Attached to Trinocular Port

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The LCPN2 Adapter Attached to Exposed Trinocular Port

Eyepiece Adapter for Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes

Item #	SM2N2
Click Image to Enlarge
Microscope Connection	Ø1.18" Eyepiece Tube (Alignment Slot, 5 Places)
SM Threading	Internal SM1 (1.035"-40) External SM2 (2.035"-40)
Cage Compatibility	30 mm Cage System (4-40 Tap, 4 Places)

SM2N2 Adapter Attached to Trinocular Eyepieces

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Two SM2N2 adapters attached to the trinocular eyepieces.

The SM2N2 Eyepiece Adapter allows custom-built optical detection systems to attach to the eyepieces on the trinoculars of an upright Nikon Eclipse microscope. This adapter replaces the lens element on the eyepiece that sets the image plane at the the back of the eyes (see image to the right). Five alignment slots ensure the adapter fits snugly inside the eyepiece without rotation; because of the drop-in nature of the adapter, take care the attached system does not overbalance the 40 g eyepiece adapter when it is inside the trinoculars.

This adapter features internal SM1 (1.035"-40) threading for Ø1" lens tubes; two SM1RR retaining rings are included to secure an optic inside the adapter. The adapter also has external SM2 (2.035"-40) threading for Ø2" lens tubes. The face with the item # engraving has 4-40 tapped holes for 30 mm cage systems.

Condenser Adapter for Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscopes

Item #	LCPN1
Click Image to Enlarge
Microscope Connection	Male D3N Dovetail^a
SM Threading	Internal SM30 (M30.5 x 0.5)
Cage Compatibility	30 mm Cage System (4-40 Tap, 4 Places) 60 mm Cage System (Ø6 mm Bore, 4 Places)

This dovetail designation is specific to Thorlabs products; see the Microscope Dovetails tab for details.

The LCPN1 Condenser Adapter utilizes a male D3N dovetail to connect custom condenser configurations to the condenser holder of an Upright Nikon Eclipse Microscope. See the Microscope Dovetails tab for details.

This adapter features internal SM30 (M30.5 x 0.5) threading for Ø30 mm lens tubes; two SM30RR retaining rings are included to secure an optic inside the adapter. Through holes with side-located locking 8-32 setscrews (5/64" [2 mm] hex) can be used to attach Ø6 mm cage rods for 60 mm cage systems. The side opposite the dovetail has 4-40 tapped holes on 30 mm centers for 30 mm cage systems.