Focal Point FocusStats:

True Automatic Focus Control



The FocusStat Tool Kit



The most versatile, highest performance automatic focusing system available



FocusStat 5





  • FocusStat Optical Assembly
  • Extensive documentation
  • Power supply and driver for focus motor
  • Autonomous or Hosted Version
  • Adapters for mounting and all cables
  • Laser wavelength chosen by customer


LightSpeed Motor





  • Air bearing focus motor
  • Air suspension cancels weight of objective
  • RMS, M25, M26 lens mounts
  • 5 mm travel
  • Internal laser based position sensor
  • Objective not included


Focus Tool Software





  • Internal function generators
  • Plot routines for diagnostic data
  • Live tracking data for multiple parameters
  • Field upgradeable firmware
  • EEPROM stored variables
  • Adjustable averaging (line, spot, area)


Extended Support





  • Simple annual fee
  • Extended warranty
  • Periodic Maintenance Inspection
  • Refurbishment at regular intervals
  • Software upgrades included in membership
  • Laser replacement/system tuneup without additional charge


True automatic focus:



  • Captures focus at any time without user intervention
  • Focuses in as little as 1/100 second without "hunting" or manual adjustment
  • Maintains focus to sub-micrometer tolerances indefinitely
  • Allows user-selected continuous focus offsets for special purposes
  • Recovers from sample discontinuities, and protects against objective crashes
  • Rejects errors on tilted, rough or patterned samples
  • Offers user selectable averaging for different kinds of samples
  • Integrates seamlessly with existing automation systems


Many “Autofocus Systems” are not true automatic focusing systems.



Some are thermal drift suppression (position holding) devices that need to be reset at each new location. Some don’t even sense focus, but only hold a single position. We have replaced many of these instruments for disappointed customers who discovered that their "Autofocus Systems" were not automatic, and did not control focus.



All Focal Point FocusStats are true automatic focusing systems.



Four images below were made with FocusStats--completely automatically, without operator intervention--from initial focus capture to completion of the task,while moving across the sample surface at up to 100 mm per second. In the photos below, red patches show sampling areas that are normally blocked.



Area Sampling on
Interrupted Surface



Line Sampling/Rough Surface



Point Sampling on
Semiconductor



Inkjet Printing
on Paper




Next: Three views of an upright microscope version, where FocusStat 5 is installed as an epi illuminator.Many other configurations are available, such as camera port installations. All of them are True Automatic Focusing Systems.


Go To Applications Page

Below: Yeast cells on a well plate, showing scanning in X and Y with automatic focus control. The well plate in the video stops at each well to show that the image is focused. If stroboscopic illumination is used all 96 wells can be captured and stored in as little as 30 seconds, for later processing.



Choosing an automatic focusing system: Comparing performance



The box below contains performance metrics we use for engineering development. Copy it if you like it, send it to each autofocus supplier, then compare results. You should expect each supplier to guarantee the results listed. Then you can make a decision based on hard data.


FocusStat performance measurement are listed in the Products section.


Go To Products Section

Focus Sensing and Control in the Real World



Over the coming months we will be adding tutorials on focus sensing and control. These tutorials will be based on the above list of performance metrics, and will be illustrated with examples using measured data. Check back here for new tutorials, which will appear periodically:

  • Tutorial 1: Why hands-off focus capture is a requirement for true automatic focus control, and how we measure it.

Go To Tutorials Section

Contact Us For More Information



For order information or for inquiries, fill out the form below:








send >

Focal Point, Inc.

True Automatic Focus Control

208-362-6142.