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ARTiMiS Device

Unbox your ARTiMiS, power it on with the included display and keyboard, and launch the control app from the desktop.

Getting Started

Welcome to ARTiMiS — your automated microscope for imaging and counting microalgae and other microscopic particles in water samples. Your instrument arrives fully assembled and ready to use. This page takes you from the box to a live view of the control app.

What’s in the box

  • ARTiMiS instrument
  • Power supply + outlet adapter
  • Small form factor peripherals: display, keyboard + mouse
  • Replacement consumables: tubing, microfluidic chip, pack of sample tubes
  • Access tools: hex wrenches for M2 and M3 screws
  • Spare components: replacement gasket washers, product feet, and fasteners

Set the instrument on a stable, level surface with sufficient room to co-locate peripherals and power supply brick.

Powering on the device

  1. Connect the power supply to the instrument and to a wall outlet. Attach the 4-pin DIN connector from the power supply to the instrument, and attach the outlet socket adapter to the wall outlet.

  2. (Optional) If using the included display peripheral: Unpack the display and connect to the instrument via HDMI, accessible on the back of the instrument.

    Important: Connect your display to the instruments HDMI port BEFORE powering on the instrument for the most reliable display connection.

  3. (Optional) If using the included keyboard + mouse peripheral: Unpack the keyboard + mouse.

    • If using a Logitech MK250 shipped in the same box as your instrument, your peripherals connect via Bluetooth and should be pre-paired. WAIT to turn on your peripherals until AFTER you have booted your instrument.
    • If using a different model, it may include a USB dongle adapter. Insert this into one of your device’s available USB ports.
    • If using a Bluetooth-only peripheral that did not ship in the same box as your instrument, you may require the use of a separate USB-capable mouse to open the Bluetooth Connections menu on your instrument’s desktop for initial pairing. You may then freely use the Bluetooth-only peripherals and return your borrowed mouse to its proper home.

  4. Press the power button at the back of the instrument. The illuminated latching power button should stay pressed and its LED will light up if properly connected to power. The instrument may take up to a minute to start up. Your instrument should boot to a desktop environment, visible on your connected display.

  5. If using a Bluetooth-only keyboard + mouse peripheral, turn on these devices after the instrument is fully powered on and idling on the desktop for the most reliable connection experience.

ARTiMiS runs on the Raspbian Operating System, a Linux OS. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the desktop layout if this is your first time using this operating system:

  • The desktop is arranged similar to other desktop environments you may be familiar with on Windows or Mac, featuring apps, folders, etc. that are made visible on the desktop.
  • The default taskbar location on your instrument is at the bottom of the screen, and functions similar to taskbars you may be familiar with on Windows or Mac.

On the left side of the taskbar:

IconWhat it does
Raspberry PiEquivalent to the Windows or Apple icon. Clicking it opens a menu to access installed applications and other programs.
GlobeLaunches a Chromium web browser.
FolderLaunches the file explorer.
TerminalLaunches a command line terminal.

On the right side of the taskbar:

  • Raspberry Pi Connect
  • Bluetooth Devices
  • WiFi Connections
  • CPU Temperature Monitor
  • Date/Time/Calendar

Connecting to the Internet

  1. Click the “WiFi Connections” icon on the taskbar, third from right in the right-side icon group.
  2. Browse available networks to find your desired wireless network.
  3. Enter your credentials, then wait to connect to the internet. The icon should show a fan-wave design, with colored arcs indicating network connection strength.
    • Red “X” markings on the icon indicate a failed network connection.
  4. Test your connection to the internet by either opening the Chromium web browser, or running a Terminal CLI command such as ping -c 3 google.com
    • (Optional) Set a password for the built-in Chromium keychain, or close the popup to defer setting.

While not required, connection to the internet will allow your instrument to automatically detect and pull software updates. Updates include bugfixes, security patches, and new features to improve your instrument.

Launch the control app

The recommended way to run ARTiMiS is directly on the instrument, using the included display and keyboard + mouse:

  1. On the desktop, double-click the ARTiMiS icon (the Skopii logo).
  2. A small launcher window opens. If your instrument is connected to the internet, it checks for software updates:
    • If an update is available, you can choose Update to install it (recommended) or continue on your current version. The launcher can also roll back to a previous version if you ever need to.
    • If you’re already up to date, the launcher continues automatically after a few seconds — no action needed.
  3. The control app then opens full-screen in the browser. You’ll see your instrument’s serial number and a status indicator in the top bar. You’re ready to go.

Tip: The launcher checking for updates needs the internet, but the control app itself runs entirely on the instrument — no internet connection is required to run samples.

Opening the app from another device (optional)

While the app is running, you can also open it from a computer, tablet, or phone for convenience — for example, to review results from your desk:

  1. Make sure your device is on the same network as the instrument.

  2. Open a web browser (Chrome and Edge work best) and go to the web address printed on your quick-start sheet. It looks like:

    http://artimis-00042.local:8000

    where 00042 is the five-digit middle portion of your instrument’s serial number — for example, serial AM1-00042-7 becomes artimis-00042. Don’t forget the :8000 at the end.

    You can find your serial number on the sticker on the instrument’s back panel, between the USB/HDMI ports and the power connector.

You can open the app on more than one device, but only one person should run a sample at a time.

If the address doesn’t load:

  • Double-check that both devices are on the same network.
  • Make sure the control app is running on the instrument (launch it from the desktop as described above).
  • Try the instrument’s network (IP) address instead of the .local name if your quick-start sheet lists one.
  • See Troubleshooting for more help.

Sign in

If your instrument asks you to sign in, you have two options:

  • PhycoSight Cloud account — sign in with the same email and password you use at phycosight.com. This links your runs to your organization and lets you upload samples to the cloud. If you don’t have an account yet, you can create one at phycosight.com.
  • Device account — a local account that works entirely offline, with no cloud or network required.

The very first time an instrument is used, it may walk you through creating an operator account. Follow the on-screen prompts. If you create a device account, you’ll be shown a short recovery phrase once — write it down and keep it safe. It is the only way to reset a forgotten device-account password without an administrator.

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