Many microscope developers have asked us a similar question:

Can we take advantage of HMM, but use our own UI or software platform instead of being limited to the standard HMM UI?

The answer is: Yes.

With the HMM API, developers can keep the core advantages of HMM — including deterministic synchronization, 1 GS/s signal sampling, in-line data processing, instant image display, and simplified system connections — while building their own control interface, software workflow, or system-level identity.

The HMM API enables users to rapidly integrate scanners, lasers, detector gain, Piezo / ETL Z control, triggers, markers, and image acquisition. In other words, it helps turn a microscope system from a custom engineering project into a programmable, scalable, and verifiable platform.

The purpose of the HMM API is not to ask users to write microscope control from scratch. Instead, it standardizes the most common — and often most difficult — low-level control capabilities, so users can quickly assemble their own experimental workflows.

1. HMM turns a microscope into a programmable platform

Traditional microscope integration often requires separate control of scanners, lasers, detectors, triggers, markers, and acquisition hardware. Over time, this can become a highly customized and difficult-to-maintain engineering effort.

The value of the HMM API is to bring these control capabilities into a unified platform, allowing developers to build imaging workflows through a standardized API.

2. HMM does not lock customers into one UI

Some users may choose the standard HMM UI. Others may want to integrate HMM into their own control software, analysis platform, or automated workflow.

The HMM API is designed for:

• Labs building their own two-photon or laser-scanning microscopes
• Research teams that already have their own software platforms
• System integrators and OEM partners
• Users who need to connect microscopy with automated experimental workflows

3. The HMM API can quickly enable real microscope applications

Through the HMM API, users can rapidly build functions such as:

• Live imaging
• Recording
• Piezo / ETL Fast Z control
• Z-dependent laser power or detector gain control
• Marker-triggered recording
• External-device synchronized acquisition

These are not “magic buttons.” They are assembled from standardized HMM control capabilities, including scanner control, analog output, digital I/O, triggers, markers, and image callbacks.

For microscope developers, this means you can keep your own software identity — while relying on HMM for the low-level timing, synchronization, acquisition, and processing foundation.