ZEN core
Imaging Software for Connected Microscopy in Material Laboratories
ZEN core handles more than just microscopy imaging. ZEN core is the most comprehensive suite of imaging, segmentation, analysis, and data connectivity tools for multi-modal microscopy in connected material laboratories.
Highlights
Easy to Configure – Easy to Use
Benefit from an adaptive user interface tailored to the needs of industrial and research environments. ZEN core offers you configurable user management to specify users and roles. Whatever their level of experience, operators will learn the software quickly.
Advanced Imaging and Automated Analysis
ZEN core is the command center for automated imaging and analysis functions on compound light microscopes. By using built-in automated image acquisition routines, you benefit from the consistency of an advanced and repeatable workflow.
Infrastructure Solution for the Connected Lab
ZEN core provides the infrastructure for connected laboratory environments, linking ZEISS imaging and microscope solutions to a single, familiar GUI and keeping your valuable data together across instruments, laboratories, and locations.
One Interface for all ZEISS Microscopes in a Multi-user Environment

From entry-level stereo microscopes to fully automated imaging systems, ZEN core provides a unified user interface for ZEISS microscopes and cameras. ZEN core enables the correlation of light and electron microscopy in multi-modal workflows and provides connectivity between systems, laboratories, and locations.
- Microscope and camera control
- Data acquisition and analysis
- Correlative microscopy
- Post-acquisition analysis
- Automated intelligent segmentation
- Contextual analysis
- Integrated reporting
- Central data management
- Connectivity between systems, laboratories, and locations
User Management Designed to Assure Data Repeatability and Integrity

- Adaptive user interface tailored to the needs of industrial and research environments
- Task-specific workbenches
- Job Mode for repetitive tasks and customized workflows
- Configurable user management to specify different user roles, like operator, supervisor, and lab manager
- Combination of Job Mode with user management functions to assign inspection tasks to certain users and user groups
Materials Modules for Metallography Applications
Including material modules for the determination of grain sizes, phases and layer thicknesses as well as for the classification of graphite particles and non-metallic inclusion analysis, ZEN core provides all important metallographic applications under a uniform user interface.
Advanced Imaging and Analysis
Automation for Light Microscopes
ZEN core provides you with a wide range of choices for automated image acquisition:
Enhanced Depth of Field
Automatically acquire images with enhanced depth of field
Online Panorama
Acquire panorama images on coded and non-coded stages
Free-Form Tiles
Easily define stitching areas to create highly resolved images
ZEN Intellesis: Image Segmentation by Machine Learning
ZEN Intellesis is your software module for powerful machine learning segmentation of multidimensional images including 3D datasets. You can smoothly integrate multiple imaging modalities or achieve superior segmentation on any single image.
Images that had to be processed manually can now be analyzed automatically, by training ZEN Intellesis to segment them for you. Use your expertise to train the software and let ZEN Intellesis do the tedious segmentation.
You will also benefit from saving sample preparation time, as ZEN Intellesis can adapt to your sample preparation. Reproducibility is guaranteed as the stored analysis program can be re-used sample by sample, or re-trained to handle new samples.


ZEN Connect: Quality Data Put in Context
Organize and visualize different microscopy images and data from the same sample in their context, all in one place. For sample-centric analysis, ZEN Connect workflows enable you to get from a quick overview image to advanced imaging with multiple modalities. The correlations between the images at different scales can be seen and easily navigated. The interdependencies of the different datasets can be stored, exported and re-used in a Client Server Database. ZEN Connect also enables an integrated reporting across the connected images and datasets.

Infrastructure Solutions for the Connected Laboratory
GxP Module: Secure and Compliant Microscopy Processes
The GxP module enables traceable workflows through seamlessly integrated microscopy hardware and software to meet the requirements of regulated industries. Every workflow available in ZEN core can be made GxP compliant.
- User management
- Audit trail
- Release procedure of workflows
- Electronic signatures, incl. countersign functionality
- Checksum protection of process-critical data
- Disaster recovery

Shuttle & Find: Correlative Microscopy
Correlative microscopy is a powerful technique for combining the complementary attributes of different microscopic techniques to obtain maximum meaningful information from parts or materials samples. Shuttle & Find is the ZEISS correlative microscopy interface, designed specifically for use in materials analysis and industrial QA.
- Transfer samples between LM and EM systems faster than ever.
- Relocate regions of interest automatically.
- Improve efficiency and throughput.
- Collect the maximum relevant information.
- Take well informed material decisions.
ZEN Data Storage: Central Data Management in the Connected Laboratory
As digitization continues to improve microscopic investigations, you’re facing an ever-growing mass of images and data that needs to be managed, all the more so in multi-user laboratories. ZEN Data Storage enables you to separate image and data acquisition from post-acquisition works, making everyone in the lab work more efficiently in a number of ways:
- Share instrument presets, workflows, data and reports with ease.
- Access all data from different systems and locations.
- Your analyses are quality assured and reproducible.
- Perform multi-modal workflows and reap maximum information from your samples.
- Help your IT department implement security and backups.

Module Packages
Module Package | Features & Applications | Download |
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ZEN starter |
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ZEN starter - Run ZEN core for free |
ZEN core |
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Release Notes for ZEN core Rel 3.2 Documentation of the CZI image format: |
Downloads
ZEISS ZEN core
Software Suite for Connected Microscopy in Material Laboratories
pages: 25
file size: 11683 kB
Application Note: ZEISS ZEN core
Fast Routine Investigation of Additive-manufactured Al-Si Samples
pages: 5
file size: 3302 kB
Application Note: ZEN core
Quality Inspection of Weld Connections
pages: 8
file size: 1531 kB
Detection, Quantification and Advanced Characterization of Non-metallic Inclusions in Steels
Detection, Quantification and Advanced Characterization of Non-metallic Inclusions in Steels. Description of NMI module in ZEN Core software.
pages: 10
file size: 1138 kB
In Situ Microscopy on the Melting and Cooling Behavior of an Al-Si 12 Alloy Using ZEISS ZEN core
pages: 6
file size: 2153 kB
Microscopy in Metal Failure Investigations
Determine the root cause of metal failure and learn about microscopy tool set for any metal failure investigation
pages: 8
file size: 4315 kB
ZEN 2 core Quick Guide
pages: 24
file size: 4947 kB
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