Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics

A NIH research resource center for biomedical fluorescence spectroscopy at the University of California, Irvine

Globals Software

LFD is supported by

National Center for Research Resources

University of California, Irvine


Screenshot

Features

  • Fluorescence data analysis, simulation, and acquisition
  • Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)
  • Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM)
  • Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)
  • Generalized Polarization (GP)
  • Number and Brightness (N&B)
  • Phasor Plots of Fluorescence Lifetime Images (FLIM)
  • Photon Counting Histogram (PCH)
  • Raster and Spatio-temporal Image Correlation Spectroscopy (RICS and STICS)
  • Single Particle Tracking (SPT)

Globals Software for Spectroscopy and Images

Globals, originally developed in the 1980's at the Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics (LFD) for the analysis of multiple files from spectroscopy, is now available for the Windows operating system (Globals for Spectroscopy, aka GlobalsWE) and for image analysis using the RICS and phasor approaches (Globals for Images).

Download Globals

Installation Files

These are the official installation files of the Globals software for Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP operating systems. Please read the installation and compatibility notes. Each version may be used free of charge for 30 days. After the 30 days they cannot be used again without purchasing a password.

Updated Executables

Updates are released frequently but may be unstable or not work at all. Use at your own risk: just overwrite the installed executable file with the updated one.

Tutorials and Help Files

More tutorials and example data files can be downloaded from the Web pages of the

Installation and Compatibility Notes

System Requirements

  • Microsoft Windows XP (32 bit) operating system with Service Pack 2.
  • Minimum CPU: Intel Pentium III compatible at 1 GHz (Pentium IV compatible recommended).
  • Minimum memory: 256 MB RAM (Globals for Spectroscopy) and 1 GB (Globals for Images, 2 GB recommended) and 512 MB virtual memory.
  • Minimum display resolution: 1024x768 pixel
  • OpenGL 1.3 compatible graphics card and display driver.

Compatibility Issues

Globals software does not yet fully support non-english language systems, working with non-administrator privileges, any 64 bit Windows systems, or the Windows Vista operating system:

  • The installer programs ("globalse.exe", "simfcse.exe") must be run with administrator privileges. Either log on as a local administrator before installation or right click the downloaded installer executable and select "Run as" providing administrator credentials.
  • If Globals software is to be used by non-administrator users, those users must be granted "modify" permissions to the program directories (usually "C:\Program Files\Globals" and "C:\Program Files\SimFCS"). In Windows Explorer, right click on the installation directory and select "Properties" and then the "Security" tab. Select the "Users" group and check the "Allow Modify" permission. This requires administrator privileges.
  • The operating system must use US decimal symbol (".") and digit grouping (","). These can be set in the "Regional and Language Options" control panel.
  • Under Windows Vista, Globals for Images must be executed in "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)" compatibility mode. In Windows Explorer, right click on the simfcs.exe file and select "Properties" and then the "Compatibility" tab.
  • It is recommended to use the "Windows Classic" theme with default scale font size (96 dpi). These can be set in the "Display" respectively "Personalization" control panels.
  • In order to use SimFCS in data acquisition mode, deconv.exe must be executed once with administrator privileges. Installation of additional drivers for data acquisition hardware such as NI-DAQ, Becker Hickl TCSPC, ISS cards, and PixeLink might be required.

Globals software has been reported to run in analysis and simulation mode under Windows Vista 64 bit, the Wine compatibility layer for Linux, as well as Windows XP running under VirtualPC, VMware Workstation, and the Parallels Desktop for Mac. Please note that these configurations are not officially supported and can not be used for data acquisition.

False Virus Warning

Some antivirus scanning tools detect the gendel32.exe file as "VirTool.Gendel.A", "RiskWare.Tool.Gendel (Not a Virus)", or similar. This file does not contain any virus but is an integral part of the Globals installation program. Symantec, McAfee, Microsoft, F-Prot, and AVG do not consider gendel32.exe harmful.