Intel Play & Digital Blue
USB Digital Microscopes

(About, Software, Download Drivers & User Manuals)

Covering the Intel Play QX3 &  Digital Blue QX5 / QX7 models


​

 

Intel Play line of educational toys from 1999 to 2002

About the Intel Play QX3 USB Digital Microscope

These Digital Microscopes are an affordable way to start viewing and capturing close-up  images of the circuitry on your computer chips and other items without spending a fortune on a high-end Educational Microscope!

They are made to conveniently plug into your Desktop or Laptop computer via the USB port.

The Intel "Play" brand of USB Digital Microscopes are no longer being made.
Fortunately there are quite a few (new and used) available for sale on Amazon & eBay that remain an affordable option for hobbyists and educators.

 New models of affordable USB Digital microscopes are now available to consumers offering many choices and price ranges. Popular choices include Digital Blue's QX7, as well as others notable models from brands like Celestron, Plugable, AGPTek, Amscope, Neewer & Welltop.

The Intel Microscope's Quick start guide

Intel Play QX3 USB Microscope

 





Intel Play QX3 Microscope Free Windows Drivers & Manuals:

Intel QX3 Microscope - Activity Book

Intel QX3 Microscope - Drivers & Support

Intel QX3 Microscope - Users Manual

VIDEO: Using the Intel Play QX3 Digital Microscope

How to use the Intel Play & other USB Digital Microscopes
with an Apple MAC OS Computer

Intel & Mattel produced the 
"Intel Play" USB Digital Microscopes
from 1999 to 2002


The Intel Play QX3 Computer Microscope was developed as the result of a creative partnership between computer chip giant Intel and the innovative toy designer Mattel. Having a $100 price point, this electronic video toy was Intel's attempt at entering the science education market using optics, digital imaging, and the latest computer technology at the time.

The QX3 microscope connected easily to a Windows based PC via it's USB cable which also powered the microscope and its lighting. It featured 10x/60x/200x lenses and had both upper and lower adjustable lighting and focus height adjustment. The microscope could be removed from its base stand allowing it to be used as a hand-held microscope. The microscope came with software that enabled the user to snap images, make time lapse movies, import and export images, lighting control, and image effects and titling.

The microscope used a CMOS CIF sensor - ideal for use in a microscope that focuses on a small image area. CIF resolution is 352x288 pixels, but the microscope software only uses a central region of interest (ROI) of the image - 320x240 pixels to be exact. The image is interpolated to 512x384 pixel resolution for display in the Microscope software's Live View window. The microscope used optical (not digital) magnification.
 

 


​

About the Digital Blue QX5 / QX7
& Other USB Digital Microscopes
 

After the Intel Play line of toys were discontinued in 2002 a company called  Digital Blue bought the product line and sold clones of the Intel QX3,  know as the Digital Blue QX5 Microscope, which had some improvements over the earlier Intel QX3 models - upgrades included a 640x480 image capture device and brighter light source. Digital Blue's latest model was called the Digital Blue QX7.


Konus makes a nice educational USB microscope. This unit has slightly better magnification than the QX3 or QX5 series ditial microscopes with magnification up to 300X.

For an even better magnification option Konus also offers digital camera microscope eyepiece adapters for use with many models of higher quality optical microscopes. This computer video set enables you to view microscope or telescope images on your Windows compatible PC or laptop. It fits in the eyepiece holder of any standard microscope.

​​
Digital Blue QX5 Microscope Free Windows Drivers & Manuals:

'QX-5' Drivers for Windows

'QX-5' Users Manual

Images of Computer Chips Viewed Close-Up
using an Intel Play QX3 Digital Microscope
 

CPU Computer Chip magnified 60X

 

Back to Intel Collectibles

AMS    AMD     Amdahl    Analog Devices    Apple    Applied Materials    Atari    ATI​    AT&T

Bell Labs    Burroughs    Canon    Cincinnati Milacron    Control Data    Cray    Cyrix

Data General    DEC    Destron Fearing    Elbit    ESI   Ford   Fujitsu    GE    GM    GTE    Hitachi

Honeywell    HP    Hughes    Hyundai    IBM    Intel    Interdesign    ITT    LSI    Memorex

    Micron    MIPS    Microvision     MIT    Mitsubishi    Motorola    NAPA ECHLIN    National Semi    
NCR    NEC    NTK​    NMBS    NorthStar Computers    Nvidia    OKI Electric    Pacific Semi

Panasonic    PHILCO    Pixim    Precision Monolithics​    Raytheon    RCA    ​Remington Rand

Samsung    SGS-Thomson    Signetics    Sony    Sperry    STMicroelectronics

Sun Microsystems    Sylvania    Tandem Computers    Texas Instruments    ​Toshiba

Tung-Sol    TSMC    UNIVAC    Wavesat    Western Electric    Westinghouse    ​WYSE    Etc.

​