Knowledge Base

Physical Setup

One-Cubicle Configuration

The diagrams only include the connections essential for communication between EthoVision XT and the FCS. See also the Ugo Basile Fear Conditioning Systems NG Series instruction manual.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Connect the EthoVision XT computer to the Ugo Basile FCS using the appropriate USB cable. You need a USB cable with a type-A connector at one end and a type-B connector at the other end.
2. Connect the camera to the PC.

   If your computer has an Ethernet board with one or two ports, you need a Power over Ethernet (PoE) injector.

   • Connect one of the ports of the Ethernet board of the computer to the PC port (IN) on the PoE injector.
   • Connect the camera port on the back of the cubicle to the CAM port (OUT) of the PoE injector.
   • Next, connect the PoE injector to a power outlet.

   If your computer has a 4-port Ethernet board installed, and if this board receives power from the PC internal power supply, you do not need a PoE injector. Connect the camera directly to one of the board's Ethernet ports. See the EthoVision XT Help for details.

3. Connect the Ugo Basile USB Hub to the power outlet using the appropriate power adapter.

With the current version of the FCS you can control the IR light from EthoVision XT. If you have an older version, you must use the IR manual controller or upgrade the FCS. Please contact Noldus for information.

The Video Camera

The camera is embedded in the IR light box at the top of the cubicle. If you have not done so yet, you must configure the IP address of the camera and of the Ethernet port on your PC. You can find the IP address of the camera on the front panel of the cubicle's light box.

Install and Configure the Cameras

For details on how to install and configure the EthoVision XT cameras and adjust the IP addresses, see Camera Installation in the EthoVision XT Help.

IR Light Box with Software Control

FC systems of Model 46110-NL and Serial Number higher than 0676U24 are equipped with an IR light box that is switched on automatically when the cubicle is powered up. The default intensity is 100%. You can control the IR light intensity directly from the software (Trial Control Settings > Action > UB FCS IR Light). You no longer need additional hardware.

It could happen that your system is recent but is not yet updated for this option. Please contact Noldus for information. You can also update the firmware of the cubicles using the firmware update procedure.

IR Light Box with Manual Control

In older FCS models adapted for use with EthoVision XT, the cubicle is equipped with an IR light box above the conditioning cage and an IR light controller to adjust the IR light intensity.

1. Connect the red and black cable that comes from the cubicle to the IR light controller.
2. Connect the IR light controller to a power outlet through its power adapter. Attach the IR light controller as indicated on the labels.

If you work with multiple cubicles, connect the IR controller as explained above for all cubicles.

Four-Cubicle Configuration

Element 3 (IR light controllers) is for manual control of IR light and is no longer necessary in the current version of FCS.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Connect each cubicle to the EthoVision XT computer through the Ugo Basile USB Hub. You need 5x USB cables with a Type-A connector at one end and a Type-B connector at the other end.
2. Connect the Ugo Basile USB Hub to the power outlet using the appropriate power adaptor.
3. Connect each camera to one of the ports of the Ethernet Interface board in the EthoVision XT computer. You need 4x Ethernet cables with RJ45 connectors.
4. Connect the Top Light Units to the power outlet through the appropriate power adaptors.
5. Connect one IR controller to each cubicle as described in the IR light box with manual control procedure.

For more information on how to install and configure the Ethernet Interface board, see Install the GigE Cameras in the EthoVision XT Help.

Note: The external IR light controller is no longer necessary if you have updated the cubicle firmware.

Connect Multiple Cameras

If your EthoVision computer is provided with a 4-port Ethernet interface board for connecting multiple GigE cameras, the cameras can receive power from the PC itself. If you purchased the computer and Ethernet board from Noldus, the board is already powered by the PC. Otherwise, open the computer casing and connect the Ethernet interface board to the internal power supply of the computer.

Once power is provided through the PC, connect each camera to one of the ports of the Ethernet interface board. Label the ports and the cables so you always know which port is connected to which camera and which cubicle.

IP Addresses

Note: If you have the Ugo Basile FCS equipped with USB cameras, connect the cameras directly to the EthoVision XT computer and skip this section.

If your FCS is equipped with Basler GigE cameras through Ethernet connections, each camera must have an IP address that matches the IP address of the Ethernet interface board on your PC.

The basic rules are:

• The first two numbers are the same for all cameras: 192.168.
• The third number should be the same and unique for each camera-Ethernet port combination.
• The fourth number can be any value, but must differ between the camera and the Ethernet interface board, and should suggest which cubicle (arena) it refers to.

For example:

• 192.168.1.101 for camera 1 (cubicle 1) and 192.168.1.x for Ethernet port 1 of the Ethernet interface board.
• 192.168.2.102 for camera 2 (cubicle 2) and 192.168.2.52 for Ethernet port 2 of the Ethernet interface board.

The IP address of each camera can be found on the front panel of the cubicle's light box.

Source: EthoVision XT 18 - Application Manual, Noldus Information Technology