Knowledge Base

Connecting the Mini USB-IO Box

1. Connect the Mini USB-IO box to the power supply using the appropriate cable and the mains adapter. The LED 24V On switches on.
2. Plug one of the ends of the modular network cable in the hardware device.
3. Plug the other end of the cable in one of the ports available on the Mini USB-IO box.

Note: If you disconnect the Mini USB-IO box while EthoVision XT is open, reconnect it. Note that it can take some time before the Mini USB-IO box is recognized after you reconnect it.

Although you use modular network cables to connect devices to the USB-IO box, the signal from and to the device is not a network signal. The device cannot be connected via a network hub or similar.

The modular network cable comes with the hardware device, not the Mini USB-IO box.

Connect Custom Hardware

Whenever you want to connect your own device to a TTL control connector of the Mini USB-IO box, do so according to the information below.

The TTL connector will provide supply (18VDC) and TTL output and input to your device. It is a standard RJ45 modular type. Pinning and cable wire colors for the mating patch cable are shown in the figure below.

To power a device, a +18 Volt power supply can be provided via pin 2 (orange). Common ground for both power and TTL on pin (orange/white-brown).

Important: Max. overall current for all TTL ports must not exceed 0.5 A!

Whenever the device to be connected needs some other (lower) supply voltage, you must use some regulator in between or connect a separate power adapter to it.

Input of a TTL Device

Two input lines are available for each TTL connector, TTL-1 and TTL-2, connected to line 5 (white/blue) and (blue) respectively.

In the example below, two switches send inputs to EthoVision XT via a TTL port.

You can use the TTL input to monitor the status of devices connected to those input connections.

Inside the Mini USB-IO box, all TTL input lines are forced high to the +5V TTL logic level by a pull-up resistor. This enables open collector interfacing from your device into the Mini USB-IO box or you can just connect a simple switch between it and the ground. However, you can also connect any TTL logic level signal (0 Volt/5 Volt) to the input.

To prevent unwanted behavior of input lines caused by noise or signal spikes, inputs are protected by debounce/ESD protection circuits.

Output of a TTL Device

You can use TTL output to control any external device by simple 5V TTL logic. Each of the 4 TTL ports on the Mini USB-IO box is equipped with 2 TTL output lines. Every output line is protected with a current limiting resistor of 100 ohm. Maximum load current of the output is 10mA.

Multi TTL Output Connector

The Multi TTL output connector contains 16 independent output lines.

Advised connector: Assmann AWP20-7240-T-R.

• Pin 1–16: 16 x TTL compatible output lines (TTL-1 to TTL-16).
• +5 Volt reference (max load 10 mA).
• +12 Volt reference (max load 10 mA).
• Pin 19, 20: Ground.

Note: No TTL input lines are available on this connector. To control non-TTL hardware, some kind of interfacing may be needed.

The Mini USB-IO Box and EthoVision XT

Defining hardware configuration means that you specify which communication ports of the Mini USB-IO box are connected to which hardware devices, and, in the case you work with multiple arenas, which individual device is assigned to which arena.

1. Connect the hardware devices to the computer through the Mini USB-IO box, then start EthoVision XT.
2. Create a new experiment or open an existing one.
3. Under Setup, click Experiment Settings. Define the main characteristics of the experiment.
4. Select Use of Trial Control Hardware and click Settings.
5. In the window that opens, select Noldus Mini USB-IO Box.
6. In the Device Configuration window, select the devices you require. For more information on this step, see set the port connections on page 116.
7. Under Setup, select Arena Settings. Define the arenas. For more information on this step, see Arena Settings in the EthoVision XT Help.

If you have only one arena, you can skip the steps below. The hardware is automatically assigned to the arena. If you have more than one arena, proceed with step 8.

8. Click the Arena - Hardware Mapping button in the Arena Settings window.
9. Click Add Device. Under Device Type, select the device and assign it to one of the arenas. Repeat this step for all the individual devices in your setup. Make sure you assign each device to one arena. For more information on this step, see assign devices to arenas on page 121.
10. Choose Setup > Trial Control Settings. Define the Trial Control protocol.

Note: To use the Pellet dispenser with the Mini USB-IO box, you must replace a device file in EthoVision XT. See the instructions connect the pellet dispenser in the chapter The Pellet Dispenser and the Pellet Receptacle in the PhenoTyper - EthoVision XT 18 - Service Manual.

Note: If you created a DanioVision experiment, or if you used a DanioVision predefined template, select the DanioVision version that you have. For more information on setting up an experiment with the DanioVision Observation Chamber, see the DanioVision DVOC-0041 - Reference Manual.

The TTL Port Tester

Use the TTL Port tester to test or demonstrate the TTL control functionality of the USB-IO box. You can also use it to simulate a TTL device (for example a pellet dispenser), trigger an action (for instance, switch on a light) or as a manual input device.

Your TTL Port tester package includes a TTL Port tester PTTB-001x with a green RJ45 modular cable connected (1 meter long).

Technical Specifications

• Noldus Device Number: PTTB-001x
• Power Supply: 5 V DC, supplied by the USB-IO box
• Current Consumption: 30 mA (when one of the LEDs is on)
• Connector: RJ45 8 pin modular
• Dimensions: 60 x 40 x 20 mm (l x w x h)
• Weight: 50 grams
• CE compliant in accordance with EMC directive 2004/108/EC

Test the USB-IO Box TTL Functionality

The following steps assume that you have set the port connection in the Experiment Settings and assigned the TTL Port tester to the arena.

1. Make sure that the USB-IO box is connected to (A) your EthoVision XT computer and (B) a power supply.

Source: EthoVision XT 18 - THC - Trial and Hardware Control, Noldus Information Technology