Knowledge Base

Testing the TTL Port Tester

1. Connect the TTL Port tester to the TTL port on your USB-IO box which you want to test, using the green RJ45 modular network cable. When both the USB-IO box and the TTL Port tester are properly connected, the TTL power LED on the TTL Port tester is on.
2. Start EthoVision XT and open your experiment. In the Experiment Explorer, click Arena Settings.
3. In the Arena Settings window, click the Arena - Hardware Mapping button.
4. In the Arena - Hardware Mapping window, under the arena name, select TTL Port Tester (PTTB-001x) and click the Test button.
5. A new window appears. In the Command drop-down list, select either Light 1 on, Light 1 off, Light 2 on, or Light 2 off and click Test. Check the LEDs on the TTL Port tester (Light 1 corresponds to OUT-1, and Light 2 to OUT-2) and the information in the window.

Note: The signal from and to the TTL Port tester is not a network signal. The TTL Port tester cannot be connected via a network hub or similar.

Manual Input

You can also manually supply TTL input events to a TTL port. Follow steps 1–5 in the procedure above. Press either button IN-1 or IN-2 on the TTL Port tester and check the result in the window.

Simulate a TTL Device

You can connect the TTL Port tester to a TTL port that is defined for another TTL device, for instance, the Noldus Pellet dispenser. In this way, you can simulate the working of the device. You will see that the OUT-1 LED on the TTL Port tester is turned on whenever EthoVision XT decides to have the dispenser drop a pellet. Because it is not the pellet dispenser connected to the port, there will be no "pellet dropped" reply, but you can simulate this by pressing the IN-1 button on the TTL Port tester. The IN-2 button on the TTL Port tester is connected to the same input as the "error" line of the pellet dispenser. With a pellet dispenser connected, this line will become active whenever the dispenser fails to drop a pellet. By pressing the IN-2 button, you can simulate this occurrence.

Trigger an Action with the TTL Port Tester

You can use the manual input buttons on the TTL Port tester to trigger an action, for instance, switch on a light. Define a Trial Control condition based on the TTL Port tester and define that the light is switched on when, for instance, IN-1 is pressed.

1. Open your Trial Control Settings and in the Components pane click the button next to TTL Port Tester (under Conditions - Hardware).
2. In the Signal to check drop-down list, select one of the following:
   • Is button 1 pressed? or Is button 2 pressed? — In the Signal value drop-down list, select True, then click OK. The light will be on as long as the button is pressed.
   • Button 1 presses or Button 2 presses — In the Signal value drop-down list, select = and enter the desired value, then click OK.

To define the appropriate action:

1. In the Components pane under Actions, click the button next to the hardware you want to control.
2. In the Action to perform drop-down list, select which action should follow the condition you defined above. Then click OK.
3. Insert the Condition and Action box in the appropriate position in the Trial Control rule.

Use the TTL Port Tester as a Manual Event Recorder

Although you can score behaviors manually with EthoVision XT, you can also do so with the TTL Port tester. For example, in a resident-intruder test, during acquisition press the IN-1 button when the resident mouse is aggressive and the IN-2 button when the intruder mouse is aggressive. For more complex coding schemes, use the Manual Scoring Settings in EthoVision XT.

If you use the TTL Port tester as a manual event recorder, you can view the number of key presses in a hardware log. In EthoVision XT, from the Export menu, choose Track Data and select the Hardware log check box.

Calculate the Statistics for the TTL Port Tester

For testing purposes, you can calculate the number of times the buttons were pressed, or visualize when the lights were switched on. To do so, in the Analysis profile:

• To analyze and visualize button presses, under Hardware click the button next to Hardware Continuous. In the window that appears, next to Device type, select TTL Port Tester (PTTB-001x). Next to Device, select the correct device if you have more than one device connected. Next to Signal, select Button 1 pressed or Button 2 pressed.
• To analyze or visualize the time when the lights were switched on, under Hardware select Hardware Command or Hardware State. Choose Command to view the time that the command was given. Choose Hardware State to visualize the status of the light (feedback from the TTL Port tester).
• In the Trial Statistics tab of the variable properties window, select the statistic Total, then click Add.

You can now calculate the number of times the button was pressed, or the light was switched on and off, by running an analysis. Choose Analysis > Results > Statistics & Charts. Make sure that the correct Analysis profile is selected on the toolbar, then click Calculate.

You can also visualize the button presses and the light being switched on and off in the Integrated Visualization. Choose Analysis > Results > Integrated Visualization. You will then see in the Time Event Plot when the buttons were pressed, or when the lights were switched on and off.

The Optical Isolated TTL-IO Interface

Aim

To enable isolation between the Noldus USB-IO box or the Mini USB-IO box and a third-party device, for example the Inscopix nVista camera system.

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