Knowledge Base

Connecting Third-Party Devices

Connect a Third-Party Device: Two-Switch Device

Connect switch 1 between TTL input1 (color: blue/white) and ground (color: brown). Connect switch 2 between TTL input2 (color: blue) and ground (color: brown).

To read the status of each switch with EthoVision XT, in the Port device mapping window select the TTL port that is connected to the switch device and under Device type select TTL Port Tester. To define a condition based on this device, use the Is button 1/2 pressed option (to check that a switch is on/off) or the Button 1/2 presses option (to check the number of presses).

Note: When a switch is open, the TTL value of the corresponding input is High. When a switch is closed, the TTL value of the corresponding input is Low (0).

Connect a Third-Party Device: Simple Lever

When the lever is a simple "switch" that makes contact from signal to ground, without a circuit board in it, you can connect the device directly to a TTL input line of the USB-IO (or mini USB-IO) box.

• When the lever is not activated, the input is "high" (logic 1).
• When the lever is pressed, input will go to "low" (logic 0).

Connect pin 1 and/or pin 8 for ground and either pin 5 or pin 4 for TTL input 1 or 2 respectively.

Note: Inside the (mini) USB-IO box, all TTL input lines are "forced high" to 5Volt TTL level by an internal resistor. Whenever an input line is not connected (open), it is interpreted as logical "high" or 1. If this line is connected to ground it will be seen as logical "low" or 0.

Note: These instructions are valid if the lever is based on a (micro) switch. Other retractable levers may need a different connection.

Using Multiple USB-IO Boxes

It is in principle possible to connect multiple USB-IO boxes to the EthoVision XT computer, provided that each box has a unique ID. A setup with two USB-IO boxes was tested.

In practice, there may be limitations due to the number of devices attached and controlled simultaneously with EthoVision XT. For example, events like a pellet drop may be skipped if they occur simultaneously with other input and output events. We always recommend testing a specific setup before carrying out the actual trials.

Procedure

1. Make sure that each USB-IO box has a unique ID. To do so, adjust the DIP switches in one of the USB-IO boxes. See Alter the DIP Switches for details.
2. Connect each USB-IO box to its own power supply; do not use power feed-through cables.
3. Connect each USB-IO box to a separate USB port of your PC before configuring EthoVision XT.
4. In the Experiment Settings, click the Settings button next to Use of Trial Control Hardware. In the window that appears, first select one USB-IO box from the drop-down list and select the devices connected to it. Next, select the second USB-IO box and select the devices connected to it.

Testing the USB-IO Box

Testing Functionality of TTL Ports

Refer to the TTL port testing section for instructions on testing TTL port functionality.

Testing Connection in USB-IO Box

When you carry out long trials, it may be handy to check that the USB-IO box works properly for the entire duration of the trial. For this purpose, use the USB-IO box monitor function.

1. In the Device Configuration window (Experiment Settings), locate a free TTL Port and under Device type, choose USB-IO box monitor.
2. In the Arena-Hardware Mapping window, add a device and for that device select USB-IO box monitor.
3. After the trial has been acquired, in the Analysis profile click next to Hardware state and select:
   • Device type: USB-IO box monitor
   • Value: true
4. In the Integrated Visualization you should see the hardware state USB-IO box monitor as a colored bar that goes from the beginning to the end of the trial, if everything went well. If the USB cable between the PC and the USB-IO box was accidentally disconnected, or some error occurred inside the USB-IO box chip, the colored bar should end at that time in the trial.

Note: You can use the USB-IO monitor function to check whether the USB cable is still connected or if the communication chip is working fine. However, this function cannot help when:

• A specific port other than that used for USB-IO box monitor is defective.
• The power cable of the USB-IO box is disconnected during the trial.

In both cases the USB-IO box monitor state remains unchanged till the end of the trial. Do not use the port reserved for USB-IO box monitor for connecting other devices.

Jumper and DIP Switch Settings

The USB-IO box contains jumpers inside the box next to the SDI ports. Jumpers are short lengths of wire that complete a circuit. By placing the jumper over a pair of available pins, you activate that line. On the USB-IO box board, jumpers can be placed in either position 1 or 2.

The default jumper positions are set by Noldus Information Technology. You do not have to change them unless you intend to connect multiple Top Unit Interfaces to work with multiple groups of PhenoTyper 1.

Default Jumper Settings

• JMPR5 (for SDI ports 1–4) — Set to 1
• JMPR6 (for SDI ports 5–8) — Set to 1
• JMPR7 (for SDI ports 9–12) — Set to 1
• JMPR8 (for SDI port 13) — Set to 2

Position 1 enables use of the Lickometer. Position 2 enables communication between the USB-IO box and multiple PhenoTyper 1 Top Units.

Alter the Jumpers

Follow this procedure only if you want to use SDI ports other than 13 to connect the Top Unit Interface. For example, when you want to connect 8 PhenoTypers to your PC and SDI port 13 is not sufficient as it can work with up to four Top Units.

Note: If you alter a jumper other than JMPR8, this is done for all four ports it corresponds to.

1. Unscrew the cover of the USB-IO box.
2. Locate the jumpers on the main board marked by JMPR5 to JMPR8.
3. Put the jumper to position 2 for the port that you require:
   • JMPR5 (for SDI ports 1–4)
   • JMPR6 (for SDI ports 5–8)
   • JMPR7 (for SDI ports 9–12)

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