Knowledge Base

Hardware Setup

1. Depending on which device is connected to the EthoVision XT computer, select either Noldus USB-IO box or Noldus Mini USB-IO box, or the DanioVision version you have. Next, click OK.
2. If you have connected multiple USB-IO boxes, in the window that appears, select the interface device from the IO interface list. Otherwise, skip this step.
3. For each device connected, under Device Type select the port that device is connected to, and under Device ID specify the device name or accept the default name. See some examples below.
4. If you use multiple USB-IO boxes, repeat steps 4–5 for each USB-IO box. Specify the hardware connected to that box.

Examples

One Pellet Dispenser

Locate the TTL port connected to the Pellet dispenser, and in that row under Device Type select Pellet Dispenser.

One Pellet Dispenser And One Lickometer

Under Device Type, select Pellet Dispenser next to the TTL port connected to the Pellet dispenser. For Lickometer, select Lickometer next to the SDI port that is connected to the Lickometer.

PhenoTyper

The connections depend on whether you use PhenoTyper 1 or PhenoTyper 2. For information, see the PhenoTyper 2 - EthoVision XT 19 - Reference Manual.

DanioVision

The White Light stimulus and the Tapping stimulus (when present) are already assigned. For the Temperature Control Unit, or custom hardware, under Device Type select the device next to the TTL port you use.

Notes

• IMPORTANT: If you use multiple Noldus USB-IO boxes, their identity number must be different. You can set this number using the jumpers inside the USB-IO box. For details, see the EthoVision XT 19 - Trial and Hardware Control - Reference Manual. We recommend testing your own configuration of USB-IO boxes and devices before carrying out the actual trials.
• You cannot combine the regular Noldus USB-IO Box with the Noldus Mini USB-IO Box.
• To see what type of USB-IO box you have, check the label at the bottom side of the box: PTIO-002x for the Noldus USB-IO Box or PTIO-003x for the Noldus Mini USB-IO Box.

See Also

• For details on how to connect hardware devices, see the EthoVision XT 19 - Trial and Hardware Control - Reference Manual.
• For DanioVision, see the DanioVision DVOC-0041 - EthoVision XT 19 - Reference Manual.
• For PhenoTyper, see the PhenoTyper - Reference Manual for general information, and the PhenoTyper - EthoVision XT 19 - Service Manual for details about the Noldus devices that work with PhenoTyper.

Units

Specify the units for distance, time and rotation. Changing the units does not affect the raw data, only their presentation. You can change the displayed units at any time.

Unit Of Distance

EthoVision measures the distance between two points in pixels. To convert these to real values you must calibrate your arena. Here, you can choose what unit of distance you prefer: millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), meters (m) or inches (inch).

Unit Of Time

Milliseconds (ms), seconds (s), minutes (min) or hours (hr).

Unit Of Rotation

Degrees (°), radians (rad), gradians (grad) or rotations (rot).

Notes

• You can change the units after you have acquired tracks. This only affects the presentation; the data are always correct.
• Changing the units only affects the present experiment. To change the default units for future experiments, choose File > Preferences, click Default Units and select the units you want.
• Settings of units are saved on your computer. If you open another EthoVision XT experiment from a colleague, numbers will be displayed according to your settings, regardless of the settings your colleague used. For example, your colleague tracked an animal moving one inch; on your computer it is shown as 2.54 cm.