Knowledge Base

Problem

When setting up a shuttle box avoidance experiment, the trial control logic accumulates shock counts per cycle rather than across both sides combined, so the experiment does not stop after the intended total number of shocks (e.g., 30 shocks total across left and right sides).

Details

Occurs when configuring the shuttle box protocol in EthoVision XT. The default sub-rule behavior counts shocks per trial cycle rather than as a running cumulative total across the full session. This causes the stop condition to trigger incorrectly or not at all.

Solution

1. In EthoVision XT, open the Trial Control settings for the shuttle box experiment.
2. Review the shock delivery sub-rules and identify how the shock counter is scoped (per cycle vs. session-level).
3. Configure a session-level cumulative counter that increments each time a shock is delivered on either the left or right side.
4. Set the stop rule to end the experiment when this cumulative counter reaches the target value (e.g., 30 total shocks).
5. Contact Noldus Support for the specific protocol file if needed.