A Teensy microcontroller-based interface for optical imaging camera control during behavioral experiments
A Teensy microcontroller-based interface for optical imaging camera control during behavioral experiments
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.03.019
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发表时间：
2019-05-15
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Han, Xue
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Romano, Michael;Bucklin, Mark;Han, Xue
背景：系统神经科学实验通常需要精确定时的数据采集和行为监控的集成。虽然专门的商业系统旨在满足数据采集和设备控制的各种需求，但它们通常无法提供与新仪器和可变行为实验设计接口的灵活性。新方法：我们开发了基于 Teensy 3.2 微控制器的接口，该接口易于编程，并提供高速、精确定时的行为数据采集以及用于控制 sCMOS 相机和其他设备的数字和模拟输出。结果：我们在两个实验设置中展示了 Teensy 接口的灵活性和时间精度。在一个示例中，我们使用 Teensy 接口记录动物在球形跑步机上的定向运动，同时提供可用于控制 sCMOS 相机图像采集的重复数字脉冲。在另一个例子中，我们使用 Teensy 接口在跟踪条件眨眼行为范例中在精确的时间提供听觉刺激和轻柔的眼抽，同时提供重复的数字脉冲来触发相机图像采集。与现有方法比较：该接口允许在不同的行为实验期间进行高速和时间精确的数字数据采集和设备控制。结论：Teensy 接口由 Teensy 3.2 和自定义软件功能组成，提供了一个时间精确、低成本且灵活的平台，可将 sCMOS 相机控制集成到行为实验。
Background: Systems neuroscience experiments often require the integration of precisely timed data acquisition and behavioral monitoring. While specialized commercial systems have been designed to meet various needs of data acquisition and device control, they often fail to offer flexibility to interface with new instruments and variable behavioral experimental designs.New method: We developed a Teensy 3.2 microcontroller-based interface that is easily programmable, and offers high-speed, precisely timed behavioral data acquisition and digital and analog outputs for controlling sCMOS cameras and other devices.Results: We demonstrate the flexibility and the temporal precision of the Teensy interface in two experimental settings. In one example, we used the Teensy interface to record an animal's directional movement on a spherical treadmill, while delivering repeated digital pulses that can be used to control image acquisition from a sCMOS camera. In another example, we used the Teensy interface to deliver an auditory stimulus and a gentle eye puff at precise times in a trace conditioning eye blink behavioral paradigm, while delivering repeated digital pulses to trigger camera image acquisition.Comparison with existing methods: This interface allows high-speed and temporally precise digital data acquisition and device control during diverse behavioral experiments.Conclusion: The Teensy interface, consisting of a Teensy 3.2 and custom software functions, provides a temporally precise, low-cost, and flexible platform to integrate sCMOS camera control into behavioral experiments.