Several boxes in a reduced spaced: need for one controller PC per bpod?

Simon

Hello,

Thinking on having several boxes (9-12) lined up in a reduced space. Would it be feasible to have one computer controlling more then one bpod, by having one sound card installed per box?

Thanks!

Simon

Josh

Simon wrote[quote='Simon' pid='83' dateline='1480446013']
Hello,

Thinking on having several boxes (9-12) lined up in a reduced space. Would it be feasible to have one computer controlling more then one bpod, by having one sound card installed per box?

Thanks!

Simon

Hi Simon

This is also on the priority stack. The current system (due to how it is programmed) can run only one Bpod system per instance of MATLAB, and one instance of PsychToolbox sound server. A high fidelity sound module for Bpod is in development by a team of hardware engineers at Champalimaud. In the meantime, if you want "feedback" sounds that can be discriminated from each other and aren't doing something where sound quality is critical, you can use the Teensy sound server.

Noa

Josh wrote[quote='Josh' pid='85' dateline='1480453095']
Simon wrote[quote='Simon' pid='83' dateline='1480446013']
Hello,

Thinking on having several boxes (9-12) lined up in a reduced space. Would it be feasible to have one computer controlling more then one bpod, by having one sound card installed per box?

Thanks!

Simon

Hi Simon

This is also on the priority stack. The current system (due to how it is programmed) can run only one Bpod system per instance of MATLAB, and one instance of PsychToolbox sound server. A high fidelity sound module for Bpod is in development by a team of hardware engineers at Champalimaud. In the meantime, if you want "feedback" sounds that can be discriminated from each other and aren't doing something where sound quality is critical, you can use the Teensy sound server.

Hi Josh, Simon,
I would like to join the question,
and ask whether in the Python version being developed there would be an option to control multiple Bpods from the same computer?
Or any updates to the current MATLAB version that would enable it?
Thank you!

Josh

Hello Noa

I believe that the current version of PyBpod can run multiple machines.
Unfortunately, it works with firmware from _~January, so some features (module integration, advanced properties of global timers, etc) don't work. Python support is _~our top priority now, but a lot needs to happen before it's ready to use.

On the MATLAB side, a lot of work needs to happen before the same instance of MATLAB can run multiple behavior sessions. This work is below Python and B-control support in the priority stack, unfortunately.

At similar priority level, we are looking at options for affordable governing computers. One promising possibility is Udoo X86 (though it doesn't have PCI express slots for sound cards, a hifi sound module for Bpod should be available in _~September, from the hardware engineers at Champalimaud). At some point I plan to evaluate the Udoo x86 board and release instructions for setting it up with Bpod (if it works well).

-Josh