sebromano wrote[quote='sebromano' pid='108' dateline='1486411291']
I am interested in buying a Bpod r0.7 beta along with some of its accessories.
But first, I have a couple of technical questions. I read at the website that the r0.7 Bpod version does not need a sync board to sync with an electrophysiology system. First a naive question: by synchronization do you mean that all the behavioral data picked up by the Bpod is transferred to the ephys system, or only the clocks of both the Bpod and the ephys system will be synchronized?
We would like to sync the Bpod with a NeuroNexus Smartbox (http://neuronexus.com/products/smartbox) which has HDMI, and analog and digital 3.3V BNC inputs. Could you explain me how to sync them without the sync board? How should I wire the Bpod and the SmartBox? Please let me know if I need to buy any additional board for the sync (like the Open Ephys sync board for the r0.5 Bpod, which has an HDMI output).
I will be looking forward to your feedback, to proceed with the purchase.
Thanks!
Sebastian.
Hi Sebastian
Bpod 0.7 allows you to select a digital output channel for synchronization. That channel will send logic signals, not behavioral data. The current software allows you to choose from 2 signaling schemes:
- 1. The sync line goes from low to high on trial start and high to low on trial end, and
- 2. The sync line switches logic levels (high->low or low->high) whenever the Bpod state machine changes states.
Your acquisition system will record the current time on its clock for each high->low and low->high event. Afterwards, you can align the states in the Bpod behavior file with the timestamps recorded by NeuroNexus. It is important to start NeuroNexus acquisition before starting the Bpod behavior session, so that all of your state transitions are captured.
To synchronize with a 5V-tolerant BNC input channel, you would simply connect a cable from the 5V BNC output channel on Bpod, to one of the inputs on the acquisition system. Unfortunately, Bpod's BNC connectors are both 5V outputs - and the SmartBox input spec is 3.3V. Bpod 0.7 has three 3.3V digital output channels available from the wire terminals (see part 2 here). You would need a connector like this, and a BNC cable.
I hope this helps!
Josh
