Name: pyControl - Mouse Behaviour Box (Complete Set No 1)
Brand: Founding developer Thomas Akam
SKU: G330
Price: 990.00 USD
Availability: InStock

pyControl - Mouse Behaviour Box (Complete Set No 1) behavior control system for lab rodents

back view pyControl - Mouse Behaviour Box (Complete Set No 1) behavior control system for lab rodents

pyControl - Mouse Behaviour Box (Complete Set No 1)

pyControl - Mouse Behaviour Box (Complete Set No 1) with connecting wires, PCBs etc

Run Automated Mouse Behaviour Experiments

Description

pyControl uses pyboard microcontrollers running MicroPython to control behavioural experiments. Current developers are Thomas Akam and Andy Lustig, based at Oxford University and Janelia Research Campus.

3 pokes with LED, 2 reward valves, a speaker, and the Micropython control board

pyControl provides a clean, intuitive and flexible Python based syntax for specifying behavioural tasks. Many experimental protocols have been developed and tested, and are freely available.

Each experimental setup is controlled by one control board with a pyboard microcontroller (breakout board). This is connected to a PC via USB. Multiple experimental setups can be connected to a single computer and run in parallel, using a graphical user interface designed for efficiently running high throughput behavioural experiments. Further peripheral boards connected to this microcontroller board are used to construct the behavioural setups.

Content

The Mouse Behaviour Box is a ready-to-go experimental mouse behaviour setup consisting of an experimental chamber with three nose-poke ports, each with stimulus LED and IR beam, plus a speaker controlled by an audio board, and two solenoid valves for liquid reward delivery.

It includes all materials for assembly, including the liquid reward valves with tubes. Once assembled and connected to a PC, you are ready to experiment.

It includes:

1x Mouse experimental chamber (12x12cm floor space)
1x Breakout board with MicroPython control board (MicroPython pyboard v1.1)
3x Poke assemblies for liquid reward with stimulus LED (mouse)
2x Lee solenoid valves with tubing for liquid reward
1x Audio board
1x speaker with 30 cm cable
1x 12V power supply (3A) with four international wall adapters
4x ethernet cables (2 meters each)
1x micro USB cable (2 meter)
1x extra behaviour box lid with hole for use with tethered animals
all assembly materials and hex keys

Breakout Board with Micropython control board

The pyControl Breakout Board forms the core of each pyControl hardware setup. It interfaces a Micropython microcontroller with a set of 6 behaviour ports, 4 BNC connectors, indicator LEDs and user pushbuttons. Many such Micropython breakout boards can be controlled from a single computer via USB.

The breakout board's behaviour ports are then connected to pyControl peripherals and/or accessories.

pyCONTROL PERIPHERALS

These peripherals are also available as Add-ons to the Behavioural Box:

All peripherals must be connected to the breakout board using an ethernet cable. Some require an extra power supply.

pyCONTROL ACCESSORIES

pyControl is in daily use in laboratories around the world and has run many thousands of hours of behaviour experiments. pyControl continues to be developed by researchers at Oxford University and Janelia Research Campus, and enthusiasts in other laboratories. More information about programming tasks can be found here, hardware documentation is here.

Publication

Akam T, Lustig A, Rowland J, Kapanaiah SK, Esteve-Agraz J, Panniello M, Marquez C, Kohl M, Kätzel D, Costa RM, Walton ME (2021). pyControl: Open source, Python based, hardware and software for controlling behavioural neuroscience experiments. BioRxiv

Kapanaiah SKT, van der Veen B, Strahnen D, Akam T & Kätzel D. (2021) A low-cost open-source 5-choice operant box system optimized for electrophysiology and optophysiology in mice. Scientific Reports

Documentation

PyControl

Source Code

GitHub

Forum

GitHub Discussions