OM1 shield
(order OM1 boards from OSH Park)
This shield is intended for use in the OpenMaze Mouse Visual Operant task, along with MATLAB Psychophysics Toolbox for presentation of visual stimuli. Basically, MATLAB delivers the visual stimuli, which then tells the Arduino to look for responses from the mouse. This shield can be used to monitor licks or lever presses from the mouse and deliver rewards or punishments based upon which stimulus was given.
Note: There is another, open-source way to administer visual stimuli, using PsychoPy, a toolbox for the Python programming language. See example code in Arduino for Neuroscientists session #4 at the github site.
OM1 can also be used for any behavior that can run on an UNO, needs <=4 solenoid valves and no steppers, like 2 choice operant boxes.
The OM1 shield provides the following functions:
- 4 channel H-bridge to control up to 4 solenoid valves for delivering multiple liquid stimuli/rewards , or airpuff stimuli.
- inputs for either lever press choice or two different types of lick sensors for either single port or two-alternative forced choice tasks.
- output for servo motor, to control access to lever or lick ports.
- speaker connection for delivering associated CS (i.e. reward or punishment tones).
This is the PCB for the OM1 board, with a few additions to make it easy to add in new functionality. Basically, any of the unused digital I/O pins on the Arduino are broken out to allow easy attachment of additional servos, beam breaks, etc. These additions make it easy to convert our Mouse Visual Operant task example to a freely moving choice paradigm, with beam breaks for nosepokes and servos to control doors to constrain mouse movement in the arena.
PCB designs for this board and the original (without the extra pins broken out) are present on the OM shield page, along with all of the other boards (in a single document).