61
Electronics / Re: Question about group ordered PCB boards and sensors
« on: August 16, 2017, 04:45:37 PM »
Thanks Honi. This is a great solution. Do you mind if I share this OSH Park link directly on Miniscope.org?
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62
DAQ Software/Firmware / Re: Flickering Datalink LED (Used to work perfectly fine before)
« on: August 15, 2017, 07:31:54 PM »
Hi Kyrollos,
The L13 inductor can get damaged if too much current is pulled through it. This almost exclusively happens when there is a short across the coax cable close to where the cable connects to the DAQ PCB. You may accidentally and temporarily shorted these signal and ground lines within the coax cable, in the SMA connector, or on the DAQ PCB.
I suggest looking up the part number of L13 in the Bill of Materials (BOM) file on GitHub and replacing it. There is a chance something else was also damaged but likely not.
The L13 inductor being fried shouldn't damage any other equipment connected to the DAQ PCB.
The L13 inductor can get damaged if too much current is pulled through it. This almost exclusively happens when there is a short across the coax cable close to where the cable connects to the DAQ PCB. You may accidentally and temporarily shorted these signal and ground lines within the coax cable, in the SMA connector, or on the DAQ PCB.
I suggest looking up the part number of L13 in the Bill of Materials (BOM) file on GitHub and replacing it. There is a chance something else was also damaged but likely not.
The L13 inductor being fried shouldn't damage any other equipment connected to the DAQ PCB.
63
Data Analysis / Re: The total frame number of behavCam and msCam is not identical
« on: August 14, 2017, 03:05:18 PM »
Hi Chenglin,
The behavior and imaging video streams are not guaranteed to have the same number of frame or same frame rate. Generally, webcams have a frame rate that varies across a recording session while the Miniscope frame rate should be completely stable. Every time a frame is acquired (both for the behavior and imaging video streams) the DAQ Software timestamps that acquisition and saves that information in timestamp.dat. This file allows you to sync up the 2 videos offline by matching up timestamps. I hope this helps.
The behavior and imaging video streams are not guaranteed to have the same number of frame or same frame rate. Generally, webcams have a frame rate that varies across a recording session while the Miniscope frame rate should be completely stable. Every time a frame is acquired (both for the behavior and imaging video streams) the DAQ Software timestamps that acquisition and saves that information in timestamp.dat. This file allows you to sync up the 2 videos offline by matching up timestamps. I hope this helps.
64
Group Miniscope Orders / Re: New Miniscope PCB Group Signup Sheet
« on: August 14, 2017, 03:02:08 PM »
Hi,
You can add your information to the group signup sheet here, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14wKD1-nZVGhdf2VnJYl1scEssredgB64XKHe5C0PY0k/edit?usp=sharing.
You can add your information to the group signup sheet here, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14wKD1-nZVGhdf2VnJYl1scEssredgB64XKHe5C0PY0k/edit?usp=sharing.
65
Electronics / Re: led of different color
« on: July 24, 2017, 02:41:32 AM »
Hello Baohua,
Yes the LED driver circuit on the CMOS PCB will be able to handle that LED without a problem.
Yes the LED driver circuit on the CMOS PCB will be able to handle that LED without a problem.
66
Electronics / Re: How to attach commutator?
« on: July 17, 2017, 05:44:52 PM »
Hi Konell,
We usually use something like this to connectorize a commutator, https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/5-1814832-1/A97594-ND/1755982. We solder one of these connectors to each side of the commutator. It is important to cut the wires coming out of the commutator as short as possible (a centimeter or two should be fine). You will solder one of the wires to the inner pin of the connector (power and signal) and the other wire to one of the outer legs of the connector (ground).
We usually use something like this to connectorize a commutator, https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/te-connectivity-amp-connectors/5-1814832-1/A97594-ND/1755982. We solder one of these connectors to each side of the commutator. It is important to cut the wires coming out of the commutator as short as possible (a centimeter or two should be fine). You will solder one of the wires to the inner pin of the connector (power and signal) and the other wire to one of the outer legs of the connector (ground).
67
System Assembly Troubleshooting / Re: How deep into the miniscope body should the achromatic lens be?
« on: July 12, 2017, 09:23:30 PM »
Hi Konell,
The achromatic lens should sit as far down as possible in the Miniscope housing. In other words, it should sit close to the emission filter and far from the CMOS sensor. There is a small plastic aperture between the emission filter and achromatic lens that the lens should touch. If this lens is out of place it can affect the range of focal planes as well as the field of view size.
The cross-sectional view on this page, http://miniscope.org/index.php?title=Head_Mounted_Scope, shows you where the achromatic lens should go.
The achromatic lens should sit as far down as possible in the Miniscope housing. In other words, it should sit close to the emission filter and far from the CMOS sensor. There is a small plastic aperture between the emission filter and achromatic lens that the lens should touch. If this lens is out of place it can affect the range of focal planes as well as the field of view size.
The cross-sectional view on this page, http://miniscope.org/index.php?title=Head_Mounted_Scope, shows you where the achromatic lens should go.
68
Electronics / Re: Excitation LED not powering on
« on: July 05, 2017, 10:49:00 PM »
Hi Stephanie,
This still sounds like a damaged LED or a short somewhere along the wires that connect the LED PCB to the CMOS PCB. You can hook up a multimeter in current mode in series with an LED or resistor (around 100ohm) and make sure there is current flowing and it can be adjusted between ~0mA and 40mA.
This still sounds like a damaged LED or a short somewhere along the wires that connect the LED PCB to the CMOS PCB. You can hook up a multimeter in current mode in series with an LED or resistor (around 100ohm) and make sure there is current flowing and it can be adjusted between ~0mA and 40mA.
69
DAQ Software/Firmware / Re: exposure time and frame rate
« on: July 01, 2017, 03:48:17 PM »
Hi Dylan,
The Minsicope system scales the exposure to the current frame rate of the system. So 0 exposure is minimum exposure and 255 is maximum exposure (~33ms at 30FPS, ~50ms at 20FPS, and so on) at whatever frame rate currently selected. In general you will always want to run at maximum exposure since it lets you run at lower excitation power without any negative side effects. The only reason to drop the exposure lower is if your signal is still too bright at the lowest excitation power or if you are seeing motion blur in single frames at low frame rates.
The Minsicope system scales the exposure to the current frame rate of the system. So 0 exposure is minimum exposure and 255 is maximum exposure (~33ms at 30FPS, ~50ms at 20FPS, and so on) at whatever frame rate currently selected. In general you will always want to run at maximum exposure since it lets you run at lower excitation power without any negative side effects. The only reason to drop the exposure lower is if your signal is still too bright at the lowest excitation power or if you are seeing motion blur in single frames at low frame rates.
70
Electronics / Re: DAQ PCB - SMA connector for trigger
« on: June 30, 2017, 11:45:14 PM »
Hi Elliot,
This is a great question and is information that needs to be added to the wiki. In the meantime take a look at this thread, http://miniscope.org/board/index.php?topic=377.0 . It should address your question.
This is a great question and is information that needs to be added to the wiki. In the meantime take a look at this thread, http://miniscope.org/board/index.php?topic=377.0 . It should address your question.
71
DAQ Software/Firmware / Re: Trouble w/ Miniscope Control for DAQ v3.x only
« on: June 30, 2017, 11:39:53 PM »
Hi Konell,
The newer version of the DAQ PCB should function identically to the older version except the SMA connectors are in slightly different positions. Are you sure all the switches and jumpers are in the correct position and the EEPROM has been programmed successfully? Is there a chance you shorted the SMA connector on the DAQ PCB that connects to the CMOS sensor PCB at some point in the past? If this connector gets shorted and then the DAQ PCB powered one, it can damage the DAQ PCB and cause the DAQ PCB to fail at transmitting the video data (even when all 3 green LEDs are on and stable).
The newer version of the DAQ PCB should function identically to the older version except the SMA connectors are in slightly different positions. Are you sure all the switches and jumpers are in the correct position and the EEPROM has been programmed successfully? Is there a chance you shorted the SMA connector on the DAQ PCB that connects to the CMOS sensor PCB at some point in the past? If this connector gets shorted and then the DAQ PCB powered one, it can damage the DAQ PCB and cause the DAQ PCB to fail at transmitting the video data (even when all 3 green LEDs are on and stable).
72
General Discussion / Re: Combined Miniscope
« on: June 20, 2017, 03:48:38 PM »
Hi Matteo,
Our system is mostly not compatible with the Inscopix system. That being said, their relay GRIN lenses work with our system and you could conceivably convert Miniscope recordings into 16bit TIFF stacks and run it through their analysis package.
Our system is mostly not compatible with the Inscopix system. That being said, their relay GRIN lenses work with our system and you could conceivably convert Miniscope recordings into 16bit TIFF stacks and run it through their analysis package.
73
DAQ Software/Firmware / Re: Miniscope Device Manager
« on: June 18, 2017, 04:43:38 PM »
Hi Matteo,
That third LED should light up the moment the CMOS PCB is connected when everything is working. This light runs independently of the computer the system is hooked up to or the firmware being loaded properly to the board. It looks like there are issues with the PCB and/or solder of your boards.
That third LED should light up the moment the CMOS PCB is connected when everything is working. This light runs independently of the computer the system is hooked up to or the firmware being loaded properly to the board. It looks like there are issues with the PCB and/or solder of your boards.
74
DAQ Software/Firmware / Re: Miniscope Device Manager
« on: June 15, 2017, 09:23:16 PM »
Hi Matteo,
Does the red LED on the CMOS PCB light up when you hook up your Miniscope to the DAQ PCB and power everything up?
The U12 LED, which is the Data Link LED, lights up when there is a stable power and data connection between the DAQ PCB and the CMOS PCB. This LED should light up right away when you power everything up, even before you load the Miniscope DAQ Software or connect to the Miniscope system through the software. If the Data Link LED does not light up then the most likely cause is a problem with the coax cable or coax cable connections.
Does the red LED on the CMOS PCB light up when you hook up your Miniscope to the DAQ PCB and power everything up?
The U12 LED, which is the Data Link LED, lights up when there is a stable power and data connection between the DAQ PCB and the CMOS PCB. This LED should light up right away when you power everything up, even before you load the Miniscope DAQ Software or connect to the Miniscope system through the software. If the Data Link LED does not light up then the most likely cause is a problem with the coax cable or coax cable connections.
75
DAQ Software/Firmware / Re: Miniscope Device Manager
« on: June 15, 2017, 05:38:18 PM »
Hi Matteo,
It is great to hear that you are making progress!
Can you give me a little bit more detail concerning the problem you are having now? From what it looks like you are able to connect to the Miniscope and get a live video stream but it crashes and the screen turns red shortly after?
It is great to hear that you are making progress!
Can you give me a little bit more detail concerning the problem you are having now? From what it looks like you are able to connect to the Miniscope and get a live video stream but it crashes and the screen turns red shortly after?