Note: This manual is a work in progress!
OverviewThe EPsych Toolbox was created in an effort to facilitate implementation of behavioral and electrophysiological experiments using Tucker-Davis Technologies hardware and software while leveraging the relatively easy to use Matlab programming environment.
This toolbox contains several GUIs designed to help the user to create, modify, and analyze behavioral and electrophysiological experiments quickly while still providing the flexibility for complete customization of nearly every aspect of the experiment through custom Matlab coding. In addition, a number of custom macros are included with this toolbox to simplify implementation of operant conditioning paradigms using real-time processors with TDT RPvds circuits.
RPvds and TDT hardware: Time-critical components
Matlab software: Parameterization, visualization, interactivity, programmatic control
Real-time, deterministic programming is extremely difficult at the high sampling rates required for simultaneous electrophysiology using basic Matlab on a standard Windows personal computer. Therefore all real-time (deterministic) events should take place in RPvds circuits running on TDT hardware. This includes stimulus generation, monitoring subject responses, timing of subject responses, triggering rewards or punishments, etc.
Aspects of the experiment which do not require precise timing can be accomplished in Matlab. EPsych GUIs and code have been designed to perform as best as I know how under the limitations of Matlab running on Windows (Linux would be better, but is not currently supported by TDT drivers). Parameterization of experiments, display of performance and other data, as well as programmatic selection of stimulus parameters and experimenter interaction can be done in Matlab. The flexibility of this design allows for more complex behavioral paradigms, for example stimulus feature sensitivity threshold determination, such as your favorite Staircase procedure.
Basic recommended system includes:
Quad core or better with at least 4 GB RAM (faster and more is better) Windows 7 64-bit or newer (not yet fully tested on Windows 10) Matlab 64-bit R2012b or newer (initially developed on R2012b and some incompatibilities may exist with earlier versions of Matlab) Latest TDT drivers (v80 tested)
I developed this toolbox during my predoctoral work at the University of Buffalo and my postdoctoral work at the University of Western Ontario. The toolbox is in constant development and the manual is a work in progress. I know of a few other labs that are currently using this software to run behavioral and electrophysiology experiments. These labs have helped to improve and refine this software over the years. I hope others find this software useful and that we can all work to help each other to advance behavioral neuroscience. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me: daniel.stolzberg@gmail.com