Table of Contents

Overview

The Harp Behavior board is a multi-purpose data acquisition and control device for behavioral neuroscience experiments.

Harp Behavior with Peripherals

A typical behavioral rig combines sensors, cue lights, reward valves, cameras and motorized actuators. These components usually need individual control interfaces and post-hoc alignment to a common timeline. The Behavior board brings them together on a single device, so that every input and output stream is controlled through one interface and timestamped on the same hardware clock.

The Behavior board provides:

  • General-purpose digital inputs and outputs, plus analog inputs, for interfacing with external devices.
  • Plug-in support for peripherals like the Harp Behavior Mice Poke, Rotary Encoder, and more.
  • Specialized functionality to directly control external hardware, including triggering cameras, driving servo motors, and more.
  • Hardware timestamping and synchronization with other Harp devices.
  • Bonsai integration for flexible experiment acquisition and control.

Getting a Device

Assembled units are available from the Open Ephys store, or build your own using the hardware design files in the Behavior board repository. Once you have a board, follow the "Getting Started" section to set up the device and install the software.

Acknowledgments

Hardware design and GUI contributed by Champalimaud Foundation, Bonsai interface by NeuroGEARS, testing and feedback by Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics, and documentation by Open Ephys.


Last updated with:
Hardware v2.1
Firmware v3.3
Bonsai Package v0.2

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