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Potential mentors: Josh Siegle (@jsiegle), Jakob Voigts (@jvoigts), Aarón Cuevas López (@aacuevas), Alik Widge (Mass General Hospital)
5. Module to control LED driver module for cyclops driveroptogenetic stimulation
Description: Many users of Open Ephys are using optogenetic tools to manipulate activity in genetically defined neural activitycircuits. This requires precise delivery of light form an LED source. In many cases, this is the basic basis for closed-loop experiments where neural data is decoded and then informs the optogenetic manipulation of the brain based upon the signal content. The Cyclops driver (http://www.open-ephys.org/cyclops/) is a high precision, open-source/open-hardware LED driver designed specifically with neuroscience applications in mind. The driver can house houses an arduino and a DAC Arduino and an internal digital to analog converter that can be used to generate arbitrary output optical waveforms. It would be very useful to program both a the microcontroller firmware and a corresponding plugin for the Open Ephys GUI such that allow users to of the GUI could define and upload waveforms onto the cyclops, and then trigger their delivery based on events in the software. This would greatly simplify the implementation complex closed-loop optical stimulation protocols that are becoming a staple of systems neuroscience research.
Skills required: Proficiency in C++, micro-controller programming, interest in UI design
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