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Welcome to the Miniscope-DAQ-QT-Software wiki!

This Miniscope DAQ software is an upgrade and replacement to our previous DAQ software. It is written completely in QT, using C++ for the backend and QT Quick (QML and Java) for the front end. This software supports all current and previous Miniscopes but requires the most up-to-date version of the Miniscope DAQ Firmware.

Make sure to click the "watch" and "Star" button up at the top right of this page to stay up-to-date with this project.

Features

• User Configuration Files, using the human-readable JSON language, for fully configuring devices connected, data structure, settings, and experimental protocol.
• Supports unlimited number of video streams (as long as your computer can handle it).
• Multi-threaded video capture, processing, and data logging.
• GPU accelerated visualization.

Setting up and running the software on your computer

The DAQ software is being developed and compiled for Windows but should be rather easy to port to other operating systems as QT and OpenCV are cross platform. The documentation on this Wiki is currently for Windows use but we will work towards supporting other operating systems in the future.

This repository holds both the up-to-date source code as well as compiled builds of the Minsicope DAQ software. To get the software running on your computer, visit the releases page of this repository and download the newest version of the software. Just unzip the compiled package to somewhere on your computer and run the .exe file located in the main directory. If you have any issues, please report them back to us using the issues page.

If you want to edit and/or compile the code yourself:

1. Fork, clone, or copy the repository to your local computer.
2. Download and build OpenCV using your preferred compiler.
3. Use QT Creator to load the the project.
4. Edit the .pro file to correctly link to your OpenCV build.

How to use the Miniscope DAQ Software

The software constructs the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and data streams based on the User Configuration File loaded into the program. This file defines everything from the experimenter name to which devices are connected to how data should be processed and saved. Below is an overview of how to use the software:

Step 1: Run the .exe file in the folder you downloaded and unzipped from the releases page of this repository.

Step 2: Select a User Configuration File

Step 3: Select "Run"

This will load the User Configuration file and let you know if there are any issues with it.

Step 4: The GUI and data connections will be created based on the loaded User Configuration File

Step 5: Use the sliders and spinboxes to adjust the parameters of the video streams

: LED intensity

: Focal plane

: Frame rate

: Gain

: Upper level of displayed frame. Does not affect saved data.

: Lower level of displayed frame. Does not affect saved data.

Step 6: Click "Record" to begin recording. If the External Switch is checked, recording will begin and end based on the digital input to one of the SMA connections on the Miniscope DAQ Box.

Features Currently Under Development