Lickometer False Positives

[stincic]

Hello,

We are using the dual Lickometer protocol that is posted in the forum/repository. We are having a problem with the mice scooting up next to the lickometers because there is a little gap they can sort of sit in. This causes the lickometer to constantly register false positives. I guess this problem could be some what alleviated by switching the inputs from Level to Transition mode, but is there a way to have the protocol exclude extended contact as we are only interested in brief contacts (actual licks).

Thank you,
Todd

[Gary Bamberger]

You could try something like this:

S.S.11,
S1,
  #START: ---> S2

S2,
  #R^Lick1: SET L = 0 ---> S3

S3,
  #R^Lick1: SET L = L + 0.01 ---> SX
  0.01": IF L <= 1 [@Short, @Long]
            @Short: Z1 ---> S2
            @Long: ---> S2

In your program you just look for the Z1 pulse instead of the #R^Lick1. Any lick that is 1s or less will count and the rest will be ignored. You can change the length to be anything that you wish.

I hope that this helps.
Gary

[stincic]

So in the case of my program for dual lickometers would I do:

S.S.11,
S1,
#START: —> S2

S2, \Record Right Licks
#R^rightLick: SET L = 0 —> S3
\Record Left Licks
#R^leftLick; SET L = 0 —> S3

S3,
#R^rightLick: SET L = L + 0.01 —> SX
0.01″: IF L <= 1 [@Short, @Long]
@Short: Z1 —> S2
@Long: —> S2
#R^leftLick`: SET L = L + 0.01 —> SX
0.01″: IF L <= 1 [@Short, @Long]
@Short: Z1 —> S2
@Long: —> S2

\Inputs
^rightLick = 5
^leftLick  = 4

\Outputs
^HouseLight = 7

\Control variables
VAR_ALIAS Session Timer (sec)   = A(0) \Default = 600
VAR_ALIAS Bin Timer (sec)       = A(1) \Default = 60

^sessionTimer = 0
^binTimer   = 1

\Data variables
\B(E) = Right licks/bin
\C(E) = Left licks/bin
\D(F) = Time of each right lick
\G(H) = Time of each left lick
\I(J) = Array of ITR times

DIM A = 1
DIM B = 100
DIM C = 100
DIM D = 10000
DIM G = 10000
DIM I = 10000

\Working variables
\E = Bin number
\F = Total right licks
\H = Total left licks
\J = I() index

\R = IRT timer
\S = Session timer
\T = Bin timer

\Z-Pulses
\Z1 = Start program
\Z2 = End program

\*********************************************
\     Initialize values
\*********************************************
S.S.1,
S1,
    0.001": SET A(^sessionTimer) = 600, A(^binTimer) = 60;
            SET E = 1, J = 1;
            SET B(E+1) = -987.987, C(E+1) = -987.987;
            SET D(F+1) = -987.987;
            SET G(H+1) = -987.987;
            SET I(J) = -987.987 ---> S2

S2,
    #START: Z1 ---> SX

\********************************************
\    Session timer
\********************************************
S.S.2,
S1,
    #Z1: ---> S2

S2,
    0.01": SET S = S + 0.01; SHOW 1, Session Timer, S;
           IF S >= A(^sessionTimer) [@T, @F]
                @T: Z2 ---> S1
                @F: ---> SX

\**********************************************
\   Bin timer
\**********************************************
S.S.3,
S1,
    #Z1:  ---> S2

S2,
    0.01": SET T = T + 0.01; SHOW 6, Bin Timer, T;
           IF T >= A(^binTimer) [@T, @F]
                @T: ADD E; SET T = 0;
                    SET B(E) = 0, C(E) = 0;
                    SET B(E+1) = -987.987, C(E+1) = -987.987---> S2
                @F: ---> SX

\*********************************************
\    Record licks & IRT timer
\*********************************************
S.S.4,
S1,
    #Z1: ---> S2

S2, \Record right licks
    #R^rightLick: ADD F;
                  SET D(F) = S;
                  SET D(F+1) = -987.987;
                  ADD B(E);
                  SET I(J) = R;
                  ADD J; SET I(J) = -987.987;
                  SET R = 0 ---> S2

    \Record left licks
    #R^leftLick: ADD H;
                 SET G(H) = S;
                 SET G(H+1) = -987.987;
                 ADD C(E);
                 SET I(J) = R;
                 ADD J; SET I(J) = -987.987;
                 SET R = 0 ---> S2

    0.01": SET R = R + 0.01; SHOW 8, IRT Timer, R ---> SX

\******************************************
\    Update the display
\********************************************
S.S.31,
S1,
    0.1": SHOW 2, Total Right Licks, F;
          SHOW 3, Total Left Licks, H;
          SHOW 7, Bin Number, E ---> SX

\*********************************************
\   End program
\********************************************
S.S.32,
S1,
    #Z2: ---> S2

S2,
    1": ---> STOPABORTFLUSH

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