Recording synchronized behavioural and ms data with multiple behavioural cameras

[J Quinn Lee]

Hello everyone,

I am interested in recording from a large environment from multiple angles with several behavioural cameras simultaneously, while also recording V4 miniscope data. Does anyone have suggestions about which cameras would be best to do this (highest resolution and FOV for a good price and production/shipping time), and how to get this up-and-running with the updated V4 software and system?

Thanks in advance!

Quinn

[Matthias Klumpp]

Am Mi., 21. Okt. 2020 um 20:42 Uhr schrieb J Quinn Lee <jqui...@gmail.com>:
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I am interested in recording from a large environment from multiple angles with several behavioural cameras simultaneously, while also recording V4 miniscope data. Does anyone have suggestions about which cameras would be best to do this (highest resolution and FOV for a good price and production/shipping time), and how to get this up-and-running with the updated V4 software and system?

We are using a system that sounds pretty similar to this, with custom
software to acquire data (some conditionally) from 3-4 cameras and one
Miniscope. All cameras used are from TheImagingSource[1] now (while
previously we used pretty much all the spare cameras we had laying
around). ImagingSource cameras can be ordered with and without IR
filters and are relatively cheap compared to other vendors, while the
TIS support is very helpful and their open-source software stack
helped us a lot. They also have a wide variety of cameras for many
resolutions and image acquisition speeds to choose from.
Depending on what you want to do, simple webcams may be usable as well
(although in dim light conditions the framerate of many of them drops
dramatically (with no way to adjust exposure time for lots of models),
and quite a few settings can't be adjusted well enough for webcams.
You also usually can't buy objective lenses for them). Also, Daniel
Aharoni is AFAIK developing behavior camera hardware based on the
Miniscope hardware, which may also be worth considering once it's
available.

Cheers,
Matthias

[1]: https://www.theimagingsource.com/

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[Daniel Aharoni]

Hi Quinn,

There definitely are third party camera options that will work for this like Matthias mentioned.

We have recently developed our own open-source behavior cameras, called MiniCAMs, along with smaller and cheaper Miniscope/Camera DAQs, called MiniDAQs. OEPS is currently getting this fabricated and assembled and should soon have them available for sale. These cameras work directly within the new Miniscope DAQ Software and you can run many video streams at once as long as you computer can handle it (I have tested this with 5 video streams on my laptop without issue).

It seems like COVID has slowed production of PCBs and related items quite a bit right now so I am not exactly sure on OEPS's timeline but I would imagine these will be available within the next month if you can wait that long. 

You can find some more details on my, https://twitter.com/DanielBAharoni, and the Miniscope Team's, https://twitter.com/MiniscopeTeam, twitter accounts.

[J Quinn Lee]

Hi Daniel,

The MiniCam system sounds ideal in combination with the MiniDAQs. Will any changes need to be made within the Miniscope software to do these recordings with multiple cameras and the V4 scope? Do you have any cost estimates or suggestions on how to get orders in on these cameras to have the system up and running in the lab ASAP? It would be best to have them up and operating in our lab within the next month given that we have some animals currently waiting to be implanted with GRINs that will be ready to record ~ 4 weeks from now. It would be great to be able to use the Minicam multi camera system with them! Please let me know.

Best,

Quinn

[Daniel Aharoni]

Hi,

No changes are needed within the MIniscope Software. You would just need to modify your user configuration file to include how ever many MiniCAMs you are using.

For cost and ordering you should reach out to OEPS.  I know some production has been delayed due to COVID but they might be able to give you some updates. 

[thomas.p...@gmail.com]

Hi Daniel,

I was wondering if it's possible to run two V4 miniscopes at the same time on one computer? I found an older conversation from 2019 where you mentioned it's possible but I guess this refers to V3, right?

I tried to modify the user config file by adding another miniscope under "devices" "miniscopes" but wasn't successful by loading it into the miniscope software.

Is there anything I could do to achieve this or is it not possible right now?

Thanks,

Thomas

[thomas.p...@gmail.com]

Never mind! I found out how to adjust the user config file. It works now.

[Md. Mamun Al-Amin]

Hi Daniel,

Is there any update about miniCAM?

I do not find miniCAM in OEPS (Open Ephys).

Could you please share the updates?

Kind regards

Mamun

Indiana University

[Daniel Aharoni]

Hi Mamun,

Probably for the most up-to-date info reach out to OEPS directly. From my understanding, they have a batch of MiniCAMs and MiniDAQs on hand and are just finishing up the webstore description for them. There is a pretty huge shortage of IC components so I think supplies are likely pretty limited already but we are working with them to figure out how to source extremely limited components for future production runs.