Parallel port output plugin

A plugin that sends TTL events for a given channel over a parallel port.

Parallel port output plugin

Parameters

In: The input TTL channel which triggers events. The parallel port will be set to high when an incoming "on" TTL event comes in on this channel.

Port: The address of the LPT port. This can be found through device manager and clicking on "properties", "resources", and looking at the I/O range.

Duration (ms): This is how long the port will be set to high after a trigger event comes in.

However, please note:

The parallel port does not precisely match the "duration" length; instead, it starts at the targeted event. The variation in the duration of the state being on or off depends on the Open Ephys (OE) configuration.

Building the plugins

Building the plugins requires CMake. Detailed instructions on how to build open ephys plugins with CMake can be found in our wiki.

Installation

If you are building this plugin outside the oep-installation installation, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the parallel-port-output folder
   This folder should be located next to the Source and Build folders.

2. Open Git Bash
   Launch Git Bash or your preferred terminal.

3. Create a .gitignore file
   Run the following command to create a .gitignore file:

   touch .gitignore

4. Navigate to the Build directory

   cd Build

   Run the following command to create a .gitignore file:

   touch .gitignore

5. Generate the project for your version Run the following command to generate the Visual Studio project:

  cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 ..

7. Build the project in Release mode Run the following command to compile and build the Release version of the plugin:

  cmake --build . --config Release

8. Install the plugin (copy DLLs to the correct folder) To install the plugin and copy the generated DLLs to the appropriate folder, run:

  cmake --install . --config Release

9. *Install the parallel port library Currently, only 64-bit Windows systems are supported, utilizing the inpoutx64.dll provided in the libs folder. The installation process (cmake) should copy the dlls to the shared folder within the plugin-GUI, if it doesn't, please copy those in.

Parallel Port additional information

Drivers and parallel port connected

• Obtain the appropriate drivers from the manufacturer's website.
• Install the drivers correctly.
• After installation, open Device Manager.
• If the "Ports (COM & LPT)" is not visible, go to View and select Show hidden devices.
• Verify that the parallel port appears under "Ports (COM & LPT)".
• The parallel port will be listed as LPT.

Developer's Note:

Original Developer: Joel Nielsen Modified/Updated by: Sumedh Sopan Nagrale ([email protected]) Currently Maintained by: Sumedh Sopan Nagrale ([email protected])