The OpenBehavior Project primarily focuses on tools for behavioral testing and data analysis. However, our database also features a growing number of valuable open-source tools for electrophysiology experiments that have been reported on our website over the past five years. This week’s post summarizes these key projects.
The word cloud above captures the top thirty tools in the “Electrical Recordings” category from our database, based on website traffic. The ten projects with the most page hits are:
- Motorized Swivel
- An Arduino-operated, Hall sensor-based system comprised of 3D-printed and common electromechanical parts. This device is compatible with any custom or commercial acquisition hardware using up to 12 lines, including two LVDS lines commonly used in miniature imaging systems.
- We posted about it in May 2021 (here).
- Freibox
- A versatile and low-cost behavioral testing platform based on Arduino microcontrollers. It includes designs for an open-source commutator.
- We posted about it in August 2023 (here).
- Electrophysiology Toolbox
- A collection of code used to test and compare different packages for the analysis of spike and LFP data, including Brainstorm, Chronux, Elephant, FieldTrip, gramm, Spike Viewer, and SPIKY.
- We posted about it in April 2020 (here).
- Pynapple
- An object-oriented, lightweight, and standalone Python toolbox for neural data analysis.
- We posted about it in March 2023 (here).
- TetrODrive
- A lightweight, 3D-printed microdrive for electrophysiology and optophysiology.
- We posted about it in August 2021 (here).
- NeuroChaT
- A toolbox for neural data analysis based on Python and Matlab.
- We posted about it in February 2021 (here).
- OpBox
- An in-vivo electrophysiology hardware and software platform, based on custom open-source hardware and Matlab software. It includes a multichannel amplifier that produces analog outputs, streams information to data acquisition devices, and interfaces with video cameras and behavior devices.
- We posted about it in February 2023 (here).
- RaspiAudGenerator
- A system for producing temporally precise auditory stimuli in electrophysiology experiments.
- We posted about it in September 2021 (here).
- SpikeInterface
- A Python module for the analysis of electrophysiology data.
- We posted about it in October 2022 (here).
- FROST
- An Arduino-based system for synchronizing experimental and electrophysiological data.
- We posted about it in October 2021 (here).
In terms of overall impact, we must also highlight the Open Ephys project. It was an early post on our website (March 2017) and was a well-established tool prior to the launch of OpenBehavior. Open Ephys is a massively well-developed platform for multi-electrode recording. You can read about it here: here.