T-Maze TTL Interface
11 events · simple 6-byte · single BNC
Overview
The T-Maze TTL interface sends a digital pulse each time the animal triggers an infrared sensor along the maze stem or enters a goal arm. ConductMaze encodes each sensor crossing as a single ASCII letter inside a 6-byte serial frame, giving your electrophysiology or imaging system an unambiguous timestamp for every navigation decision.
Eleven distinct events cover the full spatial trajectory: three stem sensors (MS0-MS2) track forward progress, two arm-entry sensors (MA1-MA2) mark the choice point, two pellet-well sensors (MP1-MP2) detect reward approach, two food-well sensors (MF1-MF2) confirm consumption, and two trial-boundary signals (TrialStart, TrialComplete) delineate each run.
TTL Event Map
| Event | Code | Sensor | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS0 | A | Main Stem 0 | Animal enters the start of the main stem |
| MS1 | B | Main Stem 1 | Animal reaches mid-stem sensor |
| MS2 | C | Main Stem 2 | Animal reaches choice point at stem end |
| MA1 | D | Arm 1 entry | Animal enters goal arm 1 (left) |
| MA2 | F | Arm 2 entry | Animal enters goal arm 2 (right) |
| MP1 | G | Pellet well 1 | Animal approaches pellet well in arm 1 |
| MP2 | H | Pellet well 2 | Animal approaches pellet well in arm 2 |
| MF1 | I | Food well 1 | Animal at food consumption zone in arm 1 |
| MF2 | J | Food well 2 | Animal at food consumption zone in arm 2 |
| TrialStart | P | Trial boundary | Marks the beginning of a new trial run |
| TrialComplete | Q | Trial boundary | Marks the end of the current trial |
Setup Instructions
- Connect the TTL module to your computer via USB. Note the COM port number in Device Manager.
- In ConductMaze, go to Settings > TTL and select the COM port. Set baud rate to 115200.
- Connect a BNC cable from the TTL module output to your recording system digital input.
- Set pulse duration to match your recording system requirements (default: 1000ms, adjustable in 10ms increments).
- Click "Test Pulse" in ConductMaze to verify your recording system detects the signal.
- Run a test trial in the T-Maze and confirm events appear in your recording timeline.
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠If your recording system expects active-high but the TTL module is set to active-low (or vice versa), you will see no events. Check the polarity jumper on the TTL module.
- ⚠The 50ms post-send delay means two sensors triggered within 50ms will be serialized. For T-Maze navigation this is rarely an issue since sensor crossings are seconds apart.
- ⚠Letter code E is intentionally skipped in the T-Maze event map (MA1=D, MA2=F). This is by design in the firmware, not a bug.
Methods Text (Copy-Paste)
TTL synchronization was performed using the ConductMaze TTL module (ConductScience, Skokie, IL) connected via USB serial at 115,200 baud. The module transmitted 6-byte digital frames encoding 11 distinct T-Maze navigation events (3 stem sensors, 2 arm entries, 2 pellet wells, 2 food wells, and trial boundaries) with 10ms timing resolution. Output was delivered via a single BNC connector to the digital input of the recording system.
Suggested text for the Methods section of your manuscript.
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