Interact with the UCLA Miniscope v4 Through Bonsai#

  1. Download the following workflow (.bonsai file) and open it with Bonsai:

    uclaminiscopev4-miniscopedaq-quick.bonsai
    uclaminiscopev4-miniscopedaq-quick
  2. Set the UCLAMiniscopeV4 operator’s Index property to the value that corresponds to the index of your miniscope.

    screenshot of ucla miniscope v4 node properties for index
    1. Set the Index value by clicking on the ... dropdown available at the Index field that appears in the Properties pane after left-clicking the UCLAMiniscopeV4 node.

    2. Click Scan and choose from one of the indices that appear. This might take time if many physical or virtual camera devices are connected to your computer.

    3. Click Ok.

    Note

    If there are multiple miniscopes connected to your PC (including laptop webcams), finding the correct index value might involve an iterative trial-and-error process. Try starting the workflow now [1] to confirm the selected index is correct.

  3. Start the Bonsai workflow [1] and test various features:

    Real-time Data Visualization

    Image Data:

    Double left-click the Image node. This displays a real-time visualization of image data from the sensor. Attenuate the sensor’s exposure to ambient light or try imaging a target. Confirm that the Image node visualizer comports with expectations:

    animation of demonstrating miniscope data
    Orientation Data:

    Double left-click the Quaternion node. This displays a real-time visualization of quarternion data which represents the miniscope’s orientation. Right-click the visualization, and left-click the drop-down menu. Set the value in the History Length field to 100. Reorient the UCLA Miniscope v4. Confirm the quarternion visualization responds accordingly:

    animation of demonstrating quaternion data

    UCLA Miniscope v4 Settings

    Note

    • When adjusting the Frame Rate and Sensor Gain settings, avoid under- or over- exposing the sensor.

    • To adjust the Dynamic Imaging Depth setting, the UCLA Miniscope v4 must be fully assembled.

    Left-click the UCLAMiniscopeV4 node.

    Frame Rate:

    Change the FramesPerSecond value by left-clicking the corresponding field’s drop-down menu located in the Properties pane and selecting a different option. Frame rate and exposure-duration-per-frame are inversely related, so higher frame rates produce darker images. Use this information and look at the Image node visualizer to confirm that the frame rate adjusts according to the FramesPerSecond value.

    animation of changing miniscope fps

    A discerning eye can also notice changes in frame rate, but that requires a moving image.

    Sensor Gain:

    Change the SensorGain value by left-clicking the corresponding field’s drop-down menu located in the Properties pane and selecting a different option. Look at the Image node visualizer to confirm that the sensor’s gain is adjusted according to the value of SensorGain value.

    animation of changing miniscope gain
    Excitation Light Intensity:

    Change the LEDBrightness value by left-clicking the corresponding field’s drop-down menu located in the Properties pane and sliding the scrollbar. Confirm that the intensity of the excitation light adjusts according to the LEDBrightness value.

    animation of changing miniscope excitation light intensity
    Dynamic Focusing:

    Place the assembled miniscope approximately its working distance away from an imaging target (e.g. a Kimwipe). Change the EWL value by left-clicking the corresponding field’s drop-down menu located in the Properties pane and selecting a different option. Look at the Image node visualizer moves in-and-out according to the EWL value.

    animation of changing miniscope focus

    If the imaging target does not enter the depth of focus, try readjusting the distance of the miniscope from the imaging target and performing the test again. If the working distance does not adjust, try reassembling the EWL module according to the Assembly instructions and repeating this part.