Write a Rig Description

This tutorial shows how to write a RigDescription.

• Step 1: Create a class
• Step 2: Set the DAQ controller
• Step 3: Add devices
• Step 4: Bind devices

Step 1: Create a class

A RigDescription is simply a MATLAB class that subclasses from symphonyui.core.descriptions.RigDescription.

Create a new class in your personal Symphony package by navigating to the package in MATLAB's Current Folder, right-clicking on the "+rigs" directory, and selecting New File > Class.

Name the class file "Demo.m" and open it in the MATLAB Editor.

classdef Demo
    %DEMO Summary of this class goes here
    %   Detailed explanation goes here

    properties
    end

    methods
    end

end

Remove the comments and properties block and edit the classdef line to subclass from the symphonyui.core.descriptions.RigDescription class.

classdef Demo < symphonyui.core.descriptions.RigDescription

    methods
    end

end

Add a constructor method with no input arguments.

classdef Demo < symphonyui.core.descriptions.RigDescription

    methods

        function obj = Demo()

        end

    end

end

You now have an empty RigDescription.

Step 2: Set the DAQ controller

A DaqController manages an A/D device such as an ITC-18. Symphony comes with four built-in DaqController implementations:

• symphonyui.builtin.daqs.HekaDaqController - Manages a HEKA (InstruTECH) DAQ interface (ITC-16, ITC-18, or ITC-1600).
• symphonyui.builtin.daqs.HekaSimulationDaqController - Manages a simulated HEKA (InstruTECH) DAQ interface (requires no attached hardware).
• symphonyui.builtin.daqs.NiDaqController - Manages a National Instruments DAQ interface.
• symphonyui.builtin.daqs.NiSimulationDaqController - Manages a simulated National Instruments DAQ interface (requires no attached hardware).

Set the "Demo" description controller by instantiating a HekaSimulationDaqController in the constructor method and assigning it to the daqController property of the description.

function obj = Demo()
    import symphonyui.builtin.daqs.*;

    daq = HekaSimulationDaqController();
    obj.daqController = daq;
end

You now have a RigDescription that describes a rig with a simulated Heka DAQ interface.

Step 3: Add devices

A Device represents a single physical hardware device attached to a rig. Symphony comes with four built-in Device implementations:

• symphonyui.builtin.devices.AxopatchDevice - Represents an Axopatch device.
• symphonyui.builtin.devices.MultiClampDevice - Represents a MultiClamp 700[A,B] device.
• symphonyui.builtin.devices.UnitConvertingDevice - Represents a generic device (LED, valve, temperature controller, etc.).
• symphonyui.builtin.devices.CalibratedDevice - Represents a UnitConvertingDevice with an associated lookup table (LUT).

Add a MultiClampDevice named "Amp" to the "Demo" description by instantiating an instance and passing it as a parameter to the addDevice() method.

function obj = Demo()
    import symphonyui.builtin.daqs.*;
    import symphonyui.builtin.devices.*;

    daq = HekaSimulationDaqController();
    obj.daqController = daq;

    % Add a MultiClamp 700B device with name = Amp, channel = 1
    amp = MultiClampDevice('Amp', 1);
    obj.addDevice(amp);
end

Add a UnitConvertingDevice named "Green LED".

function obj = Demo()
    import symphonyui.builtin.daqs.*;
    import symphonyui.builtin.devices.*;

    daq = HekaSimulationDaqController();
    obj.daqController = daq;

    % Add a MultiClamp 700B device with name = Amp, channel = 1
    amp = MultiClampDevice('Amp', 1);
    obj.addDevice(amp);

    % Add a LED device with name = Green LED, units = volts
    green = UnitConvertingDevice('Green LED', 'V');
    obj.addDevice(green);
end

You now have a RigDescription with a simulated Heka DAQ interface and two devices.

Step 4: Bind devices

You must describe how your devices are wired to the DAQ by binding them to DaqStreams. A DaqStream represents a hardware channel of a DAQ interface.

Bind the Amp device to analog output channel 0 by retrieving the analog output channel 0 DaqStream from the controller and passing it as a parameter to the bindStream() method of the Amp device.

function obj = Demo()
    import symphonyui.builtin.daqs.*;
    import symphonyui.builtin.devices.*;

    daq = HekaSimulationDaqController();
    obj.daqController = daq;

    % Add a MultiClamp 700B device with name = Amp, channel = 1
    amp = MultiClampDevice('Amp', 1);
    obj.addDevice(amp);

    % Add a LED device with name = Green LED, units = volts
    green = UnitConvertingDevice('Green LED', 'V');
    obj.addDevice(green);

    % Bind devices
    amp.bindStream(daq.getStream('ao0'));
end

Do the same to additionally bind the Amp device to analog input channel 0 and the Green LED device to analog output channel 1.

function obj = Demo()
    import symphonyui.builtin.daqs.*;
    import symphonyui.builtin.devices.*;

    daq = HekaSimulationDaqController();
    obj.daqController = daq;

    % Add a MultiClamp 700B device with name = Amp, channel = 1
    amp = MultiClampDevice('Amp', 1);
    obj.addDevice(amp);

    % Add a LED device with name = Green LED, units = volts
    green = UnitConvertingDevice('Green LED', 'V');
    obj.addDevice(green);

    % Bind devices
    amp.bindStream(daq.getStream('ao0'));
    amp.bindStream(daq.getStream('ai0'));

    green.bindStream(daq.getStream('ao1'));
end

As a matter of convenience you can also bind devices on the same line you instantiate them. The code block below is functionally equivalent to the one above.

function obj = Demo()
    import symphonyui.builtin.daqs.*;
    import symphonyui.builtin.devices.*;

    daq = HekaSimulationDaqController();
    obj.daqController = daq;

    % Add a MultiClamp 700B device with name = Amp, channel = 1
    amp = MultiClampDevice('Amp', 1).bindStream(daq.getStream('ao0')).bindStream(daq.getStream('ai0'));
    obj.addDevice(amp);

    % Add a LED device with name = Green LED, units = volts
    green = UnitConvertingDevice('Green LED', 'V').bindStream(daq.getStream('ao1'));
    obj.addDevice(green);
end

The "Demo" description is now complete.

classdef Demo < symphonyui.core.descriptions.RigDescription

    methods

        function obj = Demo()
            import symphonyui.builtin.daqs.*;
            import symphonyui.builtin.devices.*;

            daq = HekaSimulationDaqController();
            obj.daqController = daq;

            % Add a MultiClamp 700B device with name = Amp, channel = 1
            amp = MultiClampDevice('Amp', 1).bindStream(daq.getStream('ao0')).bindStream(daq.getStream('ai0'));
            obj.addDevice(amp);

            % Add a LED device with name = Green LED, units = volts
            green = UnitConvertingDevice('Green LED', 'V').bindStream(daq.getStream('ao1'));
            obj.addDevice(green);
        end

    end

end

If your personal package is in the Symphony path you should now be able to initialize with the "Demo" description when starting Symphony.