pyevt - A python package for the Event-Exchanger EVT-2 USB hardware

1. About

This repository contains the code to communicate with EVT-2 USB-devices, developed by the Research Support group of the faculty of Behavioral and Social Science from the University of Groningen. This code was originally written by Eise Hoekstra and Mark M. Span and is now maintained by Martin Stokroos

The EVT-2 is an event marking and triggering device intended for physiological experiments. pyevt is a Python module to communicate with EVT-2 hardware (+derivatives).

2. Install

Install pyevt with:

pip install pyevt or pip install --user pyevt on managed computers.

3. Dependencies

The pyevt-library uses the HIDAPI python module to communicate over USB according the HID class.

• Linux

In Linux (Ubuntu), permission for using EVT (HID) devices should be given by adding the next lines in a file, for example, named: 99-evt-devices.rules in /etc/udev/rules.d:

# /etc/udev/rules.d/99-evt-devices.rules

# All EVT devices
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0004", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0008", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0009", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0114", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0208", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0308", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0408", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0508", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0604", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0808", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0909", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1803", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1807", MODE="0660", GROUP="plugdev"

The user should be member of the plugdev -group.

4. Code Examples

from pyevt import EventExchanger

myevt = EventExchanger()
# Get list of devices containing the partial string 'partial_device_name'.
myevt.scan('partial_device_name') # The default is 'EventExchanger'.

# Create a device handle:
myevt.attach_name('partial_device_name') # Example: 'EVT02', 'SHOCKER' or 'RSP-12', etc. The default is 'EventExchanger'.

myevt.write_lines(0) # clear outputs
myevt.pulse_lines(170, 1000) # value=170, duration=1000ms

# remove device handle
myevt.close()

# connect RSP-12
myevt.attach_name('RSP-12')
myevt.wait_for_event(3, None) # wait for button 1 OR 2, timeout is infinite.
myevt.close() # remove device handle

5. License

The evt-plugins collection is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License 3. The full license should be included in the file COPYING, or can be obtained from

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt

This plugin collection contains the work of others.

6. Documentation

EVT-devices and plugin information:

https://markspan.github.io/evtplugins/