ANY-maze Help > I/O devices supported by ANY-maze > Accessories designed specifically for ANY-maze > The ANY-maze multifunction remote > Using the multifunction remote in ANY-maze > Using the multifunction remote temperature sensor

Using the multifunction remote temperature sensor

Introduction

The temperature sensor in the multifunction remote measures temperatures from 0°C to 100°C using a waterproof probe on a 1m cable. The probe plugs into the remote and can be removed when not in use. If you try to read the temperature when the probe is not connected, the display will simply show 'No temp sensor'.

  

  

Figure 1. The temperature probe plugs into a connector on the front end of the multifunction remote.

Reading temperatures with the remote

Remember, if you want to prevent the multifunction remote from going to sleep, press and hold the Next button.

To measure the temperature, select the 'Temp' menu option on the remote. Then plug the probe into the remote and place the other end of the probe in the environment you wish to measure. The remote will display the temperature, which will gradually rise or fall as the probe adjusts to the new conditions. Be sure to wait until the reading stabilises before recording the final temperature.

Freezing the temperature reading

Pressing the Enter button will freeze the current temperature on the screen, and a 'Frozen' symbol will appear. The temperature will unfreeze after the freeze period ends.

Testing the temperature sensor in ANY-maze

While the temperature reading is 'frozen' (see previous section) pressing the Enter button on the remote will transmit the current temperature to ANY-maze. To test this:

 1.Switch to the I/O page in ANY-maze. 
 2.Select the relevant multifunction remote in the list on the left, the entry will open to show the remote's sensors. 
 3.Choose 'Temperature sensors' from this list. 
 4.Press the Enter button on the remote. The temperature reading will freeze. While it is 'frozen' press the Enter button again. The reading will be transmitted to ANY-maze and displayed on the I/O page (see Figure 2 below).  

  

  

Figure 2. Testing the temperature sensor on the I/O page.

Recording temperatures in an ANY-maze experiment

Setting up the protocol to record temperatures

In an experiment, such as a water-maze test, you may want to record the water temperature in the apparatus before each test to ensure consistency. To do this, follow these steps:

 1.Load your experiment into ANY-maze 
 2.Switch to the Protocol page and select the first item in the protocol list on the left 
 3.In the Protocol settings, ensure you are using a Protocol mode that includes I/O, such as the Video tracking with input/output mode. 
 4.Add a new I/O device to your protocol by clicking the Add item button in the ribbon bar and selecting New I/O device from the menu that appears. A new I/O device will be added to the protocol list and selected automatically. 
 5.Give the I/O device a sensible name, such as 'Remote control', and use the drop list to select the multifunction remote you are using. 
 6.Add a new sensor by clicking Add item and selecting New input item > New sensor from the menu. The new sensor will be added to the protocol list and automatically selected. 
 7.In the protocol list click the sensor's Port to use item. 
 8.In the Port to use settings select the multifunction remote's temperature sensor. Note, you can choose the same sensor for more than one apparatus. 
 9.Return to the sensor item in the protocol list.  

  

  

Figure 3. The Sensor settings in the protocol

 10.Give the sensor a sensible name, such as 'Water temperature'. 
 11.In the Sensor's settings, select the option to read the sensor Before the test starts, when the sensor's key is pressed. 
 12.You may also want to alter the sensor's image to make it more easily identifiable.  

Reading the temperature before a test

Once the sensor is set up, you’ll see that on the Tests page tests are no longer shown as Ready..., but rather as Waiting for pre-test Water temperature reading (where 'Water temperature' reflects the name given to the sensor in step 10). To take the reading:

 1.Ensure the 'Temperature' menu option is selected on the remote. 
 2.Press the Enter button. 
 3.The temperature will be transmitted to ANY-maze, stored with the test, and the test status will change to "Ready...". The reading will also be displayed in the I/O Status panel on the Tests page (see figure 4 below).  

  

  

Figure 4. Viewing the temperature in a test.

 4.If ANY-maze successfully stores the reading, the remote will provide haptic feedback indicating success. If the reading is not stored then, depending on the remote's configuration, it will either give haptic feedback indicating failure, or no feedback at all (which can be interpreted as failure). Note that the reading will ONLY be stored if the test is in the Waiting for pre-test Water temperature reading state, or in the Ready state when the test includes a temperature sensor that is set to be read before the test starts. 
 5.If you want to replace the reading you can simply press the Enter button again, the new reading will overwrite the original one and haptic feedback will again be provided.  

Viewing and analysing the temperature readings

The temperature reading is stored with the test in the data file. To view this value, include the Apparatus measures > Water temperature measures > Water temperature: initial value in a report (see figures 5, below).

  

  

Figure 5. Selecting the water temperature to be included in a report.

If you wish, you can analyse the temperature, for example, to ensure that there was no significant difference in the water-maze temperature between different groups of animals, as in figure 6 below.

  

  

Figure 6. Analysing the water temperature in an experiment.

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ANY-maze help topic T1427