• Repository Information

• Modular LED Display

• Development

Repository Information

• Library Name: ArenaController
• Description: Arduino library for communicating with the Reiser Lab Modular LED panels display arena.
• Version: 5.0.0
• Panel Version: G4 v1.9
• Release Date: 2025-10-17
• Creation Date: 2023-08-16
• License: GPL-3.0
• URL: https://github.com/janelia-arduino/ArenaController
• Author: Peter Polidoro
• Email: peter@polidoro.io
• Copyright: 2025 Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• References:
  • https://github.com/janelia-python/arena_interface_python
  • https://reiserlab.github.io/Modular-LED-Display/
  • https://github.com/floesche/LED-Display_G4_Hardware_Arena
  • https://github.com/leburnett/G4_Display_Tools
  • https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy41.html
  • https://www.pjrc.com/store/ethernet_kit.html
  • https://github.com/QuantumLeaps/qp-arduino
  • https://mongoose.ws/
  • https://www.adafruit.com/product/4470
  • https://www.adafruit.com/product/1083

Modular LED Display

Abstract from https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.08.02.502550 :

"Visual stimulation of animals in the laboratory is a powerful technique for studying sensory control of complex behaviors.

Since commercial displays are optimized for human vision, we established a novel display system based on custom-built modular LED panels that provides millisecond refresh, precise synchronization, customizable color combinations, and varied display configurations.

This system simplifies challenging experiments.

With variants of this display, we probed the speed limits of motion vision and examined the role of color vision in behavioral experiments with tethered flying Drosophila.

Using 2-photon calcium imaging, we comprehensively mapped the tuning of visual projection neurons across the fly’s field of view.

Finally, using real-time behavior analysis, we developed low-latency interactive virtual environments and found that flying flies can independently control their navigation along two dimensions.

This display system uniquely addresses most technical challenges of small animal vision experiments and is thoroughly documented for replicability."

System Components

Quarter Panel

A quarter panel is a set of LED pixels arranged in rows and columns.

Panel

A panel is a set of quarter panels arranged in rows and columns.

Region

A region is a set of panels arranged in rows and columns with a common communication interface.

Display

An display is a set of regions arranged in rows and columns.

Display Messages

Quarter Panel

1. Pixels

   Pixel numbering for each pixel in a quarter panel:

   

2. Grayscale

   In grayscale mode, each LED can be one of sixteen brightness levels.

   

3. Binary

   In binary mode, each LED can be one of two brightness levels, on or off.

   

Panel

1. Quarter Panels in Panel

   Quarter panel numbering for each quarter panel in a panel plus pixel numbering for select pixels in a panel:

   

Region

1. Regions in Display

   Region numbering for each region in an display:

   

2. Panels in Region

   Panel numbering for each panel in an region:

   

Display

1. Panels in Display

   Panel update order for each panel in an display:

   1. Synchronous

      

   2. Asynchronous

      

Firmware

Active Objects

name	priority	event-queue-count	state-machines
Watchdog	1	2	Watchdog
SerialCommandInterface	2	10	SerialCommandInterface
EthernetCommandInterface	3	10	EthernetCommandInterface
Pattern	4	20	Pattern, Card
Arena	5	20	Arena, AnalogOutput, AnalogInput
Display	6	20	Display
Frame	7	20	Frame

State Diagrams

1. Watchdog

   

2. SerialCommandInterface

   

3. EthernetCommandInterface

   

4. Pattern

   

5. Card

   

6. Arena

   

7. AnalogOutput

   

8. AnalogInput

   

9. Display

   

10. Frame

    

Command Set

Development

Download this repository

https://github.com/janelia-arduino/ArenaController.git

sudo apt install -y git
mkdir -p ~/tmp && cd ~/tmp && git clone https://github.com/janelia-arduino/ArenaController.git

PlatformIO

Install PlatformIO Core

https://docs.platformio.org/en/latest/core/installation/index.html

1. Example

   python3 -m venv .venv
   source .venv/bin/activate
   pip install pip --upgrade
   pip install platformio
   pio --version

2. 99-platformio-udev.rules

   Linux users have to install udev rules for PlatformIO supported boards/devices.

   1. Download udev rules file to /etc/udev/rules.d

      curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/platformio/platformio-core/develop/platformio/assets/system/99-platformio-udev.rules | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/99-platformio-udev.rules

   2. Restart udev management tool

      sudo service udev restart

   3. Add user to groups

      sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER
      sudo usermod -a -G plugdev $USER

   4. Remove modemmanager

      sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove modemmanager

Compile the firmware

make teensy-firmware

Upload the firmware

make teensy-upload

Monitor

make monitor