High-performance wide-band open-source system for acoustic stimulation

HardwareX. 2024 Jul 4:19:e00555. doi: 10.1016/j.ohx.2024.e00555. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Abstract

The design and characterization of a low-cost, open-source auditory delivery system to deliver high performance auditory stimuli is presented. The system includes a high-fidelity sound card and audio amplifier devices with low-latency and wide bandwidth targeted for behavioral neuroscience research. The characterization of the individual devices and the entire system is performed, providing a thorough audio characterization data for varying frequencies and sound levels. The system implements the open-source Harp protocol, enabling the hardware timestamping of devices and seamless synchronization with other Harp devices.

Keywords: Acoustic stimulation; Audio; Audio amplifier; Auditory stimuli; Sound card.