Aind.Ni.DigitalOutput.Configuration 1.5.1

aind-ni-digitaloutput-configuration

A Bonsai library that provides configurable NI-DAQmx Digital Output functionality with external channel configuration support.

Overview

This package provides a flexible alternative to the standard Bonsai.DAQmx DigitalOutput node by allowing channel configuration to be provided externally at runtime. This enables more dynamic and reusable digital output workflows.

Features

• Runtime Channel Configuration: Configure digital output channels through external configuration sources
• External Configuration Support: Channel settings can come from files, other nodes, or external systems
• CI Build Compatibility: Supports builds without DAQmx runtime for continuous integration
• Type-Safe Configuration: Uses strongly-typed configuration objects with validation
• Multiple Data Types: Supports boolean, Mat, and array inputs like the standard DigitalOutput

Installation

To install the aind-ni-digitaloutput-configuration package:

1. Open Bonsai
2. Click on the "Tools" menu and select "Manage Packages"
3. Click on "Settings" and add the NuGet package source where this package is hosted
4. Search for "Aind.Ni.DigitalOutput.Configuration" and install

Prerequisites

• Windows Operating System - Bonsai and NI-DAQmx are Windows-only
• NI-DAQmx Runtime - Install the National Instruments DAQmx drivers for full functionality
• Bonsai - Version 2.7.0 or later

Components

This package provides four main components:

ConfigurableDigitalOutput

The main digital output operator that accepts external channel configuration. This is a more flexible alternative to the standard DigitalOutput node.

Properties:

• TaskName: Optional name for the DAQmx task
• SignalSource: Optional source terminal for the clock
• SampleRate: Sampling rate in samples per second (default: 1000.0)
• BufferSize: Buffer size for continuous samples (default: 1000)
• ActiveEdge: Clock edge for sampling (Rising/Falling)
• SampleMode: Finite or continuous sample generation

DigitalOutputConfigurationSource

Generates configuration objects for digital output channels that can be connected to ConfigurableDigitalOutput.

Properties:

• ChannelName: Name for the virtual channel
• Lines: Physical lines to use (e.g., "Dev1/port0/line0:7")
• Grouping: How to group digital lines (OneChannelForEachLine/OneChannelForAllLines)

DigitalOutputChannelConfig

Configuration data structure containing channel setup parameters:

• ChannelName: The virtual channel name
• Lines: Physical DAQmx lines specification
• Grouping: Line grouping method

ConfigureDigitalOutputChannels

Combines multiple channel configurations into arrays for multi-channel scenarios.

Usage Examples

Basic Single Channel Configuration

DigitalOutputConfigurationSource -> ConfigurableDigitalOutput
BooleanSource                   /

1. Add a DigitalOutputConfigurationSource and configure:

   • ChannelName: "MyChannel"
   • Lines: "Dev1/port0/line0"
   • Grouping: OneChannelForEachLine

2. Add a ConfigurableDigitalOutput node

3. Connect both the configuration and your boolean data stream to the ConfigurableDigitalOutput

Multi-Channel Configuration

ConfigureDigitalOutputChannels -> ConfigurableDigitalOutput
MatSource                     /

1. Configure multiple channels in ConfigureDigitalOutputChannels
2. Connect to ConfigurableDigitalOutput along with your data source

External Configuration from File

You can load configuration from external sources and feed it to ConfigurableDigitalOutput, enabling dynamic reconfiguration without rebuilding workflows.

Supported Data Types

ConfigurableDigitalOutput supports the same data types as the standard DigitalOutput:

• IObservable<bool> - Single boolean values
• IObservable<bool[]> - Boolean arrays
• IObservable<Mat> - OpenCV Mat objects with integer depth types (U8, S8, U16, S16, S32)

Architecture

Design Principles

This package solves the limitation of the standard DigitalOutput node which requires design-time channel configuration. By using a combinator pattern with external configuration, ConfigurableDigitalOutput enables:

1. Runtime Configuration: Channels can be configured from external sources
2. Reusable Workflows: The same workflow can work with different hardware setups
3. Dynamic Reconfiguration: Channel settings can change during workflow execution

Testing

The package includes comprehensive tests in the test/ directory:

# Run tests (requires DAQmx runtime)
cd test
dotnet run

Tests include:

• Configuration object creation and validation
• CI build compatibility
• Basic functionality verification (without hardware)

Deployment

This package can be deployed to NuGet.org via GitHub Actions workflow. To trigger a deployment:

1. Update the version in the project file
2. Commit and push changes to the main branch
3. Create a new tag in the format v<version>
4. The automated workflow will build and publish the package

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.