Abstract
Circuitry is described that allows the interfacing of a strain-gauge transducer with a labora tory microprocessor system. The analog processing system includes a high-stability, low-noise strain-gauge conditioning amplifier, monolithic active filtering, and high-speed analog-to-digital (AID) conversion circuitry with 8-bit resolution and lO-microsec conversion period. A self-test circuit that allows off-line calibration and on-line monitoring of ongoing AID conversion is included. Tristate converter outputs allow paralleled channel sampling without analog multi plexing or I/O port redundancy. Usage of the standard configuration in assessment of operant response dynamics in behavioral pharmacology is discussed, as well as modification of the proposed circuitry for generalized processing of psychophysiological and other analog signals found in psychological experimentation. Following the lead of Notterman and Mintz (1965), Fowler (1974) and Fowler and Leberer (1977) have des cribed a minicomputer system for recording the dynamic properties of ope rant responses. These intensitive response measures are peak force of response, response duration, response effort (the time integral of force), and interresponse time; these measures are recorded in addition to the usual measure of operant response rate. Such multiple measures have been useful in characterizing the effects of both pharmacological agents (Ford, Fowler, & Nail, 1979; Fowler, Filewich, &
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