This script demonstrates the code to include in a script for feeding a pellet to a rat or mouse (assuming the appropriate dispenser is connected).
Script explanation
The script below will deliver 5 pellets, with a wait of 3 seconds between each feed. Parameters can be changed by defining different values.
DEFINE WAIT_TIME_SECS 3 DEFINE REPEAT_NUM 5
These two DEFINE commands set the wait time between feeds and the number of repeated feeds
ACTION MAIN INVOKE(PELLET,REPEAT_NUM) COMPLETE
The above lines of code set the main structure of the script. In this case it will INVOKE the action PELLET. This action will be repeated by however many times has been set in the DEFINE commands above.
ACTION PELLET ZCOMMAND("U0 D1000 M20 M-10 M20 M-10 M20 M-10 M20 M-10 M20 M-10") WAIT(WAIT_TIME_SECS) COMPLETE
The action PELLET above uses the ZCOMMAND to rotate the pellet feeder and then wait a period of time in seconds as defined by WAIT_TIME_SECS at the top of the script.
Script download
To download the pellet_feed demo script as a .zs file (file type Zantiks software reads), choose the Save File As option in the right-click dialogue box. Clicking on the script name hyperlink will open a read-only version of the script.
Script download:
pellet_feed.zs
Video demo
The following video shows rodent pellets being dispensed by a feeder
Pellet being dispensed by feeder