Microprocessor-controlled vector scan display system for generation of real-time visual stimuli

The paper describes a low-cost, versatile, widely applicable digital display system in which a high-resolution, high-intensity display unit is driven by a real-time vector scan controller. The actual online display control of this device is preceded by an offline software stimulus-frame editor, designed to create and support a library of stimulus patterns (standard frames without any timing information and without any referencing to a special display co-ordinate system). The display times can be set individually for each single frame (containing at maximum 1023 pixels) with relative ease. Display frequency is set to 1 kHz. Writing time per pixel is less than 1 microsecond. A graphic display system like the one presented in this paper can be applied to generate a variety of real-time optical stimuli, such as intensity modulation of single spots or distinct display areas, abrupt displacements of a certain pattern, continuous movement or onset and offset of steady motion of a pattern.