FRETControl

A streamlined MATLAB application for controlling LED illumination systems specifically designed for FRET (Förster Resonance Energy Transfer) microscopy experiments.

Overview

FRETControl provides a focused, user-friendly interface for managing FRET imaging protocols, offering simplified controls compared to the full-featured EnhancedLEDControl while maintaining essential functionality for FRET experiments.

Features

• Intuitive graphical user interface for FRET workflows
• Streamlined LED control optimized for donor/acceptor excitation
• Real-time parameter adjustment
• Protocol timing control
• Settings persistence
• Standalone executable available

Requirements

• MATLAB (R2016b or later recommended)
• MATLAB App Designer
• Compatible Arduino hardware running LED control firmware
• MATLAB Runtime (for standalone installation)

Installation

Option 1: Using MATLAB

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Open FRET_Software.mlapp in MATLAB
3. Run the application from App Designer

Option 2: Standalone Installation

1. Navigate to the Installer directory
2. Run the installer for your platform
3. The installer includes necessary MATLAB Runtime components

Files

• FRET_Software.mlapp - Main application
• settings_window.mlapp - Configuration interface
• PollPrototyp.m - Serial communication prototype
• Settings.mat - Saved application settings
• my_settings.xml - XML-based configuration
• FRETControl_manual.pdf - Complete user documentation
• Icon.png / icon_48.png - Application icons
• Screenshot.png - Application interface preview
• MyComponents/ - Custom UI components

Hardware Setup

FRETControl requires:

1. Arduino-based LED control hardware
2. Compatible firmware from Arduino-for-LEDControl-
3. LED drivers and illumination system

For hardware assembly, see arduinoLEDcontrolunit

Usage

1. Launch FRETControl
2. Configure serial connection to Arduino
3. Set up donor and acceptor LED parameters
4. Define timing sequences for your FRET protocol
5. Save settings for future sessions

Configuration

The settings window allows customization of:

• Serial port selection
• Timing parameters
• Multiplexing
• Protocol presets
• Hardware mappings

Settings are automatically saved and restored between sessions.

Documentation

Comprehensive documentation is available in FRETControl_manual.pdf, covering:

• Installation and setup
• Hardware configuration
• FRET protocol design
• Timing optimization
• Troubleshooting guide
• Advanced features

Related Projects

• EnhancedLEDControl - Full-featured LED control system
• Arduino-for-LEDControl- - Arduino firmware
• arduinoLEDcontrolunit - Hardware documentation

Differences from EnhancedLEDControl

FRETControl is optimized specifically for multiplex FRET applications:

• Simplified interface focused on donor/acceptor workflows
• Faster setup for standard FRET protocols
• Reduced complexity for routine experiments
• Streamlined settings management

For non multiplexing multi-LED configurations, consider using EnhancedLEDControl.