getting e-prime to talk to the biopack system

[Janet D. Larsen]

I have solved my problem with help from the Biopac folks.
  Here is what they told me
The printer port cable coming from the eprime machine sends a digital signal to the STP100. The ribbon cable makes the following connections:

    * Connects digital outputs on the printer port (pins 2-9)  to digital input lines on the MP unit (digital channels 8 - 15).
    * Connects digital inputs on the printer port (pins 13, 12, 11, 10)  to digital output lines  on the MP unit (4, 5, 7, 6, respectively).


You will need to enable the the digital channels in the software to accept the Eprime signal.   To do this go to MP menu > Set Up Channels > Digital Channels.  Choose channels 8 - 15 as your input channel, depending on how you output the eprime signal.  I'm not too familiar with eprime, but as I understand it you write code for what you want to present, then select an output channel to send the signal.  In other words, you state in eprime that you want to send a tone signal out on pin#2 on the eprime machine, it will
send that signal to digital channel #8 on the MP150.

Conversely you have the ability to send an event from ACQknowledge through the digital output (7-4) back to eprime (digital inputs 13-10).  


Here is what I did:

After defining six channels as instructed above, I can get markers on those digital channels in the appropriate places by sending HEX code through the printer port with the writeport command, such as &H01 to change the line on the first of the digital channels, and &H00 to reset it to the original tracing.  I am not getting anything back from AcqKnowledge but I include that information in case anyone might need it.  Thanks to those who gave suggestions.


Janet D. Larsen, Ph. D,
Professor of Psychology
Chair, Department of Psychology
John Carroll University
University Heights, OH 44118
Phone  216-397-4363
FAX 216-397-1633
e-mail  larsen at jcu.edu