response unit for E-prime 2.0 Professional with ERP hardware

Sat Feb 2 01:51:29 UTC 2013

We gave up on using E-Prime to present videos of 7000 ms in length; they
just wouldn't run reliably. Instead we went to Matlab, then discovered that
the PST SRBox is sending random bytes to Matlab which are being
misinterpreted as button presses. The biggest consequence is that Matlab
skips presenting videos unpredictably when there is extra information in
the buffer.
 I'm using the same SRBox for an audio experiment that E-Prime is
presenting, so of course I was concerned when I discovered the visual bug.
E-Prime evidently "knows" about the problem because NetStation isn't
recording more than one button press during the audio experiment.
 Has anyone else had this problem? It does *not* appear to be the cable.
Moving the cable, even violently! :)), does nothing to the amount of noise
we're recording; in contrast, button presses, particularly late in the
video presentation just before a timeout, do. Do these boxes send random
bytes of information that E-Prime deals with routinely, or is there some
problem with the way we've set it up (e.g., grounding?). Or maybe it's a
defective box. The 'wait' code for Matlab from this thread lessened the
problem but didn't solve it.
 thanks,
Margot

On Tue, Jun 19, 2012 at 2:43 PM, Chris Jones <c.jones.phd at gmail.com> wrote:

> I'd also like to thank Ben very much for this information.  I came to this
> group looking for instructions on how to build a serial or parallel
> response box.  My department won't be able to approve a response box until
> the fall and I want some data now...
>
> The game controller option makes sense for so many reasons, including the
> psychological effect or context effect - perhaps pulling for more valid
> data - particularly in a stop signal paradigm.   Seems to fit with what
> Mich (Psychology, Nottingham; sorry don't have thread handy) elsewhere
> about psychological effects as being under-rated in comparison with timing
> precision...
>
> Just to review: I can use a Logitech game pad - for example
> http://www.logitech.com/en-ca/gaming/controllers/7360
>
> and download a driver...  I don't actually see a place to download drivers
> of the type Ben describes, but there is this information:
>
> ____________________________________
>
> DirectInput (D)
>
> DirectInput mode works with Windows drivers to enable basic input
> functionality. This input mode also lets you use the Logitech Gaming
> Software to customize the inputs for games that don't normally allow you to
> do so, or don't have gamepad support at all.
>
> You can use the Logitech Gaming Software with DirectInput mode to assign a
> specific key or key combination to any of the buttons or thumbsticks on the
> gamepad. You can also assign each thumbstick to work like a joystick or
> mouse.
>
> NOTE: Logitech doesn't provide configuration software for non-Windows
> systems, but many games allow you to configure inputs in-game. DirectInput
> mode lets the gamepad communicate with the drivers on many such systems.
> __________________________________________
>
> ...And so using a driver and/or the above information, I will be able to
> assign an ASCII key or number to one or more gamepad buttons, right?
>
> And e-prime will be able to add this device - as an input device or
> the type, "response box"?
>
> And then what about the timing errors?   I'm not so concerned, but can
> anyone estimate the timing errors for data logging?  Is there a way to
> minimize the error by changing the input refresh rate somewhere?
>
> Thanks so much,
> Chris
>
> Chris Jones, Ph.D.
> Department of Psychology
> Kwantlen Polytechnic University
> Surrey, BC, Canada
>
>
> On Wednesday, April 22, 2009 6:17:25 AM UTC-7, ben wrote:
>
>> i've used a couple different USB controllers for this purpose over the
>> years.  they're so much cheaper than the cedrus boxes or the pst response
>> boxes.
>> both controllers i've used, and i would imagine all controllers of this
>> type, have an accompanying driver which you download from the
>> manufacturer's website and which allows you to assign a value to the
>> various controller buttons.  presses on the controller mimic keyboard
>> button presses, so all you need to do in eprime is set the object
>> collecting responses to look for a keyboard response (as opposed to a
>> response from a mouse or a pst response box).  for instance, set the object
>> to accept '0' or '1', and then assign one button on the controller to be
>> '0' and the other to be '1', turn off all the other buttons, and you're
>> good to go.
>> pretty straight forward.
>> http://www.logitech.com/index.**cfm/gaming/pc_gaming/gamepads/**
>> devices/301&cl=US,EN<http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/gaming/pc_gaming/gamepads/devices/301&cl=US,EN>
>>
>> ben
>>
>> On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 7:56 AM, Jeffrey Bedwell <jbedwell at mail.ucf.edu>wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Thanks for this info. Are you using this gamepad with E-Prime? If so,
>>> do you write script to tell the software how to interact with the
>>> gamepad?
>>>
>>> -Jeff
>>>
>>> On Apr 21, 9:20 am, baltimore.... at gmail.com wrote:
>>> > we use the logitech precision usb gamepad.
>>> >
>>> > On Apr 10, 2009 2:09pm, Jeffrey Bedwell <jbedw... at mail.ucf.edu> wrote:
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > > Hi. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for a button response
>>> > > unit to use with E-Prime 2.0 Professional in the context of ERP/EEG
>>> > > experiments? The PST response unit does not appear to be ideal for
>>> > > this because it has an A/C power cable coming up to the unit that may
>>> > > cause interference with the ERP signal. I'd like some type of video
>>> > > game controller or wireless unit that the participant can hold in
>>> > > their lap comfortably. Also, if it can plug into USB port, that may
>>> be
>>> > > ideal. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also, if anyone has
>>> > > successfully used the PST response unit in the context of ERP/EEG
>>> > > equipment, please let me know your thoughts on this. Thanks. I'd
>>> > > appreciate any feedback!
>>> > > Jeffrey S. Bedwell, Ph.D.
>>> > > Assistant Professor
>>> > > Department of Psychology
>>> > > University of Central Florida- Hide quoted text -
>>> >
>>> > - Show quoted text -
>>>
>>>
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