Help: Syncing SuperLab/StimTracker/BioPac for EEG

Hardware General
#1

Hello,

I am a college undergraduate, currently working with my neuro professors to set up our BioPac EEG so that we can run experiments with stimulus representation while recording EEG with the BioPac software/hardware. I am currently having trouble syncinc all three devices and did not see much in the SuperLab manual on how to do this.

Our current set up is as follows:
2 Mac Pros running Mac OS X 10.6.2
One of them running BioPac BSL 4.0 with the MP36 console
The other Mac running SuperLab 5 with the StimTracker hooked up to it
The StimTracker is connected to the MP36 via the pin connector provided with the StimTracker

I set up the tutorial experiment found in the SuperLab manual, while adding an extra event for the Stim Tracker. I set it up like this:
Event Type: Digital Output
Output: On the following lines (I checked all of the boxes - EM0 to EM7)
Action: Send pulse
Pulse duration: 500 ms
Repeat pulse: 10 times (this is for the test only) with 25 ms intervals
Device: StimTracker on port: Event Marker

On Biopac, I set analog channels to EEG, then I turn on all of the digital input channels, I check all boxes for acquire, plot and value. The channel sampling rate is left at 1.000 kHz.

I tell BioPac to start collecting EEG data, and then I tell SuperLab to test the event with the StimTracker. The StimTracker appears to be working, because the blue light flashes ten times. However, when I look at the BioPac graphs, I see nothing akin to a stimulus event marker. Nothing happens at all.

So my question is… what am I doing wrong?

Thank you in advance for the help!

#2

It seems because cable pin arrangement of your cable.

I am very happy to find another lab using mac with Superlab and Biopac for their experiment.

It seems because cable pin arrangement of your cable.
Where did you bought the cable (25-pin parallel port cable)?
Are you using one came with Stimtracker(gray cable with blue connector)?
Then the pin arrangement is different from biopac MP3X requires.

See the page below.
http://www.biopac.com/superlab-interface-cable

maybe thats what you need.
: )

#3

[QUOTE=cnsla;6415]I am very happy to find another lab using mac with Superlab and Biopac for their experiment.

It seems because cable pin arrangement of your cable.
Where did you bought the cable (25-pin parallel port cable)?
Are you using one came with Stimtracker(gray cable with blue connector)?
Then the pin arrangement is different from biopac MP3X requires.

See the page below.
http://www.biopac.com/superlab-interface-cable

maybe thats what you need.
: )[/QUOTE]

Thanks for your response!
I purchased all of my materials from the BioPac website. And yes, the cable I am using came with the StimTracker and matches your description. But the cable does fit fine in the MP36 in the I/O Port – both the I/O port on the MP36 and the parallel port on the StimTracker are 25 pin and both cable ends are 25 pin. It looks like the image in the link you sent me has two different pin sizes, so I don’t think it would work on my system.
What is the set up you are using?

#4

The cable pictured on the linked page (http://www.biopac.com/superlab-interface-cable) seems to be a custom one, with a DB37 on one end and a DB25 on another end. I don’t know how you would use it, but have you tried the cable that comes with StimTracker? This should be what you need if all you want to do is have the MP36 receive event markers and codes from StimTracker.

#5

Yes, I am using the DB25 cable that came with the StimTracker, so I don’t think cables are the issue. If you’re saying that should work theoretically, is there something that is wrong with my setup?
Reading more on the BioPac website (http://www.biopac.com/stimtracker-universal-marker-interface-superlab), will I be needing the AcqKnowledge software for this or is that just a data analysis program?

#6

I don’t know if AcqKnowledge can do data analysis but you need it for data recording. See the tech support page StimTracker Interface to Biopac’s MP35 and MP36.

#7

Hm so could my issue be that I don’t have AcqKnowledge?

#8

In your original post, you said “when I look at the Biopac graphs”. What software are you using to collect the graphs?

Please bear in mind that I have no idea about Biopac’s software. I’ll try to help as much as I can but this question might be better suited for Biopac tech support.

#9

I am using the BioPac BSL software, which takes inputs via the MP36 console.
Any help is appreciated, thank you! Getting in touch with the BioPac people is a good idea if I can’t find a solution.

#10

Alas, I’m not familiar with the BSL. You’ll need to ask Biopac about it.

#11

Mistake!

First I am really Sorry for my big mistake!
the cable I’ve mentioned is NOT for Stimtracker, but for the communication between pci-board using 37pin connector and MP35/36 unit.

In Stimtracker, the parallel port (Upper one with 25pins) are mapped like below.
(Hisham, would you double-check please? :slight_smile: )
pin2 : Light Sensor 1
pin3 : Light Sensor 2
pin4 : TTL ‘or’ (means turns on when ‘whatever’ TTL inputs comes)
pin5 : Audio ‘or’
pin6 : microphone
pin7 : Event Marker 0
pin8 : Event Marker 1
pin9 : Event Marker 2
and pin18 to 25 are ground.

In MP35, the pin mapped as below. (see the picture attached. also see 'MP UNIT PIN-OUTS’ section in “BSL hardware guide”)
Pin10 (Digital Channel 1 in BSL) : Light Sensor 1
Pin11 (Digital Channel 2 in BSL): Light Sensor 2
Pin12 (Digital Channel 3 in BSL): TTL ‘or’ (means turns on when ‘whatever’ TTL inputs comes)
Pin13 (Digital Channel 4 in BSL): Audio ‘or’
Pin22 (Digital Channel 5 in BSL): microphone
Pin23 (Digital Channel 6 in BSL): Event Marker 0
Pin24 (Digital Channel 7 in BSL): Event Marker 1
Pin25 (Digital Channel 8 in BSL): Event Marker 2
Pin 5 & 6 are ground.

So I guess that what you need is some adaptor or custom-wired 25pin parallel cable.
(Maybe biopac or cedrus has one? Like for STP100C?)
I am using in-house made custom one, wired as ABOVE.

MP35pin.png

#12

BSL vs Acqknowledge

and Dear macneuro.

You CANNOT record with MP35 or MP 36 with Acqknowledge.
if your amplifier is MP36R, You can (and should to) record it with Acqknowledge, BUT MP35 and 36 only can be used with BSL(Biopac Student Lab) software.
-MP36 and MP36R are different system.
and
-However, both of them use *.ACQ format. So, you can load and analyze the recorded data with ACQKNOWLEDGE too.

#13

Thanks for the info about the connector and Acqknowledge! I appreciate all of the help that you have provided. I am currently in the middle of trying to get help over the phone from Cedrus and Biopac (I had to leave messages for both…) and have sent in a support claim. Hopefully they get back to me sometime soon! Again, thanks for the help and support from everyone!

#14

Thank you for contacting us directly and letting us know the issue has been solved.