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If you would like access to the facility to install your programs or test the equipment, please contact Lucille Murby or the radiographers. If you would like access to the facility to install your programs or test the equipment, please contact mri.admin@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk.

Stimulus delivery in the CBU Tim Trio

Stimulus delivery computers

There are three stimulus delivery computers. All have identical software and receive the scanner trigger pulse and button box responses.

Software

The machines run Windows XP. Installed software is Matlab 7, Eprime, Visual Basic, Cogent, DMDX.

Synchronising with scanner

DMDX will recognise the signal from the Keithly I/O card. However, since the trigger pulse is of duration 6ms (rather than 50ms as before), you will need to use the keyword <id qpio12 1> in the topline of your script to ensure that DMDX detects trigger pulses reliably. There are more notes on using DMDX [http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/~mattd/fmri_dmdx.html here].

From other environments (Eprime/Matlab/VB), you may use the [http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/~rhodri/vb ScannerSync] library. This allows you to synchronise, and to collect button box responses.

Parallel port

There's now also the possibility of using the parallel port as an input/output device in your experiment. For the moment only the leftmost stimulus presentation machine has this option. All signals will be send to both the Keithly PIO card and the parallel port.

BEWARE!! All signals coming from the parallel port are inverted as compared to the PIO signals. This means that a button press will show as a button release! This can be solved quite simply by setting the 'Invert' property in the port device properties dialog in E-Prime.

As the scanner pulse is inverted compared to the other buttons, this will now still be the wrong way around, sadly. The simplest way to solve this is to enable two 'Port' devices in E-Prime, one inverted for the buttons and one not inverted for the scanner pulses.

The parallel port can be used with E-Prime, without the need for extra libraries or explicit coding in your scripts. There's also a little test program on the machines, called 'PortTest', which will show all incoming signals from both PIO and parallel port.

For more information contact Maarten.

Mimic machine

In the CBU computer user room there is a "CBU mimic" configured exactly as the stimulus delivery machines, and with a pulse generator to simulator the scanner trigger, and a response box. You must test your programs thoroughly on the mimic before running any experiment.

Pre-testing machine

There is another mimic machine in the imaging centre, which you may use for pre-testing in experiments that require a training session just before the scan. You'll then need to have two experiments attend.

Visual presentation:Christie video projector

Visual presentation: Christie video projector

Recommended resolution 1024x768

Refresh rate 60 Hz. Please do not change this parameter. Although the projector will accept inputs up to 100 Hz, it will not actually produce output at these higher rates, but instead, sub-sample down to a rate just above 60 Hz.

Latency: There is a fixed temporal delay between computer refresh and actual display of a little less than 20 ms. If you don't account for this, your RTs are probably around 20 ms shorter than you think they are.

Size: Distance between MRI screen and mid-point of mirror = 823mm Approx distance between eyes and mid-point of mirror ~ 90mm Width of full-screen display on MRI screen = 268mm

This means the full screen display has a visual angle of 2 * arctan(268/2/(823+90)) = 0.29 radians = 16.7 degrees.

Using DMDX

All machines should contain a small DMDX testscript, which should be used to check the proper functioning of the button box, the headphones and the projection system.

There are three video modes available for DMDX:

1024 * 768

16 bit

0 Hz

1024 * 768

16 bit

60 Hz

1024 * 768

32 bit

60 Hz

The first mode is only installed for compatibility. It should not be used. The 0 Hz indicates that the 'default' refresh rate is used, which is usually the refresh rate that is set for Windows. This will always be 60 Hz too, so identical to the second mode. But it is still better to explicitly set the refresh rate. People have had trouble with this before, when someone changed the Windows display settings. People do fiddle.

The second mode is the one that has always been recommended for most users.

The third one will give better colour, so should be used when pictures are being presented. It also has the advantage that it is completely identical to the Windows settings, meaning that there will be no mode switching, which could prevent problems, certainly with flat screens and projectors.

So, to summarise, the best mode to use is the last one, which should be specified in your DMDX script like this:

<VideoMode 1024, 768, 768, 32, 60>

or

<vm 1024, 768, 768, 32, 60>

Additionally, I would like to repeat the need to use QPIO12 with the current setup, instead of PIO12.

<InputDevice "QPIO12" 1>

or

<id "QPIO12" 1>

Auditory presentation

When presenting auditory stimuli at the CBU, you have a choice of three different headphone systems. Unless otherwise specified, the radiographers will provide you with the Siemens tube phone system for communicating with your volunteer. However, for studies in which quality sound reproduction is required, there are two other systems available that will likely be preferred.

Whichever system you use, it is important that you use good quality audio recordings in which the stimuli span use the full dynamic range available. If you don't understand what this means, you should read [http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/~ah02/audio.html this page].

Option 1: Siemens tube phones

For many experiments in the scanner that require sound, but not too much audio fidelity, the built-in Siemens tube phones are sufficient.

Frequency response

Sound level set to max on PC and 9 bars on the scanner. Tones at various frequencies were then presented. The levels (in dB SPL) of the primary (H1) and first and second harmonics were:

Freq (Hz)

H1

H2

H3

250

92.97

73.86

74.39

500

98.07

74.34

65.58

1000

98.10

59.20

27.16

2000

68.61

32.10

9.38

3000

47.24

5.0

15.82

4000

49.99

5.05

13.53

6000

27.88

11.57

7.97

8000

23.03

8.50

7.78

The full frequency response as measured using periodic noise from a spectrum analyzer:

http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/Imaging/siemens_headphones.jpg

Headphone simulator/pre-emphasis tool Here is a tool that allows you to do two things: (1) approximately simulate what your stimuli will sound like in the scanner (2) pre-emphasise your stimuli, boosting the frequencies that will be reduced by the presentation system

A new tool for pre-emphasis has been produced by Christopher Long, which does not produce a subtle ringing artefact produced by the previous tool. This is [http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/~chrisl/compfilter.html described here]

The old tool is described on [http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/~rhodri/headphonesim.htm this page]:

Option 2: Etymotic ER3

This alternative pneumatic tube presentation system offers higher quality. It is being installed in Mar 2006.

Frequency response

Gary Chandler kindly made these measurements:

LEFT

RIGHT

Amplitude dB SPL

Amplitude dB SPL

Freq (Hz)

H1

H2

H3

Freq (Hz)

H1

H2

H3

250

107.42

32.60

55.82

250

106.34

44.63

57.80

500

101.45

47.69

61.46

500

100.60

48.40

62.30

1000

102.99

56.90

53.20

1000

101.78

57.40

53.25

2000

94.66

61.65

25.43

2000

94.20

61.10

26.60

3000

90.59

50.25

20.10

3000

90.30

51.20

22.95

4000

85.30

30.40

2.38

4000

85.06

33.50

2.79

6000

62.82

20.54

0.30

6000

62.27

18.24

2.41

8000

45.28

6.53

5.90

8000

47.40

5.45

5.04

Headphone simulator/pre-emphasis tool I have made a tool that allows you to do two things: (1) approximately simulate what your stimuli will sound like in the scanner (2) pre-emphasise your stimuli, boosting the frequencies that will be reduced by the presentation system This tool is described on [http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/~rhodri/headphonesim.htm this page]

Option 3: NNL Electrostatic Headphones

If the previous two airtube systems will not satisfy your requirements, there is one other option available, a high quality electrostatic system from Nordic Neuro Labs. This has now passed safety evaluation and is available for use. This system provides high-quality stimulus delivery and is intended for studies in which optimal presentation of auditory stimuli is essential.

Since optimal audio reproduction is not compatible with the use of ear-plugs, the NNL headphones are typically used without any additional hearing protection. They will therefore not attenuate scanner noise as effectively as using the etymotic system in combination with ear defenders. Although experience has shown that using the NNL headphone without earplugs does not produce uncomfortable sound levels, it would generally be better to use the NNL headphones only for studies which use sparse imaging.

Button box

The default box has four buttons designed to be used from one hand or two.

Microphone

We have a Phonar optical noise cancelling microphone that allows clear recordings of spoken responses without much interference from the scanner noise.

Future plans

Future plans

Goggles & eye tracking: We are investigating a combined goggle presentation system and eye tracker from Nordic Neuro Labs. The current release date for this is July 2006.

Physiological measurements: When required software is installed on our system, we should be able to record cardiac and respiritory information.

Points of contact

Points of contact

Gary Chandler, who set up almost all of this equipment, is the best person to ask if you'd like an update on any changes to the system, or if something doesn't work.

If there is a piece of equipment you'd like to see added, please contact Rhodri Cusack or Gary Chandler.

If you would like access to the facility to install your programs or test the equipment, please contact mri.admin@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk.

Last updated by Rhodri Cusack and Gary Chandler Feb 2006

None: CbuStimulusDelivery (last edited 2020-01-28 09:20:49 by JohanCarlin)