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biac:experimentalcontrol:eyetrackcigal

Using the eyetracker with CIGAL

The Showplay fMRI software in CIGAL can read streaming eye-position data from the ViewPoint eyetracking program in real-time. When used in this mode, synchronization and generation of eye-position output files is performed automatically for any Showplay paradigm. CIGAL can also be used to send commands to the Viewpoint program to help synchronize the timing of data files generated by Viewpoint (this feature is not yet fully automated).

Note: Initializing communication between the stimulus computer and the eyetracker computer assumes that the appropriate cables between the 2 computers are already connected. This should be the case at the scanner.

Initialize ViewPoint to talk to CIGAL

  1. Start the ViewPoint program on the eyetracker computer (Donders at the BIAC 3T) and go through the standard adjustment steps to activate and calibrate the eyetracker.
  2. Select Interface→Serial→Connect to activate the communication channel to the stimulus computer (Mach at the 3T).
  3. Close or hide the communication window that pops up.
  4. Select Interface→Serial→Send streaming data if you will use CIGAL to record eye-position (see below).
  • If you want to test CIGAL without actually having a person's eye to track you can select Interface→Serial→Send test pattern to generate test data.

Initialize CIGAL to record eye-position

  1. Start CIGAL using the “LocalCIGAL” shortcut in your task folder (see LocalCIGAL if you don't have this shortcut).
  2. Select Settings→Initialize Eyetracker
  3. Select Settings→Test eye tracker to make sure that eye-position data are being received from the eyetracker.

The initialize step activates a communication channel between CIGAL and the eyetracker computer. It also sets a flag variable (eye_flag) so that eye-position data will be recorded.

You should not need to do anything else. Eye-position will be automatically recorded for any Showplay tasks you run.

Go back to EyeTracker Page

See Also:
CIGAL Home, CIGAL Manual, ShowPlay Home, ShowPlay Manual, InputParameters List, Manual Help

biac/experimentalcontrol/eyetrackcigal.txt · Last modified: 2023/02/23 18:43 (external edit)