Current Designs 932 fORP Getting Started

Getting Started

The 932 fORP

Setting Up the 932 fORP

Setting up the 932 is a matter of making connections and choosing the output you w ant.

The 932 supports many different handheld devices, and can produce many different types of outputs.

In the following sections w e'll cover how to make these connections, and how to choose the mode you want.

Making the Connections

These things need to be connected:

the handheld devices - Plug the handheld device either directly into the 932, or connect it through a removable
bundle.
the power supply
the output cable (USB, serial, parallel, or other) to the host computer.

You may also want to connect an optical or TTL trigger.

These connections are all made to ports on the 932 rear panel, which is described in more detail under

932RearPanel.

Choosing the Use Mode

Each output behavior is a "Use Mode". A brief descriptive list of the av ailable modes is given in 932 Use Modes ? .

Most users will only be interested in one or two of these modes.

The choice of use mode is determined by:

Cabling to the host1.
Type of connected handheld device2.
Desired output format3.

Your choices are made using the knob on the front panel, guided by the display.

932 Front Panel

The 932 front panel uses a shaft encoder and display to let the user choose among many operating modes, and also displays
real-time activity using a bank of 10 green LED indicators.

The shaft encoder works together with the display to allow choices from menus, using clockw ise and counter-clockwise
rotations and a push-click for selections.

Front Panel Indicator Functions - Button Box Modes

This drawing shows the front panel of the 932 with the indicator LEDs labeled as they would function in typical button box
modes.

In some modes the indicator LEDs are used to indicate motion (for the scroll wheel device, for instance) or activity (scanning

gains in calibration modes, for example).

Understanding the Dis play

During typical use, the fields in the display have these meanings:

Hardware interface type:

Handheld model number:

Mode Identifier:

USB

HHSC-1x4-D

HID KEY 12345 001

Mode number

So, in this case, a four button diamond handheld device is in use, and this is sending USB HID key board output '1','2','3', etc.,
for button presses.

Pushing the knob, would cause the display to change to this:

CHANGE MODES ?

NO YES

Pushing the knob again immediately would revert the display to the previous one-- this is just a way to abort the change and
go back to the mode that was active.

If "YES" is selected (by turning the k nob), these choices are presented:

¤ AUTOCONFIG

MANUAL CONFIG

MODE BY ID NO

Turn the knob and then press to confirm your choice.

These 3 ways of choosing a configuration are described in the next 3 sections.

Us ing AUTOCONFIG

The AUTOCONFIG choice tells the interface to determine as much as it can about the connected handheld device and the
cabling to the host computer. This should simplify the choices that need to be made by you.

If a handheld device is connected when AUTOCONFIG starts, the interface will attempt to identify it and to set the gain
properly on its channels. (Because the gain is autom atically determined at this time, the system should w ork reliably both
with and w ithout removable bundles connected.)

Also, if a cable (usually a serial cable or a USB cable) is connected to a host computer, the interface will identify that cable
and limit the available mode choices to ones w hich are compatible with that cable. (For instance, only serial modes w ill be
displayed if the serial cable is connected).

So, in the case that you've connected both the handheld device and a cable to the host, you w ill normally see a display
asking you to choose the output format you want. This is done by rotating the knob and pressing it to make a selection. The
specific choices that will be presented depend on the handheld device and the output cabling that are detected, but a typical
set of choices (for a button box, w ith USB cabling to the computer) would be:

¤ HID KEY BYRGT

HID KEY 12345

HID KEY NAR

The AUTOCONFIG approach is usually the best one to take, but there are situations in which it w on't be able to automatically
determine the type of handheld device w hich is connected.

These devices can not be automatically identified:

older handheld devices (model numbers starting with HH- rather than HHSC- ; these have tubing with braided

covering, rather than shiny plastic tubing)
devices that use shaft encoders for position or motion sensing (HHSC-TRK-1, HHSC-SCRL-1)

Us ing MANUAL CONFIG

MANUAL CONFIG available for several reasons. The biggest one is to provide compatibility with our earlier handheld devices
(the HH series, as distinct from the present HHSC series) which cannot generally be identified by the 932 interface. In manual
mode the interface will not attempt to recognize the handheld device.

Use of this mode is fairly self-explanatory-- the knob is used to select the handheld type, the hardware interface for output,
and the format for the output.

Us ing MODE BY ID NO.

This mode is intended to give users a simple way to return to settings they previously determined w here correct. By selecting
the mode using the number, the hardware interface, and output format are set at one time and no questions are asked.

Switching Handheld Devices

When you switch from one type of handheld device to another the 932 needs to be 'told' of this change. For instance, when
you unplug a button box and connect a scroll-wheel device in its place, you should push the knob and and answer "YES" to
"CHANGE MODES?".

What Happens at Power -Up

The 932 'wakes up' in the mode that was last active. For any of its channels that rely on calibration, it will use the saved
gains. For other channels, such as regular button box channels, the gain will be automatically determined in the brief second
while it turns on.

The 932 does not attempt to identify the handheld device at pow er-up, though: it assumes the same one is connected that
was connected last time it w as used. So, if the handheld type that you have connected doesn't match w hat the display says,
you should push the knob and set the Use Mode for your new setup.

932 Rear Panel

P1: DC Power input

This input should only be used with the pow er supply provided, which is:

Current Designs Model Number: PS-932-6V

A suitable replacement is: C ui, Inc. Model Number: EPS060175UPS-P5P-KH (6V regulated @ 1.75A max, on a 2.1 mm power
plug).

P2: Aux. functions - S erial and TTL outputs

This port contains the TTL and serial output signals.To use the serial output, use cable Main.CB-932-SER-1. For use with a
parallel port, us cable Main.C B-932-PAR-1.

It is 36 pin MDR type connector. An example mating connector is made by 3M and listed as model number 3M
10136-3000PE.

P3: US B outputs

For most users this is the main data output port.

It is connected to the host computer using a commonly available USB cable (5 pin mini-USB to USB).

P4: Main.Optical trigger input

This port accepts optical trigger signals such as those produced on some Siemens MR scanners. It uses an Agilent HFBR
connector.

P5: Main.Optical Port

This port connects to a Current Designs removable fiber optic bundle or directly to an optical handheld device.

Its has 12 optical pins: 4 transmitting and 8 receiving.

P6: TTL Trigger input

This connector accepts TTL trigger signals.

Triggers are detected on low-to-high (positive-going) edges; there is no minimum pulse w idth.

Use with cable CB-SMB-BNC-1.

This is an SMB type connector.

932 Use Modes

This page is a short outline of the available modes for using this interface unit.

Button Box Modes

Mode Identifier USB Serial Description Notes

000 HID KEY BYGRT HID keyboard, sends B for blue button, Y for yellow, etc.

001 HID KEY 12345 HID keyboard, sends 1,2,3, etc.

002 HID NAR BYGRT HID keyboard, same as mode 000, except keys do not auto-release

003 HID NAR 12345 HID key board, same as mode 001, except k eys do not auto-release

051 HID KEY 1-9 NO 5 HID keyboard, like mode 001, but no 5 is sent for triggers

052 HID KEY NAR NO T HID keyboard, like mode 002, but no T is sent for triggers

053 HID KEY NAR NO 5 HID keyboard, like mode 003, but no 5 is sent for triggers

100 ASCII 12345 Sends ASCII "B" for blue button, "Y" for yellow , etc.

102 RBX Legacy support for RBX button box em ulation

Trackball Modes

Mode Identifier USB Serial Description Notes

500 HID MOUSE 1 HID mouse with two buttons

503 HID COMPOSITE HID mouse with two buttons, + keyboard for trigger

550 SERMOUSE Legacy serial mouse emulation

590 TRACKBALL CAL -na- -na- Trackball gain calibration mode

Joys tick Modes

Mode Identifier USB Serial Description Notes

600 HID MOUSE 1 HID mouse with two buttons

601 HID JOYSTICK/GAMEPAD HID joystick with tw o buttons

651 PJS Serial "Programmer's" joystick output: fast, high resolution serial output

Scroll Wheel Modes

Mode Identifier USB Serial Description Notes

200 HID KEY TGB HHSC-SCR OLL-1 mode, sends T for UP. B for down

201 HID COMPOSITE HHSC-SC ROLL-1 mode: mouse movements

Mis cellaneous Other Modes

Mode Identifier USB Serial Description Notes

800 LEGAC Y HH C AL -na- -na Gain calibration mode for legacy HH handheld devices

801 SCR OLL WHEEL C AL -na- -na Gain calibration mode for scroll w heel handheld device

900 DIAGNOSTIC 1 diagnostic mode for testing

Using the Trackball on a 932 System

These are notes on how to use the HHSC-TRK-1 with a 932 interface.

General

As of this writing, the trackball can produce two types of output: USB or serial. Most users today will w ant to use the USB
output because it is the simplest to use and has the highest performance in terms of responsiveness and accuracy. The serial
mode is made available mainly to support older systems lacking USB ports.

When to Calibrate

The trackball should be calibrated with the 932 interface when significant optical conditions are changed. The most common
exam ples of this are:

the trackball was connected directly to the interface, but is now connected through a bundlea.
the trackball was connected through a bundle but is now connected directly to the interfaceb.
the trackball and interface will be connected using a different bundle than was used beforec.

It also m akes sense to try a calibration if the trackball behavior changes significantly but, in that case, in may also make
sense to be sure that the ball has not gotten dirty or abraded over time.

How to Calibrate

Begin with the optical components connected in the w ay that you intend to use them.

If possible, have the trackball close enough to the 932 interface that the LEDs on the 932 are visible.

Select mode 590 using the k nob and the "MODE BY ID NO" choice.

the left-most LEDs should toggle back & forth about once a second

Rotate the ball on the trackball a bit

the speed and distance are not critical
a 1 cm " wiggle" at about once per second should be fine
When the 8 right-most LEDs are all lit, the trackball is ready to use.

Push the knob once and follow the instructions to select a new mode

(probably mode 500 for USB mouse output, or 550 for a serial mouse output)

You should find that the trackball works imm ediately once you've chosen your desired output mode. The settings will be
retained w hen the 932 is turned off, and w ill be used again when its turned on again.

If the trackball does not calibrate after 5-10 seconds of turning the ball, try disconnecting the power. Then re-connect it and
be sure the ball is moving as power is applied.

Using Current Designs Online Support

Information is available online here:

http://www.curdes.com/CdiDocs/WebHome

If you don't find good help on this site please contact us by email:

[e-mail]

or phone:

215-387-5456 .

For users who want to 'flash' their devices with new firmware

Please login to the site and follow this link:

http://www.curdes.com/CdiDocs/UpdatingFirmwarePython.html

932 System Troubleshooting

1. Bas ic function ques tions

When you have a problem using a 932-based fORP system, please tell us:

What the display shows -

all 3 lines (hardware interface, handheld type, and mode identifier/number)

How the handheld device is connected -

is it plugged directly into the interface, or through a removable bundle?
was it connected before power was applied to the interface unit?

What stimulus presentation/response program you are using, if any.

Here are a few basic things to check:

1.1 Was the handheld device connected prior to the 932 being turned on?

impo rtant: The interface "looks for" the handheld device at power-up and sets some parameters based on w hat is
connected.

If no handheld device is connected at pow er-up, and then the device is connected afterwards, it will probably not function
correctly.

try: C onnecting the handheld device (with or without the removable bundle) and cycling the power (unplug the power supply
and then plug it in again).

1.2. Did it power-up correctly?

Are the LED indicators blinking properly when buttons on the handheld device are pressed?

If not, does the problem persist when the power supply is disconnected and re-connected?

1.3. Are the optical components (the handheld devices and fiber optic bundles) working correctly?

Again, this is usually best determined by pressing buttons and checking if the LED indicators respond correctly.

1.4 Is the correct handheld device indicated on the display?

The model number, which appears on the label on the handheld device, should match what is on the middle line of the
display. For instance, if you using a HHSC-Main.1x4-D button box, the middle line of the display should read ""HHSC­Main.1x4-D".

In some cases the system will w ork properly even though the display indicates a different handheld device than the one that
is actually in use. But this mismatch indicates that either the handheld type was manually selected incorrectly by the user or,
if AUTOCONFIG was used, that the interface incorrectly identified the handheld device.

try: Either manually setting the handheld type or selecting AUTOCONF IG so that the interface unit will interrogate the
handheld device and try to identify it.

1.5. Are you getting a reasonable output using a generic program?

The quickest thing to check here is if you get USB output into a program like Notepad. This should show simple character
output for any of the modes which are indicated on the 932 display's bottom line starting with " HID KEY ___".

If you are not getting what you expect in your stimulus presentation/response software (Presentation, EPrime, etc) its a good
idea to check the output using a m ore generic program first. If you get correct output here, then getting it to work w ithin
your psychometric program is probably a matter of configuring the program. We may be able to help you configure your
program, but you can probably get better help from the authors of that program.

Switching from FIU-005 systems to 932 systems

If you are already familiar w ith the FIU-005 (and earlier) interface units, these are some of the first differences that m ight
strike you w hen you start using the 932.

No more colored LEDs

The 932 has green LEDs for all the buttons, rather than colored ones, because the 2x5 array of LEDs is used for different
purposes in different modes.

No more BNC trigger inp ut

The TTL trigger input is now on a smaller coaxial connector: its the gold one on the right hand side of the rear panel.
Electrically this input is the same as on the FIU-005, but we needed to use a smaller connector for space reasons.

(Note that there is also an optical trigger on the 932.)

Us ing old button boxes with a new (932) interface

The 932 supports older button boxes in several different ways. Once you've picked one of the following handheld device
types, all of the usual button box modes are available, and y ou can pick them from the list just as though you had a new er
HHSC device connected. But the choices handle differing cases:

FIU-00 5 Handheld Type

If you manually choose this handheld device type, the 932 will operate in a fixed-gain mode very m uch like the FIU-005 and
its predecessors did. This is the first thing to try if you're trying to use your older handheld devices w ith the 932. With most
button boxes, this choice will "just work", because the optical losses of m ost button boxes fall w ithin a range that can be
accommodated with a fixed gain.

LEGACY HAND HELD

If you tried to select an FIU-005 handheld device type, but one or more of the buttons didn't work correctly, you probably
have a combination of button box and bundle optical losses that are too high for the fixed gain of the 932.

In this case, you can try selecting LEGAC Y HANDHELD instead. Now the 932 will use stored gain values for each channel
(button), so it can compensate for a wide range of optical losses on a channel-by-channel basis.

You'll need to calibrate the system for the handheld you intend to use. This is done using the "LEGACY HH C AL" mode,
described below.

At the end of the calibration process, you'll have the option to save the gain values, which will then be applied any time the
LEGAC Y HANDHELD choice is made. (So you don't need to calibrate things every time.)

Us ing LEGACY HH CAL

When this mode is selected, the 932 will scan the 8 possible channels of your HH series handheld device and attempt to find
gain values that will make the buttons work reliably.

To indicate this process is under w ay, the 8 left-most LEDs on the front panel are scanned in a counter-clockwise circular
fashion.

While the channels are scanned, the buttons on the button box should be pressed and released so that the electronics can
determine what the "off" and "on" optical losses are. We recommend doing this in a kind of rolling/tapping action, similar to
the classic finger-tapping on a desktop associated with impatience or nervousness.

As each button's correct gain value is found the corresponding LED is solidly lit. They should all be lit w ithin 30 seconds or so.

At any time the knob can be pressed, and the gain values determined so far can be saved. So, if you have a 4 button device
connected you will notice that only the lower 4 LEDs go solid; that's normal, because there are only 4, after all. But, once
those 4 are solid you can go ahead and save these gains (and the upper 4 that are still being sought will just be disabled).

Once you have answ ered "YES" to "SAVE SETTINGS?", you can go on to select an output mode and you should be 'on the
air'.

It is not necessary to repeat this process unless you change something significant about the device connections.

Us ing new button boxes with an old (FIU-005) interface

This, unfortunately, w ill not w ork at this time. The optical channels on HHSC series devices are normally transmitting rather
than normally blocking light. When a button is pressed the channel changes from passing light to blocking light. This is the
opposite of the way things worked w ith the earlier HH series of handheld devices. This change was made to facilitate
automatic recognition and automatic gain compensation of the button boxes.

The HH button boxes are still available and we will continue to repair them indefinitely.

Old trackballs , joysticks, and cus tom devices

Most of these devices are almost completely compatible with the 932, and can be made to be completely compatible with a
small amount of modification. F or instance, the trackball just needs to have the button 'polarity' inverted. Please contact us if
you are thinking about having any of these things upgraded to use with the 932.