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USE3 Physiolab

Software Guide

By Dianne Campbell
2004 J&J Engineering, Inc.
22797 Holgar Ct. NE Poulsbo, WA 98370

MBP-SG102204

Software Guide Contents


Installation and Update Instructions .................................................................1
System Requirements....................................................................................1
Previously Installed Version Instructions........................................................1
Installing Windows USE3 Physiolab Software from CD-ROM .......................1
Downloading Updates From Our Website......................................................1
Contacting J+J Engineering Technical Support ..............................................2
Configuring the Software ...................................................................................3
Setting Up the Software to Detect Your Hardware Model ..............................3
Eliminating Electrical Line Frequency Noise ..................................................3
Setting Up Dual Screen Mode .......................................................................4
Set-Up and Testing of Dual Monitor Displays ................................................4
Using Dual Display Mode with USE3 Physiolab Software .............................4
Choosing a Color Scheme .............................................................................5
Overview of the Software Interface ...................................................................6
Starting an Application ...................................................................................6
Ensuring a Good Connection.........................................................................7
Checking For Good Signal Data ....................................................................7
Toolbars Overview .........................................................................................8
Selecting Display Screens .............................................................................8
Modifying Signals...........................................................................................9
Session Control Toolbar ..................................................................................12
Accessing Online Help.................................................................................12
Exiting a Session .........................................................................................12
Saving Signal Settings .................................................................................12
Reset and Freeze Features .........................................................................13
Printing Screens During the Session ...........................................................13
Recording Data .................................................................................................13
Event Marking..............................................................................................14
Setting Up Tasks...............................................................................................14
Specifying Tasks Manually ..........................................................................14
Running Preset Programmed Tasks ............................................................14
Customizing Programmed Tasks.................................................................15
Programmed Tasks: Instructional Text Boxes .............................................17
Programmed Tasks: Audio Files..................................................................18
Creating Your Own Programmed Tasks ......................................................18
Saving Programmed Tasks..........................................................................19
Saving Session Data & Verifying Client Names .............................................19
Managing Data ..................................................................................................20
Deleting Session Data ......................................................................................20
Viewing Session Data and Generating Reports .............................................20
Changing Signal Views ................................................................................21
Printing Screen Images................................................................................22
Saving Screen Images.................................................................................22

Printing Quick Reports .................................................................................22


Creating Excel Reports ................................................................................22
Exporting Data to Excel or Your Own Database ............................................23
Automatically Generating Filenames for Export Data ..................................25
Archiving Session Data....................................................................................25
Adding and Deleting Client Information .........................................................27
Display Types....................................................................................................31
Zooming In...................................................................................................31
Line Graphs .................................................................................................31
Pattern Displays...........................................................................................31
Ghost Displays.............................................................................................32
Scrolling Chart Displays...............................................................................32
Fill Graphs ...................................................................................................32
Adjusting Thresholds ...................................................................................33
Specialty Fill Graphs ....................................................................................34
Bar Graphs ..................................................................................................35
Numerical Displays ......................................................................................35
History or Trend Displays.............................................................................36
EEG Displays ....................................................................................................37
EEG Impedance Screen ..............................................................................37
EEG Setup...................................................................................................38
Threshold Overview .....................................................................................39
Reinforce and Inhibit Settings ......................................................................39
MAN vs. AUTO Threshold Mode .................................................................40
Threshold Average and Peak Average ........................................................40
Types of EEG Feedback..............................................................................40
EEG Feedback Score Bar............................................................................41
Overview of Picture-Reveal Games .............................................................41
Feedback Time Settings for Games ............................................................42
Feedback Sound Settings for Games ..........................................................42
Selecting a Game Screen ............................................................................43
Picture-Reveal Screen Types ......................................................................43
Selecting Game Images...............................................................................44
EEG Bar Displays, Peak Graphs, Peak History Graphs .............................44
Recording EEG Data ...................................................................................45
Pausing and Unpausing Feedback Screens ................................................45
EMG Displays ....................................................................................................46
W-EMG Displays .........................................................................................46
Single Signal Displays......................................................................................46
Raw EMG ....................................................................................................46
RMS EMG With No Threshold .....................................................................47
RMS EMG With Threshold...........................................................................47
FFT EMG .....................................................................................................47
3D FFT EMG ...............................................................................................48
EMG Bar With Threshold .............................................................................48
Multiple Signal Displays...................................................................................48

RMS EMG....................................................................................................48
RMS EMG With Differential Fill....................................................................48
EMG Pattern ................................................................................................49
EMG Display Features ......................................................................................49
Smoothing the Signal...................................................................................49
Changing Sweep Speed ..............................................................................49
Setting Thresholds .......................................................................................49
ECG, HR, and HRV Displays ............................................................................50
RAW ECG....................................................................................................50
ECG FFT .....................................................................................................50
HR ...............................................................................................................50
HRV_30 .......................................................................................................51
DFT..............................................................................................................51
VLF,LF,HF ...................................................................................................52
Respiration Displays ........................................................................................52
Respiration Line Graph ................................................................................52
Breathing Pattern.........................................................................................53
Adjusting the Breathing Pacer .....................................................................53
BPM Bar Graph ...........................................................................................54
BPM Numerical Display ...............................................................................54
Skin Conductance and Skin Resistance Displays .........................................54
Temperature Displays ......................................................................................55
Fahrenheit-Centigrade Button......................................................................55
TEMP Graph................................................................................................55
Dual TEMP Graph .......................................................................................55
Dual Temp Scroll .........................................................................................55
TEMP Bar ....................................................................................................55
TEMP Numerical Display .............................................................................56
Audio Features..................................................................................................57
Setting Up Music Synthesizer Audio Feedback ...........................................58
Setting Up Pre-Recorded Audio File Feedback ...........................................60
Setting Up Windows Media Player Feedback ..............................................60
Media Player Troubleshooting .....................................................................61

Physiolab Software Guide


Installation and Update Instructions
System Requirements
The operating system requirement is Windows 98 Second Edition or later with all
Microsoft updates and Media Player 9 installed (WindowsXP recommended).
The minimum hardware requirements are a processor speed of 1 Gigahertz, 512
MB of RAM and a video card with 64 MB RAM. In order to use the optional dual
monitor mode, you will need to run the software on either a laptop computer or
on a desktop computer with a dual head video card.

Previously Installed Version Instructions


If you have a previous version of USE3 Physiolab software installed, you do not
need to uninstall it before performing a new installation. Your client data will be
safely retained. NOTE: Any customized settings, such as saved settings files
and protocols, will be lost whenever you perform a new install or update the
software with a download from the J&J Engineering website. You can save
customized files by going to the C:\Program Files\J&J Engineering\Physiolab
folder and renaming the .mdb file for each application you wish to save. These
renamed customized applications will be retained in their current version and not
updated.

Installing Windows USE3 Physiolab Software from CD-ROM


Click Start, then My Computer. Then double-click on the letter of your CD-ROM
drive. Double click the blue Setup icon. You will then get a series of screens.
Welcome screen - click Next.
Software License Agreement click Yes
User Information type in your name and company and then click Next.
Destination Location defaults to C:\Program Files\Physiolab\ Physiolab. Please
accept the default location because future upgrades will automatically install to
this location. Click Next
Accept the default Program Folder, click Next
Files are then copied.
When setup is complete, click Finish
Click the X to close the window.

Downloading Updates From Our Website


The update at jjengineering.com on the Tech Support page replaces only some
of the files of your original CD-ROM installation please do not uninstall the
software before downloading an update.

Physiolab Software Guide

If you already have the software installed and have created customized settings
and tasks, you will have to re-create these after upgrading. If you wish to save
customized settings and protocols, you must rename the application file name.
(For instructions, please see NOTE near the top of this page.)
To download the upgrade:
On the Tech Support webpage, click the heading called Download (date) USE3
Physiolab Upgrade. Click "Open".
Click Next when prompted. Accept all default settings (including the Repair
selection).
Click Finish.
If you want to save the update to removable media for installation on a computer
not connected to the internet, click Save instead of Open. In the drop down
box, browse to your preferred save location. Accept the default file name and
click Save.

Contacting J+J Engineering Technical Support


Please visit J+J Engineering on the World Wide Web at www.jjengineering.com.
Here you can see the latest equipment, download software upgrades and view
technical support information.
Please feel free to contact J&J Engineering whenever you feel that you need
help. Also, if you would like to see something different in a program or have
product development ideas, we would appreciate your suggestions.
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

1-360-779-3853
1-360-697-4435
techsupport@jjengineering.com

Send letters to J+J Engineering at:


J+J Engineering, Inc.
22797 Holgar Ct. NE
Poulsbo, WA98370

Physiolab Software Guide

Configuring the Software


Setting Up the Software to Detect Your Hardware Model
You will need to follow the instructions below after your initial installation and
after each software upgrade.
If Physiolab is not already running, click on the Physiolab desktop icon
to
get to the opening window. Click Run Session to bring up the Select
Application window.
IMPORTANT:
Click on the dropdown arrow in the
Hardware Type box
and select the type of
J&J device that you
have connected. (The
USE3 software
supports many different
hardware devices so it
is important that you
have selected the
specific hardware that
you are using.) In the
application list, click
on the name of the
application you plan to
run. Next click Setup.
In the Hardware Setup
window, be sure that the
correct port (COM or USB)
that you used to connect
your device is selected. If
you are using a COM port
connection, be sure the
COM port number
matches the one you are
using. NOTE: This
window displays the application date and currently installed version date (MBP
Version).

Eliminating Electrical Line Frequency Noise


In North America the electrical line frequency is 60Hz, but in many countries line
frequency is 50 Hz. The notch filter is defaulted to 60Hz so, if you live in a

Physiolab Software Guide

country where the electrical line frequency is 50 Hz, you will need to configure
the software for your area. In the Hardware Setup window (pictured above)
check to see that the line frequency for your area is selected in the Notch filter
box. If the setting is incorrect you will see noise appearing as spikes at regular
frequencies in the signal FFT displays. (For additional information please see the
Artifact Detection section in your Hardware Manual.)

Setting Up Dual Screen Mode


Many newer laptop computers can support a second monitor with two different
simultaneous displays. Many desktop computers can be upgraded to this
capability with the addition of a dual-monitor video card available at most
computer stores.
The optional Dual Screen Mode feature allows you to have a therapist screen
and a separate client screen with monitor and control functions on therapist
screen #1 and a simple feedback display or game on client screen #2.

Set-Up and Testing of Dual Monitor Displays


If you have this capability on your computer, it can be turned on as follows:
Right-click on the desktop, then click Properties, then Settings. Right-click on
2, then click Attached. (A check mark should appear next to Attached.) Check
the box labeled Extend my Windows Desktop. Set the screen resolution to the
same resolution as primary screen #1, preferably 1024x768. Please see your
computer owners manual for help with this set-up.
When this is set up properly, your computer should boot-up with your normal
desktop on Monitor #1 and the desktop background picture without any icons on
Monitor #2. You should be able to run USE3 software with dual displays. If you
have trouble getting the dual monitor desktop function working, please check with
your computer supplier.

Using Dual Display Mode with USE3 Physiolab Software


The USE3 software supports dual monitors on specific screens that are marked
in the screen name with letter D or Dual. To enable this feature in USE3, from
the USE-3 Sign-On Screen click on Options and check mark Dual. Do not do
this unless you are sure dual monitor mode with extended desktop is working on
your computer.
Click the Dual Display Icon
to see a list of all available Dual Screen Displays
in an application, To select a feedback screen to appear on a second monitor,
click on a dual screen display name and click APPLY.
The second monitor display will have a feedback only with no controls or mouse
functions. All the settings on the feedback screen will be slaved to a display on

Physiolab Software Guide

Monitor #1. (The exception to this is Windows Media Player used as a feedback
screen.)
In Dual Mode on laptop computers you may notice a speed reduction when the
screen is updating. This is due to your computers display driver limitations. It
should not affect feedback.
In most applications the feedback display on Monitor #2 will also be shown on
Monitor #1 as a smaller sub-display. To make changes in the feedback display,
you need to highlight the display and signal on Monitor #1 and use the left-hand
tool bar to make changes. These changes will be reflected in the feedback
display on Monitor #2.
Below is a list of several recommended video cards which provide the dual
display mode feature on desktop PCs that have an AGP video card slot. Check
with your computer supplier or on-line suppliers such as compuplus.com,
compuvest.com, Spartan Technologies, etc.
VisionTek XTASY GeForce4 MX440 64MB DDR AGP
Model 30001520
Approx. price: $120.00
Matrox Millennium G550 AGP 32MB DDR 2D/3D Dual DVI
Model G55+MDHA32DR Approx. price: $120.00. NEEDS ADAPTER.
Matrox Millenium G450 Dual Heal 32MB
Model G45+MDHA32DLXB Approx. price: $90.00. NEEDS ADAPTER.
ATI Radeon VE AGP 32MB Dual Display VGA & DVI
Model 100430119 Approx. price: $60.00. NEEDS ADAPTER.

VIDEO CABLE ADAPTER: DVI 24-PIN MALE TO VGA 15-PIN FEMALE.

Choosing a Color Scheme


Physiolab has been designed to mirror the colors of your chosen desktop color
scheme. If you wish to change the color scheme for all of your Windows
applications including Physiolab, right-click on an icon-free area of your desktop
and choose Properties. Click on the Appearance tab. Then click on the down
arrow in the Color Scheme box and select a color scheme to see a preview of it
in the Display Properties window. When you find a color scheme you like, click
OK at the bottom of the Properties window.

Physiolab Software Guide

Overview of the Software Interface


This section is an overview of the toolbars and signal controls common to all
Physiolab applications.

Starting an Application
To begin running an application click on the USE3 Physiolab icon
your desktop. The program will load to the Main Menu.

from

SELECT CLIENT
RUN SESSION
MANAGE DATA
EXIT
Click on Select Client. Select a client name in the Select Client Window.
Recorded session data will be saved under this client name. Click the Select
button. If you skip this step, you will be prompted later to select a client if you
record data. (For information on adding new clients, editing, and deleting client
records, please see the Adding and Deleting Client Information section.)
Next, click on Run Session. This will bring up the Select Application window.
Make sure that the J&J
device that you have
connected to your
computer is selected in
the Hardware Type
drop-down box. Each
hardware type has its
own unique application
list. Click on the name of
the application that you
wish to run. Click Start.
If you receive an error
message, click OK,
check the connection to
your computer, then
retry. If you have trouble
starting a session,
please refer to the

Physiolab Software Guide

Troubleshooting section in your Hardware Guide.


IMPORTANT: Once you have started an application you must exit it using the
arrow in the lower left-hand corner, NOT the red X in the upper right-hand corner.

Ensuring a Good Connection


In every application session, the first screen you will see is the Sensor Test
Screen. Hook up the sensors using the picture as a guide. Please refer also to
your Hardware Guide for information on cable/electrode configurations for your
device and connection tips for different modalities.
The Sensor Test Screen displays the impedance of each EMG/ECG/EEG
electrode as a bar graph. The digital bar values are in K Ohms (K=1000 Ohms).
J&Js impedance testing feature is important because it enables you to determine
the quality of your signals. High impedance levels allow environmental electrical
noise to contaminate your signals. Values in the green range indicate optimal
functioning, yellow indicates marginal functioning and red indicates that the
connection is inadequate and needs attention. (Please see the Impedance
Testing section of your Hardware Guide.) The bar colors are intended as
guidelines only. The values needed to ensure good signals are dependent upon
the amount of electrical noise in your location and the signal level of interest.
(For more information please see the Artifact Detection section in your
Hardware Guide.)
Signal bars for modalities other than EMG/ECG/EEG display green for normal
operation, yellow for needing adjustment, and red for disconnected or broken.
For devices powered by batteries, a digital battery indicator display near the
bottom of this screen tests and displays the remaining voltage.

Checking For Good Signal Data


Click on Check Signals. This screen displays all signals available in the
application and currently being acquired so that you can inspect them to verify
that they appear in normal ranges. It is not intended for feedback. In
Applications with EMG or ECG, it includes a frequency spectrum (FFT) display
which is particularly useful for detecting environmental electrical noise. (Please
see the Artifact Detection section in your Hardware Guide.) A Check Signals 2
screen provides a screen without the FFT display for slower computers.
The Sensor Test and Check Signals screens are unique to J&J and are designed
to ensure the quality of your data. You should check these screens each time
you start an application.

Physiolab Software Guide

Toolbars Overview
The top Screen Select Toolbar provides buttons for choosing a specific display
screen. The left edge Signal Control Toolbar provides buttons to change the
display characteristics. The Session Control Toolbar at the bottom of your
screen provides controls for specifying tasks, recording data, marking events in
the data, and for invoking various screen features such as screen freeze and
sweep reset. The Session Status Bar, located below the Session Control Bar,
indicates elapsed and remaining times for both the current task and the entire
session. The Task Progress Bar located above the Session Control Bar
indicates progress through one or more preset timed task intervals. It is a
graphical representation of the numbers in the Session Status Bar.
You can increase display screen area and minimize
distraction by hiding toolbars that you are not using. Simply
click View, then click next to the names of the toolbars you
wish to hide. This will remove the checkmark next to the
toolbar name and make the toolbar disappear from view.
You can retrieve toolbars individually by again clicking
View, then clicking the names of the toolbars you wish to
reinstate OR you can retrieve all of the toolbars at once by
clicking All Bars On.

Selecting Display Screens


The top Screen Select Toolbar lists all of the available display screens in an
application. Use this toolbar to select a specific display screen.

The screen button which is highlighted shows the name of the current screen
being displayed. Most of the top buttons have pull down menus (as shown
above) of alternate screen choices. Clicking on the down arrow next to the
screen name activates this pull down menu. Whenever you select a screen from
the pull down menu, it is assigned to the top menu button. This ensures that
your favorite screen in each menu group will be only one click away. On slower
computers, click on the drop-down arrow and hold it down while mousing over
the drop-down menu area, if the drop-down menu doesnt at first appear.

Physiolab Software Guide

Modifying Signals
Use the left edge Signal Control Toolbar buttons to change display
characteristics. These buttons will modify only one display or signal at a
time. To select an individual display from a multi-display screen, click on
the display. The display will become highlighted with light blue to indicate it
has been selected and that the Signal Control buttons have been assigned
to it. Modify the signal using the icons to the left.
If more than one signal appears in the same display and the signal names
are clickable, it means that separate scales are available for each signal
and that signals can be manipulated separately. Select the signal you wish
to modify by clicking on the tiny colored square next to the name of the
signal within the top of the display.

A white dot in the center of the square indicates that particular signal is
selected. Use the Signal Control Toolbar to modify the selected signal. If
the signal names are not clickable, it means that the signals have the same
scale and are locked together so that the signal controls modify all signals
together.
The Signal Up button
and the Signal Down button
move the signal line higher or lower on the display.

are used to

The Auto-offset button


toggles on and off the Autocenter feature
which automatically keeps the signal centered on the screen. To manually
adjust the signal higher or lower on the screen, click Auto-offset OFF and
use the above Signal Up and Signal Down buttons.
The Gain Up button
is used to increase signal size and sensitivity. Spaces
between scale units increase indicating greater signal sensitivity.
The Gain Down button

is used to decrease signal size and sensitivity.

The combination of Gain Up and Gain Down plus the Signal Up and Down
arrows allow you to size and position the signal anywhere on the display.
The Autogain button
toggles the Autogain feature on and off. For your
convenience you can leave Autogain on or you have the option of turning this
feature off and manually adjusting the gain according to your preference. After
you click Autogain on, wait up to 30 seconds for the signal to self-adjust.

Physiolab Software Guide

10

Turning the Autogain or Autocenter features on or off for one signal will not
change the settings for the other signals on the screen. Each signals settings
are adjusted individually.
The Faster Graph
and Slower Graph
buttons are used to
increase and decrease sweep speed for all signals except FFT. This
increases/decreases the time span that can be displayed within a single window.
For FFT displays the Faster Graph & Slower Graph buttons change the
frequency span of the FFT displays. It is recommended that you leave FFT
displays at the maximum frequency scale.
The Averaging Interval
button changes signal appearance. This button
brings up the Select Averaging Interval window which allows you to increase or
decrease the averaging interval by seconds or fractions of seconds. Increasing
the averaging interval smoothes the selected signal. Decreasing the interval
makes signal detail more visible. DO NOT change the default settings for RAW
signals.
The Zoom button
is used to magnify any individual display to fill up the
entire screen. Simply click on the desired display to select it, then click on the
Zoom button. To return to the original display, re-click the Zoom button. This
feature is particularly useful for simplifying feedback to one signal, then toggling
back to a multi-signal display.
Clicking on the Adjust Threshold button
is enabled if THR is in the
signal name of one of the available signals for a particular display. This button
brings up the Threshold Control window. An empty checkbox indicates that Auto
Threshold is OFF. To turn this feature ON, click in the checkbox next to Enable
Auto Threshold. To manually set the threshold, click on the check mark next to
Enable Auto Threshold in order to deselect it. Click on the Down/Up arrows
next to the Level box or type a numerical value in the box. Close the control
box by clicking on the small x.
Alternatively, you can drag and drop the threshold line on the display screen.
Place the cursor in the display area and click the mouse once to activate the
drag-and-drop feature for that display. As you move the cursor over the threshold
line, a hand appears. Hold down the left mouse button when the hand appears
and drag the threshold line up and down on the screen, releasing the button at
the point where you want the threshold line to stay.

Physiolab Software Guide

11

brings up a control box to turn on or off the


The Show/Hide Signal button
display of a signal on the selected display. Simply click on the check marks of
each signal you wish to hide. To make the signals reappear, again click on the
Show/Hide signal icon and click on the empty boxes next to the names of the
signal(s) to you wish to re-display. Close the control box by clicking on the small
x.
The Select Sound button
brings up the Audio Control Window. Please
see the Audio Features section for information on the use of audio controls.
toggles the speakers on and off. This button must be
The Sound button
down in order for Media Player feedback screens to work.
The Modify Settings button
is used to specify numerical parameters, such
as breathing rate, duration of inhale/exhale and hold times for the Breathing
Pacer or to specify the degree of smoothing (signal running average) using an
EMG filter. It is also used to set time over threshold discreet reward feedback .
The Select Second Screen
button for Dual Screen Mode will open a
window with a list of available second screen displays. To select a feedback
screen to appear on a second monitor, click on a display name and click APPLY.
You can run Dual Screen Mode IF your computer is Dual Monitor enabled AND
the USE3 software is set to Dual Screen Mode AND a second screen display is
available in the application you are using (For more information see the section in
this manual on setting up Dual Screen Mode).
The Show/Hide Subwindows
button allows you to hide and restore
subwindows in All Signal displays. This allows you to custom configure a
display of any combination of the available signals.
With the Game Files
button you can select still and animated images when
you are on a game screen.
The Task Averaging
button opens a window that lists the mean average for
each signal and each task as it is recorded.
If any of the above buttons are turned off they will appear darker and less
colorful. This indicates that the buttons feature is enabled for that display, but is
merely OFF, and the feature will be available if the button is clicked ON. Not all
features are available for all displays. Decisions have been made as to which
features are feasible and/or useful for each display. If a feature is not available
for a particular display, its button will appear grayed out instead of off (darker).

Physiolab Software Guide

12

Session Control Toolbar


The Session Control Toolbar at the bottom of your screen provides controls for
specifying tasks, recording data, marking events in the data, and for invoking
various screen features such as screen freeze and sweep reset.

Accessing Online Help


Click on the help icon
near the bottom of your screen to access a hyperlinked
Table of Contents to an electronic version of this manual.

Exiting a Session
Exit each session using the arrow in the lower left hand corner
In order to review data, generate reports, export data into a database, manage
client or session data, or to quit the program, you must first exit the session. In
order to exit the software both the Pause and the Record buttons must be OFF. If
you have recorded data, the Save Session Data window will automatically open
when you exit the software (See the Saving Session Data section).

Saving Signal Settings


The Save Settings button
brings up the Save Settings Window which allows
you to save all signal adjustments and settings as the defaults for future
sessions. If a specific client was selected before the start of the session, one set
of settings may be saved to the client file. Make sure that Save/Recall Settings
is checked, click Save to Current Client File and Save. If you wish to use the
current settings for more than one client, click Save to Application, type in a
protocol name, and click Add Name. Then click Save. Many setting
combinations may be
saved for each
application. To recall a
previously saved protocol,
click the Save Settings
button to pull up this
window, select the name
of the protocol from the
drop down list , and click
Recall.

Physiolab Software Guide

13

Reset and Freeze Features


The Reset Screen button
refreshes all of the displays on the screen.
Resetting the screen has no effect on data recording.
The Freeze Screen button
freezes all screen displays to allow for discussion
of the signals with the client while USE3 Physiolab continues to monitor and
record data.
The AutoFreeze button
freezes all graph displays when the selected signal
display reaches the end of its signal sweep. This does not affect data recording.
To restart the signal display, click the Freeze Screen button.
The Pause Game Windows button
pauses certain game and feedback
screens without affecting data recording. To resume the game, re-click the
button.
The Pause Task button

pauses both the data recording and the feedback

screen. The Unpause Task button


recording of the current task.

resets the feedback screen and resumes

The Pause Game button


does not effect recording. It merely freezes the
feedback screen while the underlying data recording continues.

Printing Screens During the Session


The Print Screen button
allows you to print the current screen. Click this
icon and wait a few moments for the screen image to appear. Click Print in the
top menu, modify printer settings as needed, and click OK. You are given the
opportunity to abort without printing by selecting Close instead of Print.

Recording Data
The Record button
The Pause button

toggles recording on and off.


pauses data recording. Re-click it to resume recording.

allows you to specify the erase time interval invoked by the


The Menu button
Record Backup button.
The Record Backup button
erases a specified time interval of recorded
data, and records over the erased portion so that the data record is seamless.
You can change the Backup interval using the Menu button.
The Task Averaging
button opens a window that lists the mean average for
each signal and each task as it is recorded. It verifies what is being recorded.

Physiolab Software Guide

14

Event Marking
The Event Mark button
enables you to add data markers into the recorded
data when significant events occur during the session. The button pops up a
window into which you can type a name or brief comment which is inserted with
the marker into the data record.

Setting Up Tasks
Tasks are data recording intervals which can be named to enable interpretation
of session data. Task interval marks and color-coded time interval bars are
inserted into the graphic record. Task labels are inserted into the recorded data
file.

Specifying Tasks Manually


To manually set up tasks, click on the Select Task icon
Session Control Toolbar.

in the bottom

In the Programmed
Task Schedule
window, you can select
different task labels
manually at whatever
time intervals you wish.
In the lower left-hand
corner click Manual
Task to create a check
mark. Click on the
desired task name to
highlight it, then click
Run Selected Task.
The task name will appear in the task progress bar at the bottom of your screen
and will be inserted into the recorded data. When you are ready to change tasks,
repeat the above steps, highlighting a new task name. Click the record icon to
start recording the task. You can change the task name while recording or you
can opt to click the Pause button between tasks.

Running Preset Programmed Tasks


Click on the Select Task button
in the bottom Session Control Toolbar to
bring up the Programmed Task Schedule window. In the Select Schedule
drop-down box select a Task Schedule name.
The list of tasks in that schedule will appear in the large task status box. Click on
a task name in the list and click Run Selected Task.

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Scheduled tasks are


set to either progress
on to the next task
immediately or to
pause before starting
the next task. Check
marks will appear in
the task list next to
each task that has
been run and
recorded in the
session. If a preset
task stops recording
and the green
Pause status message is flashing, you can opt out of the timed pause by
clicking the Pause ON/OFF button to immediately run the next task.
To manually pause while a task is running click the Pause ON/OFF button. Reclick the Pause button to the resume the task.
To stop a task before it is finished and move on to the next task or to skip to a
later task, click Record ON/OFF, then the Select Task button. Click on the name
of the task you wish to run, then click Run Selected Task.
To cancel a task schedule before it is finished and exit the session, click Record
OFF. Then exit the session using the lower left-hand exit arrow and either save
or discard the data.
When a schedule of tasks finishes running, the final task will remain paused until
you click the exit arrow.
You may run each task once per session. To maintain data integrity, the data
must then be saved and the session exited before you can run the same tasks
again.

Customizing Programmed Tasks


You can create multiple task schedules with unique customized tasks in each.
The easiest way to start is to modify an existing task schedule for your own
unique needs. When you finish modifying tasks as outlined below, be sure and
click Update Schedule to save all of your changes.
To begin, first click on the Task
button, then click Edit Mode On.
Click the Select Schedule drop-down box and click on the task schedule name
that most closely matches the list of customized tasks you wish to create.

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You may move


tasks up or
down in the
list, add new
tasks to this
list, delete
tasks from the
list, and modify
the remaining
tasks. Each
task must be
customized
individually. (If
the task you
want to modify
has already
been run during the session the Task Properties button will be grayed out and
you must exit the session and re-enter a new session before modifying the task.)
Highlight the name of the task you wish to customize, then click Task
Properties. Click Advanced to expand the window.
In the Task Properties
window you can edit the
name of a task by simply
typing over the existing
task name (TIP: This task
name may function as an
instruction to the client
since the task name is
displayed at the bottom of
the feedback screen) .
Category is an optional
sort field not used in the
current USE3 View
function.
The Start Screen dropdown box should be left at
NONE unless you want
the program to jump to a
pre-selected screen at the
beginning of the task. If
you do wish to jump to a
particular screen, select
the screen name in the
Start Screen drop-down box. Specify a Task Record Time in seconds. Choose

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This task bar only to display the progress bar for this single task across the
entire width of the screen. Choose All task bars if you wish the progress bar to
show progress through all of the tasks in the task schedule.
You can loop through a single task or through a series of tasks a specified
number of times. Check Loop then select the name of the task that you wish to
have as the start of your loop. You may only loop back to tasks in the list that are
above the currently selected task. (NOTE: You will need to click the drop-down
arrow and the tiny scrollbars to see all the tasks in the list.)
Type in a Number of Loops to indicate the number of times you want the
program to loop through the tasks before it moves beyond the loop to the next
task in the list.
If Pause Record On Start is unchecked, recording will automatically start at the
beginning of the task and continue for the number of seconds you specify in the
top right Task Record Time box.
You may set a pause at the beginning of the task and let the task autorun so that
the task begins recording after the time interval that you specify. Check Pause
Record On Start and specify a number of seconds in the Pause and Text Time
box in the middle of the window. If you wish to manually start each task, you will
want to specify a long pause time at the beginning of each task. When you run
the task, click the Pause ON/OFF button to manually override the pause and
begin the task.

Programmed Tasks: Instructional Text Boxes


If you wish for a text box with instructions to appear at the beginning of the task,
you can select one of the text instruction files in the Select Name drop-down
box. Click Test Text to position and resize the window and to view the text.
USE3 Physiolab comes with a large selection of instruction text files but, if you
wish to add your own, you can create text files and save them into the
C:\Program Files\J&J Engineering\Physiolab\Text folder. These files must be in
.rtf file format and must have unique file names. If you wish to change the
wording of J&Js instruction files, click Edit Text after selecting the filename that
you wish to edit. Be sure to click Save As and change the file name so that your
customized files will not be overwritten during software updates.
Check End text window on pause or record click if you wish the test
instruction window to close when recording begins (either an autorun pause
times out or you click Pause ON/OFF to manually override the pause).
If End text window on pause or record click is unchecked the text window will
appear during the entire length of the task. NOTE: You must click Test Text and
resize the window in order for the text to display properly.
If you wish a task to be instructional only, with no data recording, check the
Record Off box.

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Programmed Tasks: Audio Files


USE3 Physiolab comes with many audio files which you may elect to play when
the task starts, when recording starts or at the end of the task. Text Window
Start files are alert beeps or verbal instructions up to one minute in length. To
play an audio file at the beginning of the task, check Text Window Start and
select an audio file name in the drop-down box to the right.
Record Start audio files may be used as alert tones or as stressors (i.e. baby
crying) in a stress profile task. To play an audio file at the beginning of recording,
check Record Start and choose an audio file name in the drop down list.
If Pause Record on Start is checked, you may specify both Text Window and
Record Start sounds since the text window will appear at the beginning of the
task and recording will start later. If Pause Record on Start is unchecked, then
the text window will display at the same time that recording starts and only the
Text Window Start audio file will be heard.
Task End should be used with care. You may not have both an ending audio file
for the current task and a beginning audio file for the following task. If you
specify both an ending sound for the current task and a beginning sound for the
following task, then the ending sound file will be overriden by the following start
task audio file.
The easiest way to become familiar with USE3 Physiolab audio files is to go to
the C:\Program Files\J&J Engineering\Physiolab\Sounds folder and double-click
on each WAV format audio file to play it. The subfolders are sounds that are
used in game feedback screens and are not available as task sounds. You may
add your own files to the Sounds folder. They must be WAV format audio files
and have unique names so that they will not be overwritten during software
upgrades.

Creating Your Own Programmed Tasks


Start by clicking on the Select Task icon to open the Programmed Task
Schedule window. Click Edit Mode On. Click in the top Select Schedule box
and type a new unique name for your task. (Naming Tips: This name cannot be
edited so choose carefully. If you want a particular Schedule to appear at the top
of the list keep in mind that schedule names are arranged alpha-numerically in
ascending order.) Click Add Task. Then follow the same process for each task
as outlined in the section on Customizing Programmed Tasks above. If you wish
to add a new task in the middle of the task list, click on an existing task name
above which you want the new task to appear. Click Insert Task and proceed to
create the task in the same manner as for adding a new task.
After you have specified settings for each task, click OK in the middle of the Task
Properties window. When you have finished setting up all tasks, click Add As
New Schedule in the Programmed Task Schedule window to save your settings.

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Saving Programmed Tasks


After you finish modifying or creating each task you must click OK in the upper
portion of the Task Properties box. If you click Cancel or close the window with
the X your settings will be lost. If you are finished modifying tasks for an existing
task schedule, click Update Schedule. If you are finished adding new tasks to a
new Task Schedule, click Add As New Schedule at the bottom of the
Programmed Task Schedule window.
The settings for Task Schedules will be lost when you upgrade your software
since they are part of the updated application. You can keep your current (older)
version of the application with your customized tasks by going to the C:\Program
Files\J&J Engineering\Physiolab folder and renaming the .mdb file for each
application you wish to save. These renamed customized applications will be not
be updated. When you start USE3 Physiolab and click Run Session, two
identical application names will appear in the application list. Find the one with
your customized tasks and run that one until you have time to customize your
newer version of the software.
We recommend that you print screen captures of Task Properties windows for all
of your customized tasks so that you can re-create them in the upgraded
software. (Instructions: Open the Task Properties window for each task and click
Alt+Print Screen on your keyboard, then open Start> Programs> Accessories
> Paint. In the Paint program click Edit, then Paste. Click File, then Print.)

Saving Session Data & Verifying Client Names

If you have recorded any data, the Save Session Data window will automatically
open when you exit the software (using the lower left-hand Exit Arrow). You
have the option of discarding the data or saving the data to a specific client name
file. The names displayed in the dropdown box are alias names. You may select
any alias name in the drop down box. In order to verify that the alias refers to the
client that you intend, click Verify Name.
If you did not select a client name before you ran the session, you can click New
Client and enter client information after exiting the session. For directions on
entering client data see the Managing Client Information section)

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Signal names that are checked will be saved. You may uncheck those signals
that you do not wish to save.
Click Save to Database. After saving or discarding data, click the X to close the
Save window.
If you click Export before closing the Save window, you have the option of
exporting the current session data to Excel or to another database as described
in the Exporting Data section.

Managing Data
If you are running a session, stop data recording, exit the session to the
Physiolab Main Menu and click Manage Data.
In the View Session
window, select a
client alias in the
top drop-down box.
If you wish to see
the client name,
click Verify Name.
Select the
application you
used to record data
in the second drop
down box, then
click on a session
date and time to
select it.
At this point you can view data and generate reports, export data to Excel
or another database, delete data or archive data.
(Troubleshooting Tip: If the session data you are looking for is not present in the
session window, it was probably collected under a different application name.
Select a different application in the second drop-down window.)

Deleting Session Data


If you wish to discard session data follow the steps above to get to the View
Session window, highlight the session date and time, then click Delete. To delete
an entire client record including all session data for that client, see the Adding
and Deleting Client Information section.

Viewing Session Data and Generating Reports


The View function gives you the ability to review session data in a graphical
environment, replay signals, print screens and generate reports. Follow the

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instructions for selecting session data under Managing Data section above.
Then click View.

Changing Signal Views


In the Session Review Window, you can replay the session signals, selecting
and adjusting the signals using the buttons in the Signal Control Bar in the
same way as if you were running a session.
If more than one screen selection button is present at the top of the window, you
can use them to select the signal grouping that you wish to view.
If the signals are against the top or bottom of the display area, you must select
the signal by clicking on the colored box in front of the signal name, then use the
Signal Up
the signal.

or Signal Down button


to manually adjust the height of
(You must first turn Autogain and Auto-offset Off.)

Using the Faster Graph button


and Slower Graph button
you can
change the amount of session time displayed within the window, from focusing
on a small segment or single task to condensing an entire session onto one
screen.
Use the Show/Hide Signals button
combination of signals.

to zero in on just one signal or any

With the
Averaging buttons in the bottom Review Session Bar, you can
increase or decrease the smoothing of the signal. Click multiple times until you
reach the desired degree of smoothing.
Use the Rewind, Scroll Forward, Scroll Back, and End buttons
to navigate through the recorded session.
You can hide and re-display:

Task Markers with the Task Mark button

Event Markers with the Event Mark button

Task Bar with the Task Bar button

Digital Cursor with the Digital Cursor button

and the
.

When the Digital Cursor is toggled on, you can click anywhere in the display to
create a vertical cursor line. The signal values at the point where the cursor
bisects each signal line are displayed next to the signal names as shown below:

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Printing Screen Images


When you have adjusted the signal displays as you want them to appear, click
in the bottom toolbar. Wait a few moments for the
the Print Screen button
screen image to appear. Click Print in the top menu, modify printer settings as
needed, and click OK. You are given the opportunity to abort without printing by
selecting Close instead of Print.

Saving Screen Images


In addition to printing a screen image, you have the option of saving a screen
image as a graphics file. Click on the Save Picture button
. In the window
that appears, browse to the location where you want to save the image file in the
top drop-down box. Give the file a unique filename and click OK.

Printing Quick Reports


You can fine tune your data views by adjusting the signal displays then printing
Quick Reports. First select a client, an application, and a session as described
above in the Managing Data section. Manipulate the signals to obtain the
screen view to be inserted into your report as outlined above in the Changing
Signal Views section. Then, to print a pre-formatted Quick Report, click on the
Generate Report button
button. This brings up the Generate Report window.
Accept the defaults or use the checkboxes to designate the types of information
to be included. Select a different averaging interval or accept the default. Accept
the Average Only default or choose Basic Statistics. Average Only includes
mean averages for each signal over the selected interval. Basic Statistics
includes standard deviation, minimum and maximum for each interval.
Click Print Quick Report.

Creating Excel Reports


Click on the Generate Report button
. Accept the default or select the
desired averaging interval for your report, click Excel Report.
You will see a pre-formatted report generated in Excel with the current Session
Review Screen image inserted into the report. You will be prompted to save your
report. Browse to the your desired folder location and give your Excel report a
name, then click Save. To view or print your report, insert text, or chart data
you will need to re-open the report from the location where you saved it.
You can insert rows and merge cells to create text boxes for expanding and
personalizing your Excel report. Click on the row number to the left above which
you wish to insert rows of text. Click on Insert>Rows. Repeat this to insert as

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many rows as you wish. Left-click on the cell where you want the top left corner
of your textbox to be. Holding the left mouse button down, drag the cursor down
and to the right to highlight the number of rows and cells desired. In the top menu
choose Format>Cells. Click the Alignment tab. In the Horizontal drop-down box
choose Left. In the Vertical drop-down box choose Top. Check Wrap Text
and Merge Cells. Click OK. You now have a text box in which to insert
paragraphs of text. It is best to start with a text box slightly smaller than you think
you will need. If you need a larger box, click in the existing text box and, holding
the left mouse button down, drag the cursor to highlight cells to the bottom and/or
right. . In the top menu choose Format>Cells. On the Alignment tab, click Wrap
Text and Merge Cells. Click OK.
You can use the Excel Chart Wizard to create graphs. Select single columns of
signal data because Excel can only chart one scale at a time.
Click the Chart Wizard Icon in the top menu.
Select the type of chart you want. You can try out different options and view them
in the preview window to see which displays of the data are most effective. You
may find that your sample rate is too high or too low to create a meaningful chart.
You can re-send the report to Excel at a different sample rate using the Excel
Report button, resave it to a new filename, and re-chart it using the Excel Chart
Wizard.
You can save your Excel report using the File>Save menu commands and/or
print out your report using the using the File>Print commands in the Excel menu
bar.

Exporting Data to Excel or Your Own Database


Exporting data does not affect the original data record. It only exports copies of
the data. To export data, first follow the instructions for selecting session data
under the Managing Data section above. Then click Export.
In the right side of the Export Dialog window, uncheck any information you do not
wish to include. In the Update drop-down box, choose the update rate, which is
the averaging interval time in seconds (decreasing the rate reduces file size and
makes charting the data more feasible). Select either Average Only or Basic
Statistic (described in the Quick Reports section). If you dont want to export all
of the signals, highlight individual signals and move them into the Saved Signals
box using the left-arrow.

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If you wish to export to Excel, select Excel in the Export Type box and-click OK.
Click Yes in the save prompt pop-up window, browse to a folder location, type in
a unique filename and click Save. If you wish to include screen captures in your
Excel report, or add textboxes or charts, you may want follow the directions in the
Creating Excel Reports section instead of exporting data.
If you wish to have Physiolab automatically generate filenames and save to a
pre-selected target location, check the Autosave checkbox, then follow the
instructions below in the Automatically Generating Filenames section.
When Autosave is checked Excel will pop open and populate with data, then the
save window will briefly appear and disappear as the file is automatically saved
to your target location, and Excel will close. It may take a few minutes for these
steps to execute, especially with large files.
If you wish to export to another database, select Asci in the Export Type box.
You must click Change File to specify an initial target location. In the pop-up
window, browse to the folder into which you want to save the data. You must
replace the asterisk(*) with a unique filename, then click Open.
It is important to specify which symbols your database will be looking for in order
to interpret divisions between data elements. Click the radio button next to the
appropriate symbol combination in the Data Delimiter box.
Do not close the Export Dialog window using the X in the upper right corner. The
file will not be saved until you click OK in the Export Dialog window.

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If you are using your own database program, use the instructions supplied with
that program for importing and manipulating data.

Automatically Generating Filenames for Export Data


Once you have used Change File to specify an initial target location and
filename, you can let Physiolab automatically generate a new filename and
export to your initially specified location by default each time you export data.
When you click Export the next time, the target location and filename from your
last export will be used again unless you specify something different. It is
important to select Auto Increment in the Export Dialog window or the exported
data will overwrite the previously saved file with the same filename. When Auto
Increment is checked, the number in the Auto Increment textbox will be added to
your initial filename. When you click OK at the bottom of the Export Dialog
window, the data will be exported and the Auto Increment number will increase
by one integer. You can start Auto Increment over at zero or at any other
number you choose by typing that number in the textbox to the right of the Auto
Increment check box.
Even with Auto Increment selected, you always have the option of manually
specifying a unique filename by clicking on the Change File button, typing your
new filename, then clicking Open. The number in the Auto Increment textbox will
be added to your manually typed filename when you click OK in the Export
Dialog window to export your data. This new filename will become the new
default template filename unless you change it back.
To automatically generate data export filenames using a client name as the
filename template, both the Use client name as Template and the Auto
Increment checkboxes must be checked. Even if you have exported data before
using Change File to specify a location, you must specify an initial target
location again when switching to using the client name as a filename template.
When Use client name as a template is checked, the Change File button
opens a window to select a file export location only, without a textbox for
specifying a filename. Browse to the data destination folder of your choice, then
click OK to confirm your target location and close the window. Click OK in the
Export Dialog window to export your data. For future data exports, once you
have selected a data session and clicked Export, your target location and
filename will be automatically set and you will need to simply click OK to export.

Archiving Session Data


All patient data is saved into the same Physiolab data.mdb file. When you have
stored gigabyte of data, you will start getting messages suggesting that you
archive files. It is important to respond to these prompts and archive data since
you will not be able to access session data if the 1 gigabyte maximum database
size is reached.
To archive data, click Manage Data on the main entry menu, then click Archive.

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In the Archiving window, select a client alias name in the Main Database dropdown box. Select an application that has data for the client in the top drop-down
box. To select a target folder location for your archived files, click the small
button to the right of the Archive textbox. Either select an archive file name in the
Open window (if you have previously archived data) or browse to the folder
location where you wish to create a new archive, type a new name in the File
name box, and click Open. You can choose to have a separate database file for
each client or you can archive files by time period (quarterly, half-yearly, etc.)
Back in the Archiving window, click on the date of a session in the list to the left,
then click the right arrow to move it into the list of files to be archived. You can
select and move all files in the list or you can pick and choose sessions by
holding down the Cntl key while clicking on those you wish to archive. Finally,
click Compact Databases to free up space in the Physiolab database, confirm
by clicking Yes, and click Close to exit the window.
If you wish to copy a file into a new data location, while leaving the original file in
place, follow the procedure for archiving files, but click the Copy dot before you
click the right arrow to move files into the right side of the Archiving window (This
does not free up space in the data.mdb file). Click Close to exit the window.
At any time you can move archived files back into the original Physiolab
database to view them. Follow the same procedure for archiving files, but select

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archived sessions in the right side of the Archiving window and use the left arrow
to move them back into Physiolab.

Adding and Deleting Client Information


To add a new client, on the main menu click Select Client, then click New.

SELECT CLIENT
Enter the new clients information. In the top textbox you have a choice of letting
the program generate an alias name by leaving the box blank or of entering your
own alias name. Automatically generated alias names consist of the first two
letters of the last name followed by the first two letters of the first name. If two
clients have similar names so that identical aliases are generated, the program
will add a number after the duplicate alias to differentiate them. The alias name
will be generated when you exit the window by clicking OK.
To edit a client record, click Select Client as above, then click Edit. Modify the
client information as desired, then click OK.
To delete a client including all session data for that client: On the main
Physiolab entry window click Select Client, highlight the client alias name, then
click Delete. Click Yes at the warning prompt to delete the record.
It is a good idea to click Edit to verify that you have the correct client name
before deleting client records.
For information on viewing client data see the Managing Data section.

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Overview of Screens and Displays


At the top of the session window in each application is a Select Screen Bar with
drop down lists of screen choices and hot key buttons that can change to
provide a quick link to the most recently selected screen in each list.
Each Screen may contain a single display which fills the entire window or
multiple displays tiled within the window. A good example of a tiled multi-display
screen is the Check Signals Screen in every application. Below is an example
from the C2 EMG Application:

An individual display within the window can be selected by clicking on it and the
Zoom button can be used to fill the entire window with the selected display.
Each display may contain a single signal or multiple signals. By the light blue
highlight color surrounding it, you can see that the FFT_EMG A N display has
been selected. Since there is only one signal reflected in this display, selecting
the display also selects the signal, which can then be modified using the Signal
Control Bar. (See Modifying Signals). The signals in FFT_EMG A N and
FFT_EMG B N look quite different because they have been individually selected
and their scales modified independently with gain and sweep speed controls.

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The SR-C and TEMP-C displays above each contain multiple signals sharing the
same space in a single line graph. Since these signals are of the same type and
share the same scale, the Signal Control Bar buttons will modify all of the signals
in these types of displays together. For example, if the SR-C display were
selected and the Gain Up button were clicked, gain would increase for both
signals in the display. Multiple signals can also share space in scrolling charts.
In other multiple signal displays, signals of different types can share the same
space in a single line graph or chart. Since only one scale for one signal at a
time may appear in this type of display, you can click on a signal name to change
the display scale so that it matches the selected signal. Notice in the example
below that the HR signal has been selected, and that the scale to the left is in
beats per minute to match the selected signal. Only the selected signal will be
modified by the Signal Control Bar buttons. For example, to select and modify the
Resp1 signal below, you would click on the small blue box next to Resp 1. Note
that the second respiration channel is not being used, but the Resp 2 signal
name is listed to show it is available. If a signal is not being used, as in the
example below, or if it is accidentally adjusted off of the screen with the Signal
Up/Down buttons, the signal is still present scrolling along the edge of the display
so that you can locate it. In the example below, the Resp 2 signal is present as a
tiny red square just under the Resp 2 name.

In contrast to this display, in displays with the same kinds of signals sharing the
same vertical and horizontal scales (as in the SR-C and TEMP-C examples
above), individual signal names are not clickable and signals cannot be
modified individually.
In still another type of multiple signal display, each signal has its own line graph,
with the graphs stacked parallel to each other and a common time scale along
the bottom. The EMG A N and EMG B N signal graphs in the C2 EMG
Application Check Signals Screen above are considered to be a single stacked
graph display. Clicking on either graph will highlight both, and the Signal Control
Bar buttons will modify both signals together.

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In contrast to this notice the EMG A-N and ECG B (Raw) displays below which
are completely separate displays with independent vertical and horizontal scales.
The Resp1 + Resp 2 display below is a slightly different variation of a stacked
graph display in which the time scale is shared so that the sweep speed buttons
will affect both signals, but the vertical scales are independent so individual
signals may be selected and Signal Up/Down and Gain Up/Down controls are
applied separately for each signal.

In the above overview of screens, displays and the signal configurations they can
contain, you have seen line graph displays, FFT displays and, in the screen
immediately above, a bar graph display. The next section provides an overview
of these display types plus the other display types you will encounter in
Physiolab.
For detailed descriptions of the Sensor Test and Check Signals screens,
please see the Ensuring a Good Connection and Checking for Good Signal
Data in the Overview of the Software Interface section.

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Display Types
The following display types may fill an entire screen or may be tiled together in
any combination, depending upon screen space and the usefulness of correlating
specific displays together. The same display type may have different signal,
background and fill colors within different screens and/or in different applications.

Zooming In
Any of the displays described below may be selected and the Zoom button used
to fill the entire screen with the selected display for focused feedback.

Line Graphs
Line graphs emulate an oscilloscope-type display, with one or more signals
scrolling left to right. Since full descriptions were made of several types of line
graphs above, a brief summary of line graph types follows:
1. Single line graph with multiple signals sharing the same space
a. If all signals are the same modality with vertical and horizontal
scales common to all signals, signal names are not clickable and
Signal Control Bar buttons adjust all signals together.
b. If signals are for different modalities with different scales, signal
names are clickable and signals are adjusted individually.
2. Stacked parallel line graphs sharing a common time scale, with a single
signal in each
a. If signals are for the same modality so that the vertical scales are
the same and the training purpose is to cause the signals to move
in the same direction, signal names are not clickable and Signal
Control Bar buttons adjust all signals together.
b. If signals are for the same modality but the training purpose is to
cause signals to move in opposite directions or the signals may be
monitoring two different individuals, signal names are clickable and
the signals are adjusted separately
c. If signals are for different modalities with different scales, signal
names are clickable and signals are adjusted individually

Pattern Displays
A pattern display is a special type of line graph that contains a Pattern Signal.
The Pattern Signal does not reflect physiology but, instead, provides a guide with
fully adjustable parameters set by the clinician. Sharing the space in the graph
with the Pattern Signal is a signal reflecting physiology. The goal is for the
client/patient to modify his/her physiology to match the pattern signal as closely
as possible. An example of a pattern display is the Breathing Pattern display
more fully described later in the Respiration Displays section.

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Ghost Displays
The Ghost Display is another special
type of line graph, which contains a
single signal. With each signal sweep
across the screen, the previous sweep
fades but remains visible for
comparison with the new brighter signal
sweep. You can see in the example below that multiple sweeps remain visible for
comparison across time.

Scrolling Chart Displays


Useful for showing trends over time, Chart Displays have a diamond-shaped
tracer to the right which draws the signal as it scrolls to the left emulating a
traditional paper chart. Though the signals scroll in the opposite direction as line
graphs, the oldest signals appear to the left, with the most recent signals to the
right, consistent with line graph displays. As with line displays, a chart display
can contain a single chart with a single signal, multiple signals within a single
chart, with or without fill colors, or stacked signal charts as in a History Chart
example shown below. All signals share a common time scale so that Faster
Graph/Slower Graph buttons adjust all signals simultaneously. Vertical scales are
individually adjustable.

Fill Graphs
Fill colors are used in both line graphs and in scrolling charts as shown above.
The fill colors used above are used to give the signal emphasis, especially in

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reference to zero or some lower point in the scale. Fill colors can also be used
as color rewards for achieving threshold goals as in the Threshold Up, Threshold
Down, and Threshold Up/Down Displays below. The Threshold Up display
provides a color reward when a threshold is exceeded. The Threshold Down
display is useful when the goal is to modify physiology by bringing the signal
down. Fill and background colors may vary in different screens and applications.
Threshold Up

Threshold Down

Threshold Up and Down


A dual-purpose display, which provides different fill colors above and below the
threshold line. It is structured like the Zero Point Fill Display pictured below
except that the reference point for the change colors is the threshold line instead
of zero. It can be used as either a threshold up or threshold down display, with
the goal area color providing a reward and the out-of-goal area color providing a
reminder.

Adjusting Thresholds
The threshold signal name is listed in the display but you cannot click on this
signal name to select it because none of the Signal Control Bar buttons apply to
the threshold signal except the Adjust Threshold button. In displays with
thresholds, AutoThreshold is defaulted to ON so that it is at a known visible point
in the display. If you wish to disable AutoThreshold and manually set your own
threshold, click on the Adjust Threshold button
to bring up the Threshold
Control window. Next click on the check mark next to Enable Auto Threshold in
order to turn the automatic threshold adjustment feature OFF. Click on the
Down/Up arrows next to the Level box or type a numerical scale value in the
box. The threshold line will move to point on the scale that you specify. Close
the control box by clicking on the small x. If you want to turn the Auto Threshold
feature back on, click on the Adjust Threshold button, click in the empty
checkbox next to Enable Auto Threshold, then click on the x to close the popup window.
Another way to adjust the threshold is to drag and drop the threshold line on
the display screen. First put the cursor in the display area and click the mouse
once to activate the drag-and-drop feature. Now as you move the cursor over the
threshold line the arrow will turn into a hand. When the hand appears, click-andhold the left mouse button while dragging the threshold line up or down on the
screen. Release the button at the point where you want the threshold line to
stay.

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The following are fill graphs without thresholds:


Differential Fill
The purpose of the differential fill graph is to vividly
distinguish between the activity of different signals.
Especially effective for differential muscle training.

Bottom Fill
The bottom fill graph is the same
as above but the color of the
signal with the higher value
extends to the bottom line of the
graph.
Zero Point Fill
This type of differential fill can be used in line graphs and in scrolling chart
displays as shown below. The zero reference point is useful for showing
direction of change, for example in Temperature warming/cooling and Skin
Conductance response displays.

Rainbow Fill

Especially effective in Temperature


and Skin Conductance displays,
Rainbow Fill graphs provide
incremental color rewards.

Specialty Fill Graphs


The following are special purpose fill graphs developed for particular modalities.
These displays are discussed in the sections below devoted to displays, settings
and parameters specific to each modality.
EMG Displays:
FFT and 3D FFT displays are discussed in the EMG Displays section below.

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HR and HRV Displays:


ECG FFT, DFT, VLF,LF,HF and SDNN displays are described in the HR
and HRV Displays section below.

Bar Graphs
Standard Bar Graph
A vertical bar graph displaying live signal values, pictured below left.
Threshold Bar Graph
A standard bar graph with an adjustable threshold line, pictured below center.
Threshold adjustment instructions are the same as for line graphs with thresholds
on page 21.
Zero Center Bar Display
Pictured to the right below, the center of the scale in this display is zero, with
negative values below and positive values above. The bar fills either up or down
depending upon signal polarity. It is used for displaying signals, such as rate of
change, that can move in either positive or negative directions.

History Bar Display


30-sec averages are displayed in this scrolling bar graph display pictured below
in the History or Trend Displays section.

Numerical Displays
These digital displays enable background monitoring of signals that are not the
primary focus.

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History or Trend Displays


History Bars
This scrolling bar graph screen, with its combination of live signals and 30
second histograms, is useful for its ability to show trends over time. As each
signal completes one 30 second sweep, a bar is added to the graph showing the
thirty-second average value of the signal. We suggest that you leave the signal
sweep interval at thirty seconds in order to match the bar graph update. The time
interval is the same for each bar graph display so that the Faster/Slower Graph
buttons change all graphs simultaneously. You can select and eliminate the
signal sweep line graphs in order to provide more screen space for the history
bars. You can change the number of bars displayed using the Faster/Slower
Graph buttons and can even condense the bars to view the entire session on a
single screen. This screen resets when you begin recording a session.

History Graphs
Stacked Line graphs containing signal combinations moving at a sweep speed
too slow for feedback, but very useful for seeing a long time interval of the
session and viewing trends over time.
History Charts
An example of the History Chart Display is pictured in the Scrolling Chart
Displays section in the discussion of display types above. History Chart
Displays are not meant for feedback, however they are much more useful than
feedback screens for evaluating overall trends. By repeatedly clicking the Slower
Graph button, you can display ever larger time segments, even the entire
session, in a single display window. Autogain is defaulted to ON for this screen.
You can manually adjust individual signal magnification by clicking Autogain OFF
and using the Gain Up/Down buttons. This screen resets when you begin
recording a session.

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EEG Displays
EEG Impedance Screen
This first screen is the hookup and electrode impedance screen. The inputs to
the EEG channels are shown as A+ B+ C+ and D+ for a four-channel application.
A four-channel application will have a Reference 1 and Reference 2 which will be
connected as the monopolar reference. A two-channel application will just have
A+ and B+ and the references will be called A- and B-. In a two-channel
application you have the option of switching between monopolar and bipolar
configurations. This impedance test screen is showing the live impedance of
each electrode to ground. In additional to the digital reading in K-Ohms there are
red-yellow-green colored dots indicating: green - under 5K, yellow - between 5
and 10K, and
red - over 10K. Instructional information, if provided, appears in a panel to the
right with Previous and Next buttons to cycle through multiple pages.

Some applications allow you to assign label names in this impedance screen. In
other applications you will need to click Check & Label in order to assign label
names. If the application allows, you can label the channels with the site name
as you are hooking up electrodes by clicking the site on the headmap, then
clicking on the white space next to the corresponding channel to the right. After

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the impedances are satisfactory, click Check & Label to check raw signals and
change site names if required.

EEG Setup
When you are satisfied with your label names and EEG waveforms, click EEG
Setup. This screen is the primary control screen for all EEG feedback. The top
display is the raw EEG waveform for one, two or four EEG channels. Below are
the EEG band and threshold control displays which will have between four and
twelve functionally identical displays that can achieve very different effects
depending upon how you set the adjustable features. Most EEG protocols can
be achieved by adjusting these individual bands and thresholds.

Each EEG channel will have from two to four bands connected to it. The bands
are color-coded to match the trace color of the channel they are connected to.
They are further identified by name. For example, Band 2-A indicates that this
trace represents the second band connected to the A channel. This name will be
used in feedback displays and in recorded data.
The Band ON/OFF button
in the upper left corner of
the band display controls
whether the band is used
as feedback. If this button
is toggled OFF, this band
is not used for feedback
and the top right color bar is grey.
In the three sets of Arrow Up / Arrow Down buttons to the left, the leftmost
arrows are used to specify the frequency of the bottom edge of the band (HP),
the right-hand arrows are used to specify the frequency of the top edge of the
band (LP), and the middle arrows move the entire band up or down by equal

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increments of .2 Hz. The number in between HP and LP indicates your


current setting for the band width.
The normal convention for setting up the bands is to use Band 1 for
Reinforcement , Band 2 for Inhibit, and band 3 for artifact inhibit. You should set
up a minimum of two Inhibit bands to eliminate artifact as follows:
1. Inhibit settings of 1-4 Hz for eyeblink and lead motion attached to a frontally
located lead and
2. Inhibit settings of 30-60 Hz for EMG attached to any site.

Threshold Overview
The two horizontal lines in the graph area are the physical positions of the
threshold. The threshold lines do not move. Only the scale of the display
changes. The controls on the right side of the band are for setting threshold.
When the signal line crosses either of the threshold lines the threshold state
changes. The effect of this change is determined by the position of the
Reinforce/Inhibit button.
A green color bar at the top of the controls to the right of the signal band
indicates that your threshold target has been met. Any red bar on the screen will
inhibit feedback. When all bands are within target for the length of time (step)
that you specify, feedback is given. Feedback will only occur if all bars are green
or grey.
If the signal has been inside the threshold lines for some time and it crosses
outside either threshold line, the indicator will change state and hold state for .1
second regardless of what the signal does. This prevents the indicator and
feedback display from flickering. There is no delay when crossing the threshold in
the success direction.
The number to the left of SIG indicates the amplitude of the signal in peak
microvolts. The number to the left of THR indicates the amplitude of the target
threshold. Below this is the percentage of the time that threshold is achieved.

Reinforce and Inhibit Settings


If the Reinforce/Inhibit button is toggled on to Reinforce, the signal line must
extend beyond both the top and bottom threshold lines in order for the green
indicator bar to show that the target threshold for this band has been met .
If the Reinforce/Inhibit button is toggled on to Inhibit, the signal line must
remain within both threshold lines in order for the green indicator bar to show that
the target threshold for this band has been met .

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MAN vs. AUTO Threshold Mode


If MAN is selected, the up/down arrows to the right of the signal can be used to
manually increase or decrease the threshold value. You can manipulate the
threshold according to the clients signal amplitude to achieve a desired success
average.
If AUTO is selected then the up/down arrows to the right adjust the desired
success rate percentage and USE3 Physiolab adjusts the thresholds to enable
the client to achieve this target success rate. If Inhibit is selected, the success
percentage needs to be set much higher than if Reinforce is selected in order to
compensate for the dropout delay.
Be sure that the yellow score bar at the bottom of the screen is moving. If it isnt
moving, you need to readjust the threshold controls appropriately for the client so
that a reasonable success percentage is being achieved.

Threshold Average and Peak Average


At the bottom of the EEG setup screen two control functions called Threshold
Average and Peak Average.
The up-down buttons to the left of the Thr Avg changes the AUTO Threshold
update rate. Altering the Threshold Average changes how frequently in seconds
the AUTO threshold is re-calculated.
The up-down buttons to the left of the Peak Avg label increase or decrease the
averaging function (smoothing ) of all signals.

Types of EEG Feedback


The EEG applications are set up to do two different types of feedback with
different audio feedback and display options for each type.
The first is traditional threshold-driven continuous reinforcement with feedback
consisting of MIDI synthesizer music, recorded voice or music WAV files, Media
Player video files or music CDs. This type of feedback is controlled using the
Sound Select window described in the Audio Features section. To control
feedback you can use individual bands or you can combine all bands that are
turned on into one signal (called yoked thresholds) by selecting Audio All Thr
Tune or All Bands. This type of continuously running feedback is turned on
when all thresholds are grey or green and feedback turned off when any
threshold turns red.
The second type of feedback is response-reward-timeout feedback with a
beginning, discreet steps, and an end, which is a reward period after a fixed
number of steps. Progress is measured in rewards per minute. Rewards consist

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of pictures revealed in steps or specialized AVI files that show one image frame
per step.

EEG Feedback Score Bar


The Score function is designed to provide a discreet reward (step) for holding a
set of threshold conditions for an interval of time. Examples are: displaying a
new portion of a larger picture puzzle or displaying the next picture in a sequence
of pictures. The bar to the right of the word Score at the bottom of your screen
displays progress through completed steps The number of steps represented in
this bar is determined by the setting you choose in the Steps to Score drop-down
box in the Score Properties window.

The Score function combines the threshold outputs from all EEG bands into a
single output. When all band indicators are either green or grey (off), indicating a
threshold success state, the Score timer is started. Feedback is provided after a
time interval that you specify. Each time feedback is provided the yellow Score
bar moves one step to the right.
The Score function is not used for continuous running type rewards, such as
cartoons. These rewards are controlled by the Select Sound window described
in the Audio Features section.

Overview of Picture-Reveal Games


Each picture-reveal game screen consists of a grid of squares that can be
uncovered to reveal a larger picture. The picture is revealed in discreet steps
with the final step completing the remainder of the picture. The name of each
game screen indicates the number of squares in the columns and rows of the
screen grid. Multiply the column number by the row number to determine the
total number of squares in the grid.
Knowing the number of grid squares will help you to set an appropriate number
of steps for the client to complete in order to fill one set (or image) for that
screen. For example, for picture-reveal type games the step number needs to be
less than or equal to the number of grid squares. A higher step number reveals a
smaller portion of each picture at each step. A lower step number setting yields
a higher reward rate because all the remaining squares are revealed on the final
step.
In screens with fewer grid squares, more of each picture is revealed at each step.
Screens with a lower number of grid squares are appropriate for use with
children, for example the 6X1 screen can be used for simple race games. For
adults, you may want to use art or travel photos with an 8X8 screen.

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Feedback Time Settings for Games


To modify feedback parameters from the default preset values, click Score at the
in the left toolbar.
bottom of the screen, then the Modify Settings button
In the Properties window you can set the number of steps to complete a screen,
specify time intervals, and setup feedback sounds.
The top time variable, Steps to Score, is the number of success state intervals
required to complete a set (fill the Score indicator bar). An appropriate number
Steps to Score is determined by the type of game being used. Some games
require a fixed number of steps to operate properly and, in many cases, the
number of steps will be preset by the game. We recommend you accept these
default values.
The Response Time Per Step is the length of time in seconds that all thresholds
must be continuously green to generate a step in the game and move one stepincrement on the Score indicator bar. The client must keep signals within
threshold parameters for the interval you set in order for feedback to occur.
Response Time Per Step is normally set from .25 to .5 of a second.
The Timeout Between Steps is the dead time after a step has been completed.
The Timeout between steps is normally set from 0 to 1 second.
Timeout After Score is the timeout after a set has been completed.

Feedback Sound Settings for Games


The sounds associated with Score are selectable from pull-down lists and can be
individually turned on and off for the following functions:
Start New Game sound occurs once only at the start of a Score set. An
example would be a game whistle.
Response Start sound is played any time all of the thresholds are
simultaneously green with no time delay. It indicates that the threshold
conditions have been met. This sound should be short (less than the Response
Time Per Step).
Response Complete sound occurs when all of the thresholds have been held
for the required time (Response Time Per Step). This occurs at the same time
that the feedback display is triggered.
Score sound occurs at the end of a Score set (Score Bar filled - feedback display
completed)

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Selecting a Game Screen


The same game screens are available for single monitor display and dual screen
display setups. If you are using a single monitor, select a game screen from the
drop-down menu in the top Screen Select Bar. If you are using a two monitors
click the Dual Monitor button
to bring up the windows for selecting game
screens for the second monitor, highlight your screen choice, then click Apply.

The Secondary Screen List contains all screens available for display on a second
monitor, including game screens, bar and line graph displays, Media Player and
AVI screens. All of these same screens are available with single monitor display
but the non-game screens are selected from other menus in the software.

Picture-Reveal Screen Types


The following screens randomly reveal one square of an image per step:
8X8 1 is a 64-square grid with the Score bar along the bottom.
8X8 2 is a 64-square grid with band output displays along the bottom showing
band 1 from channels A&B as reinforcement and band 2 from channels A&B as
inhibits.
5x4 is a 20-square grid with the Score bar along the bottom.
13x4 is a 64-square grid with the Score bar along the bottom.

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The following display screens reveal one entire picture or one square of a larger
picture per step in a sequential order. Vendors have developed specific games,
such as races, to go with these screens. Contact J&J for a game vendor list.
Games Sequential - reveals an entire image on each step.
6x1 is a 6-square grid especially suited for race games.
3x2 and 3x3 are displays in which pictures are revealed from left to right in rows.
EEG AVI Screen allows AVI files to be played one frame at a time. A sample AVI
file is provided with the software to allow vendors to view the software
functionality for the purpose of developing and marketing games.

Selecting Game Images


Each screen type is designed to be used with a specific group of game pictures.
All the pictures that are used for game feedback are in the GamePics folder.
The GamePics folder is already selected by default in applications that ship with
the J&J software. In the GamePics folder are sub-folders containing specific
types of pictures. You can select these subfolders by clicking the Game
Windows button
. All of the subfolders with names, such as animals, travel,
etc. are scenic images designed to be used with screens that reveal images
randomly.
If you purchase games developed by other vendors for use with J&J applications
you will need to click the Game Windows button and select a game picture folder
provided by your vendor. The game picture folder you choose should have the
same name as the name of the Screen you select.

EEG Bar Displays, Peak Graphs, Peak History Graphs


Bar Displays show peak microvolt values of individual bands. All bar displays
assume that band 1 is reinforcement, band 2 is inhibit and band 3 is artifact
inhibit.
There are two types of bar displays: with threshold and without threshold.
Displays with THR in the name indicate that the threshold is visible on the bar.
The threshold indicator line reflects the value of the threshold setting on the band
associated with that bar. In THR displays, the bar changes color when it crosses
the threshold.
Peak Graphs are line graphs showing all of the bands in peak microvolts.
Peak History Graphs show live statistics of performance. They show overall
success rate for the current task (the steps or reinforcements per minute called
Score Now), the overall score for the previous task (Score Last), and the
peak microvolt averages for each band with markers to show task boundaries.

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Recording EEG Data


To record EEG data on a continuous basis simply click the Start Task button at
the bottom of your screen. If you instead want to break the recording intervals
into short segments that are sequenced automatically, first click on the Select
Task button
, select the desired task(s), then click the Run Selected Task
button. When you are ready to begin running your selected task(s), click Start
Task. The number to the left of Start/Running Task indicates the number of
seconds the task will run unless you change it. You can use the up/down arrows
to the left of this number to increase or decrease the length of the task. You can
manually end the task at any time by clicking End Task.
The Task Averaging
button opens a window that lists the mean average for
each signal and each task as it is recorded.

Pausing and Unpausing Feedback Screens


The Start Task/End Task buttons and Pause Task
and Unpause Task
buttons have similar functionality. Both the End Task and the Pause Task
buttons pause the data recording and the feedback screen. Both the Start Task
and the Unpause Task buttons reset the feedback screen and restart recording.
But when Start Task is re-clicked, it increments to the next task (if a programmed
task has been selected), while Unpause Task resumes recording of the same
task.
The Pause Game button
does not effect recording. It merely freezes the
feedback screen while the underlying data recording continues.
In feedback screens only the Pause and Unpause Task buttons and the
Pause/Unpause Game button are visible. This means that in dual screen mode
both sets of controls will always be available, but in single monitor mode you will
need to back out of the feedback screen if you want to end a task.

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EMG Displays
A W specified before a screen name in the Select Screen Bar indicates that a
wide bandpass filter (20-400Hz) has been applied to EMG signals displayed in
that screen. The wide bandpass filter eliminates artifact frequencies outside of
the EMG range. If no W appears before a screen name, an additional narrow
band filter (100-400 Hz) has been applied to EMG displays on that screen. This
narrow band filter eliminates heart artifact from the EMG signal. Within the
display, narrow band EMG signals will be labeled with an N. For example,
FFT_EMG A N or EMG-B RMS N. The A or B refers to the input receiving the
EMG signal. Wide band EMG signals are labeled within displays with a W as
follows: EMG-B W or EMG-A RMS W.
The signal is then passed through a 50 or 60 Hz notch filter to eliminate power
line artifact. (For more information please see Eliminating Electrical Line
Frequency Noise in the Configuring the Software section.
Unless the screen is labeled Raw or FFT it contains EMG RMS (Root Mean
Square) signals. Most EMG biofeedback screens display EMG RMS signals.
EMG RMS screens are defaulted to AutoOffset ON so that the Signal Up/Down
buttons are disabled. This is because evaluating the signal in relation to zero is
essential to EMG RMS measurements. Moving the signal up so that the zero is
no longer visible on the scale would not be desirable for this display.

W-EMG Displays
The following display descriptions apply to both wide band and narrow band
EMG displays. The screen choices are identical, but a filter to eliminate heart
artifact has been applied to the signals in the narrow band screens. Wide band
displays show a greater degree of muscle activity so normally you will want to
use wide band displays unless the site you are monitoring is contaminated by
heart muscle artifact. Narrow electrode muscle placement and placement far
from the heart will have less artifact than wide placement and electrode sites
close to the heart. You can determine if heart artifact is a problem if there is an
observable R-wave point in a raw EMG display and/or a rhythmic pulsing in the
100-400 Hz range of an EMG FFT display. If heart artifact is present, use the
screens without the W designation (the narrow bandpass screens).

Single Signal Displays


The following EMG displays contain only one signal per line graph space:

Raw EMG
A line graph display with vertical microvolt scale and horizontal time scale, which
provides a very fast response display of raw EMG activity. Because this display
responds very fast to very small movements, it is useful for EMG activity that is

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fleeting or weak. In multi-channel versions, the signals appear as parallel


stacked line graphs with scales locked together so that the Signal Control Bar
buttons modify all signals together. (Pictured top left in the Check Signals
screen on page 16.)

RMS EMG With No Threshold


A line graph display with a single integrated EMG signal. In multi-signal
applications, each signal is displayed in its own graph with linked vertical scales
in microvolts and one common horizontal scale in time units.

RMS EMG With Threshold


EMG THR Down and EMG THR UP displays contain one signal and one
adjustable threshold line.
In multi-channel displays for symmetrical muscle training, parallel line graphs,
each with an RMS EMG signal and down threshold are displayed, with their
amplitude and time scales linked together so that GainUp/Down and
Faster/Slower Graph buttons modify all signals together.
Thresholds may be
adjusted individually
for each signal.
Autogain and
Autothreshold are
defaulted to ON for
this display, but you
can turn this feature
off and manually
adjust the signals.
Background and fill
colors may vary in
different applications.

In multi-channel displays for non-symmetrical muscle training, parallel line


graphs, each with an RMS EMG signal and down threshold signal are displayed
as above so that the displays superficially look identical, but their amplitude and
time scales are not linked so that all signal adjustments are performed
independently.

FFT EMG
A two-dimensional fill graph on showing the frequency distribution of the EMG
signal using a Fast Fourier Transform calculation. The bottom scale represents
frequency in Hz and the vertical scale represents amplitude. Useful for showing
immediate frequency changes. The display on the left shows a normal FFT

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signal, while the one on the right shows how effective this display is for revealing
electrical line frequency signal contamination, which appears as regular 50 Hz or
60 Hz spikes within the display. (For more information, see Artifact Detection in
your Hardware Guide.)

3D FFT EMG
Same as above but shown in 3-D with a third axis representing units of time.
This display is particularly useful for highlighting even small frequency variations
over time. This display is processor intensive and should be avoided if you have
a slow computer.

EMG Bar With Threshold


In this display, an EMG signal is represented as a bar graph, with a vertical
microvolt scale and a digital display of the current signal value at the bottom. An
adjustable threshold line bisects the bar. In multi-channel displays, each channel
is represented by another parallel bar graph in a different color.

Multiple Signal Displays


The following displays contain multiple signals within a single line graph. These
displays do not contain thresholds since it would be confusing to have multiple
signals, each with its own threshold, sharing the same space. Signal, background
and fill colors may vary in different screens and applications.

RMS EMG
A display of two EMG signals within a single line graph, color-coded to
differentiate between the Input A signal and the Input B signal.

RMS EMG With Differential Fill


A vivid dynamic movement display of the difference in muscle activity of two
different EMG sites. The color of the signal with greater muscle activity fills the
area between the two signals. Useful for evaluating/training opposing muscles
or for evaluating/training symmetrical relaxation of two muscles or groups. EMG
Bottom Fill is an EMG Differential Fill display similar to the above except that the
fill area of the stronger signal extends to the bottom of the display, instead of just
filling the area between the two signals.

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EMG Pattern
Also referred to as EMG Training. A display of two EMG signals with an
adjustable pattern template for muscle training. In this display, the Modify
Signals button opens the Myo Parameter Box, which you can use to adjust the
pattern template by entering values for Cycles per Minute, Valley-to-Peak Time,
Hold-on-Peak Time, Peak-to-Valley Time, Hold-in-Valley Time.

EMG Display Features


The Signal Up, Signal Down and AutoOffset buttons are disabled in all EMG
screens. This is because EMG RMS displays and spectral displays are most
useful with a fixed zero at the bottom of the scale, and Raw EMG displays have a
fixed zero in the middle of the screen.

Smoothing the Signal


For display purposes you may want to smooth the signal. The underlying data
recording will not be affected. In the EMG displays, the Modify Settings button
opens the EMG Filter Dialog window. Click on the Modify Settings button
and click on the Down/Up arrows next to the EMG Filter box or type a numerical
value in the box. A good general purpose filtering range for EMG RMS signals is
from 30-60.

Changing Sweep Speed


For all signals except FFT, the Faster Graph
and Slower Graph
buttons are used to increase/decrease the time span that is displayed on the
screen. For FFT displays the Faster Graph & Slower Graph buttons change the
frequency span of the FFT displays. It is recommended that you leave FFT
displays at the maximum frequency scale.

Setting Thresholds
Please see the Adjusting Thresholds section.

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ECG, HR, and HRV Displays


Individual physiology may vary and some individuals may have an indistinct Rwave point in their ECG signal. The software needs to be able to detect the Rwave in order to calculate the IBI (Inter-Beat Interval) for HRV displays. If heart
rate tracking appears to be unreliable, try a right ankle, left wrist placement with
either gel-free or disposable electrodes instead of wrist-to-wrist placement.

RAW ECG
Pictured to the left below, Raw ECG is a broadband signal display of electrical
activity between the two electrodes, which includes the ECG waveform plus EMG
activity at the electrode sites. The only purpose of this signal is to help you
evaluate the quality of the ECG signal and the amount of artifact present in the
signal. This display is not used for feedback. If you get an unexpected reading
on an HRV display, you can use the raw ECG signal to evaluate whether the
anomaly is due to EMG artifact, indistinct R-wave, or missing or premature beats.

ECG FFT
Not intended for feedback, this display is present on the Check Signals screen of
HRV Breathing applications in order to evaluate electrical line frequency artifact,
which appears as regular spikes at 50 or 60 Hz as shown below along with a
contaminated Raw ECG signal display to the left. Please compare these with the
uncontaminated Raw ECG and ECG FFT displays pictured above. (For more
information on signal artifact, see Checking For Good Signal Data in the
Overview of the Software Interface section and Artifact Detection in your
Hardware Guide)

HR
The Heart Rate signal reflects beats per minute and is recalculated and updated
in the display on each beat. No averaging is performed. This produces a heart
rate waveform display which is a good graphical representation of HRV (Heart
Rate Variability). This signal is used in line graph displays along with the

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Respiration waveform so that the impact of correct breathing on HRV can be


easily observed as (1.) increases in variability in the HR waveform and in (2.)
increased synchrony between the HR and Respiration waveforms. (Examples
are pictured in the HR+Resp1+Resp2 display in the Overview of Screens and
Displays and under Breathing Pattern in the discussion Respiration Displays
above) The Breathing Pattern screen has a unique way of displaying HR that
differs from the standard graph display. When a new heartbeat occurs, its value
in beats per minute is plotted as a square dot and a line is drawn from each
previous beat to each new beat, producing a graphing point display.
The Heart Rate signal is also found in bar displays (Pictured in the second
Check Signals screen example in the Overview of Screens and Displays
section) and in digital displays (Pictured under Numerical Displays above).

HRV_30
This is a display of heart rate variability averaged over 30 seconds. The software
measures the minimum and maximum heart rate values for 30 seconds, then
averages the difference of these values and displays them in a line graph.
HRV_30 is a good graphical display of increasing or decreasing HRV trends.

DFT
The DFT (Discrete Frequency Transform) display is a spectral display for HR
with a horizontal scale of 0 -.4 Hz. All the peaks at different frequencies in this
display represent the power of different rhythms present in the inter-beat interval
(IBI) measurement. The calculation always includes a fixed number of beats,
either 64 or 128 beats depending upon the application, recalculated as each new
IBI measurement is received. For example, in a subject with a breathing rate of 6
breaths per minute (equaling one breath per 10 seconds = .1 cycles per second
= .1 Hz) a cyclic variation of heart rate every ten seconds would occur. This
would result in a peak in the DFT display in the green area at .1 Hz on the scale.

The bands of color in the DFT display represent the frequency ranges of the Very
Low Frequency (VLF), Low Frequency (LF), and High Frequency (HF) signals as
follows:
VLF= 0 - .05 Hz
LF = .05 - .15 Hz
HF = .15 - .4 Hz

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The total power of all frequencies is related to autonomic balance ( for example,
people suffering from depression tend to have lower total power). VLF is thought
to be influenced primarily by the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) with slight
Parasympathetic, or Vagal, influence. The VLF value rises when people are
intellectually engaged in activities such as thinking, worrying, or self-criticizing.
LF seems to be related to both SNS and Vagal activity associated with
barorecepter regulation. The goal of breathing training is to achieve a peak in the
.08 to .12 range of the LF band, allowing for variation in the breathing rate of the
individual. This peak indicates increased Vagal tone. Respiration is a major
influence over HF activity. Decreasing the breath rate causes this value to go
down, while values of 10-24 breaths per minute cause the HF value to go up.

VLF,LF,HF
The values for each of these signals, which represent the
summation of power in a particular band, are displayed at
the top of each DFT display (shown above) and are also
used in line graph displays (shown below), bar graph
displays (left)and digital number displays.

Respiration Displays
Respiration Line Graph
The respiration waveform displayed in a line graph has a 0-1000 scale used to
depict the relative stretch of the respiration sensor belt. This signal may be
displayed within in the following display formats:
1. A single respiration waveform may appear in a single line graph
2. Multiple respiration signals may appear in a single line graph (See
HR+Resp1+Resp2 display pictured and described in the Overview of
Screens and Displays section above)
3. Multiple respiration signals may appear separately in stacked line graphs
(See Resp1+Resp2 display pictured within the second example Check
Signals Screen and described in the Overview of Screens and Displays
section above)

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4. A respiration signal may appear in combination with other types of signals as


in the Breathing Pattern display below.
For those who prefer to do breathing training without a pacer, a single respiration
or Resp1+Resp2 display is a good choice.

Breathing Pattern
Three different signals are displayed on this screen a blue/orange breathing
pacer, an aqua respiration wave form, and a red heart rate variability wave form.
The effect of correct breathing can be easily observed as an increase in heart
rate variability and an increase in synchrony between the HR waveform and the
Respiration signal. The HR signal can be hidden with the Show/Hide button if
just the pacer and Respiration signal are desired.

Adjusting the Breathing Pacer


To adjust the breathing pacer, click on the small green
box near the top of your screen next to the word
Pattern. The white dot that appears indicates that the
breathing pattern signal has been selected. The buttons
in the left hand signal control bar are used to modify all
signals on all screens. By selecting Pattern you have
assigned the signal control bar to the breathing pattern
signal so that you can modify it. Click on the Modify
Settings button
In the Breath Parameter box, adjust the target breath
rate and inhalation time. These are expressed as
percentages of the total breath time, with the sum of
inhale time, inhale hold, exhale time and exhale hold
equal to 100%. By adjusting the inhale time the exhale
time automatically adjusts, and adjusting the exhale
time automatically alters the inhale time. Also notice the
changes in the wave form. Click on the small x in the
upper right hand corner of the Breath Parameter window
to close it.

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BPM Bar Graph


Physiolab detects the completed respiration cycle, re-calculates the BPM
(Breaths Per Minute) each cycle and displays the result as a vertical bar graph.

BPM Numerical Display


Physiolab includes BPM as a digital value in Numerical Displays on screens
where is may be of value but is not the main signal of interest.

Skin Conductance and Skin Resistance Displays


Skin conductance is more commonly used to record data and display baseline
information. Skin Resistance is a more sensitive measure of small changes in
arousal which enables more effective visual displays. In the Sensor Test
screen, Skin Resistance is used to test signal quality because it is a more
sensitive measurement and because it is the signal directly measured by the
instrument. Skin Conductance is a mathematically derived value.
The scale for all Skin Resistance signals is in KOhms. For Skin Conductance
displays the scale is in MicroMhos.
In applications with EMG/ECG/EEG impedance testing, bouncing of the SR (Skin
Resistance) Bar Graph is due to interference from the impedance testing
function. This does not effect your ability to evaluate the signal quality based
upon its bar graph color and this interference is not present in any of the
feedback screens (because impedance testing is only a function of the Sensor
Test Screen). In applications without EMG/ECG/EEG signals, no impedance
testing takes place. For more information about the Sensor Test Screen, please
see Ensuring a Good Connection in the Overview of the Software Interface
Section.
The Check Signals screen displays all signals available in the application and
currently being received. As in the Sensor Test screen, the Skin Resistance
signal is also used in this screen. For more information about the Check Signals
screen, please see Checking for Good Signal Data on page 5.
SR Graph
A line graph display with the Skin Resistance signal scrolling from left. In multiple
signal applications, the SR Graph display is a stacked line graph, with one graph
for each signal, with a common horizontal time scale and vertical scales in
KOhms locked so that all signals are adjusted together.
Dual SR Graph
A single line graph with two Skin Resistance signals sharing the space. Signal
controls adjust both signals together.

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SR Bar
A vertical bar display with a Skin Resistance signal and an adjustable threshold
line. If the SR signal is too sensitive (large swings up and down), click AutoGain
OFF and click the Gain Down button repeatedly until an acceptable range is
achieved.
SC and SR Scroll
Scrolling chart displays of Skin Conductance are available combined with chart
displays of Temperature or Skin Resistance values.
SCR Scroll
SCR (Skin Conductance Response) is the degree of change in the Skin
Conductance signal measured in MicroMhos per second. Currently implemented
in the software as a stacked scrolling chart display, along with charts of Skin
Conductance values.

Temperature Displays
Temperature can be represented in the following display formats discussed
under Display Types: line graph, rainbow fill graph, scrolling chart, bar graph,
scrolling history bar, and numerical display formats. Specific examples are
described below.

Fahrenheit-Centigrade Button
The toggle button
switches the display units between Fahrenheit and
Centigrade. The setting you are using when you exit a session is saved until you
manually change it.
TEMP Graph
A line graph display with a Temperature signal scrolling from left. In multiple
signal applications, stacked line graphs, one for each signal, with a common
horizontal time scale and vertical scales in degrees Fahrenheit locked so that all
signals are adjusted together.
Dual TEMP Graph
A single line graph with two Temperature signals sharing the space. Signal
controls adjust both signals together.
Dual Temp Scroll
A stacked chart display with a single temperature signal which scrolls to the left
in each chart. Locked vertical scales in degrees Fahrenheit and a common
horizontal time scale.
TEMP Bar
A vertical bar display with an adjustable threshold line. Clicking the Zoom button
to fill an entire screen with this display provides a simple effective feedback
screen. For threshold instructions, please see Adjusting Thresholds on pg. 21.

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TEMP Numerical Display


A numerical digital value for Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit may be
displayed in screens for which Temperature is not the modality of focus, but may
be useful to monitor as an auxiliary measurement. For an example, see
Numerical Displays in the Display Types Section.

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Audio Features
There are two audio icons in the left control bar. The Sound ON/OFF button
toggles the speakers on and off. IMPORTANT: This button must be ON in order
for audio and video features to work.
The Select Sound button

brings up the Sound and Game Control window.

This window is used to set up three types of media feedback:


1. the computer music synthesizer which generates audio pitches that change
with the signal,
2. pre-recorded audio files of spoken words or sound effects that are triggered
when signal thresholds are crossed,
3. pausing and unpausing Windows Media player audio-visual displays when
thresholds are crossed.
You may have up to three signals with audio feedback simultaneously
functioning, each with a different type of media feedback. It is not possible to
simultaneously run the same TYPE of media feedback on more than one signal
in a display. For example, you may have one signal with audio file feedback, one
signal with synthesizer feedback and one signal with Media Player feedback,
BUT NOT three signals all with simultaneous Media Player feedback.
IMPORTANT: If you set up Media Player for more than one signal in the Sound
and Game Control window, Media Player will not work.
The top box displays the
list of signals for which
audio is available in the
current display screen.
To enable sound for a
particular signal, click on
the empty check box
next to the signal name.
A checkmark will appear
to indicate that sound is
enabled for that signal.
To disable sound for a
particular signal, click on
the check box to remove the checkmark next to that signal name. A checkmark
simply turns the sound on or off; it does not affect signal settings.
Audio feedback must be set up separately for each signal. To modify settings for
a particular signal, click on that signal name to highlight it. Click on the left-hand
Event Control drop-down box. Select ABOVE or BELOW threshold depending
upon whether you wish audio feedback to sound when the signal crosses above
or below the threshold line. (NOTE: Some signals, such as EEG bands or a
combination of skin resistance and temperature, have multiple thresholds yoked

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together so that together they are considered to be a single logical threshold.


When all thresholds are simultaneously satisfied, audio-visual feedback is
triggered. For these displays you will select the name of the yoked threshold
instead of ABOVE or BELOW.)
After selecting your threshold choice, click on one of the following three buttons:
Voice and Music Files, Music Synthesizer or Media Player. For further
instructions go to the section below which matches the button you have selected.
(To change the signal threshold see the instructions for the Threshold button in
the previous Modifying Signals section.)

Setting Up Music Synthesizer Audio Feedback


The Sound drop-down list
displays all available built-in
musical instrument sounds.
These have a pitch scale
similar to a piano keyboard.
The numbers in the
Lowest/Highest Pitch boxes
represent notes on the
musical scale. The usable
range is approximately 20 for
the lowest pitch to 100 for the
highest pitch. The most
audible and pleasant range
will vary for each instrument.
Each instrument has its own
preset values, but you may
wish to experiment and
modify these to find a
desirable range for each
instrument.
The current note played
always represents the
difference between two signal
values - the current signal
value and one of three
reference values listed below:
(1) the signal value at the
point when you clicked
Adjust Reference, or
(2) the scale value at the
bottom of the display, or
(3) the threshold value.

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You can anchor the scale to either the Fixed Signal Value, the Edge of
Display or the Threshold Value by clicking the small circle in front of your
choice. A dot will indicate your selection.
The Set Reference Pitch slider changes the value of the reference note
(displayed in the small box to the right). The slider is only moveable between the
values specified in the Lowest Pitch and Highest Pitch boxes. The reference
pitch is the note that will be played when the current signal value equals the
selected reference value. Musical pitches will go up or down from this reference
pitch to the highest or lowest values specified in the Lowest Pitch and Highest
Pitch boxes.
The Fixed Signal Value is the signal value at the point when you click the
Adjust Reference button. If Fixed Signal Value is selected, the reference pitch
note will be re-set to the current signal value whenever you re-click the Adjust
Reference button. The number in the box to the left of the Adjust Reference
button is the value of the reference pitch note. The number in the box to the right
is the value of the current note.
If Edge of Display is selected, the reference pitch is anchored to the scale value
at the bottom edge of the display, with musical pitches becoming higher from that
point.
If Threshold Value is selected, the reference pitch (set with the slider) is
anchored to the threshold so that the musical pitch goes up as the signal rises
above the threshold and down as the signal falls below the threshold (unless
Invert Pitch is selected).
Normally, if the signal goes up, the musical pitch goes up. Checking Invert Pitch
causes the opposite: the musical pitch becomes higher as the signal values
become lower and the musical pitch goes down as signal values go up. With
Invert Pitch selected the reference pitch should be set to a higher number.
The Signal Change Per Note Step value determines the number of units of
change on the signal scale required to produce the next pitch.
The Delay Next Note value determines the time in seconds that must pass
before the next note is played.
The length of the note is dependent upon the musical instrument selected and is
a fixed value that cannot be changed.
If Repeat Note is checked, the same pitch will be repeated when there is no
signal change greater than the Signal Change Per Note Step interval. If
unchecked, the signal must change the amount specified in the Signal Change
Per Note Step box before the next note will be played.

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If Dont Skip Note is selected, each pitch in the musical scale will be played with
the time interval delay specified in the Delay Next Note box between each note.
This provides a gradual, musically pleasing transition between pitches, but can
cause the pitch to lag behind the signal during sudden large signal changes.

Setting Up Pre-Recorded Audio File Feedback


USE3 comes with a wide selection of WAV files with pre-recorded voice
feedback and sound effects. A WAV file is triggered when a threshold is
crossed. The entire 1-3 second file is played. If threshold is maintained, then
next WAV file will play after your chosen delay time.
To set up audio file
feedback, first enable
(check) the signal you wish
to set up, click on the signal
name to highlight it, and
make your threshold choice
in the drop down box. Then
click the Voice
and Music Files button.
Click the Folder button above. Doubleclick the Sounds folder. Click on a sound
collection folder to select it, then click
OK.
You may choose to play all of the files in
the folder in order, play all of the files
randomly, or you may choose to play just
one file from the folder. Click the small
circle in front of Play All in Order, Play
All Random or Play Selected to indicate
your choice.
If you choose Play Selected, you must
click the drop-down box under Select
Voice or Music Files and click on a specific
file name.

Setting Up Windows Media Player Feedback


To set up Media Player feedback, first enable (check) the signal you wish to set
up, click on the signal name to highlight it, and make your threshold choice in the
drop down box. Then click the Media Player button and close the window.
If you are running single display mode, Media Player will be minimized in the task
bar. It may not be visible until the connected signal crosses the threshold. Click
on Media Player in the task bar to bring up the Media Player window. If you are

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running dual display mode, next click the Select Second Screen Icon, then
highlight media player in the Screen list and click Apply.
Next click Open at the top of the Media Player window. The top drop-down box
in the Open window defaults to the Physiolab Media Player folder. Click on a
file name to select it , then click Open. You can add your own audio and video
files to the C:\Program Files\J&J Engineering\Physiolab\Media Player folder or
you can use the top drop-down arrow box in the Open window to browse to the
location of any audio or video file that you wish to play either on your hard drive
or on a CD in your CD-ROM drive. Music files are normally stored in the folder
My Documents\My Music. In the Open window drop-down box you may have
to go up several folder levels to get to your CD-ROM drive or music file folders.
If you are playing a music file in Media Player, the background visualization will
default to the settings from the last time you used Media Player.

Media Player Troubleshooting


Changes to the Select Sound window in Physiolab may deselect the play file in
Media Player. Click Open in the Media Player window and re-select the audio or
video file.
If your Media Player window does not appear to be functioning (clicking on Open
does not work to select a file OR the screen appears frozen while a file is
playing), click on MBP Media Player in the bottom task bar to make sure Media
Player is selected as an active window.
If Media Player is running, you are getting no sound, and the Media Player
window says Paused in the lower left-hand corner, then check the following:
1. Make sure the Sound ON/OFF

button is pressed.

.
2. Open the Select Sounds window with the Select Sound button
Make sure that Media Player is listed as the sound type for the signal you
are expecting. If not, see the section above on setting up Windows Media
Player feedback.
If Media Player is running, you are getting no sound, and the Media Player
window says Playing in the lower-left hand corner, then check the following:
1. Windows Speaker volume controls in Start>Control Panel>Sounds
2. External Speaker connections to the computer and to the power outlet
MBP Player Error Message: Go to the Microsoft website and get the Media
Player version 9 update. You need to have Windows98 Second Edition with all
Microsoft update downloads or a later Windows operating system (WindowsXP
recommended).

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