Hi Mario (and other PTB readers),
Thanks so much for the previous replies. I'm making progress on the
other issues, and here's a summary with a few questions/comments.
1. Synchronization failure on Macbook: resolved (I should have used
some common sense on this one!)
2. Failure of Kb commands on my Macbook when USB keyboard/mouse is
attached: I thought the problem went away after upgrading MATLAB to
r2007b, but it worked its way back into my life... As Mario
recommended, I'll paste below the full output from
devices=PsychHID('Devices') when the keyboard is attached. Nothing
seems abnormal from what I can tell (though that doesn't mean much!).
3. Char commands not working on PCs: I'm running XP with r2007b and
the latest updated version of PTB, as of last week. I just found out,
though, that Char commands have always had problems with the Java
virtual machine on Windows, i.e., since PTB2 times. As a Mac user, I
was totally unaware of this until yesterday when I went to install PTB
2.54 on a windows machine. I found this on the download page
(
http://psychtoolbox.org/PTB-2/download.html):
"Nojvm" mode is required for GetChar because the Java Virtual Machine
(JVM) compoenent of MATLAB blocks keyboard input to the Psychtoolbox
functions GetChar and CharAvail.
Is it the case that -nojvm is still required in PTB3 to use the Char
commands?
Thanks!
Andy
---------- Output for PsychHID devices -----------------------
Device(1)
usagePageValue: 12
usageValue: 1
usageName: 'Consumer Usage 0x1'
index: 1
transport: 'USB'
vendorID: 1452
productID: 33344
version: 272
manufacturer: 'Apple Computer, Inc.'
product: 'Apple IR'
serialNumber: ''
locationID: 1.5624e+09
totalElements: 21
features: 0
inputs: 20
outputs: 0
collections: 1
axes: 0
buttons: 0
hats: 0
sliders: 0
dials: 0
wheels: 0
Device(2)
usagePageValue: 1
usageValue: 128
usageName: 'System Control'
index: 2
transport: 'USB'
vendorID: 2689
productID: 257
version: 272
manufacturer: 'CHESEN'
product: 'USB Keyboard'
serialNumber: ''
locationID: 1.0245e+09
totalElements: 29
features: 0
inputs: 27
outputs: 0
collections: 2
axes: 0
buttons: 0
hats: 0
sliders: 0
dials: 0
wheels: 0
Device(3)
usagePageValue: 1
usageValue: 6
usageName: 'Keyboard'
index: 3
transport: 'USB'
vendorID: 2689
productID: 257
version: 272
manufacturer: 'CHESEN'
product: 'USB Keyboard'
serialNumber: ''
locationID: 1.0245e+09
totalElements: 276
features: 0
inputs: 270
outputs: 5
collections: 1
axes: 0
buttons: 0
hats: 0
sliders: 0
dials: 0
wheels: 0
Device(4)
usagePageValue: 12
usageValue: 1
usageName: 'Consumer Usage 0x1'
index: 4
transport: 'USB'
vendorID: 1452
productID: 538
version: 19
manufacturer: 'Apple Computer'
product: 'Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad'
serialNumber: ''
locationID: 488636416
totalElements: 2
features: 0
inputs: 1
outputs: 0
collections: 1
axes: 0
buttons: 0
hats: 0
sliders: 0
dials: 0
wheels: 0
Device(5)
usagePageValue: 1
usageValue: 2
usageName: 'Mouse'
index: 5
transport: 'USB'
vendorID: 1452
productID: 538
version: 0
manufacturer: 'Apple Computer'
product: 'Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad'
serialNumber: '0'
locationID: 488636416
totalElements: 6
features: 0
inputs: 4
outputs: 0
collections: 2
axes: 2
buttons: 1
hats: 0
sliders: 0
dials: 0
wheels: 1
Device(6)
usagePageValue: 255
usageValue: 1
usageName: 'Page: 0xff, Usage: 0x1'
index: 6
transport: 'USB'
vendorID: 1452
productID: 538
version: 0
manufacturer: 'Apple'
product: 'Trackpad'
serialNumber: ''
locationID: 488636416
totalElements: 20
features: 17
inputs: 2
outputs: 0
collections: 1
axes: 0
buttons: 0
hats: 0
sliders: 0
dials: 0
wheels: 0
Device(7)
usagePageValue: 1
usageValue: 2
usageName: 'Mouse'
index: 7
transport: 'USB'
vendorID: 1452
productID: 538
version: 0
manufacturer: 'Apple'
product: 'Trackpad'
serialNumber: ''
locationID: 488636416
totalElements: 27
features: 17
inputs: 7
outputs: 0
collections: 3
axes: 2
buttons: 3
hats: 0
sliders: 0
dials: 0
wheels: 0
Device(8)
usagePageValue: 1
usageValue: 6
usageName: 'Keyboard'
index: 8
transport: 'USB'
vendorID: 1452
productID: 538
version: 19
manufacturer: 'Apple Computer'
product: 'Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad'
serialNumber: ''
locationID: 488636416
totalElements: 244
features: 0
inputs: 238
outputs: 5
collections: 1
axes: 0
buttons: 0
hats: 0
sliders: 0
dials: 0
wheels: 0
--------------- end output -----------------------------------
--- In
psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com, "Mario Kleiner"
<mario.kleiner@...> wrote:
>
> Reg. Sync failures: If you open your window by providing a
> rect parameter of e.g., [0 0 640 480], so it only covers part
> of the screen, yes, you may get more sync failures and a
> generally unusable timing for real work. This mode is ok
> for debugging your script etc., but not for timing tests or
> real data collection. The OS/X Quartz window manager
> interferes with presentation timing and timestamping in
> windowed mode, and probably even more so on a weak
> GMA-950. But even with high-end graphics you wouldn't
> get good enough timing. Just use the 'SkipSyncTests' setting
> during development/debugging of your script and remove
> it for real data collection.
>
> -mario
>
> --- In psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com, "andyleb" <andyleb@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Mario,
> >
> > Thanks so much for replying. At the time I posted, I was running
> > PTB3's *very* latest beta, with matlab2006a (7.4). Since then, I've
> > upgraded to matlab2006b (7.5) and reinstalled PTB3-beta. I also
> > updated to the most recent version of quicktime.
> >
> > 1. Sync failures. I realized that it's much more likely to occur
> > when my main window is smaller than the full size of my display (e.g.,
> > 640x480 in a 1280x800 screen). Did I wrongly assume we can open small
> > windows in OS X without syncing trouble? The output is pasted into
> > this message (please scroll down).
> >
> > 2. USB device trouble. Since upgrading, I haven't had this problem
> > at all. Maybe I just had a buggy install of matlab 2006a?
> >
> > 3. I'm still looking into the Char problems on the various windows
> > machines, based on your recommendations. I'll post on those
> > separately. I'd also like to hear if anyone else has experienced
> > these problems.
> >
> > Thanks so much for your help!!
> >
> > Andy
> >
> >
> >
> > -------- SYNC FAILURE OUTPUT --------------------------------------
> >
> > PTB-INFO: This is the OpenGL-Psychtoolbox version 3.0.8. Type
> > 'PsychtoolboxVersion' for more detailed version information.
> > PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox is licensed to you under terms of the GNU
> > General Public License (GPL). See file 'License.txt' in the
> > PTB-INFO: Psychtoolbox root folder for a copy of the GPL license.
> >
> >
> >
> > OpenGL-Extensions are: GL_ARB_transpose_matrix GL_ARB_vertex_program
> > GL_ARB_vertex_blend GL_ARB_window_pos GL_ARB_shader_objects
> > GL_ARB_vertex_shader GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays GL_EXT_clip_volume_hint
> > GL_EXT_rescale_normal GL_EXT_draw_range_elements GL_EXT_fog_coord
> > GL_EXT_gpu_program_parameters GL_APPLE_client_storage
> > GL_APPLE_specular_vector GL_APPLE_transform_hint
> > GL_APPLE_packed_pixels GL_APPLE_fence GL_APPLE_vertex_array_object
> > GL_APPLE_vertex_program_evaluators GL_APPLE_element_array
> > GL_APPLE_flush_render GL_NV_texgen_reflection GL_NV_light_max_exponent
> > GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap
> > GL_ARB_shading_language_100 GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp
> > GL_ARB_multitexture GL_ARB_texture_env_add GL_ARB_texture_cube_map
> > GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3 GL_ARB_texture_env_combine
> > GL_ARB_texture_compression GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat
> > GL_ARB_shadow GL_ARB_depth_texture GL_ARB_fragment_program
> > GL_ARB_fragment_shader GL_ARB_point_sprite
> > GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object
> > GL_ARB_pixel_buffer_object GL_EXT_framebuffer_object
> > GL_EXT_texture_rectangle GL_ARB_texture_rectangle
> > GL_EXT_texture_env_add GL_EXT_blend_color GL_EXT_blend_minmax
> > GL_EXT_blend_subtract GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias GL_EXT_abgr GL_EXT_bgra
> > GL_EXT_stencil_wrap GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic
> > GL_EXT_separate_specular_color GL_EXT_secondary_color
> > GL_EXT_blend_func_separate GL_EXT_shadow_funcs GL_EXT_stencil_two_side
> > GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_compression_dxt1
> > GL_EXT_blend_equation_separate GL_EXT_packed_depth_stencil
> > GL_APPLE_flush_buffer_range GL_APPLE_ycbcr_422 GL_APPLE_texture_range
> > GL_APPLE_pixel_buffer GL_NV_blend_square GL_ATI_texture_env_combine3
> > GL_SGIS_texture_edge_clamp GL_SGIS_texture_lod
> >
> >
> >
> > PTB-INFO: OpenGL-Renderer is Intel Inc. :: Intel GMA 950 OpenGL Engine
> > :: 1.2 APPLE-1.4.56
> > PTB-INFO: Renderer has 64 MB of VRAM and a maximum 64 MB of texture
> > memory.
> > PTB-Info: VBL startline = 800 , VBL Endline = -1
> > PTB-Info: Beamposition queries unsupported on this system. Will try to
> > use kernel-level vbl interrupts as fallback.
> > PTB-Info: Measured monitor refresh interval from VBLsync = 17.356896
> > ms [57.613989 Hz]. (57 valid samples taken, stddev=3.102240 ms.)
> > PTB-Info: Small deviations between reported values are normal and no
> > reason to worry.
> > PTB-INFO: Using OpenGL GL_TEXTURE_RECTANGLE_EXT extension for
> > efficient high-performance texture mapping...
> >
> > WARNING: Couldn't compute a reliable estimate of monitor refresh
> > interval! Trouble with VBL syncing?!?
> >
> >
> > ----- ! PTB - ERROR: SYNCHRONIZATION FAILURE ! ----
> >
> > One or more internal checks (see Warnings above) indicate that
> > synchronization
> > of Psychtoolbox to the vertical retrace (VBL) is not working on your
> > setup.
> >
> > This will seriously impair proper stimulus presentation and stimulus
> > presentation timing!
> > Please read 'help SyncTrouble' for information about how to solve or
> > work-around the problem.
> > You can force Psychtoolbox to continue, despite the severe problems,
> > by adding the command
> > Screen('Preference', 'SkipSyncTests',1); at the top of your script, if
> > you really know what you are doing.
> >
> >
> > -------- END OUTPUT --------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com, "Mario Kleiner"
> > <mario.kleiner@> wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com, "andyleb" <andyleb@> wrote:
> > >
> > > > 1. On my MacBook (regular, not MacBook Pro), the screen test
> > > > routinely fails. I understand the onboard graphics card is pretty
> > > > weak for this computer, but is it bad enough that the PTB Screen
> > > > can't work without skipping the sync test?
> > >
> > > Strange, worked on MacBook/IntelGMA when i tested it last time.
> > > Provide PTB's Matlab output of the failure. I assume you run the
> > > *very latest* 'beta'?
> > >
> > > You can always either completely skip the test or tell PTB to go
> > > on in case of failure, you'll just lose our normally super-exact
> > > timing if you do so -- or something else screws up if there was
> > > a good severe reason for the sync-failure of course and not
> > > only a noisy system.
> > >
> > > See: <http://psychtoolbox.org/wikka.php?wakka=FaqWarningPrefs>
> > >
> > > or simply the help texts that PTB outputs in case of failure. I
assume
> > > you read them?
> > >
> > > >
> > > > 2. Kb commands don't accept any input on my Mac when a USB input
> > > > device is connected. That is, when a keyboard or mouse are
connected,
> > > > even the laptop's built-in keyboard is not recognized. Note
that this
> > > > only applies to Kb commands, as Char commands (e.g., GetChar)
still
> > > > works fine. Is this an issue with PsychHID?
> > >
> > > Also strange. I work all the time with a USB mouse connected and
> > > we never heard of or experienced an issue like that.
> > >
> > > What is the output of "GetKeyboardIndices" in that case? What does
> > > d=PsychHID('GetDevices') report? I mean of course the full content
> > > of 'd' d(1), d(2), ....
> > >
> > > >
> > > > 3. For windows, I've been having some trouble with the char
functions
> > > > (GetChar, ListenChar). I've seen this on 3 separate machines (two
> > > > using XP, one using 2000). Problems that occur are
idiosyncratic to
> > > > each machine, though. For instance, on one machine, after calling
> > > > GetChar or ListenChar, the Windows menubar becomes visible on the
> > > > bottom of the screen. On another machine, the Flip command stops
> > > > working normally; that is, when I specify the [dontclear]
parameter as
> > > > 1, the setting is ignored and the Flip command behaves as if I had
> > > > specified "2" (i.e., the backbuffer simply exchanges with the
front
> > > > buffer). To trigger this, I just need to add a Char command
anywhere
> > > > before a Flip command.
> > >
> > > Anybody else ever seen this? Which Matlab version is this? What
> > > graphics card? Up to date drivers installed?
> > >
> > > There is no direct connection between 'Flip' and GetChar etc. but
> > > you never know how Java's GetChar handling interacts with Matlabs
> > > desktop UI and that with desktop manager gimmicks of the
> > > graphics driver -- Windows is a mess.
> > >
> > > But the 'dontclear' setting 1 doesn't work on many Windows graphics
> > > cards due to lack of features in the graphics drivers. If you have
> > > recent graphics hardware and need that feature, then its
> > > a good idea to enable the imaging pipeline by setting the
> > > optional 'imagingMode' flag of Screen('OpenWindow', ...) to
> > > kPsychNeedFastBackingStore.
> > >
> > > best,
> > > -mario
> > >
> >
>