# PC doing other things while I'm trying to test! **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [June 18, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/pc-doing-other-things-while-i-39-m-trying-to-test/1414 "2002-06-18T13:54:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Allen\_Ingling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Allen\_Ingling](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/Allen_Ingling)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/pc-doing-other-things-while-i-39-m-trying-to-test/1414/1 "2002-06-18T13:54:13Z")
Hi everyone, I am a PhD student and am using the toolbox to help with running some auditory experiments. I am using MATLAB+soundcard to present sound stimuli online. However, every now and then the stimuli break up briefly. I think it is because the PC (+windows 2000) is working on other jobs while I'm trying to test which takes processing away from generating the stimuli and so are not played out smoothly! Does anyone disagree and perhaps have a better suggestion or know of how to reduce the activity of the PC on obscure jobs I don't want it to be working on. Thanks folks and best wishes Daniel \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Daniel Rowan Research Student Institute of Sound and Vibration Research University of Southampton Southampton SO17 1BJ England, UK Tel: 023 80594968 \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Allen\_Ingling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Allen\_Ingling](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/Allen_Ingling)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2002, 6:13pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/pc-doing-other-things-while-i-39-m-trying-to-test/1414/2 "2002-06-18T18:13:58Z")
Daniel Rowan wrote: > \>Hi everyone, > \> > \>I am a PhD student and am using the toolbox to help with running some > \>auditory experiments. I am using MATLAB+soundcard to present sound > \>stimuli online. However, every now and then the stimuli break up > \>briefly. I think it is because the PC (+windows 2000) is working on > \>other jobs while I'm trying to test which takes processing away from > \>generating the stimuli and so are not played out smoothly! Does anyone > \>disagree and perhaps have a better suggestion or know of how to reduce > \>the activity of the PC on obscure jobs I don't want it to be working > \>on. > \> > \> Daniel, You can raise the priority of Matlab using either the Psychtoolbox command "Priority" or "Rush". I am interested to know if this solves your problem. Best, Allen PS. You might need to grab the latest version of the Psychtoolbox from Psychtoolbox.org to use "Rush" or "Priority". I'm not sure that they worked correctly in version 2.45. ---
**Author:** ![Allen\_Ingling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Allen\_Ingling](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/Allen_Ingling)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 11:37am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/pc-doing-other-things-while-i-39-m-trying-to-test/1414/3 "2002-06-25T11:37:20Z")
Allen Thanks for the advice. Prioritizing the entire code to level 2 has definately helped. In addition, I noticed the PC I was using was networked and it slowed down when other users attempted to print anything. However, I am now using a different PC in a different place without the networking problem (disconnecting from the newtwork wouldn't have helped as the matlab was on the network!). Having run a number of 'calibration' checks, I have found that the MATLAB function PAUSE to be extremely unreliable. I have been using this to produce inter-stimulus intervals. Are you aware of any alternative functions? Best wishes Daniel \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* Daniel Rowan Research Student Institute of Sound and Vibration Research University of Southampton Southampton SO17 1BJ England, UK Tel: 023 80594968 \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* > \>\>\> [Allen.Ingling@...](mailto:Allen.Ingling@...) 06/18/02 07:13pm \>\>\> Daniel Rowan wrote: > \>Hi everyone, > \> > \>I am a PhD student and am using the toolbox to help with running some > \>auditory experiments. I am using MATLAB+soundcard to present sound > \>stimuli online. However, every now and then the stimuli break up > \>briefly. I think it is because the PC (+windows 2000) is working on > \>other jobs while I'm trying to test which takes processing away from > \>generating the stimuli and so are not played out smoothly! Does anyone > \>disagree and perhaps have a better suggestion or know of how to reduce > \>the activity of the PC on obscure jobs I don't want it to be working > \>on. > \> > \> Daniel, You can raise the priority of Matlab using either the Psychtoolbox command "Priority" or "Rush". I am interested to know if this solves your problem. Best, Allen PS. You might need to grab the latest version of the Psychtoolbox from Psychtoolbox.org to use "Rush" or "Priority". I'm not sure that they worked correctly in version 2.45. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor [http://psychtoolbox.org](http://psychtoolbox.org) POST a message to: [psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com](mailto:psychtoolbox@yahoogroups.com) UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank message to: [psychtoolbox-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com](mailto:psychtoolbox-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com) Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to [http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/](http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/)