# Psychtoolbox and EEG
**URL:** https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/psychtoolbox-and-eeg/1541
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [July 9, 2003, 8:40am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/psychtoolbox-and-eeg/1541 "2003-07-09T08:40:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Allen\_Ingling](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/Allen_Ingling)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2003, 8:40am UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/psychtoolbox-and-eeg/1541/1 "2003-07-09T08:40:25Z")
Hi,
I'm trying to put together an EEG experiment using Psychtoolbox on a
Mac for visual stimulus presentation. Currently the EEG is set up to
work with a PC; it may be possible to hook it up directly to the Mac
(still working on that).
In any case, I will need some way to have the Mac send out a trigger
signal for each stimulus presentation (exposure durations as short
as 13 or 20 ms, if that makes a difference). The signal would need
to go either to the EEG or to the PC, depending on what kind of
setup we can manage.
Is there a way to do this from within Matlab? I have looked through
the documentation on the Psychtoolbox web site but can't seem to
find anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Irit Rappley
---
### Author:  [@Allen\_Ingling](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/u/Allen_Ingling)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://psychtoolbox.discourse.group/t/psychtoolbox-and-eeg/1541/2 "2003-07-09T17:14:00Z")
Irit:
I use the ActiveWire digital IO card for sending & receiving trigger
pulses. The Psychtoolbox function ACTIVEWIRE is an easy-to-use way to
initialize, read from, and write to the card, which connects to the Mac
via standard USB cable. Each card is about $60US; see the psychtoolbox
archives and activewire's web site, http://www.activewireinc.com, for
more info.
If you're triggering your PC, you'll need some means of reading the
pulse there. It's possible to use the parallel port, but a digital IO
card (e.g., another activewire card) is probably a better way to go.
I understand there are some other USB/digital IO cards out there now,
and I think I've seen postings on psychtoolbox suggesting that people
have written Matlab mex files for controlling them. Check the archives.
Best,
Tom Fikes
Westmont College
> On Wednesday, Jul 9, 2003, at 01:40 US/Pacific, rappley123 wrote:
>
> \> Hi,
> \>
> \> I'm trying to put together an EEG experiment using Psychtoolbox on a
> \> Mac for visual stimulus presentation. Currently the EEG is set up to
> \> work with a PC; it may be possible to hook it up directly to the Mac
> \> (still working on that).
> \>
> \> In any case, I will need some way to have the Mac send out a trigger
> \> signal for each stimulus presentation (exposure durations as short
> \> as 13 or 20 ms, if that makes a difference). The signal would need
> \> to go either to the EEG or to the PC, depending on what kind of
> \> setup we can manage.
> \>
> \> Is there a way to do this from within Matlab? I have looked through
> \> the documentation on the Psychtoolbox web site but can't seem to
> \> find anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
> \>
> \> Thanks in advance!
> \> Irit Rappley
> \>
> \>
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> ----------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas G. Fikes
> Dept. of Psychology, Westmont College
> Santa Barbara, CA 93108
> 805.565.6115 (voice); 805.565.6116 (fax)
> web: http://homepage.westmont.edu/~fikes