4
Introduction
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2016-2017 SR Research Ltd.
The Host PC:
•
Uses a timing-sensitive operating system which allows the eye tracker to
safeguard data acquisition and minimize delays in online data access, and
offer very low variability in the latency of this data access.
•
Functions either as standalone eye tracker or as one controlled by a Display
PC when connected to that Display PC via Ethernet.
•
Communicates with the EyeLink camera through USB 3.0 ports. A
workstation Host PC can also house an optional analog output/digital I/O
card.
•
Integrates all the eye tracking functionality, including participant setup,
calibration, sending real-time data through an Ethernet link or optional
analog output card, and data recording.
•
Can be configured remotely via commands sent over the Ethernet link from
the Display PC.
•
Shows real-time feedback of eye data during calibration and data recording,
allowing the Display PC to be devoted to accurate stimulus delivery.
1.1.3 Display PC
The Display PC presents stimuli during experiments and, via the Ethernet Link,
can control key eye tracking functions such as calibration and data collection.
Online eye and gaze position can be received from the EyeLink Host PC via the
Ethernet link making gaze-contingent paradigms possible. Licenses can be
acquired from SR Research for Experiment Builder, a sophisticated program
that assists researchers in creating EyeLink experiments on Windows and Mac
OS X via a graphical user interface that eliminates the need for complex
scripting.
For users who wish to program their own experiments in other programming
environments, a wide range of options exist for accessing and controlling data
acquisition on the Display PC. A C/C++ programming API with example code
exists for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Additionally, several programming
environments (e.g., Psychtoolbox for MATLAB, E-Prime, Presentation, Python,
LabView, and anything with access to the Windows Common Object Model
[COM] interface) have freely-available wrappers for this API, which allow you to
interface with the EyeLink system from these programming environments. For
full details and links to downloadable resources, visit and join the SR Research
support forums at
http://www.sr-support.com
.
