The information in this document applies to users of an RB-540, RB-740, RB-840, or RB-844 response pad that want to use it with E-Prime.
A built-in feature in the RB-x40 response pads gives them the ability to emulate the PST Serial Response Box Model 200A shown on the right. This enables the response pad to seamlessly work with PST’s E-Prime software. This document shows you how to enable this feature.
Two features make it possible to connect an RB-x40 response pad to E-Prime.
The first one is the USB driver that it uses. A driver is a small program that is needed by most USB devices (other than keyboards, mice, and so forth). When installed, the USB driver makes Windows think that a serial port has been installed, and E-Prime knows how to communicate with a serial port.
The second feature is the built-in PST Serial Response Box Model 200A emulation. This saves you time by not having to write E-Basic code since E-Prime already knows how to “talk” to the Model 200A.
Before you proceed, please make sure to install the USB driver if it has not been done already.
Setting your RB-x40 response pad to use the SRB Model 200A protocol involves flipping a switch or two on the back your response pad, illustrated below. You will find a set of four switches next to the USB connector:
When shipped, all four switches are in the down position. This is the XID protocol running at 115,000 baud. To use the SRB Model 200A protocol at 19200 baud, you need to flip switch 2 (second from the left) UP. You can change the baud rate (speed) by flipping switch 4. Here are the only two switch combinations that apply for emulating the SRB Model 200A:
SRB Model 200A Protocol at 19200 baud (only switch 2 is UP)
SRB Model 200A Protocol at 9600 baud (switches 2 and 4 are UP)
The baud rate that you select should match the baud rate setting in E-Prime. If you are not sure which one it is, try both combinations.
Important: An RB-x40 response pad “reads” the switch positions only when it is first turned on. For changes to take effect after you flip a switch, you must unplug the USB cable from the response pad, wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in.
The SRB Model 200A has five push buttons and voice key (shown below as “vk”). This limits that maximum number of keys that can be used with E-Prime to six keys. Here is how they correspond to the various RB-x40 models:
RB-540
RB-740
RB-840
RB-844
If you need more than six keys, consider using the RB-x40 response pads in keyboard mode.
The following screen snapshots were taken using E-Prime 2.0 and might look a little different for other versions; they used this file as a demo.
1.
In E-Prime, double-click on the Experiment Object:
2.
The Experiment Object’s Properties dialog (screen) will appear. Click on the Devices tab, then click on the Add… button.
3.
The Add Device dialog will appear. Select the SRBOX icon then click on OK:
4.
Back in the Experiment Object’s Properties dialog, you will now see “SRBOX” listed. Double-click on it to edit its properties; the SRBox Edit dialog will appear.
5.
In the SRBox Edit dialog, set the right configuration. The most important one (and the one that users often get wrong) is Port. A value of 1 refers to COM1, 2 refers to COM2, and so forth. This needs to be set to whatever COM port Windows thinks that the response pad is connected to.
6.
Make sure that Baud Rate matches what your response device is set to.
7.
Click on OK to close the SRBox Edit dialog.
8.
Click on OK to close the Experiment Object’s Properties dialog.
This completes setting up the response device for use with E-Prime.
Back in the main E-Prime window:
•
Double-click on StimSlide.
•
Double-click on the StimSlide properties icon. This will invoke the StimSlide Properties dialog.
•
In that dialog, click on the Duration/Input tab.
•
Click on the Add… button. The Add Input Device dialog will appear.
•
Select the SRBOX icon and click on OK.
Back in the StimSlide Properties dialog, you can set the input properties as needed by your experiment, e.g. Time Limit and End Action.
Is USB Driver Installed?
One way to verify that the response pad’s USB driver has been properly installed is to open the Device Manager and look under the section named “Ports (COM & LPT)”. When you plug the response pad, and if the driver is installed correctly, a new entry should appear under that entry, e.g. “USB Serial (COM4)”. When you unplug the response, this entry should disappear.
Another way is to download SuperLab and use its Auto Detect feature. After installing SuperLab and running it:
•
Make sure that the four switches that are near the LED and USB connector are all in the down position. After doing so, unplug and re-plug the response pad for the changes to take effect.
•
In SuperLab, click on the Experiment menu and select Participant Input. A dialog appears.
•
Turn on the checkbox for “RB-x30 Series Response Pad”
•
Click on the Setup tab
•
Press on the Auto Detect button
If SuperLab can detect the presence of the response pad, then the USB driver is installed and functioning properly.
E-Prime Run-Time Error 10051
E-Prime run-time error 10051 is most often due to one or both of E-Prime’s drivers not being installed. When installed correctly, two device drivers must be listed in the Device Manager, as illustrated in the screen snapshot.
To run the Device Manager in Windows XP:
•
Click on the Start button and right-click on “My Computer”; a menu appears
•
Click on Properties; a window labeled “System Properties” shows up
•
Click on the Hardware tab
•
Click on Device Manager button
To open the Device Manager in Windows 7:
•
Click on the Windows logo button, usually found in the bottom left corner of your screen
•
Right-click on “Computer”; a menu appears
•
Select Properties; a window appears
•
Click on Device Manager, found on the left
First Response is Missing
When you run an E-Prime experiment, the first “response” from the response pad will likely be the wrong one and will occur without the participant pressing any key. If this happens, we suggest that you insert a code at the start of the experiment to get a response and then just ignore it. All subsequent responses from the participant will be the correct ones.
E-Prime Doesn’t Find the Response Pad
In some instances, it is possible that E-Prime will not “see” the response pad after you turn on your computer. Another symptom might be that the mouse cursor will start moving erratically. The solution is to unplug the USB cable from the response pad before turning the computer on, and then plug it back after the computer has completed its startup.
The reason is this: the RB-x40 response pads work by emulating the PST Serial Response Box Model 200A, which in turn works by sending a constant stream of bytes to the computer all the time. When starting up your computer, Windows tries to be smart and checks all the computer ports (serial, parallel, USB). When it sees this constant stream of data coming, it thinks that the computer has a mouse connected. Unplugging the USB cable during startup gets around this.
COM Port Out of Range
E-Prime 1.x had a limitation where it could only open COM ports 1 through 4. When installing the USB driver, Windows will sometimes assign a COM port number that is higher than 4. See the document Determining or Changing the USB Driver’s COM Port Setting for assistance in reassigning the USB driver’s COM port number.
Incorrect COM Port or Baud Rate
It is imperative that the correct COM port be specified in E-Prime. The response pad will be listed in the Device Manager under the section “Ports (COM & LPT)”. For example, if the name ends with COM3, then you should specify 3 as the port number in the “SRBox Edit” dialog in E-Prime.
The baud rate, or speed, settings in E-Prime and the response pad must also match. E-Prime supports 9600 and 19200 baud, as does the response pad. It does not matter which baud rate you use as long as they match, but 19200 is recommended.
Last revision: Apr 2, 2021
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