portReceiver

 element objects

Waits to receive data at a serial port, then registers a trigger and ends automatically. Most commonly set syncExperiment = <cd>true<cd> to tell the element to synchronize the experiment at trigger, then set the timing of any element in the trial (element properties start/end field t_sync) and/or subsequent trial timing (trial object property start field t_sync) from sync. You can also set any element in the trial to start/end from triggers more generally using element properties start/end fields trigger/TriggerBy.

Trigger value recorded in record property trigger is a row vector of bytes (integers 0–255) received. Trigger time recorded in triggerTime or syncTime is time receive completed relative to trial 1 start.

If you want to set options for the port, you can use pb_prefs → "Other" tab. Or to set for only the current experiment, add an object of type port and set its properties. Typically you don't need to.

Currently portReceiver elements only work with serial ports.

▸ Object ends automatically?

Yes, when it finishes receiving its data and registers a trigger. You can also set numBytes = <cd>inf<cd> to receive data indefinitely until the element ends on a condition you set in property end. In this case it never registers a trigger.

If an element will end automatically, you don't need to set an end time or condition in property end. However, you can if you want to add other end conditions that could occur earlier.

No—you must set an end time or condition in property end.

Input properties
Record properties
portReceiver
elements (see below)

portName
numBytes
listenData

All visual elements
position

All adjuster elements have
adjust

All elements
start
end

startBuffer
endBuffer

syncExperiment
preload
vary
staircase

All objects
info
report

portName

No default

A string that is name of the serial port, as accepted by Psychtoolbox IOPort('OpenSerialPort'). From Psychtoolbox documentation: On Windows this could be, e.g. <cds>"COM1"<cds>, <cds>"COM2"<cds>, etc.; on Mac it is a path to a BSD device file, e.g. <cds>"/dev/cu.usbserial-FT3Z95V5"<cds> for a serial-over-USB device with unique ID FT3Z95V5; on Linux e.g. <cds>"/dev/ttyS0"<cds> for the first real serial port, <cds>"/dev/ttyUSB0"<cds> for the first serial-over-USB device, etc.

numBytes
listenData

Default: wait for any signal of 1 byte

You can set one of numBytes OR listenData to specify what the element waits for to register a trigger and end automatically:
numBytes is number of bytes of any value to receive.

You can set numBytes = <cd>inf<cd> to receive data indefinitely until a condition you set in property end. In this case it never registers a trigger. Currently this only reads data within the trial the element runs in.

listenData is a row vector of byte values (integers 0–255) to listen for. You can specify multiple signals using a cell array of row vectors—the element will then listen for ANY of them.

Adjustable properties

You can vary or allow the subject to adjust the following properties of an object of this type when it's running. If you need to make other properties adjustable, you can edit the element type code—see Element Type Programming Manual.

Adjustable properties

Adjustable properties

position
nn_eyes
rotation
colorMask
alpha
intensity
contrastMult
drawCodeVars

(None)

(None)

Input properties
Record properties

PsychBench uses record properties to record information during experiments. You can't set record properties but you can see them in experiment results using input property report.

portReceiver
elements (see below)

data
dataTimes

All elements
startTime
endTime
duration
n_startFrame
n_endFrame
startLatencyBufferable
endLatencyBufferable

trigger
triggerTime
d_triggerTime
numTriggers

syncTime

data
dataTimes

data is a row vector of bytes received. Just = record property trigger if the element registers a trigger.

dataTimes is a row vector of times bytes were received relative to trial 1 start (sec). As opposed to triggerTime, which is time the last byte was received.