#acl FriedemannBunjes:read,write,delete,revert All:read
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#language en
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= Description =
<<TableOfContents(2)>>

== nrec is a software package for stimulation, data acquisition and experiment control ==
Originally it was designed to be used in [[http://www.hih-tuebingen.de/index.php?id=82&L=1|cognitive brain research]], but it is made to be as generally applicable as possible:

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 {{attachment:acquisition_stimulation.png}}

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== nrec is based on standard technology for robustness and enduring usability ==
 * hardware independence:
  * '''standard''' PC
  * '''standard''' graphics card
  * [[http://www.comedi.org/|comedi data acquisition library]] supports a lot of '''standard''' [[http://www.comedi.org/hardware.html|cards/boards/boxes]]
 * software standards:
  * it runs on a '''standard''' [[http://www.debian.org/|debian linux]]
  * it is developed in '''standard''' C++
  * parameter files format: '''standard''' XML
  * data storage files format: '''standard''' [[http://hdf.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HDF5/|hdf5]], Matlab readable
  * graphics primitives are built using the '''standard''' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenGL|OpenGL]] library

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== Current features ==
 * graphics primitives:
  * circle
  * rectangle
  * [[Screenshots#dotfield|dotfield (RDK)]]
  * [[Screenshots#text|text]]
  * arrow
  * [[Screenshots#landoltC|Landolt-C (for visual acuity measurements)]]
  * [[Screenshots#movie|movie (avi)]]
  * [[Screenshots#image|image (png)]]
  * [[Screenshots#square_plaids|square plaids]]
  * [[Screenshots#Dotfield3D|3D dotfield]] (stereo-mode: none, anaglyph, quad-buffer)
  * [[Screenshots#CheckerboardCircular|circular checkerboard]], also in parts, with flickering and radial and tangential movement
 * [[Screenshots#main_window|eyetracker calibration]], fixation control, [[Screenshots#data_window|online data visualization]]
 * the option to make a primitive a visual target
 * controllers that make the primitives move and jump and that handle digital in- or outputs
 * freely configurable digital channels for respone buttons, reward systems, LEDs etc.
 * experiment control by strategy based parameter setting
 * [[LuminanceCorrection|luminance correction]] by using a freely definable alpha mask loadable from a simple file