how to time stamp in experiment files

[stresslab]

Hello,

We're planning to run a few cognitive experiments via DirectRT and participants will be wearing portable holter monitors (to collect physio data during the experiments). We'd like to link the physio recordings to the DirectRT data using a time stamp.

I noticed there's a time stamp option for questionnaire files but haven't figured out how to do this with experiment files... Any advice?

Thanks,
Holly

[Trevor Newell]

Hi Holly,

If you mean in regards to MediaLab, the question_order.csv file in the byQuestionnaire data folder should have that information. You can also look at the timestamp option in the users guide, or online here:
http://www.empirisoft.com/medialab/help/queparameters.htm#timestamp

And also in the Data FAQ:
http://www.empirisoft.com/medialab/help/data_faq.htm

-
In DirectRT, you can find the timestamp data of a given experiment within the Log folder in the Data folder of your given input file. You can find more information regarding this file here:
http://www.empirisoft.com/directrt/help/directrt_log_files_more_data_.htm

Regards,
Trevor

[stresslab]

Hi Trevor,

Thanks for your response and helpful links. Yeah, this is an experiment in DirectRT. I see the time stamp for task onset in the log file, and I understand how to calculate the total time elapsed for each trial. However, is there any way to get a time stamp (i.e., 12:31:08) for each trial? Just want to make sure we have the most accurate way to link trial-by-trial performance with physiology recordings (e.g., heart rate, respiration rate, etc.).

Holly

[Trevor Newell]

Hm - I don't believe so. The most accurate time-stamp you would be able to replicate would be through using the value recorded in the 'time' column, and then adding all of the MS values to that.

This feature should exist though - I'll add a note to include it in the 2010 copy of DirectRT.

[stresslab]

Oh, that's too bad, but thanks for getting back to me.

By any chance, do you know how I could get the initial time stamp to record at the second or millisecond level? Right now I get the hour and minute (e.g., 12:36) and, using the technique you describe, it would be helpful to get finer grained time details for more accurate synchronization with the physio monitors.

Also - thanks for making the note to add this function to the 2010 edition. Any idea on when that version will be available??

Holly