Procomp Troubleshooting on NeuroCybernetics Dos systems.

Question: All of the traces went flat!

(Red bold text is the quick guide, black text is the detailed descussion.)

1. Are all the traces flat, or only the bottom 3?
   This page refers only to the top trace going flat. If only the bottom three traces are flat, then please see the section on this knowledgebase on artifact inhibit. If you have signal on the top trace, you do not have a procomp problem. See lower 3 traces going flat - on this knowledgebase.
   
   
2. Did you see yellow warning messages for "invalid license" or "game not authorized" when launching the session? If so, this will cause all the traces to go flat. The license warning message will appear if the date is wrong on the PC. Check the date on the PC by returning to the main blue menu and checking the date on the bottom corner. If the date is wrong, then you may need to replace the motherboard battery (cmos battery available at any computer store or drug store). In the mean time you can set the date by press "Q" and "enter" to exit to DOS, and they type "date" and "enter" to set the correct date, and this should solve the invalid license error message.
3. Batteries. Is the light on the procomp on? If not, check the batteries otherwise send the unit in for repair. Call thought technology for mailing instructions 800-361-3651.
   
   
4. Is there a number in the bottom right hand corner of the NeuroCybernetics therapist screen showing between 2.00 and 5.99? Make sure the procomp is turned on and the systems is at the brainwave screen. Check the bottom right hand corner for the battery voltage numbers. If you see numbers, your communication side is fine, jump to Step 11, otherwise keep reading
   
   
5. Procomp test screen: Press ESC twice to return to the main menu. Press the right arrow to Utilities / down to Test System Features / Procomp Test. If you don't have the option for the procomp test screen, press "q" to exit, and type "TTW" at the prompt. Once at the yellow screen, if the numbers on the right side of the yellow procomp test screen are moving then continue to step 6 for dip switches. If the numbers on the left side are moving, and the numbers on the right side are NOT moving, then your computer communication is GOOD, jump to step 11. If no numbers are moving, then jump to step 7, fiber optic cable.
   
   

6. Dip switches: If the numbers on the right of the procomp test screen are moving, you have the dip switches set incorrectly, change them to:
   Procomp +
   Right (on)
   Left (off)
   Left (off)
   Left (off)
   
   Procomp II, Procomp Infiniti
   Down (on)
   Up (off)
   Up (off)
   Up (off)
   
   

7. Fiber Cable: This is the most likely solution. At least 90% of procomp problems are resolved here. Please reboot your therapist PC before completing this step. After you reboot, repeat step 5 above to enter the procomp test screen and check for moving numbers. Leave the yellow procomp test screen open, and check the fiber optic cable ends. Undo the collar that holds the fiber optic cable by twisting it with your thumb and forefinger. Remove the fiber optic cable, and then re seat the cable and re tighten the collar. Make sure to push the cable all the way in (about an 1/8^th inch from the line drawn on the cable). Watch the yellow screen for any sign of movement. Repeat this process on both the procomp, and the computer (pro-SB ) side of the fiber optic cable. Repeat this process several times looking for any sign of life on the yellow screen. Again, this is the most likely fix, so spend some time here making sure you have fiddled with the fiber optic cable as much as seems reasonable. Also check for major kinks or breaks or complete cuts in the fiber optic cable. You should be able to see a red light through the cable when the procomp is on, but this does not guarantee communication. The fiber optic cable ends can be cut. Simply use a sharp knife to make a clean cut, and this can often help to solve a connection problem, as a clean end for the light makes a big difference. Also any major kink in the wire can be cut off as that will cause a problem in the light transmission as well. A new fiber optic cable can be purchased on www.eegshop.com.
   
   

   1. Also, while checking the fiber cable, make sure that the procomp is connected to the THERAPIST computer.

8. Com port : Have you recently disconnected the amplifier from the computer? A quick way to verify that the procomp is connected to the right port is to press ESC from the main menu on the therapist computer. This will cause both the therapist computer and the game computer to flash quickly. If the game screen does not respond to the therapist computer reset, then it is not communicating. Try switching the procomp and game computer cables (identical 9 pin serial RS-232 cables plugged into the back of the therapist PC). Test the procomp and game communication after switching the cables. You can also switch the cable assignment from the main menu without changing the cables. Press the right arrow to "utilities" then "change setup" then arrow down to "game communication" press the right arrow until it changes from "com 1" to "com 2" or vice versa. By changing the game communication selection, the procomp communication defaults to the other port (i.e. Changing the game communication to com 2 places the procomp onto com 1). Test the game communication by pressing ESC on the therapist screen and watching for the reset flash on the game computer. Also, if the procomp is turned on and connected, and the right com port is found, it will display a "procomp on" message in red on the therapist screen (only after the ESC is pressed).

   7a. Laptop com ports: If you are using a laptop, the com port can be much more troublesome as it uses a special card to create the second com port . Because this special card can be troublesome, generally the procomp is connected directly to the port in the computer, and the game communication is connected to the card. Switch the cables according to the instructions above, or switch the com port assignments as above. If that does not solve the problem, or only solves half the problem (either game or procomp communication still does not work) then work with the socket card as follows: Make sure to turn the computer completely off, then remove the socket card, then replace it, usually in the upper slot. If you see an error message "only one com port found" then either the card is not all the way in the slot, not in the right slot, or the drivers are not installed. Visit http://www.eeginfo.com/knowledgebase/entry/3/143/ For the socket card re installation instructions.
   
   

9. Pro-SB: After thoroughly testing the fiber optic cable and com ports, and you still see no numbers moving on the yellow procomp test screen, and no "procomp on" message on the main therapist screen, and subsequently no EEG on the training screen, then it's time to try another Pro-SB. This is the gray box that allows the connection of the fiber optic cable. This can be ordered from EEGinfo at 818-373-1334 (aprox. $250). If you have a second procomp in the office with a working Pro-SB, try exchanging that piece and testing the communication again (much cheaper than a new Pro-SB).
   
   

10. Reboot and try again. If you have tried all the steps above, and the yellow procomp screen still shows NO movement on either the right or left column of numbers, or the trace at the top, then reboot your PC, and try the above steps again. If you have another computer where you could connect your procomp to test it, that would rule out some computer problem with your com port . At this point you should call Thought Technology to have your procomp repaired, or call EEG info at 818-373-1334 for repair information.
    
    
11. Client side communication. Assuming a successful test on the yellow procomp test screen, with numbers moving on the left, and no numbers moving on the right, and a working procomp light, then the problem lies on the client side of the procomp.
    
    
    1. Are you connecting into channel A on the front of the procomp?
    2. Are you using a preamp in channel A? The procomp plus and procomp Infiniti require the use of a preamp (procomp 2 does not) which is a small triangular piece of plastic that says "flex pro" on it. This preamp connects to channel A, and then the din cable that splits into 3 and allows the connection of the electrodes plugs into this preamp. The procomp 2 however has a built in preamp in channel A and therefore cannot use a preamp connected to channel A. Make sure to remove any preamp/flex pro from channel A if you are using one with the procomp 2. All three procomps require the use a flex pro/preamp in channel B for use of two channel training.
    3. Preamp on backwards. Be very sure that you have the preamp/flex pro facing the right direction. This plastic piece is shaped like an arrow. The tip of the arrow points towards the procomp, not towards the client. [procomp] ------
    4. Din cable broken. The din cable needs to be replaced often, with your electrodes. Please try a new din cable and see if this resolves the signal problem. The cables tend to pull apart from each other and cause an intermittent signal. You can order a new din cable at www.eegshop.com Electrodes rarely cause a completely flat trace unless they are all touching each other, or are placed in a glass of water, or a grounding problem on the NeuroCybernetics amplifier can cause this problem. It's always a good idea to change your electrodes if you think you are having signal problems, but generally electrode signal problems show up as excess noise, not as a completely flat trace.