Workspace Basics
Getting to Know the BioSigRZ Main Window
BioSigRZ's main window is designed to provide customizable visual displays of the stimulus signal, raw response signals, running averages, history data, and reports.
The Start-up Window
Upon starting BioSigRZ, you will see the main BioSigRZ window. If you are running BioSigRZ for the first time, the main window will appear in its default layout, as seen below.
The window contains the following sections:
The Customized Window
BioSigRZ provides numerous displays. Depending on your needs, you may wish to enlarge some displays and reduce others.
To enlarge/reduce a display area:
- Drag the appropriate Sizing Bar.
Below, the BioSigRZ main window is configured to provide more room in the Worksheet area. The Calculator area has been expanded so that most calculator and worksheet buttons are visible.
Using the BioSigRZ Menus
BioSigRZ provides the user with a full set of menu commands. From these menu commands, you can create, open, and save files; customize screen displays; present stimulus signals; acquire response data; and analyze data.
The File Menu
The File Menu provides a standard Windows method for creating, saving, opening, closing, and printing files.
The Setup Menu
From the Setup Menu, you can define stimulus and acquisition parameters, adjust stimulus parameters, calibrate the system, enter subject information, and customize the BioSigRZ interface.
The Operations Menu
The Operations Menu provides a list of commands that control the presentation of the stimulus signal and the acquisition of response signals. Menu options vary, depending on the current operational mode. Operational modes consist of the following:
- Idle - No stimulus presentation or data acquisition
- Running - Stimulus is being presented
- Averaging - Response data is being acquired and averaged
- Paused - Data averaging has been temporarily suspended
The View Menu
From the View Menu, you can turn various visual displays on or off.
Note
Whenever you click in a plot area, that plot receives the focus. Focus is indicated by a thin frame of highlight surrounding the plot area. Plot commands affect the focus plot only.
The Multi-Plot Menu
From the Multi-Plot menu, you can specify which signal you would like to display in the Multi-Purpose Plot.
The History Menu
From the History Menu, you can load history records and perform various operations on records displayed in the History Plot.
The Worksheet Menu
The Calculator Menu
The Calculator Menu provides mathematical operations that may be applied to one or more records displayed in the Worksheet.
The Help Menu
From the Help Menu, you can access the About BioSigRZ dialog box. Clicking the BioSigRZ Help option or pressing the F1 button at any time prompts the BioSigRZ Manual.
Using the Toolbars
The Toolbar
On the BioSigRZ Toolbar, you can find quick point-and-click access to the most common commands.
The multi-purpose and history plots are controlled through the use of the Plot Control Toolbar. This toolbar is normally invisible.
The Plot Control Toolbar may be used to control the plot area that currently has the focus.
Note
Whenever you click in a plot area, that plot receives the focus . Focus is indicated by a thin frame of highlight surrounding the plot area. Plot commands affect the focus plot, only.
To display the Plot Control Toolbar:
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Place the mouse pointer within the plot area and hold down the right mouse button.
The Plot Control Toolbar will remain displayed while the right mouse button remains depressed.
To click a Plot Control Toolbar button:
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With the right mouse button depressed, place the mouse pointer above the desired toolbar button.
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Release the right mouse button.
The button will be clicked. With the release of the right mouse button, the Plot Control toolbar will disappear.
Common Plot Control Toolbar Features
Scaling | Customization | Channels |
The Plot Control Toolbar is customized for each BioSigRZ plot. However, there are certain common features found in all Plot Control Toolbars. Each toolbar consists of the following sections.
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Scaling Section
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Customization Section
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Channels Section
Scaling Section
Located on the far left of the Plot Control Toolbar, the scaling section consists of three buttons that may be used to alter plot scaling. These scaling commands may also be accessed from the View Menu.
Expand Scale |
Reduce Scale |
Customization
Each plot area has its own specialized plot control functions. Buttons controlling these functions are found in the center of the Plot Control Toolbar. See The Multi-Purpose Plot below and See The History Plot., for more information.
Channels
You may wish to display some or all channels in the current plot. Located on the far right of the Plot Control Toolbar, the channels section consists of four buttons that may be used to show/hide channels. These channel commands may also be accessed from the View Menu.
Channel buttons are independent. That is, more than one channel button may be "on" at one time. Channel buttons act like toggle switches. Clicking a button that is "on" turns it "off." Clicking a button that is "off" turns it "on." As with Scaling buttons, "on" buttons appear depressed.
Channels are indicated in Roman numerals, I, II, III, and IV.
To show/hide a channel:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Turn the channel "on" or "off" by clicking its button.
Note
If none of the channel buttons are turned "on," no plot will be displayed. The plot area will appear blank.
Multi-Purpose Plot
The Multi-Purpose Plot may be used to display a variety of signals during stimulus presentation and data averaging. The plot is controlled through the use of the Plot Control Toolbar.
As with all other plots, you can control the scaling and channel display through use of the Plot Control Toolbar. Functions specific to the Multi-Purpose Plot are found in the center of the toolbar. These functions may also be accessed from the Multi-Plot menu.
Types of Displays
The buttons located in the center of the Plot Control Toolbar control the Multi- purpose signal display. The Multi-purpose Plot may be used to display the following signals:
Plot display buttons are mutually exclusive. That is, clicking one display button turns that function "on" and turns all other display functions "off." "On" buttons appear depressed.
Stimulus
Choosing Stimulus causes the current stimulus signal to be displayed. BioSigRZ allows up to two channels of stimulus output.
To display the Stimulus signal:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Stimulus Signal button or press 'S' on the keyboard.
Raw A/D
Choosing Raw A/D Input causes unprocessed A/D input to be displayed. Raw input is not affected by currently defined acquisition setup parameters such as gain but will display the effects of acquisition filter settings.
To display the raw A/D signal:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Raw A/D Input button or press 'I' on the keyboard.
Frequency Domain
Choosing Frequency Domain causes the Raw A/D input to be displayed in the frequency domain.
To display the frequency-domain A/D signal:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Frequency Domain button or press 'T' on the keyboard.
EEG
Choosing EEG causes processed input to be displayed. EEG data is affected by currently defined acquisition setup parameters such as gain and any acquisition filter settings that are applied.
To display the EEG signal:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the EEG button or press 'E on the keyboard.
Running Average
Choosing Running Average causes the current averaged EEG signal to be displayed.
To display the running average:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Running Average button or press 'A' on the keyboard.
None
Choosing None causes no signal to be displayed and the plot area will appear blank.
To display no signal:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Display None or press 'N' on the keyboard.
The History Plot
The History Plot is used to display historical averaged signal data. The plot is controlled through the use of the Plot Control Toolbar.
You can control the scaling and channel display through use of the Plot Control Toolbar. Functions specific to the History Plot are found in the center of the toolbar. These functions may also be accessed from the History menu.
Scrolling Functions
History Plot data is organized into groups. Each time you tell BioSigRZ to begin collecting data, it begins a new group. Data records are appended to the end of the group until you halt data collection. When data collection is resumed, a new group is appended to the end of the History Plot.
You may quickly scroll to the top or bottom of a group using the scrolling buttons.
To scroll to the top of the previous group:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Scroll Up button or press 'Page Up' on the keyboard.
To scroll to the top of the next group:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Scroll Down button or press 'Page Down' on the keyboard.
Editing Functions
You may edit the History Plot using the editing buttons. You may perform editing functions on all records or just those that are selected. Selected records appear surrounded by a frame of highlight.
Selecting Records
You may select one record, multiple contiguous records, or multiple non- contiguous records for editing using standard, Shift+click and Ctrl+click Windows methods.
Editing
To clear selected History Plot records:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Clear Selected Record button.
To clear all History Plot records:
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Display the Control Plot Toolbar.
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Click the Clear History button or press Ctrl + 'X' on the keyboard.
Note
BioSigRZ maintains a file of historical records knows as the BioSigRZ record file (.arf file). As history records are acquired, they are appended to this file. Clearing a record from the History Plot does not remove the record from the BioSigRZ record file. Records stored in the BioSigRZ record file can be retrieved and viewed in the History Plot by choosing Access Record File from the History menu.
The Calculator and Worksheet Buttons
BioSigRZ provides mathematical functions that may be applied to one or more Worksheet record(s). These functions may be accessed from the Calculator menu or from buttons displayed in the area of the main window known as the Calculator.
Calculator functions are described in detail in a later section. For more information about the Calculator, see Using the Calculator.
Calculator Functions
Worksheet Functions
Located below the Calculator, the five Worksheet buttons can be used to format and organize the Worksheet. These functions may also be found in the Worksheet menu.
The Worksheet
The Worksheet is an area of the main window where you can place records for reporting. Calculator functions may also be applied to records in the Worksheet. For more information about the Worksheet, See Using the Worksheet..
Customizing Your Display
BioSigRZ provides various types of visual data on one easy-to-use main window. Depending on your data display needs and your type of monitor, you may find it useful to alter the default BioSigRZ screen configuration. Some common screen configuration problems and their solutions are listed below.
To customize the Worksheeet:
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Select Worksheet Displays Ops from the Setup menu or click the Worksheet Display button. This prompts the Worksheet Display Options dialog box.
To customize all other areas:
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Select General Displays Ops from the Setup menu or click the General Display button. This prompts the General Display Options dialog box.
From either Display Options dialog box you may configure the font types and sizes and colors using standard Windows techniques.
Customizing the Layout
You may wish to re-size screen display areas.
To manually customize a screen area:
- Drag one or more Sizing Bars until the desired size is reached.
Using Setups
You may configure up to three layout setups.
To use a setup:
- Select the desired Setup # by hovering over the Layout option in the Setup menu.
To configure a setup:
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Select the desired Setup # by hovering over the Layout option in the Setup menu or click the desired Setup # button.
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Ensure that the desired Setup # is currently unlocked prior to any modifications. To do this, click the Lock button if it is currently enabled.
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Manually customize the layout.
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Select Lock by hovering over the Layout option in the Setup menu or click the Lock button. This layout is now associated with the chosen Setup #.
Returning to the Default Layout
To return to the default layout:
- Select To Default hovering over the Layout option in the Setup menu or click the Default Layout button.
Customizing Cursor Strings
BioSigRZ provides a means for placing cursors in history/worksheet records. This process is known as Cursor Editing.
When a history or worksheet record is selected for Editing, it is possible to place up to 10 cursors within the signal. Each cursor is associated with a text label. You may customize the first five labels. These labels are known as cursor strings.
To customize a default cursor string:
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Select Default Cursor Strings from the Setup menu. You will see the Default Cursor Text dialog box.
Cursor strings may be defined as follows:
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One set for all acquisition channels.
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One set for each acquisition channel.
To specify one set of cursor strings for all acquisition channels:
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Check the One Set Only check box.
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Type in the desired cursor strings.
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Click OK.
To specify one set of cursor strings for each acquisition:
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Make sure the One Set Only check box is not checked.
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Select the desired acquisition channel.
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Type in the desired cursor strings.
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Click OK.
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Repeat for each acquisition channel.