Noraxon Signal

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Signal Acquisition

Noraxon

Global

Standard EventIDE license

In this article:

Introduction
Key Features
Properties
Typical Workflow
Practical Use
Notes

Introduction

The Noraxon Signal element enables EventIDE to acquire, buffer, and process real-time biosignal data (e.g., EMG, gait, force) streamed from Noraxon devices via the Noraxon MR software. This element is designed for experiments requiring synchronized physiological recordings and stimulus presentation, such as biomechanics, sports science, rehabilitation studies, and neuromuscular research.

By connecting directly to a Noraxon MR streaming server, the element can read incoming data from selected channels, store it in a configurable circular buffer, and make it available to other EventIDE elements for analysis or closed-loop control. It also includes a built-in signal generator mode, allowing offline testing without hardware.

Key Features

Real-Time Signal Acquisition – Streams data from Noraxon MR in sync with the experiment timeline.
Configurable Channel Selection – Choose specific channels for acquisition to optimize performance.
Built-In Test Mode – Simulate signals with adjustable frequency, noise, and sampling rate for hardware-free debugging.
Flexible Integration – Works seamlessly with EventIDE signal processing and logging elements.
Buffering and Status Indicators – Monitors available and selected channel counts, ensuring acquisition integrity.

Properties

Name	Description	Property Class	Type
Noraxon Settings
Server Address	Defines the IP address of the PC running Noraxon software.	General	String
Port	Defines the port number used for connecting to Noraxon software.	General	Int32
Request Configuration Now	Sends a request to Noraxon software to retrieve the currently available channels (once per configuration).	Design	Boolean
Polling Interval	Defines the interval (ms) for data polling on the Noraxon stream.	General	Double
Signal Generator
Signal Generator	If true, produces signal samples via an oscillatory generator rather than actual hardware (useful for test runs without hardware).	Design	Boolean
Emulated Sampling Rate	Sampling rate (samples/sec) for emulated or file-streamed data.	Design	Double
Primary Frequency	Frequency of the primary rhythm in the generated signal (Hz). Set to 0 to exclude it.	Design	Double
Secondary Frequency	Frequency of the secondary rhythm in the generated signal (Hz). Amplitude is 50% of primary. Set to 0 to exclude it.	Design	Double
Noise Level	Noise level in % relative to the primary rhythm amplitude. Set to 0 to exclude noise.	Design	Double
Channel Configuration
Selected Channels	List of signal channels selected for acquisition. Channels become available in EventIDE’s signal pool at runtime.	Design	List`1
Selected Channel Count	Number of signal channels currently selected.	Status	Int32
Total Channel Count	Total number of available channels.	Status	Int32
Buffer Size	Size (in samples) of the circular buffer that stores incoming signal data.	Design	Int32
Runtime Control
Reset Signals Now	Runtime command that resets signal buffers and data acquisition.	Runtime Command	Boolean
Control
Is Enabled	If set to false, the element is completely omitted when the experiment is run.	Design	Boolean
Title	Title of the element.	Design	String

Typical Workflow

The Noraxon Signal element is typically the first step in a three-stage signal pipeline:

Signal Acquisition – Noraxon Signal connects to Noraxon MR software and streams the selected channels into the EventIDE signal pool.
Signal Processing – Downstream elements (e.g., Single Channel Analyzer, PSD Analyzer, etc.) process incoming signals in real time, detecting events or extracting features.
Signal Logging – A logging element such as Signal File Writer stores raw and/or processed signals for later offline analysis.

Practical Use

Example: Real-Time EMG Feedback Experiment

Add the Noraxon Signal element to your experiment and configure the Server Address and Port to match the Noraxon MR streaming settings.
Use Request Configuration Now to retrieve and select the available channels you wish to record.
Set an appropriate Polling Interval and Buffer Size for the sampling rate and expected latency.
Optionally enable the Signal Generator mode for testing without hardware.
Add a processing element (e.g., Single Channel Analyzer) to compute metrics from the EMG data in real time.
Connect a logging element (Signal File Writer) to store the data for post-experiment analysis.
Run the experiment — the acquired EMG signal will be processed, displayed, and logged automatically.

Notes

For best results, ensure the Noraxon MR streaming settings match the sampling rate configured in EventIDE.
The Polling Interval should be tuned to balance latency and CPU load.
Signal Generator mode can be used for both debugging pipelines and training experiment operators without requiring hardware setup.
Multiple Noraxon Signal elements can be added if you need to handle different streaming sources or configurations in parallel.