Troubleshooting

Signal Quality Solutions

1. If signal quality is poor after calibrating subject, use the stick-end of the long q-tips found in the grey NIRx box to move hair/wires beneath grommet until you see scalp. Remember to recalibrate if you make changes/improvements.

2.  If signal is still poor, use the gel in the box to keep hair out of the way

   • Gel is water-based and dries without a mess (no need for showers)

   • Signal quality may be harder to improve in individuals with darker and/or thicker hair

   • Try using stronger grommet spring strength (eg. use strength III instead of II) 

3. Use a hair brush to smooth down hair if possible. Please ask participant if they will be okay with this and do not do it if they seem uncomfortable. SANITIZE the brush after each use. 

Connectivity Issues

Connectivity Solutions: First Steps

1. For tandem mode, it is not necessary to see both devices in Aurora. As long as the primary device can be selected, the secondary device will automatically connect. This can be confirmed during the signal optimization step. If there is poor signal coming from ALL the optodes in the secondary device, then it's possible it is not connected. 
2. Ensure NIRS devices are on and have 2 green lights
3. Make sure all cables are correctly and tightly connected
4. Check NIRS battery levels on Aurora. You will find it on the calibration page at the bottom of the screen. If they are low, continue charging throughout the appointment

Connectivity Solutions: Advanced Steps

1. Try closing and reopening the Hyperscanning/Aurora apps 
2. If using TP-Link, make sure all devices are connected to it. For some hyperscanning studies that use 1 TP-Link for all 4 devices, it is possible they forgot to change the settings on the devices to switch them back to their respective TP-Link. To check, connect to the device directly on the wifi list (make sure tandem cord and any tp-links are unplugged first). Open Aurora and select the device, then click the 'Settings' button. Select 'Load' under the SSID option to check which TP-Link it automatically connects to. Change it if it is not correct. Turn device off and then plug things back in. The device should know connect to the TP-Link you entered.
3. If issues continue to persist, do a hard reset on the NIRS devices by clicking the power button for 45+ seconds (they will eventually turn off, wait 10 seconds before turning back on)
4. If issues still persist, reset ALL equipment (NIRS, laptops, eye tracking phone, etc) 
5. If there are still errors, use the USB to connect the NIRS devices to the laptop 

Other Errors

1. Sometimes odd error pop-ups will appear. If possible, take a screenshot/picture of the error so we can send to NIRx for troubleshooting
2. Follow advanced solutions steps 1-3 and if it still won’t work perform advanced solutions step 4-5

Troubleshooting with Phantom

If you suspect there is an issue with a specific optode or bundle, you can run a phantom scan. This will check for signal quality problems that may be caused by a physical issue that is causing it to malfunction. This step is not necessary for you to do, but if you are curious and want to do on your own please review the Troubleshooting with Static Phantom Guide. If you are running into persistent issues, please let us know and submit a ticket.