version 0.0.2 (17-Sep-2014)

The EyeTribe Toolbox for Matlab is a set of functions that can be used to communicate with eye trackers manufactured by the EyeTribe. The communication process is not direct, but goes via a sub-server that receives input from Matlab (when the functions from this toolbox are called), and then sends commands to the actual EyeTribe server.

This setup is rather odd, but it is the most elegant solution that I could come up with to get around the problem of Matlab not having decent multithreading functionality. This functionality is required for running a heartbeat Thread (which keeps the connection with the EyeTribe alive), and another Thread to monitor samples (and write these to a log file). Similar results might be obtained by using callback functions within Matlab's TCP/IP framework, but that approach causes timing errors that extent into other domains: timing issues when using PsychToolbox's WaitSecs function, and background processes in Matlab screwing up all sorts of other timing sensitive processes.

So, out of lazine... Err... Out of a well-planned timing management effort to avoid time loss by re-inventing the wheel, I simply used PyTribe in a short Python script (see the python_source folder for the source) to compile a Windows executable, which should be run before you run your Matlab script.

The calibration routine is based on the PsychToolbox for Matlab, and requires an active window to be passed to it. This assures that you are free to calibrate the tracker at any given moment in your experiment, without having any external calibration routine battle with your experiment for control of the active display.

If you do not want to calibrate using the PsychToolbox, you can still use the EyeTribe Toolbox for Matlab, by simply NOT calling the eyetribe_calibrate function. Please do note that you should then calibrate the system with your own means, e.g. by using the EyeTribe's own GUI (C:\Program Files (x86)\EyeTribe\Client\EyeTribeWinUI.exe) before starting any software that calls upon the EyeTribe Toolbox for Matlab.

1. Go to: https://github.com/esdalmaijer/EyeTribe-Toolbox-for-Matlab

2. Press the Download ZIP button, or click this direct link.

3. Extract the ZIP archive you just downloaded.

4. Copy the folder EyeTribe_for_Matlab to where you want it to be (e.g. in your Documents folder, under MATLAB).

5. In Matlab, go to File -> Set Path -> Add folder and select the folder you copied at step 4.

Alternatively, place the following code at the start of your experiment:

% assuming you placed the EyeTribe_for_Matlab directly under C:
addpath('C:\EyeTribe_for_Matlab')

1. Start EyeTribe Server C:\Program Files(x86)\EyeTribe\Server\EyeTribe.exe

2. Start EyeTribe_Matlab_server.exe.

3. Run your Matlab script, e.g. the one below:

% don't bother with vsync tests for this demo
Screen('Preference', 'SkipSyncTests', 1);

% initialize connection
[success, connection] = eyetribe_init('test');

% open a new window
window = Screen('OpenWindow', 2);

% calibrate the tracker
success = eyetribe_calibrate(connection, window);

% show blank window
Screen('Flip', window);

% start recording
success = eyetribe_start_recording(connection);

% log something
success = eyetribe_log(connection, 'TEST_START');

% get a few samples
for i = 1:60
    pause(0.0334)
    [success, x, y] = eyetribe_sample(connection);
    [success, size] = eyetribe_pupil_size(connection);
    disp(['x=' num2str(x) ', y=' num2str(y) ', s=' num2str(size)])
end

% log something
success = eyetribe_log(connection, 'TEST_STOP');

% stop recording
success = eyetribe_stop_recording(connection);

% close connection
success = eyetribe_close(connection);

% close window
Screen('Close', window);