Troubleshooting

The experiments we do in the lab are technically demanding. This means that you will often encounter problems with the equipment. In order to collect data successfully and efficiently, you will need to learn to solve these problems on your own, mainly because they often occur in the middle of a long experimental session. 

1. Sometimes things stop working out of nowhere. Your best bet to solve the problem is to restart the computer. If this does not work, turn the computer / equipment off completely, unplug it, and then re-plug it in and try again. 
2. Read the equipment manual. 
3. Google the problem. Chances are someone else had this problem before you did, and they came up with a solution. 
4. For coding problems, look up the analysis functions using the developer's documentation:
   1. Matlab: https://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/
   2. Fieldtrip: https://www.fieldtriptoolbox.org/
   3. MVPA-light: https://github.com/treder/MVPA-Light or https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2020.00289/full 
   4. E-prime: https://support.pstnet.com/hc/en-us
   5. Psychtoolbox: http://psychtoolbox.org/
   6. MRI: /wiki/spaces/IRC/pages/78774284
5. Ask a labmate to take a look with you. A fresh set of eyes goes a long way. 
6. Ask Mike. Unfortunately, he is pretty busy and does not always have time to troubleshoot lab problems. Please make sure you've tried steps 1-5 before contacting him. 
7. Contact the developer or company directly for help. Get permission from Mike before doing this, and make sure you cc him on all communications with the developer or equipment company. 

Although it may be uncomfortable and difficult at first, your troubleshooting skills will improve with time and practice. Check out these links for further tips on developing good troubleshooting practices:

• https://crestcom.com/blog/2016/09/01/7-steps-to-effective-problem-solving/
• https://www.globalknowledge.com/us-en/resources/resource-library/articles/4-tips-to-strengthen-your-troubleshooting-skills/#gref