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29  Hardware

This reference section deals with the T.O.V.A. hardware, what it does, and how to diagnose hardware problems.

T.O.V.A. USB device
- See section 29.1.
T.O.V.A. Microswitch
- See section 29.2.
Check T.O.V.A. Hardware window
- See section 29.3.
Display Calibration
- See section 29.4.
General audio
- See section 29.5.
PTE Audio
- See section 29.6.
EAV Audio
- See section 29.7.

29.1  The T.O.V.A. USB device

Not only does the T.O.V.A. USB device securely track your test credits, it’s also a miniature computer! Let’s look briefly at all that the T.O.V.A. USB device does when you administer a test:

Front of the T.O.V.A. USB device
Back of the T.O.V.A. USB device
  1. When you launch a T.O.V.A. test, the pattern for that test is loaded onto the T.O.V.A. USB device along with the practice test, some limited subject and session information, and a few other settings.
  2. The first time you administer a Visual test, the T.O.V.A. USB device facilitates calibration. During calibration, you hold the back of the microswitch up to your screen. The microswitch’s photodiode registers the calibration flashes, and the T.O.V.A. USB device records your monitor’s specific display parameters, so the T.O.V.A. test results will have the highest accuracy.
  3. If you’re administering an External A/V test, the T.O.V.A. USB device also supplies the test itself, sending out the Visual test video signal to your display and the Auditory test audio to your speakers. Because the EAV test timing is completely managed by the T.O.V.A. USB device , we have the capability to administer the T.O.V.A. test—with ±1 ms accuracy—without leaving your OS.
  4. Every time the subject presses the microswitch button, that button press is registered and stored on the T.O.V.A. USB device .
  5. When the test is finished, the T.O.V.A. USB device returns a summary of the administered test.
  6. Finally, you use a credit to retrieve the test. The test data is loaded from the device and stored in your T.O.V.A. database

Note: You must have a T.O.V.A. USB device to administer tests in the T.O.V.A. .

29.1.1  That Little Light

The light on the front of the T.O.V.A. USB device indicates to you and to us what the T.O.V.A. USB device is doing. It’s also a button you can press if you ever need to reset your T.O.V.A. USB device . It’s important to note, however, that the reset light can also be a distraction to your subjects, which is why we recommend that you keep it out of sight during testing. The microswitch has a nice long cable for just this reason, and the reset light is recessed somewhat to make obscuring it that much easier.

Reset light/button

Here are the colors you might expect to see using the T.O.V.A. :

Color Status Description
YellowPowered Device is finding power, but is not recognized by your OS.*
Green Ready Device is attached and recognized by your OS.
Blue Testing Device is running the T.O.V.A. test. If the device is disconnected or loses power while the light is blue, your test data will be lost.
Red Error An error prevents testing (e.g., microswitch unplugged). The red light may blink to indicate a specific error.
White Switch down The microswitch is being pressed (It doesn’t turn white during testing, to avoid distraction).

* Note: A yellow light may indicate you haven’t installed the T.O.V.A. USB device drivers. You should install the T.O.V.A. software before you setup the hardware. See section 9.12 for information on installing the T.O.V.A. .

29.1.2  T.O.V.A. 8 hardware

To use the T.O.V.A. software, you will need T.O.V.A. 9 hardware. You cannot administer the T.O.V.A. test with T.O.V.A. 7 or T.O.V.A. 8 hardware. Please contact T.O.V.A. Customer Service (section 27) to purchase a T.O.V.A. kit before installing the T.O.V.A. software.

29.1.3  Device not found

If the T.O.V.A. does not recognize that your T.O.V.A. USB device is attached, try the following:

  1. Before you attach the hardware, make sure you install the T.O.V.A. software.
  2. Make sure that the USB cable is firmly attached to the T.O.V.A. USB device and your computer’s USB port.
  3. Exit the T.O.V.A. .
  4. Disconnect and reconnect the device. When you reconnect, Windows may indicate this with a ‘T.O.V.A. USB Device’ balloon and/or a sound effect.
  5. If your OS recognizes the device, the light should turn green. Run the T.O.V.A. and the device should be recognized.
  6. Make sure that you are plugging the device into your computer and not to a separate USB hub.
  7. If a USB port on the front of your computer doesn’t work, try one on the back, or vice versa.
  8. If your OS still won’t recognize the device being attached and the light remains yellow, you may need to manually install the drivers. See section 29.1.6

29.1.4  Other device errors

Sometimes there can be communication problems with the T.O.V.A. USB device . There are two common causes of this:

Sleep mode
- If your system goes to sleep while running the T.O.V.A. , it can lose its connection to the device. To clear up the problem, exit and restart the T.O.V.A. . To avoid this problem in the future, we recommend that you disable sleep mode on your T.O.V.A. system. See section 34.8 for steps specific to your operating system.
USB hub
- If your T.O.V.A. USB device is plugged into a USB hub, you will get unpredicable communication problems. You should plug your T.O.V.A. USB device directly into a USB port on your system—USB hubs are not supported with the T.O.V.A. . See section 13 for more information.

If the above doesn’t resolve the problem, try the “Device not found" steps at section 29.1.3. If it continues to happen, there may be a problem with your PC or your T.O.V.A. hardware–contact T.O.V.A. technical support for help (section 27).

29.1.5  Resetting your audio and video

If ever your screen will not show the correct picture or your speakers are making a sound they shouldn’t be, you can reset the T.O.V.A. USB device by pressing the button (that little light) on the front. That will return audio and video control to your system. If you’re still having audio or video problems then, it’s probably not the T.O.V.A. USB device causing them.

Note: You should also make sure that the USB cable is properly attached, as that power is needed to carry the audio and video signals.

29.1.6  Installing/Fixing the T.O.V.A. hardware drivers

Note: These instructions are for Windows. If you encounter problems installing the T.O.V.A. USB device drivers, you may need to manually install the hardware. For instance, if the T.O.V.A. hardware was attached before the T.O.V.A. software was installed, you could encounter a scenario where the drivers do not install correctly. This is a Windows glitch, but fortunately it can solved:

Step 1
- Attach the T.O.V.A. USB device to your computer. If the ‘Found New Hardware Wizard’ appears, go to Step 5.
Step 2
- Choose ‘Run’ from the Start menu (or press Window-R).
Run the Device Manager
Step 3
- Type devmgmt.msc into the ‘Open’ field and choose ‘OK’.
Missing driver in the Device Manager
Step 4
- Look for bright yellow exclamation mark beside ‘T.O.V.A. USB Device’ in the hardware list. Right-click the item and choose ‘Update Driver’ or ‘Update Driver Software’. This will launch the ‘Found New Hardware Wizard’.
Step 5
- Choose ‘Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)’ and click ‘Next’.
Found New Hardware Wizard
Step 6
- Choose ‘Search for the best driver in these locations.’
Direct the wizard to the T.O.V.A. drivers
Step 7
- Uncheck ‘Search removable media (floppy, CD-ROM...)’.
Step 8
- Check ‘Include this location in the search:’, browse to the T.O.V.A. install folder (by default, this will be either C:\Program Files\tova_8 or C:\Program Files (x86)\tova_8),

select the ftdi folder, and choose ‘OK’. Click ‘Next’.

Step 9
- Wait a few moments while the hardware wizard searches for and installs the correct driver.
Searching for and installing the drivers
Step 10
- When it’s finished, you should see something like Figure 84, indicating that the T.O.V.A. drivers were successfully installed. If not, try repeating these instructions or contact T.O.V.A. technical support for assistance.
T.O.V.A. drivers installed!

Congratulations! You’ve successfully fixed a driver installation problem.

29.2  The T.O.V.A. microswitch

Instead of mice or keyboards (both unpredictably inaccurate), the T.O.V.A. uses a standardized microswitch which performs reliably and consistently across literally millions of presses. The T.O.V.A. microswitch has a built-in light sensor that we use to calibrate your display. For more information on calibration, see section 18.5.1.

Connector
Microswitch Jack

To connect the new microswitch to the T.O.V.A. USB device , line up the arrows on the top of the connector with the top of the T.O.V.A. device and push it gently into the port. You do not need to twist or turn or squeeze in any way.

To disconnect the microswitch from the T.O.V.A. USB device , grasp the connector on either side and pull it gently but firmly out from the device. Again, you do not need to twist or turn or squeeze the connector in any way.

29.2.1  Why isn’t my microswitch working?

First, make sure that the microswitch is plugged into the front of the T.O.V.A. USB device . If it’s not, or there’s another microswitch error, the light on the front of the T.O.V.A. USB device may be red.

Second, make sure the microswitch ‘feels’ right. With a gentle press, it should make a sudden transition to the pressed state with a single click. If it feels mushy, or very hard to press, or something is rattling in the case, you’re going to need a new microswitch.

Third, go to ‘Help’, ‘Check T.O.V.A. hardware’, ‘Check microswitch’ to test your microswitch button. If there is or was a microswitch error, it may be indicated on this window as well. See section 29.3 for more information.

Finally, if the microswitch intermittently works and then doesn’t, it should be replaced IMMEDIATELY; a test taken with a faulty microswitch can’t be considered reliable.

If you need a new microswitch, contact T.O.V.A. customer service (section 27) as soon as possible and let us know how fast you need a new one. We’ll send you a new one right away! Note: We might ask you to send us the old one for quality control purposes.

29.3  Check T.O.V.A. Hardware

The Check Hardware window has information and tools for testing and fixing the T.O.V.A. USB device , the microswitch, and your system’s connections to them. Let’s review them briefly:

29.3.1  Hardware information

On the right side of the Check T.O.V.A. hardware window you are given all the information about your T.O.V.A. hardware.

User type
- This identifies whether you have a Clinical or Screening device. The T.O.V.A. is not compatible with Screening devices. Contact T.O.V.A. tech support (section 27) for more information.
Serial number
- Your serial number (usually a five-digit number) uniquely identifies your T.O.V.A. USB device and may be used to identify you when you contact The TOVA Company for service or support.
Credits remaining
- You must have at least one T.O.V.A. test credit available to administer a T.O.V.A. test—you will use a test credit to save the results of that test. See Credits (section 20) for more information.
Device version(s)
- Gives the firmware version of your attached T.O.V.A. USB device and microswitch. When you update the T.O.V.A. (section 28), you will sometimes be prompted to update this firmware as well (section 28.2).
Power source
- Your T.O.V.A. USB device should always be able to run on power supplied by the attached USB cable.
Session status
- Usually, this will usually say ‘NONE’ to indicate that any session data has been saved or erased. If it says something else, there may be session data still stored on the T.O.V.A. USB device . Choose ‘Check for session’ (detailed below) to save any session data you wish to preserve, as soon as possible.
Other error statuses
- If there are problems with your T.O.V.A. USB device or microswitch, you may see other errors here as well. You should report hardware errors to T.O.V.A. technical support immediately to correct problems you may encounter.
Check T.O.V.A. hardware window

29.3.2  Hardware tools

Refresh
- If you connect a new T.O.V.A. USB device , choose ‘Refresh’ to load its information
Test your hardware setup
- Runs the Hardware setup wizard, which verifies your T.O.V.A. hardware connections step by step (see section 14).
Check EAV audio
- Lets you play audio from your sound card and from the T.O.V.A. USB device , and adjust the EAV volume to balance the two.
Check the audio volume for EAV testing
Check EAV video
- Presents images from the T.O.V.A. USB device to your external display to verify that the video has been hooked up correctly
Check microswitch
- This helps you verify that the microswitch is properly attached and recognizing button presses. See section 29.2.1 for more information.
Check USB communication
- This experimental feature tests communication with the T.O.V.A. USB device . Note: Any session data on your T.O.V.A. USB device will be overwritten–only use at the direction of technical support.
Help
- Opens the User’s Manual to this section

29.3.3  Advanced hardware tools

Below these are more advanced functions. Note: You should not use these without direction from T.O.V.A. technical support.

Device commands
- Useful only at the direction of T.O.V.A. Technical support
EAV calibration
- Recalibrates your display for EAV testing
View EAV calibration
- Presents the latest results of display calibration for the EAV, with a brief explanation of errors
View PTE calibration
- Presents the latest results of display calibration for the PTE, with a brief explanation of errors
Check for session
- Manually checks if there is an unsaved test on the T.O.V.A. USB device and offers to save the data.
Reject session
- Allows you to erase unsaved test data from the device. Note: Data is removed from the device when it is saved to the database. If you do erase data from the device without saving it, it will be lost forever.
Update firmware
- Updating the firmware should happen automatically, if ever necessary, when you update the T.O.V.A. (see Updating the T.O.V.A. , section 28). This option is only useful at the direction of T.O.V.A. Technical support.
Update microswitch
- Updating the microswitch firmware should also happen automatically when you update the T.O.V.A. (see Updating the T.O.V.A. , section 28). This option is only useful at the direction of T.O.V.A. Technical support.

29.4  Troubleshooting Display Calibration

You must calibrate your display to administer the Visual T.O.V.A. test. Whether it’s a modern LCD display or a big, old CRT monitor, every display has some delay, however brief. Calibration allows the T.O.V.A. to properly account for your display’s specific timing, so that the results of the T.O.V.A. will be as precise and accurate as possible.

Hold the photodiode up to the rectangle on the screen

Most displays will calibrate successfully. However, others may encounter errors during calibration.

The first thing you should do if your calibration fails is try it again. Make sure that you’re holding the microswitch so that the bottom of the microswitch (where the photodiode window is) is directly touching the surface of your screen, but not pressing down hard. The button should be facing outward from the screen and the cord should be hanging down from the back of the microswitch, as indicated on the calibration diagram (Figure 89). Calibration may take a minute or so, but try to hold the microswitch still.

Secondly, some displays may take a few minutes to finish warming up. Restart the calibration and leave the message “Place microswitch in box and press button” on the screen for at least two minutes before starting a second time.

Thirdly, your display may be too dim, and you should increase the brightness and try calibration again. Once calibration is complete, you can lower the brightness again as appropriate.

If you continue to get the same error, the problem can be diagnosed here:

When calibration fails, try again, then consult this section
Calibration was interrupted.
- Your calibration was interrupted before it could be completed. You should try calibration again and let it complete.
The photodiode on the T.O.V.A. microswitch is not seeing the calibration flashes.
- There are some common reasons for this:
How to hold your microswitch for calibration
Calibration results had too much drift over time
- Some displays introduce random delays in the display of the visual stimuli and thus are not accurate enough for use with the T.O.V.A. test.
The calibration results were too variable
- This indicates that our T.O.V.A. hardware could not perceive a consistent video timing pattern.
The calibration routine cannot determine if this display can be used
- Timing was not quite consistent enough to calibrate. This usually indicates your display just needs to warm up a bit more.

Once you get a successful calibration, you should be good to administer the test, and you won’t need to recalibrate every time. If you replace your system’s monitor or video card, however, you should always recalibrate the T.O.V.A. to the new display hardware.

If you continue to receive errors, your display may not be capable of accurately administering the T.O.V.A. test. The T.O.V.A. will not administer the T.O.V.A. Visual test on a display unless it can be successfully calibrated. Please contact T.O.V.A. technical support (see section 27), so we can get more information about your monitor and recommend other models that will work better.

29.5  General Audio Troubleshooting

Audio is an important part of the T.O.V.A. . The T.O.V.A. test instructions are spoken by your PC. The auditory T.O.V.A. test complements the visual test by measuring attention differently. As a result, we want the T.O.V.A. to work with your system’s audio hardware. Are your test instructions too loud and your auditory test too quiet, or vice versa? If you’re having sound problems with the T.O.V.A. , we can help you fix that.

The PTE and EAV tests each have their own volume settings. The sections to follow can help you address volume problems in each testing environment, but first a couple of general audio tips.

29.5.1  Your Speakers

The easiest way to control volume is by raising or lowering the volume on your external speakers. However, if you have no external speakers–a laptop with a basic PTE hardware setup (section 13.1), for instance—you can skip to the next section.

If you can’t hear the Auditory test or the test instructions, check your speakers first: Are they plugged in, turned on, and turned all the way up?

29.5.2  Instructions audio

The test instructions are accompanied by audio by default. Press the space bar to pause or restart the instruction audio and the ‘S’ key to turn the audio on (or off) while the instructions are playing. Note: With the instruction audio off, the instructions must be advanced manually, using the right arrow key.

29.6  Troubleshooting PTE Audio

For audio problems in the PTE, use the PTE volume controls. From the main PTE menu, press ↑ to raise the volume one step and ↓ to lower it. Each time a brief audio clip will be played, and a number will be displayed. The volume level you choose will be stored when you return to your OS and preserved for your next PTE session.

Note: These volume controls are only available from the main PTE screen and not during the T.O.V.A. test or the Test Instructions.

A Note on the Auditory Test: If the target (higher) tone is significantly louder than the nontarget (lower) tone, the problem is the bass response of your speakers. This can often be an issue with laptops, and you will need to use different speakers to resolve this. Contact T.O.V.A. customer service for recommendations.

29.6.1  PTE Audio Device menu

If your sound works fine in your OS but does not work in the PTE, the PTE may not be selecting the correct audio hardware. You may see an audio error or the speaker button at the bottom of the main PTE menu will be disabled. Click the wrench button (or press ‘A’) and then choose ‘[C]hange audio device’. This will present a menu of all of the audio devices the PTE can detect.

‘[C]hange audio device’ brings up the audio device selection menu

Select a device, even if there is only one listed, and an audio clip should play at the current volume to test out the device. If the audio played correctly, great! Resume your PTE test session or click ‘Done’ to return to your OS. Your device selection will be preserved.

If you get an error after choosing the audio device, go back to ‘Change audio device’ again and select a different audio device, if any. If you try all the devices here and no audio plays, your audio hardware may be incompatible with the PTE. If this is your situation, please send your PTE Hardware Information to T.O.V.A. tech support immediately—we are doing our best to make the T.O.V.A. PTE work for every sound card, and information from your system can help us do that. See section 34.1 for more information.

29.6.2  Adjust Audio Levels

Note: Please use this screen carefully, preferably on the advice of T.O.V.A. technical support. The main PTE volume and mixer defaults will work best for most systems, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

While the T.O.V.A. PTE has gotten increasingly proficient at recognizing hardware and adjusting settings to the right default levels, some PCs may still need additional tweaks. If your audio is too quiet, too loud, or distorted somehow, and the main PTE volume can’t correct the problem, the latest PTE version has an audio mixer that might help you.

Click the wrench button at the bottom of the main PTE menu (or press ‘A’) and then choose ‘[A]djust audio levels’. Here you will be able to see and adjust all the channels for your PC’s audio device. The bar indicates the volume level, and the box next to it whether the channel is turned on or off.

Only the Master and Beep channels are turned on here

Please note that this screen is not about selecting a specific channel to be used by the T.O.V.A. , but rather the audio levels contributing to the sound in the T.O.V.A. . Some may be best turned off, and some may have no effect whatsoever. We are happy to help you find the settings that will work best for your system.

29.6.3  Using USB speakers

USB speakers plug into a USB port just like the T.O.V.A. USB device, instead of plugging into your audio speaker jack. We sometimes recommend these for PTE audio problems because they are almost guaranteed to work with the PTE—other speakers may or may not. Please only use the USB speaker models recommended by T.O.V.A. customer service, and make sure to set the audio calibration value provided for your speakers.

  1. Plug the speakers into your USB port.
  2. Run the T.O.V.A. and click ‘Preferences’ and ‘Stimuli settings’.
  3. For ‘Auditory calibration’, enter the value given to you by T.O.V.A. customer service for your speaker model, then click ‘Save’.
  4. Reboot to the PTE. (For steps on how to do that, see section 31.1.)
  5. Once the PTE menu boots up, click the wrench button (or press ‘A’) and choose ‘[C]hange audio device’. This brings up the audio device selection menu, which will look something like Figure 92, except it will list your system’s audio devices.
  6. Choose the attached USB speakers. This will play a brief audio clip through the speakers and then return you to the PTE menu.
  7. Using the arrow keys, raise or lower the volume to the appropriate level. For each step, a brief clip will play. Feel free to run test instructions or an auditory test to verify that the volume works well for you.
  8. Reboot back to your OS. Your new audio device selection will be saved and used whenever you boot the PTE for testing.

29.7  Troubleshooting EAV Audio

Note: The External A/V test requires external speakers plugged into your T.O.V.A. USB device . If you have a laptop with no external speakers, for instance, you cannot run the External A/V test.

During an EAV session, your computer can play audio instructing the subject in taking the T.O.V.A. test. However, during an EAV Auditory test, the T.O.V.A. USB device will play the tones. Therefore you have two different audio sources (your computer, the T.O.V.A. USB device ). You also have multiple volume controls: your OS’s volume (which may have more than one control), the T.O.V.A. USB device ’s volume, and your speakers’ volume. Here are steps you can follow that will solve most EAV audio problems:

  1. Run the T.O.V.A. .
  2. Go to ‘Help’, ‘Check T.O.V.A. hardware’, and then ‘Check EAV Audio’.
  3. Click ‘Play EAV test audio’ and note the volume of the audio that plays.
  4. Click ‘Check PC sound volume’ and note the volume of the audio that plays.
  5. If both are too loud or too quiet, adjust your speakers and go back to Step 3.
  6. If you can hear the PC sound, but not the EAV audio, try swapping the audio cable plugs: you may have ‘audio out’ and ‘audio in’ reversed. Then go back to Step 3.
  7. If the PC sound is too loud or too quiet, adjust the volume for your OS. You may have buttons on your keyboard for this purpose, or a small icon you click on to bring up your volume control. Adjust the volume there and go back to Step 3.
  8. If the EAV audio is too loud or too quiet, choose a different value for the “EAV auditory test volume" and click ‘Play EAV test audio’ to test the new volume.
  9. If you can hear the high tone well, but not the low tone of the Auditory test, the problem is probably the bass response of your speakers. You will need to use different speakers to resolve this. Contact T.O.V.A. customer service for recommendations.

29.7.1  Speaker noise

We have noticed that sometimes you can hear noise with the EAV setup that you don’t hear if the speakers are plugged directly into your PC. We’ve found this is specifically the case with some laptops—that’s because the laptop is actually producing the noise.

While the T.O.V.A. USB device may not be producing this noise, it might be amplifying it. Fortunately, the static or whine should go away during Auditory testing, when the PC sound is cut off. If you find that it does not, try different speakers or contact T.O.V.A. tech support.


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