Manually Installing Optima Drivers

Neurobit Optima devices require a special driver file to communicate with Windows. This driver file is installed alongside EEGer, but on some systems it may need to be installed manually.

How to Identify Driver-Related Issues

When functioning correctly, the following should happen when an Optima device is connected to an EEGer system:

1. When connected to USB power, the Link LED will illuminate as red. This indicates that the device is receiving power, but that the physical power button on the device has not been pressed.
2. Once the power button is pressed, the Link LED will turn off and the Power LED will illuminate as green for one or more seconds. Next, an audible chirp will be heard from the amplifier and the Link light will also illuminate as green. Both the Power and Link LEDs will be illuminated as green, indicating that the device is connected and able to communicate with the computer.

If any other startup condition is observed for the Optima device, it likely indicates a problem with the driver file. This prevents the amplifier from communicating with the computer, which in turn prevents it from being usable with EEGer for training until the issue is corrected. For steps on resolving this issue, see below.

Note: Windows Updates must be installed before the device drivers can be installed. This can sometimes take several minutes to complete, especially if the computer is not typically allowed to update.

Automatically Installing Drivers with EEGer

Recent versions of EEGer include the Optima drivers as part of the installer. When EEGer is installed onto the computer for the first time or updated from a previous version, the driver files should be installed automatically as part of this process. There are a few reasons this may fail:

1. The Optima device was connected to the computer during installation.
2. Antivirus on the computer is blocking the installation of driver files.
3. Windows is not up-to-date, and updates must be installed.

Manually Installing Drivers from EEGer’s Folder

Recent versions of EEGer place a copy of the driver files on the computer’s C: drive, which can be used to reinstall the driver files if they are missing or fail to install alongside EEGer. Follow these steps to manually install them:

1. Ensure the computer is connected to the internet.
2. With the amplifier connected to the computer, right-click the Start button on the taskbar - by default, this is in the lower-left of the screen and should look like four squares.
3. Select Device Manager from the list of options.
4. A new window will appear. Under the section for Universal Serial Bus controllers or Unknown devices, there should be an entry for the amplifier. A small yellow warning icon should be visible on the device's picture. A quick way to identify the amplifier is to disconnect and reconnect it to the computer. When the device is unplugged, it will disappear from the list. When reconnected and powered on, it should appear in the Device Manager.
5. Once identified, right-click on the device and select Properties from the context menu.
6. Click the Driver tab followed by Update Driver - select Browse my computer for drivers on the next screen that appears.
7. A new screen will appear asking for which directory to search for compatible drivers. Click Browse and navigate to C:\EEGer\BIN\NeurobitRuntime (or copy+paste this text into the field).
8. Press Next and Windows will begin attempting to install the file. It may take several seconds to complete, and the amplifier’s LED may turn off and on during the process. After a moment, a message will appear saying the file was installed.
9. In some cases, Windows may need to be restarted in order for the amplifier to connect with EEGer. This may be related to whether the computer is up to date on Windows Updates.

Manually Installing Drivers from Windows Update

To manually install missing driver files, follow the steps below:

1. Ensure the computer is connected to the internet.
2. With the amplifier connected to the computer, right-click the Start button on the taskbar - by default, this is in the lower-left of the screen and should look like four squares.
3. Select Device Manager from the list of options.
4. A new window will appear. Under the section for Universal Serial Bus controllers or Unknown devices, there should be an entry for the amplifier. A small yellow warning icon should be visible on the device's picture. A quick way to identify the amplifier is to disconnect and reconnect it to the computer. When the device is unplugged, it will disappear from the list. When reconnected and powered on, it should appear in the Device Manager.
5. Once identified, right-click on the device and select Properties from the context menu.
6. Click the Driver tab followed by Update Driver - select Search automatically for updated driver software on the next screen that appears.
7. This will begin searching online for the file and will likely say 'No Drivers Found' or 'Best Drivers Already Installed' once the scan is complete. At the bottom of this screen, click Search for updated drivers on Windows Update.
8. This will open up the Windows Update screen. Under optional updates, the Optima driver file should be available. Select this update and begin the update process.
9. Once completed, the computer will need to be restarted.
10. On some systems, users have had to install pending Cumulative and Feature Updates in order for the optional driver to appear. This can take some time depending on how long it has been since the computer was last updated.