Download & setup

Download BITTSy

Fill out this form and proceed to the download link to download the latest version of BITTSy (note the last modified date and version number in the file name).

When you are first starting with BITTSy, you will also need to download the Setup zip file, located on the same download page (see section below for how to use the setup protocol).

BITTSy does not require any installation. Simply unzip your downloaded file and move the folder out of your Downloads folder to somewhere it won't be accidentally erased. Navigate through the subfolders to the .exe file (with the BITTSy spider icon) and right-click to create a shortcut. You can then move that shortcut to the desktop.

A BITTSy build folder when you unzip it. Go inside the Application Files folder.

Inside the Application Files folder - go in this version folder.

BITTSy is the Application file with the spider icon! Create a shortcut to this file, then move the shortcut to someplace convenient, like your desktop.

Windows Defender or other anti-virus programs on your computer may prevent you from simply double-clicking to open the BITTSy executable from your shortcut. You can right-click and select Open.

If you see a screen like the one below, click "More Info" where it appears below Unknown Publisher, then the "Run anyway" option will appear at the bottom. Once you click this to open BITTSy, Windows Defender will allow you to open BITTSy normally in the future by double-clicking the shortcut.

Upon launch, BITTSy checks for the driver for the lights and whether a DMX box is currently connected. A couple pop-ups (pictured below) will warn you if these are not available. If you are not using lights, you can ignore these and click OK!

This message warns that the driver for the lights is missing. You will need to download this before using lights in experiments!

This message warns that BITTSy is not able to connect to a DMX interface box. If you are trying to use lights, make sure it is connected and being recognized by Windows (check Device Manager)

When you open BITTSy, it will look like this.

The first protocol file you will load and run will be the setup protocol. See below!

Running the setup protocol

The setup protocol is designed to help you configure BITTSy's starting definitions: SIDES, DISPLAYS, and LIGHTS.

The setup protocol is available for download on the Resources page or here. It is designed to identify starting definitions for a system with three displays (in addition to the experimenter's screen) and three lights. If you have fewer displays/lights, the protocol contains comments describing what changes to make to configure it properly for your system.

This protocol should be run whenever you are setting up a new system with BITTSy, as well as any time that you unplug/replug displays or lights from your system, to ensure that the device ID numbers assigned by your operating system have not swapped around.

To run protocols, use the buttons on the top-left of the BITTSy window in order, starting with Load Protocol. (See this section on the user interface for guidance). Follow the comments written within the protocol file for how to progress from step to step and how to use the setup protocol to create the starting definitions for DISPLAYS and LIGHTS.

If you do not have any external displays connected for displaying visual stimuli, and would like to configure only the LIGHTS definition, you will need to remove all lines beginning with the IMAGE keyword, and delete the opening DISPLAYS definition.

Confused by the display setup in this protocol? Check this page for more info about how BITTSy identifies displays.

The setup protocol is copied below.

# Each protocol begins with definitions of SIDES, DISPLAYS, and LIGHTS. 
# SIDES is an unordered list of labels to be used within the protocol 
# file for different sides. DISPLAYS and LIGHTS should use these same 
# side labels, but should be ordered based on their ID (0,1,2) in the 
# computer system (determined by where they are plugged in). Run this 
# protocol to determine how to order the DISPLAYS and LIGHTS lists for 
# your system. Once determined, the same definition heading can be used 
# for each protocol you run.

# An example of these definitions:
# SIDES ARE {CENTER, RIGHT, LEFT}
# DISPLAYS ARE {CENTER, RIGHT, LEFT}
# LIGHTS ARE {LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT}

# These are the definitions that should be used to run this protocol 
# file and correctly identify ID numbers. Replace the corresponding 
# lines in the protocol below if they differ from these.

# This protocol will first present images giving a 0, 1, and 2 label to 
# the first three monitor IDs in your system. Write down the sides each 
# monitor is for, in increasing number order - e.g. if you see 0 in the 
# center, 1 on the left, and 2 on the right, write down {CENTER, LEFT, 
# RIGHT}. This is the order that you should use for the DISPLAYS 
# definition in each protocol you run.

# Next, the protocol will turn on the lights with IDs 0-2, one at a 
# time. As each light turns on, write down the side it is on. For 
# example, if the left light turns on first, then center, then right, 
# the order you should use in your LIGHTS definitions is {LEFT, CENTER, 
# RIGHT}.

# This set-up protocol must be run again any time monitors or lights 
# are unplugged and re-plugged from your computer system.

# If you have more than three monitors in your system and the desired 
# displays do not have images displayed during this test, note where 
# the monitors that DO have images displayed are plugged into your 
# computer. Power off your computer, switch the plugs of the monitors 
# that you'd like to switch, reboot and rerun this protocol.

# Press the X key to continue after each step.

SIDES ARE {CENTER, RIGHT, LEFT}
DISPLAYS ARE {CENTER, RIGHT, LEFT}	# if using only one monitor, change this line to: DISPLAYS ARE {CENTER}
LIGHTS ARE {LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT}

# replace the following file paths according to where your BITTSy files
# are saved

LET disp0 = "C:\Users\waz\Desktop\BITTSy_build_7-3\setup\0.png"
LET disp1 = "C:\Users\waz\Desktop\BITTSy_build_7-3\setup\1.png"
LET disp2 = "C:\Users\waz\Desktop\BITTSy_build_7-3\setup\2.png"
LET light0 = "C:\Users\waz\Desktop\BITTSy_build_7-3\setup\light0.png"
LET light1 = "C:\Users\waz\Desktop\BITTSy_build_7-3\setup\light1.png"
LET light2 = "C:\Users\waz\Desktop\BITTSy_build_7-3\setup\light2.png"

STEP 1
IMAGE CENTER disp0
IMAGE RIGHT disp1	# remove this line if using only 1 monitor
IMAGE LEFT disp2	# remove this line if using only 1 monitor
UNTIL KEY X

STEP 2
IMAGE CENTER OFF
IMAGE RIGHT OFF		# remove this line if using only 1 monitor
IMAGE LEFT OFF		# remove this line if using only 1 monitor

STEP 3
IMAGE CENTER light0
LIGHT LEFT ON
UNTIL KEY X

STEP 2
LIGHT LEFT OFF
IMAGE CENTER OFF

STEP 3
IMAGE CENTER light1
LIGHT CENTER ON
UNTIL KEY X

STEP 4
IMAGE CENTER OFF
LIGHT CENTER OFF

STEP 5
IMAGE CENTER light2
LIGHT RIGHT ON
UNTIL KEY X

STEP 6
LIGHT RIGHT OFF
IMAGE CENTER OFF