Improve time accurary system wide

[cpicanco]

Now the program requires time handling for:

• Latency, Total Session duration (and other similar records);
  • it uses GetTickCount to get BeginTime, EventTime differences (e.g.);
  • BeginTime always is the beginning of the session for improved precision;
• Response control;
  • it uses a single thread for each trial instance as a custom timer to define (increment) time. In this case It works as chronometer to control schedules of reinforcement (e.g.)
  • it is necessary to test this in a more reliable and transparent way. It was design to deliver 100-500 miliseconds time resolution on two intel machines (i3, and a Pentium(R) Dual-Core CPU T4500 @ 2.30GHz), on linux and windows;
• Trial duration, Inter Trial duration, Csq duration, Matching to Sample Trial -> Sample delay.
  • it uses normal TTimer;
• Visual stimulus presentation (images, videos, animations) and Auditory stimulus will be discussed in another issues (#10).

There is no implementation for high resolution range (10, 2, miliseconds and higher). I imagine the nanoseconds would be very good to EEG experiments. EpikTimer would be very good, but I don know if it will fit mac computers.

Is necessary to evaluate all the stuff and decide what is the best for each occasion.

• [x] Remove TTimer completely would be a good first step.
• [x] use a single thread to the Limited Hold Timer;
• [x] use a single thread to each Schedule Timer;

[cpicanco]

37a1010b709ed9f22f75c1d50b1bcf656ca2f6d4 giving good results.

Old means before the new custom_timer and concurrent thread timing.

Old ITI	Old Limited Hold
1011	2909
1004	2905
1002	2906
1004	3007
1005	3032
1003	3009
1031	3006
1003	2925
1004	3012
1003	2907
1005	2908
1003	2906
1004	2935
1005	2906
1003	2905
1003	2912
1007	2907
1003	2906
1003	2907
1039	2909
1026	3008
1003	2907
1005	3010
1004	3005
1004	2910
1004	2907
1004	2917
1004	2905
1015	2905
1031	2905
1006	2905
1014	2905
1007	2905
1014	2905
1007	2905
1006	2905
1011	2905
1007	2906
1029	2905
1032	2905
1032	2905
1031	2904
1006	2905
1008	2905
1031	2906
1012	2906
1018	2906
1028	2905
1010	2905
1012	2906
1003	2905
1016	2905
1014	2905
1008	2905
1012	2906
1003	2904
1024	2904
1006	2905
1019	2905
1012	2905
1018	2905
1015	2905
1003	2905
1023	2909
1004	2905
1030	2905
1026	2905
1016	2905
1011	2905
1023	2905
1003	2906

From this sample, I noticed that I need to investigate why STM (stimulus) difference (end - onset) consistently gets 100 ms less than the original parameter. Strange...

[cpicanco]

For high resolution time measurement, keeps cpu hz stable is essential. Its precision depends on the machine granularity as well (phisical properties, i think). It requires careful investigation.

www.makelinux.net/ldd3/chp-7-sect-1

https://aufather.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/high-performance-time-measuremen-in-linux/

http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man2/clock_gettime.2.html

[cpicanco]

[c0920ac9990993daa6c3161488770c06571a2763] Done. Need some additional testing though.

[cpicanco]

New limited hold.

StmBegin	StmEnd	LimitedHold
1572	4575	3003
6086	9090	3004
10582	13585	3003
14946	17949	3003
19420	22423	3003
23822	26825	3003
28364	31368	3004
32946	35949	3003
37842	40845	3003
42346	45349	3003
46822	49825	3003
51289	54292	3003
69551	72554	3003
73975	76978	3003
78479	81482	3003
82843	85846	3003
87278	90280	3002
91658	94661	3003
96057	99060	3003
100459	103463	3004
104898	107901	3003
109335	112338	3003
113704	116708	3004
118065	121070	3005
122453	125456	3003
126856	129860	3004
131371	134374	3003
135963	138966	3003
140578	143582	3004
145073	148076	3003
149631	152634	3003
154264	157268	3004
158688	161691	3003
164382	167386	3004
180058	183061	3003
184504	187508	3004
188938	191942	3004
193572	196576	3004
198045	201049	3004
202449	205453	3004
206836	209839	3003
211323	214326	3003
215679	218684	3005
220109	223113	3004
224476	227479	3003
228848	231853	3005
233279	236283	3004
237770	240774	3004
242146	245150	3004
246644	249649	3005
252962	255966	3004
257501	260506	3005
262027	265031	3004
267704	270708	3004
272286	275291	3005
277497	280502	3005
282103	285107	3004
288693	291697	3004
294419	297423	3004
299168	302173	3005
303712	306716	3004
310548	313552	3004
316323	319327	3004
322388	325392	3004
329361	332365	3004
335866	338871	3005
345138	348142	3004
351577	354582	3005
357126	360131	3005
362079	365084	3005
367979	370984	3005
372937	375943	3006

[cpicanco]

Very good.

StmBegin	StmEnd	FT
711	2712	2001
4095	6096	2001
7518	9519	2001
10918	12918	2000
14302	16303	2001
17663	19664	2001
21002	23002	2000
24354	26355	2001
27676	29676	2000
31026	33027	2001
34387	36388	2001
37751	39752	2001
41103	43104	2001
44489	46490	2001
47512	49513	2001
50907	52908	2001
54622	56622	2000
58721	60722	2001
62102	64103	2001
65606	67607	2001
69028	71029	2001
72220	74221	2001
75660	77661	2001
79153	81154	2001
82612	84613	2001
86259	88259	2000
89490	91491	2001
93719	95720	2001
97008	99008	2000
100346	102347	2001
104480	106481	2001
109055	111056	2001
113856	115857	2001
117798	119798	2000
121976	123977	2001
126334	128335	2001
130367	132368	2001
139237	141238	2001
144885	146886	2001
167230	169231	2001
176697	178697	2000
182831	184833	2002
186494	188495	2001
190000	192001	2001
193423	195424	2001
196808	198809	2001
200206	202207	2001
203988	205990	2002
208290	210291	2001
213732	215733	2001
218122	220123	2001
222278	224280	2002
230066	232067	2001
235025	237026	2001
239309	241310	2001
242687	244689	2002
246089	248090	2001
249500	251501	2001
252951	254952	2001
256450	258451	2001
259960	261961	2001
265437	267439	2002
270990	272991	2001
279477	281478	2001
297088	299090	2002
300685	302686	2001
304139	306140	2001
417574	419575	2001
453201	455203	2002
456605	458606	2001
459989	461991	2002
463424	465425	2001
466813	468815	2002
469895	471896	2001
472978	474979	2001
476084	478086	2002
479150	481151	2001
482909	484911	2002
486272	488274	2002
489544	491545	2001
492761	494763	2002
496010	498012	2002
499357	501359	2002
502660	504661	2001
505898	507899	2001
509090	511091	2001
512270	514271	2001
515529	517531	2002
518932	520934	2002
522023	524024	2001
525104	527106	2002
528176	530177	2001
531773	533775	2002
536164	538166	2002
542683	544684	2001
546503	548505	2002