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Metronome LKM: An open source virtual keyboard driver to measure experiment software latencies
Pablo Garaizar1, Miguel A Vadillo2
1Faculty of Engineering, University of Deusto, Avda. Universidades 24, 48007, Bilbao, Spain. garaizar@deusto.es.
Metronome LKM is a new open-source driver that uses a virtual keyboard to precisely measure experiment software errors. It helps researchers accurately assess reaction time measurement accuracy by comparing timestamps with nanosecond resolution.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive science
- Computer science
- Psychology
Background:
- Experiment software is crucial for measuring reaction times.
- Previous methods for assessing timestamp accuracy have limitations.
- Existing techniques cannot isolate software-induced measurement errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce Metronome LKM, an open-source driver for assessing experiment software accuracy.
- To provide a method for isolating and measuring software-specific timestamp errors.
- To enable high-resolution comparison of timestamp data.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing Metronome LKM's virtual keyboard to generate keypress events.
- Employing high-resolution timers for precise event generation.
- Comparing timestamps from experiment software with those from Metronome LKM.
Main Results:
- Metronome LKM offers nanosecond resolution for timestamp comparison.
- The software allows for detailed assessment of experiment software performance.
- It is highly configurable for various experimental needs.
Conclusions:
- Metronome LKM effectively isolates and quantifies software measurement errors.
- This tool enhances the reliability of reaction time data in experiments.
- It is a valuable resource for researchers using Linux-based systems.
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