TMSi device recognition error - "master device not found"

[zackwright]

We were able to successfully install our FUSBi device on our 64-bit Windows OS (after the help of the TMSi support staff). The device is being recognized by Windows. However, BCI2000 is throwing an error when we launch the TMSi executable, "TMSiADC No actual master device is found".

[mellinger]

Hi,

the BCI2000 TMSi source module uses a library called RTINST.dll in order to communicate with the amplifier. You might check whether this library is available on your system.

Also, BCI2000 executables will be 32bit Windows executables unless you manually compile BCI2000 for 64bit systems. When running a 32bit source module on a 64bit system, it requires a 32bit version of RTINST.dll in the SysWOW64 subdirectory of your Windows folder. NB: The 32bit RTINST.dll must be in SysWOW64, not in system32 inside your Windows folder.

Information about how to compile a 64-bit version of BCI2000 may be found here:
http://www.bci2000.org/wiki/index.php/P ... _for_Win64

Regards,
Juergen

[rflint]

Hi Juergen, thanks for replying (I work at the same lab as the OP).

Hi,

the BCI2000 TMSi source module uses a library called RTLOADER.dll in order to communicate with the amplifier. You might check whether this library is available on your system.

I cannot find a file named RTLOADER.dll anywhere on our system, so this could indeed present a problem. I checked C:\Windows\system32\ (in case the file had been somehow installed incorrectly) as well as C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ but the file doesn't exist in either location.

However, while searching for the string RTLOADER on our system, I ran across some code in

[BCI2000 directory]\src\contrib\SignalSource\TMSi\TMSiSDK\RTDevice.h

where there is a define:

Code: Select all

#define RTLOADER "\\RTINST.Dll"

That define seems to be used only one place, in the file

[BCI2000 directory]\src\contrib\SignalSource\TMSi\TMSiSDK\RTDevice.cpp

where the following code occurs:

Code: Select all

GetSystemDirectory(Path, sizeof(Path) / sizeof(TCHAR) );
lstrcat(Path,RTLOADER);
LibHandle = LoadLibrary(Path); 

This seems to be where the library is loaded into memory? Does that mean that we should also be on the lookout for a RTINST.Dll file? I have checked the same two folders listed above for this file, but I cannot find it. Also, I don't know if the Windows library loading routines are case-sensitive, but it seems odd to me that the extension ".Dll" that's in the quoted string in the header file should have a capital D followed by a lower-case "ll".

We might or might not be able to switch to a BCI2000 for 64-bit windows solution in the long term. I suspect we'll begin to look into it. But in the interim, we appreciate any insight you might be able to provide.

Thanks!

[mellinger]

Hi,

sorry for the typo. It seems I confused the macro name with the actual dll name.
So yes, you will need to look for RTINST.DLL rather than RTLOADER.DLL.
I also corrected my previous posts, to avoid confusion for other readers.

On Windows file systems, file names are resolved without taking case into account. Also, when loading a library, multiple paths are searched, and the DLL extension will be added automatically if it is missing.

Regards,
Juergen

[rflint]

Juergen, thanks for the reply, and for clarifying your earlier post. However, RTINST.dll is nowhere to be found on our system, either. Is this a library that is meant to be included with BCI2000?

[mellinger]

The RTINST library is a piece of software from TMSi, and not part of a BCI2000 distribution.
Unfortunately, TMSi does not provide any information about their amplifier API on their public website, so I don't know whether they still distribute it, nor do I know whether it is part of their amplifier C API, or whether it should be installed automatically with their driver software.

It would be helpful to have the following information from TMSi:
* whether your amplifier is supported through the RTINST library -- in that case you would be able to use the existing BCI2000 source module,
* whether they offer a newer API which covers their current amplifiers, and which could be incorporated into the BCI2000 source module in order to support those amplifiers.

Regards,
Juergen

[rflint]

For the information of whomever accesses this thread: I just heard back from TMSi support. Apparently, the RTINST.dll file used to be installed, with the previous version of their drivers (v6.x). That version only worked on 32-bit Windows systems. The current version of their driver/SDK is 7.1.118. That version installs just fine on a 64-bit system, and may well run with TMSi-supplied software, but our lab's experience is that the BCI2000 source module fails because the RTINST.dll file is missing (there may be other issues, as well). I intend to attempt to get my hands on an older version of the driver installation disc, and see if it helps.