Welcome on Wiki

Lab Streaming Layer(LSL)

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:55:00 +0000

Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) is a protocol for the unified collection and synchronization of time-series data from multiple sensors and applications in real time. It provides precise timestamping and seamless network-based sharing of physiological, behavioral, and experimental data.

LSL with Mentalab Hypersync

By combining LSL with Mentalab Hypersync, users can acquire, visualize, and record data with sub-millisecond accuracy in just a few simple steps. Follow the instructions delivered to you with your Mentalab Hypersync system or contact us for more information at: contact@mentalab.com

BrainFlow

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 10:25:19 +0000

BrainFlow Integration

BrainFlow is an open-source library that provides a unified interface for biosignal acquisition across a variety of hardware platforms. It simplifies the process of working with physiological signals such as EEG, EMG, and ECG by offering a consistent API in multiple programming languages including Python, C++, Java, and MATLAB.

What is BrainFlow?

BrainFlow enables:

Seamless data access across supported biosignal devices
Real-time signal processing tools (e.g., filtering, feature extraction)
Integration into research workflows and custom applications
Cross-platform development using high-level APIs

For a deeper overview, visit the official BrainFlow documentation.

PsychoPy

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 10:25:19 +0000

This guide details how to synchronise your Mentalab Explore device with PsychoPy experiments, focusing on high-precision synchronization of event markers using LabStreamingLayer (LSL) in combination with Mentalab Hypersync. This is the recommended approach for robust and accurate data alignment.

Legacy wired trigger methods are listed at the bottom.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following hardware and software:

Hardware

Mentalab Explore Pro Device: An Explore Pro biosignal acquisition system.
Mentalab Hypersync Add-on: This hardware is essential for accurately synchronizing LSL markers from PsychoPy with the Explore device’s data stream.
Computer: To run PsychoPy, LSL, and data recording software.

Software

PsychoPy: A recent version of PsychoPy.
Python: PsychoPy’s scripting language.
PyLSL (pylsl): The Python library for LabStreamingLayer. Install via pip:
```
pip install pylsl
```

Recommended Method: Synchronization via PyLSL and Mentalab Hypersync

This method uses LSL to transmit event markers from your PsychoPy experiment. This guide contains instruction for sending LSL markers from your PsychoPy experiment. For all following steps, please refer to the Hypersync instructions delivered to you with your Hypersync hardware.

Installation

Tue, 13 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Installation

Explore Signals is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. No setup is required — download and run the appropriate file for your operating system.

Motor Imagery BCI

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0100

Overview

This application is a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system designed to classify motor imagery tasks (left hand, right hand, and neutral state) using EEG data. The system connects to Explore Pro device via the Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) protocol, processes the EEG signals, and classifies the data using machine learning models, including a Transformer-based neural network.

The application supports real-time classification. It includes tools for data collection, preprocessing, model training, and evaluation. The code for the application can be found in our explorepy/examples section on github.

Download and Installation

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

For any information or assistance regarding installation instructions, please contact support@mentalab.com and we will assist you further.

EEGLAB

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 10:25:19 +0000

This is a guide to converting Mentalab Explore CSV, BDF, and BIN files into an EEGLAB dataset using Explore Desktop.

Start Explore Desktop and do not connect to a device. From top menu, select File>Export>EEGLAB Dataset.

EEGLAB Dataset export

After this, select the folder with the ExG data to be converted. A new datasets folder will be generated in the selected folder, containing the EEGLAB datasets.

Select destination folder

In EEGLAB, select the dataset from File > Load existing dataset.

Supported Software

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 10:25:19 +0000

This list contains EEG analysis software that can import Mentalab Explore data.

In general, many EEG analysis pipelines use EDF file formats. To convert your Mentalab Explore data to EDF, please use the bin2edf command available in our open source API explorepy. If your device has internal memory, it will automatically save data to BIN. If you are using the Bluetooth feature of your Mentalab Explore device, be sure to record to BIN and not CSV on the connected device.

OpenSesame

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 10:25:19 +0000

This guide details how to synchronize your Mentalab Explore device with OpenSesame experiments, focusing on high-precision synchronization of event markers using LabStreamingLayer (LSL) in combination with Mentalab Hypersync. This is the recommended approach for robust and accurate data alignment.

Legacy wired trigger methods are listed at the bottom.

Prerequisites

Hardware

Mentalab Explore Pro Device: An Explore Pro biosignal acquisition system.
Mentalab Hypersync Add-on: This hardware is essential for accurately synchronizing LSL markers from OpenSesame with the Explore device’s data stream.
Computer: To run OpenSesame, LSL, and data recording script.

Software

OpenSesame (recent version)
Python with PyLSL: pip install pylsl

How it Works

OpenSesame Experiment: Generates event markers during stimulus presentation and response collection
LSL Monitoring: LabStreamingLayer provides real-time streaming of these markers with precise timestamps
Mentalab Hypersync: Merges ExG data with event markers via LSL for wireless, high-precision synchronization

OpenSesame Experiment Structure

Based on the tree view shown, your experiment should follow this structure:

Usage

Tue, 13 May 2025 10:10:00 +0000

Loading EEG/ExG Data

Files can be loaded using the File menu in the menu bar of ExploreSignals. Navigate to File -> Open to open a file browser and select one or multiple ExG files (.csv, .bdf) to load them into the software. The loaded file(s) will appear in the Loaded Files section.

If you are loading Mentalab Explore data from a [...]_ExG.csv file, make sure that the corresponding [...]_Meta.csv file is present in the same folder to ensure the data is loaded correctly. Additionally, if you want to visualize markers alongside the data, make sure that the corresponding [...]_Marker.csv file is present in the same folder.

Artefact removal

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:00:00 +0100

This is an implementation of the HAPPILEE pipeline for the Explore system from Mentalab. See our github page for the code for this project.

The HAPPILEE pipeline is applied to EEG data recorded by the Mentalab Explore Pro device in happilee.py and happilee.ipynb. happilee.py is the main script to apply HAPPILEE to an EXG dataset recorded by the Explore system. happilee.ipynb is a notebook to demonstrate and track steps of the HAPPILEE pipeline to a dataset recorded by the Explore system.

MNE Python

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

MNE Python is an excellent, open-source choice for EEG (and MEG) data visualization and analysis.

Power spectrum density in the alpha band

Topographic distribution of the alpha band

Loading Mentalab data into MNE

CSV and BDF files

The below script can be used to create an mne raw data object from a .csv or .bdf file recorded with Explore Desktop. For CSV, the mne object is created from a simple pandas data_frame. Reading bdf files uses the bdf file loader provided by mne.

Usage

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Homepage

Scan and connect to nearby Explore Devices.

Impedance tab

Inspect impedance values.
Assign channel positions.

EXG tab

Visualize ExG data.
Visualize markers.
Dot menu:
- Adapt visulization settings (y-axis scaling & time window).
- Record raw ExG data in CSV format.
- Stream via LSL.
- Lock Screen.

Settings

Getting Started

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Installation

Download the Explore Desktop installer.

Windows

If you haven’t already, download the latest Explore Desktop version or Explore Desktop Legacy version 0.7.4 from GitHub. Select the file ending in _windows.zip.
Double-click on the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
Once installed, Explore Desktop will reside in the Explore Desktop folder in your installation directory.

On Windows, we recommend using Explore Desktop with the 100% scale. If you change the resolution, content can appear blurry or pixelated.

Mac OSX

If you haven’t already, download the appropriate Explore Desktop installer from GitHub. The file you should select depends on your Mac chip. If your Mac uses an M chip, download the file ending in _macOS_arm.zip. Otherwise, download the file ending in _macOS_intel.zip .

Operating Instructions

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Operating modes

Mentalab Explore has two main operating modes: offline and online. When in offline mode, the amplifier collects data and stores it in internal flash memory. Users can extract the recordings from the memory using a USB-C cable after recording.
In online mode, data is transmitted via Bluetooth in real-time to a host machine, enabling the user to collect, monitor, and visualize data. In this mode, you can also measure impedances, and configure the amplifier with Explore Desktop, explorepy, or Explore Mobile). In online mode, the Explore amplifier sends signal data to the host machine. It also sends meta-data when the amplifier’s settings change.
We recommend charging the amplifier for at least one hour before first use. To charge the amplifier, connect the USB-C cable to a compliant source. A green LED indicates sufficient battery (> 60% charge). After charging, unplug your amplifier from the power source.

Pre-experiment checklist

We strongly recommend completing this checklist before you start collecting EEG data. This will ensure you get the best out of your Explore system.

E-Prime®

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:25:19 +0000

Prerequisites

Hardware

Mentalab Explore Pro Device: An Explore Pro biosignal acquisition system.
Mentalab Hypersync Add-on: This hardware is essential for accurately synchronizing LSL markers from E-Prime with the Explore device’s data stream.
Computer: To run E-Prime, LSL, and data recording software for the Explore device.

Software

E-Prime® 3
E-Prime® 3 LSL package file
E-Prime® 3 LSL samples
LabRecorder or alternative software that lets you record LSL streams

How it Works

E-Prime: Runs experiments and can generate event markers during an experiment at onset time, response time or current time
LSL package file: The LabStreamingLayer package file provides real-time streaming of data (including markers) with precise timestamps for E-Prime
Mentalab Hypersync: The Mentalab Hypersync suite is used to merge ExG data with event markers via LSL. Please follow the instructions delivere to you with you Hypersync hardware to achieve wireless, high-precision synchronization

Integrating with E-Prime® via LSL

Consult the Mentalab Hypersync manual for achieving synchronisation between the Mentalab Explore amplifier and LSL.

PLUX Biosignals

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:25:19 +0000

Integrating Mentalab with PLUX Biosignals devices

Mentalab is partnering with PLUX Biosignals to cover our user’s multimodal physiology needs.

PLUX Biosignals sensor portfolio includes sensors for

electrodermal activity sensors (EDA)
respiration sensor belts
force sensors
temperature sensors
blood oxygen sensors (SpO2)
and much more

Any combination of these sensors can be connected to a central PLUX Biosignals recording unit, which transmits data wirelessly, just like the Mentalab Explore Pro.

Guide

In this guide, we walk you through how the measurement units can be combined in practice by using Lab Streaming Layer (LSL).

Sleep Actigraphy

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0100

Sleep Activity Pipeline (with PyActigraphy, Accelerometer and YASA)

This guide demonstrates a comprehensive pipeline for analyzing sleep stages and activity patterns using EEG and accelerometer data acquired from a Mentalab Explore device. For those specifically interested in sleep staging, our Sleep EEG Analysis application example offers further insights.

Overview

This pipeline processes raw EEG and orientation data to achieve three main objectives:

Detect sleep stages using YASA (Yet Another Spindle Algorithm)
Analyze movement patterns using accelerometer and pyActigraphy
Visualize sleep-activity relationships

Input Data

The pipeline utilizes the following input files:

Tests

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Tested Device

The App is optimized for use with our official study phone. All functionality has been verified on this device.

Recording Tests

The following tests were performed to ensure the recording functionality is working as expected:

Long-duration recording test: Conducted on the official study phone for 8 hours
- 32 channels at 250 Hz sampling rate (with LSL streaming active)
- 32 channels at 250 Hz sampling rate (without LSL streaming)

Result: All recordings completed successfully with no data loss or interruptions.

Dry Electrode Guide

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Dry electrodes types

Mentalab currently offers three types of dry electrodes.

Flat electrodes

For electrode positions not covered by hair (e.g. on the forehead, mastoid…), our flat electrodes ensure optimal skin contact and comfort.

Brush electrodes

Dry brush electrodes.

For areas covered in hair, we recommend using brush electrodes. Their flexible pins penetrate most hair types and establish good contact with the scalp.

XL brush electrodes

For very dense and curly hair types, we recommend using our XL brush electrodes for increased hair penetration.

Usage

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Connect

Under normal usage, Explore Dekstop will open to the Connect page. Use this page to connect to your Mentalab Explore device.

Ensure that your device is in advertising mode. You can verify with the LED Light Guide. Simply write the device ID in the dropdown input line and press connect. The device will connect within a few seconds.

Follow the onscreen instructions for connection via Bluetooth streaming or USB streaming. Note to use the USB Streaming Isolator (UI) during USB streaming.

Presentation®

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:25:19 +0000

Prerequisites

Hardware

Mentalab Explore Pro Device: An Explore Pro biosignal acquisition system.
Mentalab Hypersync Add-on: This hardware is essential for accurately synchronizing LSL markers from Presentation® with the Explore device’s data stream.
Computer: To run Presentation®, LSL, and data recording software for the Explore device.

Software

Presentation®
LabRecorder or alternative software that lets you record LSL streams

How it Works

Presentation®: Runs experiments and can send event information as a Marker stream via LSL (including information about event type, the event code and uncertainty for the event)
Built-in LSL integration: The built-in LabStreamingLayer integration provides real-time streaming of event data with precise timestamps for Presentation®
Mentalab Hypersync: The Mentalab Hypersync suite is used to merge ExG data with event markers via LSL. Please follow the instructions delivered to you with you Mentalab Hypersync hardware to achieve wireless, high-precision synchronization

Integrating with Presentation® via LSL

Consult the Mentalab Hypersync manual for achieving synchronisation between the Mentalab Explore amplifier and LSL.

Psychtoolbox

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:25:19 +0000

Prerequisites

Hardware

Mentalab Explore Pro Device: An Explore Pro biosignal acquisition system.
Mentalab Hypersync Add-on: This hardware is essential for accurately synchronizing LSL markers from Presentation® with the Explore device’s data stream.
Computer: To run Psychtoolbox, LSL, and data recording software for the Explore device.

Software

Psychtoolbox
Matlab
LSL for Matlab
LabRecorder or alternative software that lets you record LSL streams

How it Works

Psychtoolbox: Runs experiments from user-written Matlab code and provides access to low-level hardware features to ensure very precise timing (sub-millisecond) and versatile usage
Matlab: Psychtoolbox requires Matlab to run
LSL for Matlab: The Matlab release for LSL allows users to open and view LSL streams to pull or push data (like Markers) from within Matlab scripts
Mentalab Hypersync: The Mentalab Hypersync suite is used to merge ExG data with event markers via LSL. Please follow the instructions delivere to you with you Mentalab Hypersync hardware to achieve wireless, high-precision synchronization

Integrating with Psychtoolbox via LSL

Consult the Mentalab Hypersync manual for achieving synchronisation between the Mentalab Explore amplifier and LSL.

FieldTrip

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:25:19 +0000

This document provides a simple guide for loading Mentalab Explore device recordings into FieldTrip for ExG analysis and visualization.

Prerequisites

Before using this guide, you need:

A Mentalab Explore device
ExplorePy installed and configured
MATLAB with FieldTrip toolbox installed

Step 1: Recording Data with Mentalab

Record your EEG data using ExplorePy CLI, Explore Desktop, or Explore Mobile.

Step 2: Setting Up FieldTrip

Download FieldTrip from fieldtriptoolbox.org
Add FieldTrip to your MATLAB path:

% Add FieldTrip to your MATLAB path
addpath('/path/to/fieldtrip');  % Replace with your FieldTrip path
ft_defaults;  % Initialize FieldTrip

Step 3: Prepare Your Data Files

After recording, you should have these files in your working directory:

NeuroPype

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Mentalab’s mobile EEG amplifiers integrate seamlessly with NeuroPype, a powerful and flexible platform for real-time brain data processing and analysis. This page provides an introduction to using your Mentalab data with NeuroPype, highlighting key capabilities and recommended practices for both offline analysis and real-time streaming.

Example: Outcome of the Mentalab Source Localisation pipeline. ExG data on the left, source mapping on the right.

How to Use Mentalab Data with NeuroPype

You have two primary methods for getting Mentalab data into NeuroPype:

Photodiode Event Triggers

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Synchronizing ExG signals with stimuli is critical to many research paradigms. There are two main approaches to synchronizing data: software event markers and hardware triggers.

Although software event markers are easy to use, they are not as precise as hardware triggers. This is because the data is sent via Bluetooth, which has some inherent delays.

Meanwhile, hardware triggers are much more precise but involve connecting a wire between devices (e.g. a computer and an Explore device). This means your Mentalab Explore system is no longer fully wireless (although presenting stimuli on a mobile can mitigate this).

Visualization

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Visualize ExG, orientation, spectral analysis and relative bandpower data in real-time by navigating to the Visualization page.

You can configure the visualization via the drop-down menus at the top of the Visualization page or by selecting Filters.

Settings include:

Y-axis scale – change the range of the y-axis.
- 1 uV to 100 mV range.
Visible channel count - change how many channels should be visible in the plot.
- 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 channels (depending on the connected device)
Time window – change the time interval of the x-axis.
- 5, 10, or 20 second range.
Record (see the Recording page).
Event markers (see the software marker section in the Event Markers page).
Filters.
LSL integration (see the Lab Streaming Layer page).

ExG

Example of an Explore Desktop ExG plot.

It is also possible to scroll back in time when visualising signals. Please note that changing the sampling rate during the visualisation may lead to odd behaviour when scrolling back in time.

Real-time packet loss visualization

Real time packet loss display

Indication of samples lost in seconds

Packet loss quantization.

Motion sensors

Example of an Explore Desktop motion sensor plot.

Spectral analysis

The spectral analysis plot is calculated using the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform). The colours of the channel lines map to positions on the head if standard positions are selected (using the 10-10 system). If a channel has no standard position name assigned, it uses a colour from a default colour scheme.

LED Light Guide

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 16:17:02 +0100

The Mentalab Explore amplifier was designed to provide maximum flexibility, with minimal size. This page lists how the amplifier communicates with the user via the LED diode.

LED Light	Blinking Pattern	Description
Red / Yellow / Green	Solid at amplifier start-up. Flashes for 3 secs	Start-up in progress. Colour indicates battery status (green > 90%; yellow > 50%; red < 50%).
Blue	Blinks four times a second	Bluetooth visible and advertising.
Blue	Blinks once a second	Bluetooth visible and connected. Online mode.
Pink	Blinks once a second	Insufficient memory.
Light pink	One-time flash	Button pressed, and marker set.
Red	Flashes three times	Button pressed and held. Turn off.

BESA Research

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 10:25:19 +0000

How to Import Mentalab Data into BESA

Record your data: Conduct your EEG recording using your Mentalab device and ensure the data is saved in the .bdf format.
Open BESA Research: Launch the BESA Research software on your computer.
Open file: Navigate to the import function within BESA (typically File > Open or Import).
Select your .bdf file: In the File Open dialog, select the file type “ERP files” from the dropdown menu. Browse to the location where your Mentalab .bdf recording is saved and select the file. BESA will automatically recognise and import the data.

Considerations for Analysis

Channel Layout: Familiarise yourself with how your chosen electrode numbering corresponds to BESA’s channel mapping for accurate visualisation and analysis.
Sampling Rate: Ensure that BESA correctly interprets the sampling rate of your Mentalab recording for precise temporal analysis. In BESA Research, you can check the sampling rate in the dialog box ‘Filters / Edit Filter Settings’.
Events/Triggers: If your Mentalab recording includes event markers or triggers, confirm that they are correctly imported and recognised by BESA for epoching and event-related analysis.

NeuroKit2

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 10:25:19 +0000

This document provides a simple guide for analyzing and visualizing Mentalab Explore ExG recordings using NeuroKit2.

1. Mentalab CSV Data Import

def load_exg_data(csv_path, channels=None, fs=None):
    """Load and prepare ExG data from Mentalab Explore CSV file."""
    # Load CSV file
    df = pd.read_csv(csv_path)
    
    # Validate required columns
    if "TimeStamp" not in df.columns:
        raise ValueError("CSV must contain a 'TimeStamp' column in seconds.")
    
    # Calculate relative time
    time = df["TimeStamp"] - df["TimeStamp"].iloc[0]
    
    # Get channels to analyze
    if channels is None:
        chans = [c for c in df.columns if c != "TimeStamp"]
    else:
        chans = [c for c in channels if c in df.columns]
    
    if not chans:
        raise ValueError(f"No channels found. Available: {list(df.columns)}")
    
    print(f"[INFO] Analyzing {len(chans)} channels: {chans}")
    
    return df, time, chans

2. EEG Preprocessing

def filter_eeg_signal(signal, sampling_rate, lowcut=0.5, highcut=35.0, notch_freq=50.0):
    """Apply standard EEG preprocessing using NeuroKit2."""
    # Bandpass filter (0.5-35 Hz) - removes drift and high-freq noise
    signal_bandpass = nk.signal_filter(signal, sampling_rate=sampling_rate,
                                      lowcut=lowcut, highcut=highcut,
                                      method="butterworth", order=4)
    
    # Notch filter (50 Hz) - removes power line interference using NeuroKit2
    signal_filtered = nk.signal_filter(signal_bandpass, sampling_rate=sampling_rate,
                                      lowcut=notch_freq-2, highcut=notch_freq+2,
                                      method="butterworth", order=4)
    
    return signal_filtered

4. EEG Frequency Band Extraction

# Extract frequency bands using NeuroKit2
delta = nk.signal_filter(ch0_signal, sampling_rate=fs, lowcut=0.5, highcut=4, method="butterworth")
theta = nk.signal_filter(ch0_signal, sampling_rate=fs, lowcut=4, highcut=8, method="butterworth")
alpha = nk.signal_filter(ch0_signal, sampling_rate=fs, lowcut=8, highcut=13, method="butterworth")
beta = nk.signal_filter(ch0_signal, sampling_rate=fs, lowcut=13, highcut=30, method="butterworth")

4. Power Spectral Density Analysis

# PSD using NeuroKit2 (Welch method)
psd0 = nk.signal_psd(sig0, sampling_rate=fs, method="welch", show=False)

# Plot PSD
axes[1].semilogy(psd0["Frequency"], psd0["Power"])

EOG Artifact Removal

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Many EEG applications analyse EEG signals for frequencies that are associated with specific activities.

Here is an OpenViBE pipeline that breaks down raw EEG signals into frequency bands and removes blinking artifacts in real-time.

Set-up

(Optional) Install Explorepy using Explorepy installation guide (Only necessary if you want to push to LSL from the command line / without a GUI)
Install Explore Desktop from Explore Desktop Github page.

Prepare an 8-channel Mentalab Explore system using the following configuration. You can use wet or dry electrodes for this, and modify as needed.

Explore Channel	Cap Location	OpenViBE Channel
Ch1	F3	1
Ch2	C3	2
Ch3	Forehead (mid)	3
Ch4	C4	4
Ch7	Right eye (beside outer canthus)	5
Ch8	F4	6

Check impedances using Explore Desktop. Aim for <20 kΩ for wet electrodes, and <150 kΩ for dry electrodes. For more on this function, please watch our video guide.
To visualize your data, consider using Explore Desktop. By visualizing your data, you can ensure there is no obvious noise (video guide).
Finally, push your data stream to LSL using the LSL menu in Explore Desktop (refer to the [LSL guide](https://wiki.mentalab.com/explore-desktop-guide/lsl/ for more info). Alternatively, if you have previously installed Explorepy, you can use use the explorepy push2lsl command to push to LSL without keeping Explore Desktop open.

Run the script

Download this ZIP folder and extract the contents.
Install OpenViBE.

Start streaming

Launch an OpenViBE Acquisition Server and select LabStreamingLayer as the driver.
Under Driver Properties select the Explore device’s ExG stream (i.e. Explore_XXXX_ExG) as the Signal stream.
Press Apply, then Connect, then Play to start acquiring the Explore stream in OpenViBE via Lab Streaming Layer.

Calibrate EOG data

Open the OpenViBE Designer and go to File –> Open.
Choose the recorder.xml file (extracted from the ZIP file you downloaded earlier) and run the scenario for at least 60 seconds. Blink and turn your eyes to different directions during the recording. A GDF file will be created in the same folder as the contents of your ZIP file.
Run the EOG-calibration scenario in OpenViBE Designer. Go to File –> Open, and then choose the EOG-calibration.xml file extracted earlier. Double click on the GDF file reader and select the file generated in the previous step as source.
Run the EOG-calibration scenario in OpenViBE Designer. Go to File –> Open and select EOG-calibration.xml. Click on the keyboard simulator window and press a to start the calibration. Run the scenario until b-Matrix-EEG.cfg is generated (check the log). Usually 30-40 seconds are sufficient here. Do blink during the recording and press u to end the data calibration.

Visualize frequency bands with EOG artifacts removed

Open the Power_bands.xml scenario and run it. You will see EEG signals before and after EOG denoising. You can test the performance of the EOG artifact removal by blinking and checking both signals. In the other tabs, the power bands (Alpha, Beta and Theta) are plotted.

Recording

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Record data in real time to EDF (BDF+) or CSV by selecting Record on the Visualization page.

A pop-up will allow you to configure your recording.

Settings include:

File format – select the output file type (EDF or CSV):
- CSV mode generates an extra file for the marker events
- BDF mode records data in BDF+ format (in 24-bit resolution)
Folder and name prefix – select where to store files and the file prefix. For example, if the prefix is test, data will record in three separate files: test_ExG.csv, test_ORN.csv, and test_Marker.csv. These files will contain ExG data, orientation data, and event markers.
Recording time (in seconds) – set the duration of the recording. You can stop recording at any time by clicking Stop.- Filters.

Configure your recording using the pop-up.

You can inspect ongoing recording while recording. Go to Tools-> Inspect ongoing recording. Then zoom in/out with mouse hover on X or Y axis

Because environmental factors, like temperature, can affect your sampling rate, we recommend computing the sampling rate of your recorded data. If you find a deviation between the sampling rate you calculate and Explore Desktop’s sampling rate, resample your signal to correct for drifts. The timestamps in the CSV/EDF file can be used to compute the resampling factor.

If you are setting markers in your recording, record to CSV. Alternatively, push data to LSL and record with LabRecorder. EDF cannot guarantee precise marker timings.

For more information or support, do not hesitate to get in contact at: support@mentalab.com

Button Command Guide

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 16:17:02 +0100

The Mentalab Explore amplifier was designed to provide maximum flexibility, with minimal size. This page lists how the user can communicate with the amplifier using the button.

Action	State	Effect
Single click	Amplifier off	Amplifier will turn on
Double click	Memory full (LED blinking pink)	Delete flash memory. Return to advertising mode.
Double click	Amplifier in startup	Skip advertising. Go to offline mode.
Single click	Amplifier recording (online or offline)	Generate marker timestamped at button press.
Press & hold	All states	Terminate recording. Turn off. Amplifier will blink red three times.

Brainstorm

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:25:19 +0000

Brainstorm is a collaborative, open-source application dedicated to the analysis of brain recordings (MEG, EEG, fNIRS, ECoG, depth electrodes and multiunit electrophysiology). This guide is a simple guide for importing and visualizing your Mentalab Explore recordings in Brainstorm.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

Brainstorm installed on your system
Mentalab Explore Desktop for recording

Step-by-Step Process

1. Record using Mentalab Explore Desktop

Record your EEG data using Mentalab Explore Desktop and save it in BDF format for Brainstorm compatibility. If you have recordings in other formats, you can convert them to BDF using Explore Signals.

Impedance

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

To measure the impedances of your Mentalab Explore electrodes, navigate to the Impedance Measurement page.

Select which type of electrodes you are using from the drop-down menu. Then, click on Measure Impedances. For wet electrodes, channel impedances will display their value and corresponding color code as in the table below. Good dry electrode impedances are less than 100kΩ for flat electrodes placed on bare skin, and less than 300kΩ for brush electrodes placed on hair. See our guidelines on improving impedances for more information.

Cap Size Guide

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 16:17:02 +0100

The Mentalab Explore system was designed to meet the needs of any researcher. As such, we provide a range of caps that can fit on large adults and babies. Here is our size guide.

Cap Size	Head Circumference
XS	36-42 cm
S/XS	39-45 cm
S	42-48 cm
M	48-54 cm
L	54-60 cm
XL	60-66 cm

Please note that the measurements presented here do not account for thick hair and the additional distance needed to accommodate XL brush electrodes.

Lab Streaming Layer

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

You can access LSL features by navigating to the Visualization page and clicking on the LSL button. This will bring up a dialog that lets you push data from the Explore device via LSL and pull markers from available marker streams.

Use the Visualization page to stream data from your Mentalab Explore device to Lab Streaming Layer.

The LSL dialog offers features to push and pull data to and from LSL.

In order to push data via LSL, simply click the Push data to LSL button. This will generate three LSL data streams, one for ExG data, one for motion data and one for event markers. By using LSL, you can combine your data stream with other software supporting LSL. ExploreDesktop will generate three streams according to your device’s name:

Other

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Other features

Explore Desktop additionally offers functionality to convert recordings from and to select formats. These features can be found in the menu bar.

You can use ExploreDesktop to…

…convert recordings from the device’s memory (in .BIN format) to .csv or .bdf
- File -> Convert BIN
…convert recordings from .csv or .bdf to EEGLab datasets
- File -> Export -> EEGLAB Dataset
…repair recordings in .csv format from ExploreDesktop using the respective recording from the Explore device’s memory
- Tools -> Data Repair

These features are being moved to our offline visualization tool, Explore Signals. For more information on these features, refer to the respective section in the Explore Signals Guide.

SSVEP Experiments

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) are commonly used in neuroscience and BCI research.

SSVEPs are brain signals that occur in response to a visual stimulus flickering at a fixed frequency (typically 3-75 Hz). A rhythmic stimulus can entrain brain activity in the occipital lobe, which is commonly associated with the visual cortex.

Here, we show you how to use Mentalab Explore with SSVEP-based classification tasks. The code is open-source and available here. You can run it as is or use it to build your own SSVEP based applications.

Improving Impedances

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 16:17:02 +0100

Since the impedance at the REF electrode affects signal quality for all EEG channels, we recommend starting with the REF electrode.

General

Always verify that there is good contact between electrode and scalp. Ensure all electrodes are being pulled onto the scalp by the cap and there are no creases in the cap causing electrodes to “float".

A thin, elastic cap placed over the electrode cap can further reduce impedances. It presses gently on all electrodes, particularly in occipital positions.

Timeflux

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 10:25:19 +0000

This document provides a simple guide for analyzing and visualizing Mentalab Explore ExG data using Timeflux in real-time.

Timeflux is an open-source framework for real-time acquisition and processing of biosignals. It’s ideal for brain-computer interfaces, biofeedback systems, and interactive installations.

Installation

conda create --name timeflux python=3.10 pytables bottleneck
conda activate timeflux
pip install timeflux timeflux-ui

Basic Setup

Create a simple Timeflux application to visualize Mentalab data:

# mentalab_timeflux.yaml
graphs:
  - nodes:
      - id: lsl
        module: timeflux.nodes.lsl
        class: Receive
        params:
          prop: type
          value: ExG
          timeout: 1.0

      - id: ui
        module: timeflux_ui.nodes.ui
        class: UI

    edges:
      - source: lsl
        target: ui:ExG

    rate: 250

Usage

Start LSL streaming from your Mentalab device using Explore Desktop or Mobile
Run the Timeflux application:

timeflux mentalab_timeflux.yaml

Open localhost:8000 in your browser to view the data

Hypersync via LSL currently has limited compatibility with Timeflux. Please reach out to support@mentalab.com to enquire about a solution.

Resources

For more information or support, contact: support@mentalab.com

BCI2000

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Introduction

The contributions package for BCI2000 contains an LSL source module that can be used to acquire data from the LabStreamingLayer (LSL) to use in BCI2000. It is currently not possible to subscribe to an LSL stream from the Explore device without making changes to the source code of Explorepy or building BCI2000 yourself. This is due to the LSL node resolving streams by data type, the last released installer for BCI2000 with Contributions does not contain changes to filter by a custom property. As the LSL node filters out any type that isn’t EEG and Explorepy and Explore Desktop push the data with the type ExG, the stream cannot be discovered in this version.

OpenViBE

Sun, 12 Jan 2025 15:00:00 +0000

This page provides information on how to acquire data from Explore devices using OpenViBE.

Prerequisites

Windows (OpenViBE is not compatible with macOS, to run OpenViBE on Linux, you need to build it yourself)
An Explore device
OpenViBE
Explore Desktop

You can also use Explorepy instead of ExploreDesktop to push data for acquisition with OpenViBE. We recommend using Explore Desktop as it is easier to set up and allows visualizing incoming data.

EASI ECG

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

The 12 lead electrode configuration.
Source: CardioSecur

Conventional 12-lead ECG uses 10 electrodes (6 electrodes on the chest and 4 electrodes on the limbs’ extremities).

Although it provides comprehensive information about electrical processes inside the heart, the number of electrodes and the long distance between them makes 12-lead ECG impractical and uncomfortable. This is especially true if the participant must remain still for a lengthy recording sessions.

Summary of 12-lead ECG drawbacks:

Troubleshooting

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Unstable Bluetooth connection

Possible causes are:

If the computer is connected to other Bluetooth devices that have a high data transfer rate, like a headset, connections can become unstable.
The device is at the limit of its range.

No device found with name

Ensure your device is on and in advertising mode. Consult with LED Light Guide.

For more information or support, do not hesitate to get in contact at: support@mentalab.com

explorepy Command Guide

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 16:17:02 +0100

Mentalab’s flagship API, explorepy, is written in Python and is the most direct way to communicate with your Explore amplifier. It can be installed from the Python Packaging Index (PyPI) using pip and offers a range of commands that can be called from the command line, like setting the sampling rate or streaming data to the console.

For more information on explorepy, like how to install it, a detailed list of commands or how it can be used in your own Python scripts, please refer to the docs.

Cleaning, Disinfecting and Storing Mentalab Hardware

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

While regularly disinfecting materials prevents contamination, please bear in mind that frequent disinfection will damage your equipment. If your equipment does not require immediate disinfection, consider using water-based cleaning.

Cleaning electrodes and caps

Please clean caps and electrodes immediately after every use to prevent conductive gel residue from drying into the material.

Electrodes

Clean electrodes with warm water and a soft material such as cotton or cotton swabs. Ensure that the connector always remains dry. Rinse electrodes under warm water and use cotton as needed to carefully remove gel residue. If gel residue is hard to remove, particularly in the circular hole of the ring electrodes, use a soft brush to remove it.

P300 Experiment

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

P300 signals are brain signals that occur in response to a visual stimulus. They tend to occur approximately 300 ms after the stimulus appears.

Here, we show you how to use Mentalab Explore and an oddball experiment to elicit P300 signals. The code is open-source and available here. You can run it as is or use it to build your own P300 based applications.

In this experiment, the oddball experiment has two visual stimuli: a blue rectangle and a red oval. The red oval is the so-called "oddball". The participant must press `space` whenever the red stimulus appears.

A blue rectangle is the standard stimulus. The red oval is the "oddball". When presented with the oddball, participants must press space.

Preparation

Software

Install explorepy. Choose Option 2 (Python) if you are installing explorepy on a Windows system.
Download the explorepy code directly from GitHub. To do this, click on the green Code button, and “Download ZIP”. Remember where you extract the files, you will need this location later.
Activate your Anaconda virtual environment: conda activate myenv
Install the required packages: pip install scikit-learn matplotlib psychopy mne
In the Conda terminal, navigate to the p300_demo folder in the examples directory of explorepy.

Hardware

Setup the cap and electrodes. Place EEG electrodes in the desired locations (e.g. Cz, Pz, CP1, CP2, P3, P4, Oz, etc.) and the ground electrode on mastoid (or any other location far enough from other electrodes).

P300 Experiment

Turn on the device, ensure it is advertising, and then run the following command in your terminal (replace #### with your device ID, e.g. Explore_1438):

Sleep Recording Protocol

Thu, 26 Jan 2023 10:25:19 +0000

This is a step-by-step guide describing how you can get the most out of your EEG sleep recording using Mentalab Explore.

Battery life is affected by sampling rate and Bluetooth connection. To maximize your recording time, we recommend offline recording at 250Hz.

Setting up your Mentalab system

Fully charge your amplifier then disconnect it from the USB port.
Set up your participant’s cap and electrodes.
Open Explore Desktop and connect your amplifier to your computer via Bluetooth.
Check your system’s impedances using Explore Desktop. If you need to improve your impedances, please consult: our guide on improving impedances, our pre-experiment checklist, and our dry electrode guide.
End Explore Desktop’s impedance mode and go to the Configuration page. Name your channels and apply the changes.
Format your memory, and disconnect from Bluetooth. Your device should be blinking blue, indicating it is turned on and therefore recording to its flash memory.
Go to sleep! (And try to avoid moving the electrodes.)

Exporting your data

Ensure that your amplifier is turned off (no blinking of any kind).
Disconnect the electrodes from your amplifier.
Connect your amplifier to a computer using the provided USB cable.
Export the largest BIN file you can see on the internal memory.
Convert the BIN file to an appropriate file type using Explore Desktop’s File menu (top left corner).
Finally, charge your amplifier and clean your cap and electrodes thoroughly. For more on cleaning, see our cleaning guide.

For more information or support, do not hesitate to get in contact at: support@mentalab.com

Safety Recommendations

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 10:25:19 +0000

Intended use

Mentalab Explore is a biosignal acquisition amplifier developed for research, development, and educational purposes. It is not intended nor certified for medical use. Mentalab Explore is used by scientists, developers, innovators, and students around the world in custom applications.

Product certification

The Mentalab Explore amplifier is in accordance with the requirements and relevant provisions of EU directives:

RED 2104/53/EU
RoHS
WEEE
PPW

In the conformity assessment procedure, the following standards were used:

MNE‑LSL

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

mne-lsl bridges Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) with MNE-Python. This page explains how to use mne-lsl with Explore devices to stream live ExG data into MNE for inspection and analysis.

Install

pip install mne-lsl mne

Quick start: connect to the Explore ExG stream

In our setup, the Explore device (via explorepy / Explore Desktop / Explore Mobile App) is already publishing an ExG LSL stream. You only need to attach and read:

from mne_lsl.stream import StreamLSL

stream = StreamLSL(
    bufsize=5,           # seconds of data to keep in memory
    name="Explore_XXXX_ExG",  # LSL stream name
    stype="ExG"
).connect()

# Pull 1 second of the newest data
data, ts = stream.get_data(winsize=1.0)  # data: (n_channels, n_samples), ts: (n_samples,)

# When done
stream.disconnect()

Common operations

# Channel selection and referencing
stream.pick("eeg").add_reference_channels("CPz").set_eeg_reference("average")

# Retrieve only selected channels for a fixed window
data, ts = stream.get_data(winsize=0.5, picks=("Fz", "Cz", "Oz"))

Sleep EEG Analysis

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:29:00 +0100

Modern sleep science is fundamentally informed by ExG biosensors recording brain activity (electroencephalography, EEG), eye-movement activity (electrooculography, EOG), and muscle activity (electromyography, EMG) to characterize the physiology of sleep.

Here, we demonstrate how EEG data recorded during a full night’s sleep using Mentalab Explore can be analysed with the free and open source yasa toolbox. We will perform automatic sleep staging by applying the yasa classifier [1] to EEG data, inspect band power in the EEG signal, and detect slow waves and sleep spindles. The application example follows the excellent yasa notebooks.

ECG Analysis

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:29:00 +0100

Mentalab Explore is designed to record all kinds of ExG data. In this guide, we demonstrate how to use the Neurokit2 toolbox to analyse electrocardiography (ECG) data [1]. See the list of neurokit examples on which this tutorial is based for further resources.

Data acquisition

We used two medical adhesive single-use electrodes to record the ECG. One electrode was placed on the left mastoid bone, whereas the second electrode was placed close to the heart on our volunteer’s chest. Using Explore Desktop, we recorded data for 5 minutes in a resting state, where the participant sat down. Data were saved in *.bdf format (European data format in 24 bit resolution).

EEGSynth

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:29:00 +0100

EEGSynth is a software project aiming at connecting brain signals to electronic music instruments. EEGSynth is taking inspiration from modular synthesizers. In a modular synth, each module performs a specific function (generating sound, modulating sound, generating control voltages, etc.) and outputs from one module can be connected to the inputs of another module using patch cables. The entirety of the connected modules is referred to as a patch. Similarly, EEGSynth modules can, among many other things, take in real-time EEG signals, process them and extract useful information such as bandpower, and use these to send instruction messages to electronic music instruments using the MIDI standard.

Real-time Spectrogram

Thu, 08 May 2025 12:54:00 +0100

Introduction

The spectrogram of a signal contains the magnitude of the frequencies of the signal over time, meaning it contains three dimensions: time, frequency and magnitude. This data can be plotted as an image that is essentially a heatmap of frequencies over time.

This example application shows how this can be achieved with real-time updates using the Mentalab Explore device, explorepy and a few other dependencies.

Requirements

Mentalab Explore
A Python 3 installation, we strongly recommend using Anaconda to install Python and using version 3.12

Setting up the environment and dependencies

Set up an environment with Python version 3.12 with conda and activate it:

conda create -n spectrogram python=3.12
conda activate spectrogram

Install liblsl, which is required by explorepy, via conda-forge:

conda install -c conda-forge liblsl

Install the other dependencies via pip:

pip install explorepy glfw vispy scipy numpy

glfw is used as a backend for vispy to display images. Alternatively Qt, PySide6 and multiple other libraries equipped for drawing and displaying windows can be used.

Running the example

Adapting the script to your needs

The code for this example (real_time_spectrogram.py) can be found in the examples folder of the GitHub repository for explorepy: https://github.com/Mentalab-hub/explorepy/

Synchronized EEG & ECG with Mentalab Hypersync and LSL

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 13:54:00 +0100

Introduction

With our Mentalab Hypersync set-up, it is possible to synchronize two or more Explore Pro devices and get the data in real-time using LSL. This example aims to showcase one application for multiple synchronized Explore Pro devices in the form of synchronized EEG and ECG streams pulled from LSL and visualised in real-time in a separate process.

Requirements

2 Mentalab Explore Pro Devices and a cap, cables and electrodes for ECG and EEG recording: This hardware is necessary to record and stream biosignal data, in this case ECG and EEG
Mentalab Hypersync Add-on: This hardware is necessary to establish time synchronisation between multiple Explore Pro devices
2 PCs, Laptops or Raspberry Pis capable of running our free software: Our free software can connect to one device at a time so one recording / streaming PC per Explore Pro is needed
Custom LSL visualiser: Please contact us at support@mentalab.com if you are interested in visualising Mentalab Hypersync streams in real-time as this software is in active development

Setting up and visualizing the Mentalab Hypersync streams

Refer to the instructions and software you have received alongside the Mentalab Hypersync hardware to install and set up the software necessary to synchronize and connect to Explore Pro devices. If you are synchronizing two or more Explore Pro devices, as we do in this example, you will need a PC for every device that you want to stream data from. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at support@mentalab.com if you need help with the set-up or have any questions about it. In our example, we are using two stick’n’peel electrodes (plus one for reference) to stream ECG and four dry electrodes (plus one for reference) to stream EEG (refer to our Dry Electrode Guide for more information).

EEG to lamp brightness

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 12:54:00 +0100

Introduction

An EEG signal contains a multitude of frequencies which can give us an idea of what state the subject is in. For example, frequencies in the alpha range (8Hz - 13Hz) can indicate that the subject is relaxed and has their eyes closed. In this code example, the aforementioned phenomenon is creatively applied to control a lamp based on the subject’s relaxedness. If the subject relaxes and power in the alpha band increases, the LEDs increase in brightness and turn yellow. If the power in the alpha band decreases, the LEDs dim and turn turquoise.

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000