muse s - connecting with brainflow (python), but not with brainbay

[windwerfer]

system: win11 (all updates), python 3.11 (brainflow 5.8.2), brainbay 2.7

testing if the device will connect to my laptop:
starting the default connection example (first one on https://brainflow.readthedocs.io/en/stable/Examples.html ) with (i have a muse s = board id is 39):
python brainflow-connection-test.py --board-id 39
the device will be found, connected to, and some data will be recorded.

doing the same in brainbay (choosing the muse s, not the muse s BLED because i do not have the dongle) will return 'failed to prepare session 17' (instandly, no scanning done, just some error).

i tried the same today on win10 (before reformating in installing win 11) and got the same error (it would also connect through pure python-brainflow).

is it possible to use brainbay/muse without the BLED bluetooth dongle?
could there be any other problems?

thank you for, writing this program. it seems amazing, i cant wait to try it out :-)

[windwerfer]

it was a bit late yesterday, and i did not spend as much effort preparing the post as i should have.

first i found that the brainbay forum https://brainbay.iphpbb3.com/ is not accessable from thailand (i thought it was down, thats why i did not look there first). so i will search there first now (i use a vpn now to access it).

also i started brainbay with the --debug option:

commandline:--debug
initialising Brainflow object ...
Brainflow: Board created.
Update channels for Device ID -1, device name = Synthetic
Board description = {"accel_channels":[17,18,19],"battery_channel":29,"ecg_channels":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"eda_channels":[23],"eeg_channels":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"eeg_names":"Fz,C3,Cz,C4,Pz,PO7,Oz,PO8,F5,F7,F3,F1,F2,F4,F6,F8","emg_channels":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"eog_channels":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"gyro_channels":[20,21,22],"marker_channel":31,"name":"Synthetic","num_rows":32,"package_num_channel":0,"ppg_channels":[24,25],"resistance_channels":[27,28],"sampling_rate":250,"temperature_channels":[26],"timestamp_channel":30}
the package number is at channel 0
the sampling rate is 250
Number of rows:32
available channels are as follows:
Now trying to add exg channels: chn1:exg chn2:exg chn3:exg chn4:exg chn5:exg chn6:exg chn7:exg chn8:exg chn9:exg chn10:exg chn11:exg chn12:exg chn13:exg chn14:exg chn15:exg chn16:exg
Now trying to add eda channels: chn23:eda
Now trying to add res channels: chn27:res chn28:res
Now trying to add temp channels: chn26:temp
Now trying to add accel channels: chn17:accel chn18:accel chn19:accel
Now trying to add gyro channels: chn20:gyro chn21:gyro chn22:gyro
Now trying to add ppg channels: chn24:ppg chn25:ppg
Now trying to add pcount channels: chn0:pcount
Now trying to add batt channels: chn29:batt
Now trying to add time channels: chn30:time
Now trying to add marker channels: chn31:marker
Added total number of 32 data channels!
Brainflow: release current Board.
Brainflow: delete Board class
Brainflow: Board release done.
Brainflow: Board created.
Update channels for Device ID 39, device name = MuseS
Board description = {"eeg_channels":[1,2,3,4],"eeg_names":"TP9,Fp1,Fp2,TP10","marker_channel":7,"name":"MuseS","num_rows":8,"other_channels":[5],"package_num_channel":0,"sampling_rate":256,"timestamp_channel":6}
the package number is at channel 0
the sampling rate is 256
Number of rows:8
available channels are as follows:
Now trying to add exg channels: chn1:exg chn2:exg chn3:exg chn4:exg
Added total number of 4 data channels!
EEG Channel 1 has name TP9
EEG Channel 2 has name Fp1
EEG Channel 3 has name Fp2
EEG Channel 4 has name TP10
skipping Channel 0
Using OUT PORT 0 for BF-Channel 1
Using OUT PORT 1 for BF-Channel 2
Using OUT PORT 2 for BF-Channel 3
Using OUT PORT 3 for BF-Channel 4
skipping Channel 5
skipping Channel 6
skipping Channel 7 <- finished loading the brainflow board into my test design
Brainflow: start session. <- press F7
Brainflow: Exception handler triggered.

if there are any other ways to help troubleshoot, please let me know. i would really like to fix the problem.
my programming skills are not that cracked up to be (especially c++), but i can compile things if it helps.

as i said, i find this project pretty amazing. the node style scripting makes it a breeze to create my own designs without programming.. thats awsome. hope i can get it to work with my device. thanks for all the hard work!

[ChrisVeigl]

thank you or the detailled report!
unfortunately I don't know why the problem happens, as the "Muse S" device (ID 39) should be supported. It is opened like any other device. I can try to update the Brainflow libraries and rebuild the executable, maybe this will help. I will do this in a few days when I am back at my development machine, and post a note here as soon as the update is done.

[windwerfer]

that would be very much appreciated. thank you, lets try that.

[ChrisVeigl]

i just updated the brainflow libraries and added the timeout parameter - maybe this helps,
see https://github.com/ChrisVeigl/BrainBay/releases/tag/v2.8

[windwerfer]

thank you for the update. i tried it and there is still error nr 17 (instantly). i tried setting the timeout to 10, but it didnt change. instant error 17. i found in the brainbay programm folder the file brainflow_error_log.log and it had the following content:

[2023-07-15 17:16:44.091] [board_logger] [info] incoming json: {"file":"","file_anc":"","file_aux":"","ip_address":"192.168.4.1","ip_address_anc":"","ip_address_aux":"","ip_port":4567,"ip_port_anc":0,"ip_port_aux":0,"ip_protocol":0,"mac_address":"","master_board":-100,"other_info":"","serial_number":"","serial_port":"COM4","timeout":10}
[2023-07-15 17:16:44.098] [board_logger] [info] Use timeout for discovery: 10
[2023-07-15 17:16:44.098] [board_logger] [error] failed to load lib
[2023-07-15 17:16:44.098] [board_logger] [error] Failed to init dll_loader
[2023-07-15 17:16:44.098] [board_logger] [error] failed to prepare session17
[2023-07-15 17:16:50.485] [board_logger] [error] failed to stop stream15

when i try to load another brainbay board (i tried the notionosc2) i get:

[2023-07-15 17:54:40.012] [board_logger] [info] incoming json: {"file":"","file_anc":"","file_aux":"","ip_address":"192.168.4.1","ip_address_anc":"","ip_address_aux":"","ip_port":4567,"ip_port_anc":0,"ip_port_aux":0,"ip_protocol":0,"mac_address":"","master_board":-100,"other_info":"","serial_number":"","serial_port":"COM4","timeout":0}
[2023-07-15 17:54:45.026] [board_logger] [error] no data received in 5sec, stopping thread
[2023-07-15 17:54:45.026] [board_logger] [error] WSAGetLastError is 10060
[2023-07-15 17:54:45.027] [board_logger] [error] failed to start stream7
[2023-07-15 17:54:55.740] [board_logger] [error] failed to stop stream11

it seems to fail to load some libraries. i am pretty sure that it is hard to debug from afar, is there anything i can do to help out troubleshooting? (i installed microsoft visual studio 2019 and compiled brainbay successfully, but since i have no experience in c++, i do not know what do there :-)

so it seems that it is specific to the muse device, not brainflow in general.

[ChrisVeigl]

thanks for these additional insights.
AFAIK I copied all brainflow libraries and dlls into the brainbay folder after the new brainflow build.
maybe it's a muse-related lib/dll... it's a pity that the error log doe not tell which dll is needed....

3 more things you could try:

*) increase the timeout (i think it's milliseconds) to 2000 or 3000 - i remember that somebody reported that a longer time is needed for establishing connection
*) copy all muse related .dlls you can find to the briainbay bin folder
*) ask andrey / in the brainflow slack channel about possible reasons

[windwerfer]

thank you for the advice. i downloaded the git master branch from brainbay and copied the dll files over. and it worked a bit more. i now get (timeout 100s, i tried with longer values but it just freezes brainbay for longer):

{"file":"","file_anc":"","file_aux":"","ip_address":"192.168.4.1","ip_address_anc":"","ip_address_aux":"","ip_port":4567,"ip_port_anc":0,"ip_port_aux":0,"ip_protocol":0,"mac_address":"","master_board":-100,"other_info":"","serial_number":"","serial_port":"COM4","timeout":100}
[2023-07-21 05:18:04.028] [board_logger] [info] Use timeout for discovery: 100
[2023-07-21 05:18:04.041] [board_logger] [info] found 1 BLE adapter(s)
[2023-07-21 05:18:04.054] [board_logger] [warning] Probably bluetooth is disabled.
[2023-07-21 05:19:44.055] [board_logger] [error] Failed to find Muse Device
[2023-07-21 05:19:45.062] [board_logger] [error] failed to prepare session7

(but bluetooth is activated and working - tested with muselsl)

i will ask andrey / in the brainflow slack channel about possible reasons. just wanted to let you know that there is progress. thank you.

[ChrisVeigl]

okay -- thanks for the update! I have no idea why the BT-connection can't be opened successfully by the Brainflow library...

BTW: in case you download from the master branch (or install the current version using the setup exe) you do not need to replace the .dlls - they should be up-to-date.

[rcNash]

Windwerfer or Chris,
Did you ever find a resolution to problem? I am having an identical issue. I'm running win11 and I am able to connect to my Muse S headband from both Brainflow and Muselsl from command prompt and BlueMuse through GUI interface, Unfortunately after adding MuseS (without BLED). In device manager I can see that COM3/4/5/6 are all being added as Serial over Bluetooth link and in Brainbay MuseS is being routed to COM4 without option to change. So I went in and rerouted all the current ports to COM7/8/9/10 to see if maybe the problem was a communication conflict. Still getting the same outcomes.

[rcNash]

Here's what I'm getting, as you can see it's virtually identical outcome with the "failed to prepare session17" Brainflow error immediately after clicking F7

commandline:--debug
initialising Brainflow object ...
Brainflow: Board created.
Update channels for Device ID -1, device name = Synthetic
Board description = {"accel_channels":[17,18,19],"battery_channel":29,"ecg_channels":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"eda_channels":[23],"eeg_channels":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"eeg_names":"Fz,C3,Cz,C4,Pz,PO7,Oz,PO8,F5,F7,F3,F1,F2,F4,F6,F8","emg_channels":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"eog_channels":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16],"gyro_channels":[20,21,22],"marker_channel":31,"name":"Synthetic","num_rows":32,"package_num_channel":0,"ppg_channels":[24,25],"resistance_channels":[27,28],"sampling_rate":250,"temperature_channels":[26],"timestamp_channel":30}
the package number is at channel 0
the sampling rate is 250
Number of rows:32
available channels are as follows:
Now trying to add exg channels: chn1:exg chn2:exg chn3:exg chn4:exg chn5:exg chn6:exg chn7:exg chn8:exg chn9:exg chn10:exg chn11:exg chn12:exg chn13:exg chn14:exg chn15:exg chn16:exg
Now trying to add eda channels: chn23:eda
Now trying to add res channels: chn27:res chn28:res
Now trying to add temp channels: chn26:temp
Now trying to add accel channels: chn17:accel chn18:accel chn19:accel
Now trying to add gyro channels: chn20:gyro chn21:gyro chn22:gyro
Now trying to add ppg channels: chn24:ppg chn25:ppg
Now trying to add pcount channels: chn0:pcount
Now trying to add batt channels: chn29:batt
Now trying to add time channels: chn30:time
Now trying to add marker channels: chn31:marker
Added total number of 32 data channels!
Brainflow: Device ID selected: 39
Brainflow: release current Board.
Brainflow: delete Board class
Brainflow: Board release done.
Brainflow: Board created.
Update channels for Device ID 39, device name = MuseS
Board description = {"eeg_channels":[1,2,3,4],"eeg_names":"TP9,Fp1,Fp2,TP10","marker_channel":7,"name":"MuseS","num_rows":8,"other_channels":[5],"package_num_channel":0,"sampling_rate":256,"timestamp_channel":6}
the package number is at channel 0
the sampling rate is 256
Number of rows:8
available channels are as follows:
Now trying to add exg channels: chn1:exg chn2:exg chn3:exg chn4:exg
Added total number of 4 data channels!
EEG Channel 1 has name TP9
EEG Channel 2 has name Fp1
EEG Channel 3 has name Fp2
EEG Channel 4 has name TP10
skipping Channel 0
Using OUT PORT 0 for BF-Channel 1
Using OUT PORT 1 for BF-Channel 2
Using OUT PORT 2 for BF-Channel 3
Using OUT PORT 3 for BF-Channel 4
skipping Channel 5
skipping Channel 6
skipping Channel 7
Brainflow: start session.
Brainflow: Exception handler triggered.

[rcNash]

And then finally . . . I've also noticed that the connection light on the bottom of the muse headband goes solid when BlueMuse, Muselsl, and Brainflow connect. But the light on headband continues to osculate while attempting to connect in BrainBay which to me seems to indicate that there is no connection being established.

[windwerfer]

@rcNash sorry i didnt continue to investigate as intended. partially because i never used slack, but mostly no time :-)