Mentalab EXPLORE User manual

Quick Start Guide
Explore

Thank you for purchasing a
Mentalab Explore device.
Mentalab Explore is a versatile,
high-end solution for biomedical
recordings that provides research-
grade precision in a mobile format†.
† ot for medical diagnosis.
Overview
Enjoy a 12h battery life, 1kHz sampling rate,
24 bit resolution and 9-axis positional data.
Stream data to Bluetooth for real-time
analysis at over 10 meters.
Record to internal memory and work offline
using our extensive open-source software.

Getting started
For more extensive information regarding safety and usage,
please refer to the user manual. Further guidelines and
instructional videos can be found at www.mentalab.com.
Package contents
•Mentalab Explore device in shockproof case.
•USB 2.0A to micro-USB cable.
•Electrode sets and caps of your choice.
•Electrode gel and cleaning solution (optional).
Device configuration
This guide contains basic information
to start streaming and recording data
with your Mentalab Explore device.
Your Explore device’s configuration is encoded on the device
label on the back of the device.
An 8-channel device without flash memory and Bluetooth
name “Explore_1438” would appear as follows:
Bluetooth ID
4-digit ID
Flash memory
1: Yes, 0: No
# Channels
4, 8
095e80/1438
4

Getting started
Technical specifications
o. channels 4, 8
Sampling rates 250 (default), 500, 1000 Hz
Dimensions 41 x 42 x 17 mm
Battery life Up to 8 hr online, 12 hr offline
Differential Input Range ± 400 mV
Input Impedance 1 GΩ
Resolution 24 bit resolution, < 1 µV noise (RMS)
USB Output Interface USB 2.0
Additional Sensors Gyro-, Accelero- and Magnetometer: 20 Hz
Device Temperature, Battery: 1 Hz
Flash Memory Size 512 MB
Bluetooth Range Approx. 10 m
Collecting data
1) Charge the device via USB. A green LED indicates sufficient
battery. Disconnect from the power source prior to use.
2) Connect the cable set to the device and place the electrodes
on the body. Each channel (1-4 or 1-8) is recorded against a
unipolar reference electrode. The order of the electrodes is
shown below. Use the Velcro strap to secure the device to
an EEG cap.
3) Push the power button to start the device. It will now record
data to internal memory, if present.
5

4) Two blue blinks per second indicate that the device is visible
via Bluetooth. The device’s Bluetooth name is Explore_xxxx.
The last four digits on the device’s label are its Bluetooth ID.
5) Once a Bluetooth connection to the host machine has been
established (see Section: API), the Explore device will start
transferring data via Bluetooth. Use Explore’s open-source
APIs to access impedance values, visualize the signal
stream, change device settings, and more.
6) Press the device button once to set a mark during the
recording. A pink LED signal indicates that a marker has
been set.
7) Turn off the device after use. To do so, hold the power
button for 3 seconds until the LED blinks red 3 times.
Always shut down the device before connecting it to USB.
6
Getting started
Reference
CH1
CH2
…
CH8
RESP

7
Instructions
The following table describes
Explore’s LED light code:
LED Color Blinking pattern Indicates
Red
Yellow
Green
At device startup,
about 3 sec
Startup in progress. The color indicates the
battery level (green > 60%, yellow 30 - 60%,
red < 30%)
Blue Blinking 2x / sec Bluetooth visible and advertising
Blue Blinking 1x / sec Bluetooth visible and connected to the host
machine. Online mode in progress.
Green Blinking 1x /
3 sec
Bluetooth is inactive. Offline mode in
progress.
Pink Blinking 1x / sec
ot enough space in memory. Press the
button twice to free up space (formats
memory).
Light pink One-time flash
Button has been pressed: a marker with the
timestamp corresponding to the button event
is stored and transmitted.
Red Flash 3x Device is shutting down.
Connection
To pair your Explore device with a mobile or computer, use the
standard Bluetooth menu. Explore uses a Serial Profile Protocol
(SPP) over Bluetooth to transfer raw data as soon as a
Bluetooth connection is established.

8
Instructions
If the connection is lost, the device will revert to BT-visible
mode, and is ready to reconnect. Explore remains in this state
for 4 minutes until moving to offline mode (flash memory) or
shutting down (no flash memory).
Data
Explore samples ExG data at 250 Hz (default value) with a 24-
bit resolution. The device also records and transmits
accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer data. This means
you can derive the absolute orientation of your device at all
times. Device temperature and battery voltage are also
communicated continuously.
Data are stored in a binary file (.BI suffix) in flash memory. To
retrieve data from the device, connect Explore to a computer via
USB. Files cannot be deleted via USB, instead they must be
overwritten. To format the memory (and delete all previous
data), use our open-source APIs. Please refer to the user
manual or website for more details.
Capture and visualize data using Explore’s APIs written in
Python, C++, Java and MATLAB. Everything is open-source, feel
free to contribute: https://github.com/Mentalab-hub.
Explorepy, written in Python, is most mature. It provides an
extensive set of tools that allow you to build customized
biosignal applications. For detailed instructions on the
installation and use of Explorepy, please visit the Explorepy
Wiki page: https://explorepy.readthedocs.io.
Software

9
Instructions
Explorepy provides useful functionalities for all users,
regardless of prior programming knowledge. Use the command
line of your Python terminal to:
•Acquire data in CSV and EDF.
•Visualize data in a browser-based dashboard GUI.
•Visualize electrode impedance measurements.
•Set event markers.
•Configure the device.
•Integrate with MATLAB and LabStreamingLayer (LSL).
•Convert BI -data in the device memory to other formats.
Software Features
Software Integrations

10
Contact
Mentalab is a biomedical technology company from
Munich, Germany. Mentalab Explore is a high-end,
mobile measurement device for biosignal applications.
Mentalab Explore is used by researchers and scientists
around the world in applications ranging from BCIs to
sleep and neuropsychology research.
Our team is happy to support you in developing your
own innovative solutions.
Version 2.1. Copyright: Mentalab GmbH, 2021
http://mentalab.com
http://github.com/Mentalab-hub
http://explorepy.readthedocs.io
Mentalab GmbH
Weinstr. 4, Munich, D-80333, Germany
[email protected]
[email protected]

11