The system / stationary first
A supported participant, a removable sensing array, a common session controller and separate output modules. Each instrument keeps its own physics; the station connects their timing and purpose.
Follow a signal
Select an input to see its job in the system. This is an architecture illustration; no instruments are connected.
Independent return pathsSensory cuesElectrical apparatusMagnetic apparatus
Differential contacts and a reference feed isolated acquisition. EEG can support rhythm, event and feature analysis, with eye, muscle and contact references attached to the record.
Electrical stimulation can polarize contacts and overload amplifiers. Recovered, qualified data windows are part of the design.
See the EEG module ↗Optically pumped magnetometers use light and atomic vapor to sense magnetic changes. The station gives the heads a stable mount and reserves space for magnetic references, shielding and field compensation.
Brain-field sensitivity is a target to verify against a calibrated reference. TMS pulses, nearby actuators and shield remanence can invalidate a window.
See the MEG module ↗Near-infrared sources and detectors follow relative blood-oxygen changes near the cortical surface. Short paths capture superficial changes; longer paths add some cortical sensitivity.
It complements EEG over a longer timescale. LED drive, ambient light and systemic physiology need their own references.
See the optical methods ↗The analog-link concept turns a buffered electrode voltage into light, stabilizes the emitter with a local photodiode, and recovers the representation at a remote receiver.
A pulse-timing link is a separate experimental encoding route. Neither creates a second neural measurement or establishes complete electrical isolation.
Compare the optical roles ↗Eye and muscle activity, heartbeat, movement, respiration where instrumented, contact force and fit can explain apparent changes in a brain channel.
Reference channels help test an explanation. Removing a component from a signal does not automatically prove the remainder is neural.
See the reference channels ↗Local magnetic references and independent ELF/RF receivers describe interference and environmental signals. Schumann-band reception belongs here as a calibrated field experiment.
Environmental pT instruments are not assumed MEG sensors. Similar frequencies in the room and EEG do not establish biological coupling.
Explore the field hypothesis ↗An impedance, resonator or head-loop experiment applies a characterized excitation and asks what changes in phase, damping or transfer properties.
Driven-response data stays separate from passive EEG/MEG. A repeatable response could reflect contact, temperature or direct pickup.
See the characterization tools ↗A session has phases
The controller coordinates a sequence. Sensitive measurements and powerful outputs have defined windows, with quality flags that follow the data.
Check contacts, noise, sensor lock and field references. Optical sources run only in characterized configurations. This is where usable measurement windows begin.
Return a validated feature through a display, remote sound path or qualified haptic module. Log the cue and test whether its hardware disturbs the measurement.
A dedicated electrical or magnetic system owns the output. The station records permission, event and independent monitor information while contaminated sensing is excluded.
Check amplifier recovery, electrode polarization, magnetic baseline and OPM lock. Recovery is measured; a timer alone cannot establish that the data is usable again.
Illustrative sequence, without durations or output parameters. A study can use sensory feedback alone; electrical and magnetic interventions are separate research configurations.
Designed to work together
The station shares timing and geometry while separating power, signal paths and operating modes. Each combination still needs measurement on the actual hardware.
Electrical output can overload the front end or polarize electrodes. The first design uses interleaved windows and measured recovery, rather than interpreting the output artifact as EEG.
Pulses, coil position and shield remanence can prevent usable MEG. A removable coil arrangement, sensor relocking and field checks may require changing configuration between sessions.
fNIRS sources, OPM optics and fiber transport have different jobs. Source timing, detector headroom, drive currents and thermal controls must be characterized together.
Quiet acquisition reserves the seat and head fixture. Motors, massage, speakers, pumps and metal parts need mode-specific placement and exclusion checks.
The external stimulator keeps its own limits, stop controls and qualified operator interface. The chair reports pose and fault status; those status signals do not generate TMS pulses. MRI remains an external validation tool.