Abstract
In this paper, we describe a computer system for controlling real-time psychology experi ments. We begin by considering the kinds of experiments that are performed in our laboratory and examining the hardware and software requirements of these experiments. We then review various systems along a continuum ranging from general-purpose timesharing systems to stand-alone dedicated processors. The capabilities of these systems are described in comparison with our requirements. The features of the PARASITE-FS system are then described. This host-satellite system includes a local file system and monitor program, real-time device drivers with flexible interrupt processing capabilities, user-level routines for controlling the real-time devices, and a package for controlling the timing of experimental events. Psychologists in our laboratory and in other parts of Bell Laboratories conduct a variety of research in human information processing. In most of this research, computers are used as primary tools for data collection and analysis. In this paper, we describe how we developed a system that meets our particular computing needs. SYSTEM DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS In designing our system for controlling real-time experiments, we considered not only the kinds of experiments currently performed, but also the demands that future experiments might place on either the hardware or the software of a system.
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