Getting Started Guide
A practical first-run path for the current BCILattice desktop workflow.
Requirements
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB or more for multi-subject datasets |
| Storage | 5 GB free | 20 GB or more, plus room for raw recordings |
| CPU | Modern multi-core CPU | 8-core workstation CPU for batch training |
| GPU | Not required | NVIDIA CUDA GPU for faster PyTorch training |
| Internet | Required for account sign-in | Local compute runs on your machine; cloud sync, community, updates, and remote AI providers use connected services |
Install
- Open bcinexus.xyz/download.
- Choose the installer or package available for your operating system.
- Install BCILattice using your normal institutional or personal software policy.
- Launch the app and wait for the local FastAPI service to become ready.
If you run the app from source, follow the repository environment and dependency setup rather than installer instructions.
Account
BCILattice requires a BCINexus account to operate. After sign-in, analysis and model training run on your machine; cloud sync, community imports, publishing, private share links, dashboard access, and team collaboration are optional connected features.
- Create an account at bcinexus.xyz/register or from the desktop sign-in flow.
- Verify your email if prompted.
- Sign in from Settings, Account, or from the module that requests authentication.
Create a Study
- Open Studies from the desktop sidebar.
- Create a new local study with name, modality, task type, and description.
- Save local work as a
.bltsstudy. - Use the study workspace to move through Data Manager, Preprocessing, Analysis, Neural Flow, ML Suite, Experiment Hub, Results, Model Analysis, and Reports.
Import Data
Use Data Manager as the source for files, sessions, subjects, modalities, and labels.
- Open Data Manager in the active study.
- Choose a single file import or folder import for multi-subject data.
- Select the modality and confirm label columns or label references.
- Review previews and quality warnings before adding the data.
| Modality | Common supported formats |
|---|---|
| EEG | EDF, BDF, GDF, FIF, VHDR, SET, CNT, TXT, CSV, XLSX |
| fNIRS | SNIRF, FIF, TXT, CSV, XLSX |
| EMG | EDF, BDF, GDF, FIF, TXT, CSV |
| EOG | Modality-specific EDF/FIF or tabular formats |
Preprocess
Open Preprocessing after data import. Start conservatively and document every choice.
| Signal | Useful starting operations |
|---|---|
| EEG | Bandpass, notch, resampling, average reference, ICA where justified. |
| fNIRS | Optical density, Beer-Lambert conversion, motion correction, short-channel regression. |
| EMG | Bandpass, rectification, envelope extraction, RMS envelope. |
Design a Paradigm
Use Neural Flow to define cues, task blocks, rest periods, marker codes, timing, and loops.
- Open Neural Flow from the study workspace.
- Add task, cue, feedback, timing, marker, or loop blocks.
- Set duration, label, marker code, and repeat settings.
- Compile the graph and resolve validation messages.
- Save or export the paradigm for use with the study.
Build & Train
Use ML Suite for MLFlow graph design, Workflow assignment, and training.
- Start with a simple baseline graph such as channel selection, scaler, LDA/SVM, and metric blocks.
- Use Workflow to bind Data Manager files, subjects, and sessions to the pipeline.
- Compile before training and fix any graph errors.
- Train locally on CPU or a compatible GPU.
- Move to deep models after the baseline and data splits are sensible.
Review Results
- Open Experiment Hub after training completes.
- Inspect run records, metrics, and configuration differences.
- Use Results for metric summaries and cross-experiment comparison.
- Use Model Analysis for SHAP, weights, activation maps, or other diagnostics where supported.
- Export run CSVs when you need external statistical analysis.
Generate a Report
- Open Reports from the study workspace.
- Generate the report from the current study state.
- Review the report editor before export.
- Export PDF or HTML for people, JSON for study documents, or CSV for metric tables.
Use AI Chat
AI Chat connects the desktop to your selected provider or local Ollama endpoint. It is useful for interpretation, troubleshooting, report drafting, and research questions, but it should not replace methodological review.
- Open AI Chat and connect a supported provider or local Ollama.
- Ask focused questions such as "Why might subject 3 accuracy be low?" or "What preprocessing checks should I run next?"
- Review the answer, then make changes deliberately in the relevant module.
Community
Use BCINexus community and study pages when you want to reuse published artifacts or publish selected study outputs.
- Browse BCINexus Studies or use the desktop community import entry points.
- Import only artifacts that match your modality, task, data shape, and validation assumptions.
- Publish selected artifacts through the desktop Publish flow when your study is ready to share.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | First check |
|---|---|
| Server not ready | Restart the app and check whether another process is blocking the local FastAPI port. |
| Import fails | Confirm the file type, selected modality, and label columns. |
| Preprocessing looks wrong | Check sampling rate, filter limits, channel types, and label alignment. |
| Graph does not compile | Fix missing parameters, disconnected nodes, and incompatible graph outputs. |
| Training is slow | Use a smaller baseline, reduce folds, and verify GPU availability. |
| Cloud feature fails | Check sign-in state, active workspace, plan quota, permissions, and internet connection. |