> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.anthriq.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.anthriq.com/xbud/maintenance-and-troubleshooting.md). # Maintenance & Troubleshooting Keeping xBud in good condition, and what to check when a recording looks wrong. ## Maintain the hardware * Inspect the electrode leads and the power adapter for damage before each session. * Clean the dry electrodes with the approved method for your electrode set. * Store xBud and the electrodes clean and dry, within the environmental limits in [Specifications](/xbud/specifications.md). * Do not open the xBud enclosure. ## Work through a bad recording Most problems fall into one of two groups, and telling them apart quickly saves time: * **Nothing at all**: flat traces, no device, no markers. Usually power, wiring, or the driver. * **Something, but wrong**: hum, railing, drift, drop-outs. Usually electrode contact, input range, or throughput. Check in this order: is the device present, is it powered, are the wires seated, is the range right, is the contact good. ## The DAQ does not appear **Cause:** NI-DAQmx is not installed, or the device name is wrong. **Fix:** Install the full NI-DAQmx runtime rather than NI MAX alone. Confirm the device appears in NI MAX, for example as `Dev1 (USB-6451)`, then rescan in BXI Studio. Select **Refresh** in the device list, and tick **Show non-USB devices (PXI, cDAQ, …)** for a cDAQ chassis. ## The trace is flat on every channel **Cause:** xBud is off, the adapter is disconnected, or the jumper wires are not seated. **Fix:** Confirm the adapter is connected and xBud is powered, then reseat the jumper wires at the DAQ terminals. Allow about a minute after power-on for the front-end to settle. ## One channel is flat while the others look normal **Cause:** That electrode has lost contact, or its jumper wire is loose. **Fix:** Reseat the electrode, checking that the contact reaches skin rather than hair. If the channel stays flat, move its jumper to a spare analog input to distinguish an electrode fault from a terminal fault. ## Heavy 50/60 Hz hum **Cause:** Poor electrode contact or an incomplete common-mode path. **Fix:** Improve electrode contact first, since hum is usually a contact symptom. Check the REF, AGND, and DRL wiring, and gel the AGND and DRL contacts. Run the host laptop on battery with its charger unplugged, and move the setup away from mains-powered equipment. A 50 Hz bandstop filter hides the hum on screen without improving the underlying signal, so treat it as a display aid rather than a fix. ## The signal rails or clips **Cause:** The DAQ input range is too narrow for the signal, or an electrode is drifting. The xBud gain is fixed at 100× and cannot be lowered. **Fix:** Widen the DAQ input range, for example from ±2.5 V to ±5 V. If one channel rails while the others sit normally, reseat that electrode, since a poor contact drifts until it reaches the rail. ## Markers do not appear in the recording **Cause:** The marker box cable is not connected, the marker lines are mapped to the wrong digital inputs, or no marker was linked to a DI line. **Fix:** Confirm the marker box cable is seated in the xBud chassis and the two marker lines are wired to the configured DAQ digital inputs. In the **Marker Library**, check that a Digital Marker is bound with **+ Link DI**. Software markers with a keybind work as an alternative. ## Long runs drop samples **Cause:** USB throughput or host load. **Fix:** Lower the sampling rate, reduce the channel count, or close applications competing for the USB bus. Sampling rate is shared across the channels in a task, so fewer channels leaves more rate for each. ## Values look wrong by a factor **Cause:** The external gain was not entered, or was entered twice. **Fix:** xBud's gain is a fixed 100×. Enter **100** as the external gain during configuration so BXI Studio displays electrode microvolts, and do not divide again afterwards. When reading the DAQ directly through NI-DAQmx, divide by 100 yourself. ## Contact support **Need help?** Contact Anthriq support: * Email: See [Get support](/xbud/technical-guide.md#get-support) for what to include in a request.