FAQ: EyeLink II: How do I fix a “reading EEPROM” error when booting the Host PC?

[Sam]

* This FAQ only applies to the EyeLink II systems *

The "EyeLink II EEPROM error" is a hardware-related problem that can sometimes be resolved with the following troubleshooting steps.

1. Reseat the EyeLink PCI Card
   First, let's make sure the card is securely connected to the motherboard.
   
   1. Power down the Host PC completely.
      
   2. ⚠️ Unplug the computer's power cord from the wall outlet.
      
   3. Open the computer case, carefully remove the EyeLink PCI card from its motherboard slot, and then firmly reinsert it into the same slot.
      
   4. Close the case, reconnect the power, and restart the system.
      
   If the error is gone, you are done. If it persists, repeat the process but place the card in a different PCI slot to rule out a faulty motherboard slot.
   
   
2. Update Host Software & Tweak Settings
   If reseating the card doesn't work, the next step is to update the software and adjust a timing parameter.
   
   1. Backup Your INI Files:
      Before proceeding, make a complete backup of your existing \EYELINK2\ directory. This is critical for preserving your DATA.INI, FINAL.INI, and PHYSICAL.INI configuration files.
      
      1. Reboot the Host PC into windows.
         
      2. Navigate to the EyeLink drive (typically D: or E:)
         
      3. copy the \EYELINK2\ folder and it's contents to the windows desktop to create a backup of your existing configuration.
         
   2. Download the latest version of the EyeLink II Host PC software software.
      
   3. Overwrite the old \EYELINK2\EXE\ directory with the new one.
      
   4. Copy the Physical.INI and the FINAL.INI from the \EYELINK2\EXE\ of the backup you created to the \EYELINK2\EXE\ folder on the EyeLink drive to restore your previous settings.
      
   5. Open the PREINIT.INI file in a text editor and find the following line:
      
      Code:

      // Computer-specific tweak to EEPROM read timing
// 3 args: RLOW, RDELAY, RRECOV
// Defaults are 3, 3, and 100
// Increasing first 2 (range=2..10) might improve stability.
eeprom_read_timing = 3, 3, 100
   6. Change the values to increase the read delay, which can improve stability:
      
      Code:

      eeprom_read_timing = 10, 10, 100
   7. Save the file and try running eyelink2.exe from the command prompt several times to see if the issue is resolved.
      
3. Reprogram the EEPROM (Advanced)
   If the error still occurs, the final step is to use a utility to reprogram the card.
   • Download the attached fixeep.zip file.
     
       fixeep.zip (Size: 54.91 KB / Downloads: 10)
     
   • Unzip its contents and copy them into your C:\EYELINK2\EXE\ directory.
     
   • Run the Utility:
     • Restart the Host PC in the EyeLink partition.
       
     • Exit the Host software (CTL+ALT+Q)
       
     • execute the following commands:
       
       Code:

       cd C:\EYELINK2\EXE\
fix_eep
   • Test and Tweak: After the program finishes, try running eyelink2.exe. You may need to experiment with the eeprom_read_timing values from Step 2 again.
     
   
   Troubleshooting the Fix:
   If you see a "cannot open file 'eyelink.eep'" error, please copy the attached eyelink.eep file to C:\EYELINK2\EXE\ folder and re-run the "fix_eep" utility.
   
   If it doesn't work on the first try, power the computer off and on completely, and run the fix_eep command several more times.
   
   Cleanup:
   Once the problem is solved, delete the three files you copied (deeprom.exe, defpci.eep, and fix_eep.bat), as running them repeatedly could harm the card.
   

If the problem persists after all these steps, please email support@sr-research.com and attach the eye.log files from your C:\EYELINK2\EXE\ directory.