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How-To: How to configure a Display PC
Sam
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#1
08-27-2020, 16:16 PM (This post was last modified: 09-19-2025, 14:29 PM by Dan.)
The standard EyeLink system uses a two-computer setup: a Host PC and a Display PC.
  • The Host PC connects directly to the EyeLink camera and is dedicated to controlling the eye tracker and collecting data. A Host PC is included with every EyeLink system. It communicates in real-time with the Display PC through a dedicated Ethernet connection.
  • The Display PC is a separate computer dedicated to presenting stimuli to the participant. Almost any modern Windows, macOS, or Linux computer can serve as a Display PC. However, your choice of stimulus presentation software will determine the required operating system and hardware specifications.

Display PC Requirements
The ideal specifications for your Display PC depend on your experimental tasks.
  • Gaze-contingent paradigms that require high refresh rates may need a more powerful computer with a high-end video card.
  • Experiments with high-resolution video or audio may require faster hard drives or dedicated audio hardware.
For most standard cognitive tasks, any reasonably modern computer will work perfectly as a Display PC. For specific hardware recommendations for Experiment Builder. For other software, please refer to the developer's documentation.


Software Installation
The software you need to install depends on how you present your stimuli.
  • For Experiment Builder
    If you use Experiment Builder to present stimuli, you will need to install the following:
  • Hasp USB License Key Driver Installation: A Hasp USB key is required to create, edit, or deploy experiments. To use the key, you must first install its driver.

    Note: The USB key is not required for data collection (i.e., running a deployed experiment).

    For more information, see Getting Started with Experiment Builder.

  • For Other Programming Environments
    If you use a third-party package (like PsychoPy, E-Prime, or Psychtoolbox) or a standard programming language (like Python, C++, or C#), you must install the EyeLink Developer's Kit. This kit contains the API that allows your software to communicate with the Host PC and eye tracker.
    For more information, see Getting Started with Experimental Programming.

  • For Web/Application Recording (WebLink)
    To record eye movements during interactions with websites, games, mobile devices, PDFs, or other closed-source applications, you will need WebLink. This software is ideal for usability testing, HCI research, and other scenarios where standard stimulus software is not suitable.
    For more information, see our WebLink video tutorials.

  • For Data Analysis
    If you also plan to analyze data on the Display PC, install Data Viewer. For more information, see Getting Started with Data Viewer.

IP Address Configuration
The Host PC and Display PC communicate over a direct Ethernet connection that requires a static IP address. On the Display PC, configure the Ethernet port that connects to the Host PC with the following settings:
  • IP Address: 100.1.1.2
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
For detailed instructions, see our guide on how to configure your network settings.