readmanager 1.2.3

Read, write and convert OpenBCI signal recordings (.raw/.xml/.tag)

readmanager

Read, write and convert OBCI signal recordings stored in the OBCI file format (.raw / .xml / .tag).

Installation

pip install readmanager            # core (numpy only)
pip install readmanager[mne]       # + MNE-Python conversion
pip install readmanager[balance]   # + Wii Balance Board analysis (scipy)
pip install readmanager[all]       # everything

Requires Python 3.10+.

Quick start

from obci_readmanager.signal_processing.read_manager import ReadManager

# Open a recording (three files: .raw, .xml, .tag)
mgr = ReadManager(
    "recording.obci.xml",
    "recording.obci.raw",
    "recording.obci.tag",
)

# Access signal parameters
print(mgr.get_param("sampling_frequency"))
print(mgr.get_param("channels_names"))

# Get all samples as a numpy array (channels x samples)
samples = mgr.get_samples()

# Get samples for a single channel
fp1 = mgr.get_channel_samples("Fp1")

# Get samples in microvolts (applies gain and offset calibration)
uv = mgr.get_microvolt_samples()

# Iterate over tags (event markers)
for tag in mgr.iter_tags():
    print(tag["name"], tag["start_timestamp"])

Smart tags

Smart tags extract signal segments aligned to event markers:

from obci_readmanager.signal_processing.smart_tags_manager import SmartTagsManager
from obci_readmanager.signal_processing.tags.smart_tag_definition import SmartTagDurationDefinition

# Define: 1 second of signal after each "stimulus" tag
tag_def = SmartTagDurationDefinition(
    start_tag_name="stimulus",
    start_offset=0.0,
    end_offset=0.0,
    duration=1.0,
)

smart_mgr = SmartTagsManager(
    tag_def,
    "recording.obci.xml",
    "recording.obci.raw",
    "recording.obci.tag",
)

for smart_tag in smart_mgr.iter_smart_tags():
    data = smart_tag.get_samples()  # channels x samples for this epoch
    print(data.shape)

MNE-Python conversion

# ReadManager -> MNE Raw
raw_mne = mgr.get_mne_raw()

# MNE Raw -> ReadManager
mgr2 = ReadManager.from_mne(raw_mne)

# Smart tags -> MNE Epochs
epochs = smart_mgr.get_mne_epochs()

OBCI file format

An OBCI recording consists of three files:

File	Content
.obci.raw	Binary signal data (channels interleaved, float64 by default)
.obci.xml	Recording metadata: channel names, sampling frequency, gains, offsets
.obci.tag	Event markers in XML format (name, timestamp, duration, description)

Part of the OBCI ecosystem

readmanager is used by OBCI for signal file replay and post-recording correction. Related packages:

• obci-server — EEG acquisition server (depends on readmanager)
• obci-desktop — desktop launcher and LSL streaming
• obci-psychopy — PsychoPy tag integration
• SVAROG4 — Java signal viewer/recorder

License

GNU General Public License v3 or later (GPLv3+).

Originally developed by BrainTech and the Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw.