Knight Board Command Set

The Knight Board accepts ASCII string commands at runtime via BrainFlow’s config_board() method. All commands below are passed as strings into:

board_shim.config_board(<command>)

Timing — Add Pauses Between Commands

The board needs time to process and apply each command before the next one is sent. Always insert blocking pauses between consecutive config_board() calls. Sending commands back-to-back without delays can cause settings to be dropped or only partially applied.

Recommended minimum delays:

Event	Pause
After `start_stream()`, before first command	2 s
Between `chon_` and `rldadd_` for the same channel	1 s
Between commands for different channels	1 s

board.start_stream()
time.sleep(2)  # wait for the board to stabilise after stream start

for ch in range(1, 9):
    time.sleep(1)
    board.config_board(f"chon_{ch}_12")
    time.sleep(2)
    board.config_board(f"rldadd_{ch}")
    time.sleep(1)

Command 1 — Enable EEG Channel / Set Gain

Purpose: Enables a specified channel and sets its gain, starting data acquisition on that channel. If the channel is already enabled, its gain is updated.

chon_{channel}_{gain}

Parameters:

Parameter	Description
`channel`	One-indexed channel number to enable (1 – 8).
`gain`	Amplification level. Allowed values: `1`, `2`, `3`, `4`, `6`, `8`, `12` (recommended).

Example — enable channel 3 at gain 12:

board_shim.config_board("chon_3_12")

Command 2 — Disable EEG Channel

Purpose: Disables a specified channel, stopping data acquisition on that channel.

choff_{channel}

Parameters:

Parameter	Description
`channel`	One-indexed channel number to disable (1 – 8).

Example — disable channel 5:

board_shim.config_board("choff_5")

Command 3 — Toggle RLD On

Purpose: Enables the Right-Leg Drive (RLD) for the specified channel.

rldadd_{channel}

Parameters:

Parameter	Description
`channel`	One-indexed channel number to include in the RLD network.

Example:

board_shim.config_board("rldadd_1")

Command 4 — Toggle RLD Off

Purpose: Disables the Right-Leg Drive for the specified channel.

rldremove_{channel}

Parameters:

Parameter	Description
`channel`	One-indexed channel number to remove from the RLD network.

Example:

board_shim.config_board("rldremove_1")

Typical Startup Sequence

A standard session enables all desired channels and adds them to the RLD network after calling start_stream():

import time
from brainflow.board_shim import BoardShim, BrainFlowInputParams, BoardIds

params = BrainFlowInputParams()
params.serial_port = "COM3"           # adjust for your OS
params.other_info = '{"gain": 12}'    # optional global gain override

board = BoardShim(BoardIds.NEUROPAWN_KNIGHT_BOARD, params)
board.prepare_session()
board.start_stream()

num_channels = 8
for ch in range(1, num_channels + 1):
    time.sleep(1)
    board.config_board(f"chon_{ch}_12")   # enable channel at gain 12
    time.sleep(2)
    board.config_board(f"rldadd_{ch}")    # add to RLD
    time.sleep(1)