/
Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Popular questions about hardware and software, answered. Includes a general troubleshooting guide for common problems encountered during setup and testing..

Overview

This guide is a list of frequently asked questions related to our products, and answers to these questions. The sections below are divided into general topics: Sales, Hardware, Software and General Troubleshooting. The Hardware section include a few subcategories for device-specific questions.

To navigate this page, use the table of contents in the side bar to navigate to a section, and then click on the question to toggle open the answer.

Some of the answers below contain links to third-party products like adapters and switches. None of these links are affiliate links; they are simply products we have tested and verify work with our devices. 

If you have specific questions related to your system, feel free to reach out to our support staff at support@vpixx.com


Sales and Ordering Information

Where is VPixx located? Do you have distribution facilities in my country?

Our offices and manufacturing facilities are located just outside of Montreal, Canada. All orders are shipped from Canada.

If you are based in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan or India, we work with distributors in these countries to facilitate import of our products. Please contact us at sales@vpixx.com and we will put you in touch with the distributor for your region.

Do you ship to my country?

We ship worldwide, including to the Americas, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. For sanctioned countries listed on the Global Affairs Canada website, please contact us at sales@vpixx.com to determine your eligibility.

If you are based in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan or India, we work with distributors in these countries to facilitate import of our products. Please contact us at sales@vpixx.com and we will put you in touch with our distributors.

How do I place an order?

If you are interested in our products, you can contact our team via our contact portal (Contact - VPixx Technologies ) or sales@vpixx.com to obtain an official quote. If you’re not sure what specific tools you need, our team of experienced staff scientists will be happy to provide you with a tailored consultation, either by video/phone call or email. These quotes are valid for 90 days from issue and include the cost of shipment to your institution.

If you would like to place an order, your institution will need to submit a purchase order referencing your quote. Once the purchase order is received, we will provide a Sales Order Acknowledgment for you to approve (see: Frequently Asked Questions | What is a SOA and why do I have to sign it). We will then manufacture your products.

When your order ships, our team will contact you with tracking information and the invoice.

Please contact us at sales@vpixx.com for enquiries related to payment methods and payment terms.

When will my order be delivered?

Our official lead time is 45 days from when the purchase order is received, to when the item ships. Please allow for some additional time for shipping. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee a specific delivery date.

Can you deliver by XX date?

We will ship your order within 45 days of receipt of the purchase order. However, once the order leaves our facility, we cannot predict or prevent delays due to shipping agents or customs.

If you have a specific deadline by which you need our products, please notify a VPixx associate as soon as possible. We will do our best to accommodate your deadline. If you have an extremely strict deadline (e.g., expiring funding), we recommend placing orders as early as feasible.

Do you charge taxes/VAT?

If you are based in Canada, we will charge taxes that apply to your province or territory. These taxes will be included in your quote.

If you are outside of Canada we cannot directly charge taxes on our products. The taxes on shipped goods will be determined by a customs agent, and charged by the shipping agent. VPixx cannot pay these charges on behalf of the customer. If your university or institution has tax-exempt status, we ask that you provide us with the required documents to be included in the shipment. Please speak with your institution’s purchasing office to find out the specific documents required for your region.

What is a SOA and why do I have to sign it?

SOA stands for “Sales Order Acknowledgment.” The SOA is a document created by VPixx which summarizes the order information. It includes the following details:

  • A shipping address

  • A billing address

  • A contact at the university for financial inquiries and invoicing

  • A contact at the university who can respond to inquiries from our shipping agent (Fedex)

  • A summary of the ordered items

  • A copy of our payment terms

The SOA provides an opportunity to verify the terms of the sale and should be reviewed by a representative of the university for correctness. The SOA does not supersede the purchase order, although it may contain information (such as the shipping contact) that does not appear on the official order.

If no modification request is submitted within 5 business days, the provided information will be considered verified and the order confirmed. 

Can I change the shipping address after the purchase order has been issued by my institution?

You can change the shipping address by sending us a revised purchase order. We can accept this revision up until the product is packed and labelled for shipping.

Can I use my university’s shipping agent or broker?

Yes, you can. Please inform the VPixx associate who is managing your quote if you wish to use your own shipping arrangements.

We will need to know if you plan to arrange your own pick up, which carrier you intend to use, and we will need contact information for your shipping agent. If you are planning to use a University Fedex account, we will manage the shipping and provide Fedex with your account number for invoicing.

Do you provide on-site installation and training?

We are currently reviewing in-person installation requests on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in having your equipment installed by our team, please contact sales@vpixx.com with your location and approximate timeline for the installation.  

Our technical support staff are always happy to provide live remote installation support. Please contact support@vpixx.com for assistance.


Hardware

General

What are the system requirements for VPixx hardware?

The short answer: our hardware is compatible with all recent major operating systems. To see what versions of each operating system we currently support, see Software Download .

The long answer: it depends on what you are trying to do. While our hardware supports all major operating systems, some of them are better suited to research. On the one hand, for timing-sensitive experiments and low-level control, open-source advocates like the makers of Psychtoolbox strongly recommend Linux-based operating systems. On the other hand, some major high-level experiment software tools like Presentation and E-Prime are only supported on Windows. 

If you need an out-of-the box solution that works, the dual boot Linux/Windows machine service is thoroughly tested and tweaked. It is the only complete system guaranteed to work with our devices and is backed by a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty.

What kind of graphics card do I need?

We have a whole page dedicated to this.

What is the difference between a “Lite” and a “Full” data acquisition system?

As of September 2023, all units sold by VPixx Technologies are equipped with the “Full” data acquisition system. If you would like to upgrade a legacy Lite system, please contact sales@vpixx.com with your product serial code for pricing and details.

The DATAPixx series I/O hubs, VIEWPixx, VIEWPixx /3D and PROPixx controller all come with an onboard data acquisition system that can be used to log incoming data and send outgoing signals synchronized to e