Hardware Configuration

* This page is under construction.

Basic Wiring Diagram (using MEA60)

Below is an overview diagram that shows all of the hardware components in a basic in-vitro setup, when using an MCS MEA60 amplifier. Any variant of the MEA60 can be used in this setup. This figure is also attached to this page. 

(Thanks to Lester Lampert for putting this figure together.)

Abbreviations in the figure are described below as follows

• • MCS MEA1060: Multichannel systems MEA1060 60 channel amplifier  http://www.multichannelsystems.com/products/mea1060)

  • RACS N,E,S,W: 4X Real-time, all-channel stimulus modules (see NeuroRighter PCBs)

  • MCS Converter Board: Multichannel systems amplifier break-out board (see NeuroRighter PCBs)

  • SCB-68A: National Instruments breakout screw-terminal blocks (http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/1180)

  • PCIe-6365 (or similar, email us to see if your card is supported): 32 Channel data acquisition system from NI (http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/201814)

  • PCIe: Peripheral component Interconnect Express (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express)

Multichannel Systems 60 Channel Amplifiers (MEA60)

MCS provides high quality 60 channel amplifiers that are used as the initial stage of signal amplification and filtering for NeuroRighter, when used in the in-vitro configuraiton. The Potter lab would never void the warranty of these amplifiers by opening them up and looking at the filter topology, but we imagine they look something like the schematic that is attached to this page. These amplifiers provide DC subtraction and anti-aliasing filtering with a -3 dB point at around 10KHz. They also provide 1200X gain in the pass-band, making further amplification unnecessary. 

The In-vitro Recording Interface Board

Because the MCS amplifier provides adequate signal conditioning and filtering, the in-vitro interface board (see the PCB section of the website) acts as  is nothing more than a high-quality voltage supply and a conduit for breaking the MCS data cable out into more manageable shielded ribbon cables, which can then be sent to the SCB-68 screw terminals A/D interface boxes.

• • Schematic and picture

Stimulation Board

NeuroRigher relies on single stimulation board design for both in-vivo and in-vitro applications (see the PCB section of the website). This board is driven by the NI DAC to produce all necessary voltage or current-controlled stimulation waveforms, enable signals and digital address signals to a set of modular multiplexers that plug directly into the MCS amplifier. This system is based upon Daniel Wagenaar's execellent RACS system and can provide extremely fast switching between micro-electrodes for all channel stimulation access.

• Show schematic

• Show simplified picture

Stimulation Multiplexers

After enable/address signals are generated by the NR stimulation board, they are interpreted by a set of four multiplexer modules, each housing two MAX328 1-of-8 multiplexer IC's. Each of these IC's requires:

1. A 3-bit address signal (5 volt TTL) in order to select the appropriate ouptut pin (1 of 8)

2. An enable signal (5 volt TTL)

3. An analog voltage to transmit. This can either be a true voltage input, or the voltage required to generate a particulular current from the output pin to signal ground on the MEA.

These signals are generated automatically by the D/A's at the instruction of the NeuroRighter software. It is important, however, to selected the correct configuration for the multiplexing scheme in order to get proper signal routing. Within the Hardware Setting window, the user should select:

• Show hardware settings dialog box

To specify current vs. voltage control stimulation, the stimulation board relies on the switching of an electrical switch driven by one of the DAC digital outputs (XXX). Make sure to correctly specify on which board this signal is being generated. 

• Show HW settings

After this, current vs. Voltage controlled stimulation can be controlled on-the-fly from within NR's Output tab.

• Show output tab.

Finally, it is important to select in-vitro channel mapping scheme to ensure the linear channel representation displayed within NR maps correctly to the MCS column-row mapping scheme.

• Show dislay dialog box