Multi Channel Suite - V 0.9.9.5
Quick Start Manual
Multi Channel Suite consists of three independent programs:
1. Multi Channel Experimenter for on-line recording with MCS hardware
2. Multi Channel Analyzer for off-line data analysis of Experimenter files
3. Multi Channel DataManger for data export to HDF5 format, enabling further analysis in Matlab, Python or other applications
IMPORTANT: Multi Channel Suite will only run under Windows 7 or later operating systems!
Multi Channel Experimenter
Supported
Hardware: MEA2100, Wireless Systems
instance of the software can be opened for
each connected DAQ and for each individual MEA
in a MEA2100 system with one or two MEA21002x60 headstages
Multi Channel Analzyer
files generated with the Multi Channel
Experimenter
Multi Channel Data Manager
Supports
Supports
files generated with the Multi Channel
Experimenter and .mcd files
Available
Files
One
Available
instruments are at the moment: Digital
Filter, Spike Detector, Digital Event Detector,
Sweeps, Stimulator, and Recorder
DAQ,
Stimulator and Recorder can be opened only
once, all other instruments multiple times
p.1
instruments are at the moment: Raw
Data Explorer, Digital Filter, and Spike Detector
can be converted to HDF5 format, which can
be read directly by Matlab, Python and other
applications
Experimenter - Overview
DAQ and Recording can be started and stopped independently;
Experimental setups can be saved and re-loaded
Drag and drop
instruments
Instruments have
color coded data inand output ports
All connected
datasources and
available instruments
are shown, the active
datasource is shown
in green, unavailable
instruments are
shown in light blue.
Datasources shown in
grey are already in
use by a different
software instance.
p.2
Drag lines to
connect matching
in- and output ports
and generate the
required data flow
Only data ports with similar
colors can be connected; the
Recorder accepts all data streams
Data port colors:
blue:
electrode data, raw or filtered
green:
auxiliary analog data
dark orange: digital data
purple:
trigger events
light orange: spike cutouts
yellow:
spike timestamps
brown:
sweep data
Double click an
instrument to open
a tab with the
respective settings
Settings
Experimenter - Data Source MEA2100
Select and
display analog
channels
Select MEA
layout
Click any channel to
show in zoom window
Pause and zoom selected
channel independently from
running datasource
p.3
Experimenter - Data Source Wireless System
BEFORE selecting the
Wireless datasource, right
click on the icon to adjust
the headstage type
Find and select
available headstages
Click to design a custom channel layout
Control LED and
transmitter output
p.4
Experimenter - Recorder
Change file path
Define file name with automatic
prefix or suffix; file path can be
changed in the settings; if identical
file names are used for two
recordings, the second file gets the
ending 0001, 0002 and so on
All recorded datastreams are shown;
at the moment, only continuous
data recording is possible
p.5
Experimenter - Stimulator
Define the stimulation pattern for the
selected stimulator unit
Drag and drop primitives to define the
stimulation pattern; drag primitives to
recycle bin to delete
Select the stimulation
electrodes for the three
different stimulator units
Click to open Settings
menu
p.6
Activity indicator; Stimulator units start
and stop independently from the DAQ
Experimenter - Stimulator
A stimulation pattern can be assembled by combining pre-defined
waveforms, called primitives. In addition to the presented primitives,
arbitrary waveforms can be loaded in ASCII format.
If more then one cycle is selected,
advanced settings become available to
generate time and amplitude steps
Toggle continuous
repeats
Save/Load stimulation
pattern as .xml
Display of selected
primitive
Edit primitive
parameters
Select DigOut bit for
external TTLs
Select start condition
Download indicator:
changes have not been
downloaded yet
Each primitive can be selected to
generate an external TTL (called
Marker) on the selected Trigger Out bit
Sequence of primitives to
define the stimulation
Marker signals are shown in yellow; in
addition to external TTL signals, the
three Stimulator units ALWAYS generate
an internal trigger signal on bits 4, 5 and
6 of the digital channel, which can be
detected by the Digital Event Detector
Display of selected
stimulation pattern
Overlay display of all
stimulation patterns
p.7
Experimenter - Digital Event Detector
The Digital Event Detector can generate trigger events upon the status of the 16 bits of the Digital Input
channel. When using a MEA2100, bits 0-3 correspond to the Lemo connectors Digital In 1-3 on the
Interface board, and bits 4-6 receive internal trigger signals from the three Stimulator units.
Event indicators
Trigger events can be
generated on the rising or
falling flank of a TTL. Bits can
be combined with OR or AND
conditions. In the example
shown, a trigger will be
generated on a rising flank on
bits 4,5 or 6, or a falling flank
on bit 0.
p.8
Experimenter - Filter
Select filter parameters
Raw and filtered data is
shown in overlay
p.9
Experimenter - Spike Detector
Spikes can be detected
by threshold or slope
Select spike
cutout
parameters
Drag the threshold level of individual
electrodes with the mouse
Press the Estimate
button to set the
threshold
individually for each
electrode as a
multiple of the Std.
of the noise
The Spike Detector
generates two datastreams:
Spike Data with spike
cutouts, and Timestamps;
p.10
Detected events are
shown as green
Experimenter - Sweeps
The Sweeps tool
needs a data
input and a
trigger to
operate
The Sweeps tool will
generate data
segments around a
trigger event
Caution: V0.9.9.5 of the
Analyzer can’t read sweep
data yet, but it can be
exportet with the Data
Manager
p.11
Edit pre- and post
trigger time. The
settings shown will
generate a sweep with
110ms length, with the
trigger at 10ms
Analyzer - Overview
Change file path
Drag and drop
instruments
Open file
At the moment, no
analysis function is
available yet; in future
versions the Start Analysis
button will start the
analysis
The Explore button will send
the currently displayed data
segment to the attached
analysis instruments
Drag a frame to
zoom in
Reset zoom
Caution: V0.9.9.5 of the
Analyzer can’t read sweep
data yet!
p.12
Click on digital event to
see corresponding data, or
navigate between events
with arrow buttons
Move one window
forward or backward
Complete file view for selected electrode;
navigate by dragging the red slider
Data Manager - Overview
Change input file path
Open compression settings
in the File menu
File info on all available files in Input
folder (Experimenter and .mcd files);
highlight files you want to convert
Start file export
p.13
Change output file path