why do we need this Analog IN and Digital IN

hello,
i use a MEA 1060, do i really need to use these INPUT? and what for? i think i can only see the Analog IN in my computer.

thank you

Dear Adam,

for routine recording you do not need to connect anything to the analog and digital inputs.
However, sometimes it is convenient to bring trigger pulses into the digital input or for exmaple get an analog data stream digitalized in the same file as your MEA Data. This is frequently used for patch clamp data recorded in parallell to MEA recording.

Thomas

Thomas wrote:Dear Adam,

for routine recording you do not need to connect anything to the analog and digital inputs.
However, sometimes it is convenient to bring trigger pulses into the digital input or for exmaple get an analog data stream digitalized in the same file as your MEA Data. This is frequently used for patch clamp data recorded in parallell to MEA recording.

Thomas

Hi, Thomas,

but i read something in the MC_Rack Manual, which means that i can connect the SYNC OUT with A1 or A2 or A3, then i can trigger the scann signal, am i right? or i have misunderstood. In every application examples, teh recording sweeps were triggered, therefor, i m trying to triggered it too, but i can no description find.

Adam.

Dear Adam,

You can use either the analog or the digital inputs to receive the SynchOut pulse.

If you connect to the analog input you will see the TTL pulse as an analog signal and have to define a trigger detector on this rectangular pulse (e.g. threshold, positive slope 1V on A2).

If you connect to the digital cahnnel youl will not see the shape of the TTL pulse but rather a yes / no information. This can be directly used as trigger by selecting the option "digital trigger" and selecting the corresponding bit to the input you selected.

I suggest you just try it - it sounds more complicated than it is...

Thomas

Thomas wrote:Dear Adam,

You can use either the analog or the digital inputs to receive the SynchOut pulse.

If you connect to the analog input you will see the TTL pulse as an analog signal and have to define a trigger detector on this rectangular pulse (e.g. threshold, positive slope 1V on A2).

If you connect to the digital cahnnel youl will not see the shape of the TTL pulse but rather a yes / no information. This can be directly used as trigger by selecting the option "digital trigger" and selecting the corresponding bit to the input you selected.

I suggest you just try it - it sounds more complicated than it is...

Thomas

Dear Thomas,

ok, i'll try. but in our lab it seem no conduction for SynchOut and Analog Input/Digital Input, can you tell me the name of the wire for connection? is it BNC?

or maybe you are so kindly to tell me, where can i find the documentation, which show how can i set up the trigger in my MEA System(MEA 1060 standard)?

Adam

Dear Adam,
in the online Help of MC_Rack, search for Analog Data, you'll find the chapter Analog data, triggering on. And yes, the SyncOut and the Analog In must be conneted with BNC cable.

Best regards Frank

Frank MCS wrote:Dear Adam,
in the online Help of MC_Rack, search for Analog Data, you'll find the chapter Analog data, triggering on. And yes, the SyncOut and the Analog In must be conneted with BNC cable.

Best regards Frank

Dear Frank,

now i m doing an experiment with PC12 Cell, i was supposd to stimulate the cell and get a reaction, i m now confused with the trigger, because my "Betreuer" think that you mean the trigger is only for patch clamp experiment, but i read on the MC_Rack manual, which says, it`s good to use a trigger "when recording evoked responses", "you usually want to synchronize the data displays and the recording to the electrical stimulation", so i think i really need a trigger, what do you think?

Yours

Adam

Dear Adam,
a trigger is independent of the form of recording, be it patch clamp, imaging, acustical, whatever. It is usually a signal from one device to another to mark a specific event. In your case, it is a signal from the STG to the data acquisition to mark the timepoint of stimulation. If you trigger MC_Rack on the TTL from the STG, you can analyze your response in relation to the timepoint of stimulation. Without trigger, you might see some activity but have no idea whether it is related to the stimulation or spontaneous.

Frank