Microelectrode Arrays

Acute Connectors

Chronic Connectors

Array Inserter

Data Acquisition System

Key Features

128 channels of amplification and data acquisition
16-bit digitization at 30,000 samples/sec per channel
Simultaneous spike and continuous waveform (LFP / Spike / EMG) on all channels
16 Analog inputs, 4 analog outputs, 16-bit digital input, 8-bit Serial I/O, 4 digital outputs, and audio outputs for experimental data I/O
Ultra-compact system design with flexible mounting options
On-line / real time automatic or manual spike sorting
Fiber optic data link
Differential amplification with respect to a common referece signal
Parallel multi-user, multi-PC, control and operation
Flash firmware allows for easy future system updates
User-friendly graphical interface works with Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Real time brain machine interface
Interface with Neuroexplorer, Matlab, Spike 2, and others

General Description

The CEREBUS™ data acquisition system offers a complete recording solution to academic researchers. The Cerebus™ is a scalable embedded on-line and off-line system for recording and processing neural signals for up to 128 electrodes. The Front-End Amplifier connects directly to the Cyberkinetics Microelectrode Array connector types, and can also be used with other third party electrode configurations.

The system is composed of compact front-end modules that carry 32-channel processing boards, and the modules are available in 4 board sizes for up to 128 channels per module. The front-end modules amplify, pre-filter, and digitize the neural signals and transmit them by fiber-optic data links to a central neural signal processing module. The neural signal processing unit contains an array of up to 8 data signal processors for additional digital filtering and on-line analysis of the neural signals. The neural signal processor module then transmits the processed data to a host PC system via Ethernet data link.

The interface software running on the PC allows the user to configure the data processing and visualize the incoming data as it is acquired. The flexible digital architecture of the system allows the user to perform a variety of different on-line analyses from simple data streaming and storage to on-line extra-cellular spike sorting. The wide pre-filtering used in the front-end modules allows the system to simultaneously acquire detected spikes and continuous spike waveforms / field potential waveforms from the same electrodes.

The CEREBUS™ system is available as a 32-, 64-, 96-, and 128-channel system.

Graphical User Interface

All operations are monitored by and controlled from the PC's computer monitor. The GUI has been designed to provide maximum information to the user about the status of the experiment, and to facilitate the user supervision and channel setting on each of the active electrodes. Activity from experimental inputs on the analog and digital inputs is also indicated on the GUI as well as recorded in the data file.

The Data Acquisition Software GUI contains multiple features to achieve a complete recording solution for research:

Setup window to configure each channel
Window for online classification of action potentials on the selected channel
Two windows for viewing the kinetics of individual action potentials and local field potentials on all channels
Activitiy map summary and display of the firing rates on all channels
A window to control data acquisition and storage
Central application for GUI modules

New Added Features for 2007!

Cyberkinetics is pleased to announce several new key features and diagnostic tools for use with the Cerebus™ Data Acquisition System:

Automatic on-line spike detection and automatic spike classification

This feature allows researchers to start recording real time sorted data with little to no setup time. Neural spikes are automatically detected using an envelope detector while an automatic detection threshold adapts to the amount of noise in the signal. The adaptive threshold is then applied to the envelope signal to detect the spikes. The detected neural spikes are then automatically classified using a template matching algorithm and a combination of clustering algorithms in feature space. The automatic on-line spike detection / classification algorithm settings can be system defined, user defined by the researcher, or a manual override option allows for manual on-line spike sorting for individual channels.

Automatic impedance measurement

This feature allows researchers to measure the impedance values of all implanted electrodes simultaneously while in the neural tissue / in-vivo. The Auto Impedance software GUI, when used with a 2 way recording cable from the electrode connector to the Front-End Amplifier allows you to flip a small switch on the cable that applies a 1 kHz signal and a small current to the electrodes for impedance measurement. The automatic impedance measurement takes less than 30 seconds to complete, and gives the option to save the reported values in a text file. To resume recording neural data is as simple as flipping the switch on the cable back to "record mode."

NeuroExplorer®

NeuroExplorer® software is now available through Cyberkinetics. Neuroexplorer is a data analysis package to analyze spike events and other event data. Continuous data can also be used in several analyses (for example, to estimate statistical dependencies between point processes and continuously recorded data).
Download a free trial version of NeuroExplorer

Specifications for the Cerebus™ Front-End Amplifier

Neural Signal inputs: 32, 64, 96, or 128 channels.
Sampling rate: 30,000 samples / second per channel.
Digitization: 16-Bit resolution at 1uV per bit.
Input referred noise (input grounded): less than 3uV rms.
Input voltage range: +/- 7.5 mV with 16-bit resolution.
Input bias/leakage current: +/- 5 pA typical, +/- 20 pA max.
Input impedance: >10^12 ohms; 3pF.
Common mode rejection ratio: greater than 90dB at 50/60 Hz.
Common mode input range: up to +/- 3.0 V between input and ground.
Differential input range: up to +/- 3.0 V between electrode and reference inputs.
Maximum input voltage range: up to =/- 5.0 V between any input and ground.
Crosstalk between channels: < 1LSB for all configurations.
High pass filtering: first order with 0.3 Hz corner in full-bandwidth mode; first order with 250 Hz corner in fast-settle mode.
Low pass filtering: third order Butterworth response with 7.5 kHz corner.
Headstage power supply: +/- 5.0 V output, up to 150 mA for powering optional headstages.
Headstage power connectors: Four 6-pin, 2 mm pitch female header (Samtec SQT series).
Input connectors: Four 34 pin, 2 mm pitch male header (Samtec ZSTMM Series).
Control/ Data output connections: MT-RJ fiber-optic port with 2-way 150 Mbps 8B/10B encoded data-stream and 32-bit CRC data validation.
Local ground connection: Binding post supporting up to 10 ga wire and standard 4.44 mm Banana plug.
Mounting options: 18 distributed 1/4-inch, 20 threads/inch standard mounting sockets.
Power dissipation: 5.5 W with four 32-channel boards.
External power supply: Five channel with monitoring, sequencing, and emergency shutdown control; Input: 120/240 VAC selectable 50/60 Hz 1.0 A max; Outputs: +5.0 V, 500 mA analog supply, -5.0 V, 500 mA analog supply, +3.3 V, 300 mA quiet digital supply, +3.3 V, 500 mA standard digital supply, 5.0 V, 300 mA standard digital supply.
Dimensions: 4.3" W x 1.7"H x 7.3"D
Weight: 600 g

Specifications for Cerebus™ Neural Signal Processor

Sampling: rate: 30,000 samples / sec per channel
Digitization: 16 bit resolution at 1uV per bit
Front-end output connector: MT-RJ fiber-optic port for Front End Unit with up to 128 neural channels.
PC hardware interface: Dedicated 1 GB Ethernet.
PC software interface: Windows 2000 / XP / Vista.
Digital Signal Processing: adaptive line noise cancellation and 8th-order hi/lo pass digital filtering for all analog channels.
Neural Signal Processing: separate filters for simultaneous LFP and spike streams along with manual and/or automatic online spike extraction and classification using time/amplitude windows and/or template matching.
Experiment analog inputs: 16 +/- 5 V, 16-bit.
Experiment analog outputs: Four +/- 5 V, 600 Ohm, 16-bit.
Experiment digital I/O: One 16-bit input port (DB-37) with Word and Packet Strobe control lines, one RS232 I/O port (DB-9) with 2400 to 115k baud input and output; Four single-bit digital outputs (BNC) with programmable monitoring functions. One TTL output (BNC) sampling synchronization output port.
Audio outputs: Two +/- 1V line-level outputs with BNC and 3.5mm female connectors.
Power input: standard 3-pin PC power connector 110-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz
Dimensions: 3.5"H x 17"W x 12.5"D
Weight: 6.8 kg.

View/download the Cerebus™ product brochure (PDF format)

Designed & Developed by Embarc, Inc.
Photography by Rick Friedman Photography