Highlights from “Neuroscience 2015, Mobile App, Digital Headstage Commutator, Lime LED, PC Security and More!”
New Carousel™ Commutator for Digital Headstages, Optogenetics
Introducing the Carousel™ Commutator for use with digital headstages in neural recording and/or PlexBright® LED Modules for optogenetics – the newest in a line of sophisticated Plexon commutators.
Plexon offers a range of robust, low-torque commutators that dependably keeps multiple types of cables untangled. The newest in Plexon’s commutator line is the Carousel Commutator. It is apassive device for use with up to two digital headstages and up to two PlexBright Compact LED Modules. The commutator supports up to 64 channels with any combination of 16 and 32 channel digital headstages. As a bonus, digital headstage cables are also particularly lightweight requiring fewer wires, yielding a less encumbered subject with which to begin. This is especially beneficial with higher channel counts.
The new Carousel Commutator is designed for use with the Plexon OmniPlex® Neural Data Acquisition System utilizing a Digital Headstage Processor (DHP), as well as with the PlexBright Optogenetic Stimulation System – combined or either system alone.
New PlexBright Lime LED Modules, High Power, Broad Activation Spectrum
Plexon has once again expanded its robust spectrum of LED modules for optogenetics research by launching new PlexBright Lime LED Modules (550nm) just in time for Neuroscience 2015 in Chicago next month. The new Lime LED Modules offer high power and a broad wavelength activation spectrum that will be attractive to researchers working with halorhodopsins (typically using yellow or orange LEDS) or archaerhodopsins (typically using green LEDs).
PlexBright LED Modules are known for generating the industry’s highest power outputs, and the new Lime LED Modules are no exception. With the new Lime LED Module, researchers will experience 19.8mW of power emanating from either the Compact LED Module form factor for use with PlexBright LED Commutators, or from the Table-top LED Module form factor when commutators are not necessary.
New PlexBright Lime LED Modules will be compatible with all PlexBright Optogenetic Stimulation System equipment, including the newly launched Carousel Commutator mentioned above. Check them both out the booth!
Bring Your Data, Demo Offline Sorter™ v4
In April this year, we launched the newest, most robust Offline Sorter™ Neural Spike Sorting Software (OFS) yet. If you have not experienced it already, this is a great time to bring your data and give it a whirl! OFS v4 will be loaded on all computers in the Plexon booth for convenient access. As a brief reminder, OFS v4 now offers: Overlaps analysis,
- Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) computations,
- High-cut filtering application to continuous channels,
- Digital referencing, and
- Many more features including expanded sorting methods.
New Document – Python Guide for PlexStim™ Stimulator
Plexon recently posted the new PyPlexStim Technical Guide, a Python package for controlling the Plexon PlexStim™ Electrical Stimulator. Up to four PlexStim stimulators, thus 64 channels, can be controlled through this package, as long as none of the stimulators are simultaneously being controlled by the PlexStim GUI.
PyPlexStim is only for Python 2 (2.7.3+) in Windows® 7, 32 or 64-bit, and is only compatible with PlexStim stimulators with hardware number 14-20-A-10-F (written on the bottom of the stimulator). The document can be found on either the PlexStim webpage, Resources tab or on the Documentation page under the PlexStim Electrical Stimulator header.