The STG2004 Stimulus generator is a four channel general purpose stimulator, which can be used with PowerLab for data acquisition as well as being controlled by a trigger signal from the PowerLab. The unit is designed to serve a wide variety of applications including:
- in vitro and in vivo neurophysiology
- short term and long term stimulations
Features include:• Optically isolated channels
• An output voltage range of each channel between -8V to +8V, with a resolution of 2mV
• An output current range of each channel between -0.8mA to +0.8mA, with a resolution of 200nA
Also available is the STG2008
8 Channel Stimulus Generator.
The real-time stimulus generator is the world's first stimulus generator that is able to send continuous pulse streams to stimulating electrodes.
Software:The Stimulus Generator is supplied with the MC_Stimulus II. It is a flexible and easy-to-use program which allows the creation of complex stimulus waveforms (both current and voltage).
Waveforms are designed in the program (using a WYSIWYG editor) or imported from an external file. Any number of pulse shapes can be edited, managed, and stored on your computer, and download to the STG when needed. Files generated by external programs – either captured by data acquisition programs or derived from complex mathematical functions in ASCII format can be imported into MC_Stimulus II software and downloaded to the stimulus generator.
The waveforms can be “played back” by clicking start in the software, or manually pressing the start button on the stimulus generator, or triggered externally. Therefore, it is not necessary to have the software program running once the waveforms are downloaded, except when more complex programming are required, the Batch mode as an example. The purpose of the Batch mode is to download different standard pulse protocol files (programmed waveforms saved in different files) to be downloaded to the stimulus generator and started in sequential order.
WaveformsA stimulus worksheet that can be used to program 3 types of waves of any combination and permutation. Comments can also be saved and stimulus worksheets can be printed.
The Waveform Types available include:1. Rectangular wave: constructed from steps (maximum = 3), where the height and the duration can be adjusted as desired
2. Ramp wave: constructed from three values, start value of the ramp, the end value of the ramp and the duration
3. Sine wave: constructed from an amplitude value and period
Operating ModesUsing the MC_Stimulus II single download or Batch mode the stimulus waveform (after design/selection) is downloaded to the stimulus generator. In Download mode, the STG is controlled either by the MC_Stimulus II or by a custom program. Stimulus protocols created by MC_Stimulus II or the custom program; complete protocols are downloaded onto the STG, and can be played without a computer connection.
In the Streaming mode you can also control the STG either by the Stimulus Streamer or by a custom program. If you use the Stimulus Streamer, you can load stimulus protocols in Mono-MP3 or binary file format of unlimited size, that were generated by a custom application and are then sent continuously from the computer to the STG in small data packets.
Custom applications for the Download or the Streaming mode can be programmed in Matlab, Labview, C/C++, and Visual Basic.
TriggeringThe STG2004 only recognizes a TTL (transistor-transistor logic) signal of at least 20μs in length and upto 5V.