Electrode Packages
Connector and cable assemblies that complete a probe for your preparation and headstage.
What a probe package is
A finished probe has two parts. The electrode array is the microfabricated part: the shanks with their sites and the bond pads at the base. The package is everything assembled onto that base to make the array usable: the interconnect from the bond pads to the connector, the connector a headstage mates to, the covering over the bond region, and the ground and reference wires. The same array is ordered on different packages for different preparations, and the package is built onto the array at assembly, so it is decided once.
Reading a package name
Series plus channel count: A32 is an A-Series package with 32 channels, CM32 a CM package, H64 a Hybrid. A leading O marks an optoelectrode build, MR an MRI-conditional build, VC a chronic Vector build.
Why it matters as much as the array
The package decides how the probe is held, which headstage can read it, how much it weighs on the animal (0.14 g for a Hybrid to 4.6 g for an A-Series board), where reference and ground come out, and how long the implant survives.
Held to the same standard
The bonds, the encapsulation, and the body carry the mechanical load the array never sees; NeuroNexus assembles and inspects every package and tests every site before it ships.
Three questions select the package
The array is chosen for the target; the package is chosen for the preparation and the rig. Three questions, in the order they bind.
01.
Acute or chronic?
An acute package is built to be held in a manipulator, used for a session, cleaned, and used again (A-Series, ZIF, EIB). A chronic package is built to be worn: cemented to the skull for weeks to months, with fixation, strain relief, and connector durability (CM, X-Series, Hybrid, Vector chronic builds).
02.
What can the subject bear?
Weight and profile decide between CM (connector on the assembly, no cable, the usual chronic package for a mouse), X-Series (the smallest footprint and mass), and Hybrid (a flexible cable that uncouples the probe from the connector, for floating implants and microdrives).
03.
Which headstage will read it?
The connector fixes the headstage: Omnetics for NeuroNexus and most third-party headstages, Hirose for TDT ZIF-Clip, Molex X3 for X-Series headstages, and Activus packages with the digitizing chip built in. Where a pairing is not native, an adapter joins them.
Which adapter?Find the right package
Select by experimental preparation, by series, or by the connector your headstage uses.
Start from your experiment
Packages grouped by experimental preparation.
Or by series
Packages grouped by series. Each photo shows one package from the series.
The package in the recording chain
01.
Probe
The silicon probe design: site count, shank count and site pitch. Select by geometry in the design space.
Open the Electrode Finder02.
Package
The connector, cable and housing attached to the probe. Its connector sets which headstages are compatible.
03.
Headstage
Plugs into the package connector and amplifies or digitizes the signal. Compatible headstages are listed on each package datasheet.
See headstages04.
Data acquisition system
The hardware the headstage connects to: SmartBox, XDAQ or a compatible third-party system. It streams the recording to the acquisition software.
See systems05.
Acquisition — Radiens Allego
Instrument control, recording and live monitoring of every channel, with PSTHs during acquisition. Allego runs with every NeuroNexus system.
See Radiens06.
Analysis and curation — Radiens Videre
File-based analysis and visualization after the recording: spike sorting, LFP analysis and curation, with quality and provenance recorded on every file and NWB read and write.
See RadiensConnector families
The connector types used in NeuroNexus packages. Each entry links to the packages built with that connector.
Select a package
Package cards with connector, channel count, weight and compatible headstages, side by side.
Open the webstoreFilter probe designs by package series with the Built in facet, then select the package on the probe datasheet.
Open the Electrode FinderElectrode Packages — FAQ
What is a probe package?
A probe package is the connector assembly built onto the electrode array: the interconnect from the bond pads to the connector (a rigid board, a flexible cable, or none where the connector sits on the assembly), the connector a headstage mates to, the covering over the bond region, and the ground and reference wires. A finished probe is the array plus the package, the same array is ordered on different packages, and the package is built on at assembly, so it is decided once. It is selected by the experimental preparation (acute, chronic, freely moving), what the subject can bear, and plug-in compatibility with the headstage; a package name reads as series plus channel count (A32, CM32, H64).
How do I choose a package for my headstage?
Select the package based on plug-in compatibility with your headstage. Connectors by series: Omnetics on most Hybrid, CM, Vector, Fusion, Matrix and DBS packages; Hirose on ZIF packages, which mate with TDT Zif-Clip headstages; Molex X3 or Panasonic on X-Series packages; Samtec on most A-Series packages and on SiNAPS packages; µHDMI or Omnetics 12 on Activus packages; CQ4 on Q-Trode packages. The Compatibility section of each package datasheet lists the compatible headstages.
Which package for a chronic mouse implant?
CM and Hybrid packages are used for chronic implants in mice. CM packages are cableless, with the connector on the assembly, from 0.16 g. Hybrid packages use a flexible polyimide cable between the probe and the connector, from 0.14 g. Select Hybrid when the connector must sit away from the probe shank.
Can I change a probe's package later?
No. The package is built onto the probe at assembly, and a probe in a different package is a different product. Select the package based on the experimental preparation and plug-in compatibility with your headstage, and order spares in the same package.
What do the series letters mean (A, H, Z, CM, X)?
A (A-Series): a rigid printed-circuit interconnect for acute and intra-operative recording. H (Hybrid): a flexible polyimide cable between probe and connector, for chronic implants. Z (ZIF): zero-insertion-force connectors that mate with TDT Zif-Clip headstages. CM: a cableless package for chronic implants. X (X-Series): the smallest-footprint packages, which mate directly with X-Series headstages. Each package series has a glossary entry.
Are MRI-conditional packages a separate order?
Yes. MRI-conditional packages carry the MR prefix (for example MRH, MRHC, MRCM and MRA) and use non-magnetic connectors. An MRI-conditional package is selected at order; a standard package cannot be converted to an MRI-conditional one.
How much does the package add to head weight?
Measured package weights range from 0.14 g (Hybrid) to 4.6 g (A-Series). Where a package weight has been measured, it is listed on the package datasheet.
Not sure which package?
A NeuroNexus scientist can recommend a package for your probe, headstage and preparation.