Smartbox Acquisition System
Smartbox is the NeuroNexus data acquisition system, built in two configurations: one with four ports that acquire Intan-based headstages at 30 kHz and 16 bits, and one with a single port to the SiNAPS interface box, which controls SiNAPS active-pixel probes and acquires their digital data stream at 1,024+ channels, 12 bits and 20 kHz.
The two configurations do different jobs. The four-port Smartbox acquires the X3R 32, X3R 64 and X6R 128 record headstages, each port its own headstage, all synchronized. The SiNAPS Smartbox has no amplifier between probe and system, because the SiNAPS chip digitizes on the shank; it provides the SiNAPS interface, the bandwidth to keep 1,024+ channels intact at full rate, and the connection to the host computer over USB3 or Ethernet.
Both record only; there is no stimulation mode, and a protocol that stimulates runs on XDAQ. Latency to the software is about 10 ms, the same as XDAQ, so live monitoring and closed-loop triggering behave the same on either. GPIO is 2 analog in and 2 digital I/O, fewer than XDAQ, which a protocol with several external triggers should check. Smartbox is an instrument in Radiens; the SiNAPS manual covers calibration and setup, which for an active-pixel probe come before the first recording.
Typical values
| Configuration 1 | 4 ports for Intan-based headstages (X3R 32/64, X6R 128); 30 kHz, 16-bit |
|---|---|
| Configuration 2 | 1 port to the SiNAPS interface box; SiNAPS 256 / 1,024 probes at 12-bit, 20 kHz |
| Channels | 1,024+ |
| Host connection | USB3, Ethernet |
| Modality | record only |
| Latency to software | about 10 ms |
| GPIO | 2 AI, 2 DIO |
| Made by | engineered and built by NeuroNexus |