Multichannel Systems MC_Rack Manual - Manual (Page 13)

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3 Step by Step Tutorial
3.1 Using the Step by Step Tutorial
In the following tutorial, you will set up virtual racks for different applications from scratch.
The goal is that you learn about MC_Rack features by doing. The racks are quite simple to give
you an idea of the software's philosophy and how things work. All racks described in the tutorial
are also available on the installation volume. So, if you prefer to start with a preconfigured rack,
you can load the rack of interest first, and then go through this tutorial to see how to adapt the
rack's settings and parameters to your needs, but we recommend that you take a bit time to build
it yourself to learn the principle of operation.
Both racks discussed in the Step by Step Tutorial are basic racks for monitoring and recording
data. The only difference is, that Monitoring and Recording Activity Continuously describes how
to monitor and record activity continuously (generally used for spontaneous activity). Monitoring
and Recording Triggered Activity describes how to monitor and record activity triggered by an
event, that is, for evoked responses, for example, in an LTP experiment. All important information
is repeated in each section, so you may freely choose the rack that is suitable for your application
without missing information.
The difference to the MEA application examples (see separate document) is that the racks that
we set up in this tutorial can be used directly in a real experiment. Without demo data, they may
appear somehow a bit abstract. If you are new to the extracellular recording technique and want
to get an impression how MC_Rack works and how signals can look like, you may prefer to have a
look at the MEA application examples and demo racks first. Also, in the MEA application examples
section, more advanced MC_Rack features are explained in detail and very near to the application.
You will find a list and a short description of all sample racks in the MC_Rack Sample Racks topic.
The MEA Signal Generator
The MEA Signal Generator MEA–SG is a convenient tool for MEA-Systems first time users.
The device has the same dimensions and connector layout as a 60-channel MEA chip and is
compatible with all MEA1060 amplifier types and with the MEA2100-60 / MEA2100-2x60-Systems.
The MEA–SG can produce sine waves, or replay a variety of biological signals. These signals are
fed into the MEA amplifier as analog signals. With this artificial data, you are able to test the
functionality of the hardware and software system, without the need for a biological sample.
Please use the 256MEA-SG for the USB-MEA256-System and the 120MEA-SG for MEA2100-120-
Systems..