Intan Technologies, LLC: low-noise amplifier microchips for electrophysiology, EKG, EMG, EEG, ECoG, and neural recording headstages and bio instrumentation
RHA2000-EVAL board: USB interface and amplifier board (click for full-sized image)
Software interface screenshot (click for full-sized image)
Spike scope window for observing time-aligned action potentials
RHA2000-EVAL board
The RHA2000-EVAL board is a full-featured evaluation board that allows users to explore the functionality and performance of the RHA2000 Series of multi-channel amplifier chips from Intan Technologies.
The RHA2000-EVAL interfaces with a Windows PC via a standard USB interface. Intan Technologies interface software allows users to perform the following functions:
- Monitor live signals from all 16 channels on an RHA2116 or RHA2216 amplifier chip.
- Stream all waveforms to disk (25 kSamples/s/channel; 16 bit samples).
- Apply real-time offset-removal filters and 50/60 Hz notch filters.
- Define channel-specific thresholds to isolate and observe neural spikes (with optional audio monitor via PC speaker).
- Measure in situ impedances of all 16 electrodes with one click.
- Record up to six TTL-level digital "marker" signals synchronized with amplifier data
A complete evaluation system consists of a USB interface board (powered from the USB connection) and a small amplifier board. The amplifier board contains an RHA2000 series amplifier chip and a 16-bit A/D converter and connects to the USB interface board via an 88-cm all-digital wire bundle.
There are three types of amplifier boards available:
- Type 1: RHA2116 unipolar input chip with dual-row Omnetics connector for electrode connection
- Type 2: RHA2116 unipolar input chip with PCB holes for electrode connection
- Type 3: RHA2216 bipolar input chip with PCB holes for electrode connection
By default, all amplifier boards are configured with a lower bandwidth of 1 Hz and an upper bandwidth of 7.5 kHz. Bandwidths may be customized by changing resistor values.
The operation of the USB interface board and amplifier boards are described in more detail in the RHA2000-EVAL board datasheet.
We offer complete printed circuit board design files for the RHA2116 type 1 amplifier board as a starting point for custom designs.
Using the RHA2000-EVAL board
Before using the RHA2000-EVAL board, the following USB driver for Windows must be installed:
Windows USB D2XX driver and installation guide
Next install the Intan Amplifier Demo software.
After recording data with this software, this m-file program can be used to load the data files into MATLAB.
Note: This evaluation board software can be run without an RHA2000-EVAL; it will generate synthetic neural data for demonstration purposes if no evaluation board is connected.