nanoZ User Manual 2012
Contents
1. SL 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 frequency Hz 35 nanoZ User Manual Appendix C Channel Mapping The nanoZ application stores adaptor and electrode site mappings in the electrodes ini file which can be accessed from the link in the Windows Start menu You can use a standard text editor to add remove or modify the existing channel mappings however care must be taken to adhere to the correct syntax described in this Appendix We recommend you make a backup of electrodes ini before making any changes to this file Adaptor definitions The mapping between the nanoZ s internal 64 channel MUX and the two native Samtec connectors is depicted here as viewed facing the connector with the lowest channel numbers closest to the USB port end of the nanoZ Use this numbering scheme when programming the channel selection in the Matlab SDK or when designing custom made electrode adaptors The electrode reference pins R1 R2 and Ra shown in red cannot be selected by the nanoZ software however R1 must be physically connected to the electrolyte in order to complete the circuit R2 and R3 are not currently used but are reserved for future versions of the nanoZ To describe the format of the adaptor definitions contained in electrodes ini the NZA DIP16 adaptor mapping is used as an example in the following step by step instructions 1 choose a name for the adaptor and enter it on a new line in the Known Adap2. Stops impedance metering or electroplating Sample scripts The following demonstration Matlab scripts are provided OO O O get_info m display hardware information about all attached nanoz devices measure impedance m measure the impedance of a single electrode electroplating m electroplating with a DC constant current plate to impedance m a more complex example that replicates the nanoZ application s match impedances electroplating mode ximpedances m tests all unique pairs of channels for shorts pausing and prompting the user to connect the reference wire to the next channel electroplating test precision m use this script with the NZ CAL adaptor to validate the electroplating accuracy for example after a re calibration These sample scripts along with the supporting functions they call should provide a foundation for building you own customized nanoZ applications They can be found in the Matlab SDK folder accessible from the short cut in the Windows Start Menu for OS X wherever the Matlab SDK directory was copied 22 Function descriptions getversion Returns the version of the nanoz ME file Usage major version minor version nanoz getversion Arguments none Return values major version minor version major and minor versions of the currently installed nanoz MEX file respectively enumdevs Enumerates attached nanoZ devices Usage devs nanoz enumdevs Arguments none
3. Flush with distilled water to remove all traces of the spillage and allow the circuit board to completely dry before re assembling the nanoZ Probe adaptors Probes or electrode arrays that have Samtec connectors i e model number MOLC 110 01 S Q can be plugged directly into the nanoZ assuming they conform to the nanoZ s native pin mapping see Appendix C Omnetics NZ EIB 36 Neuralynae The nanoZ comes supplied with a NZA DIP16 adaptor for probes that use a DIP16 connector and a variety of other adaptors are available for commonly used interconnects such as those from Omnetics Millmax and Hirose Contact your vendor for information about the pin mapping of these adaptors All NZA series adaptors should be plugged into nanoZ so that the 3 pin header on the adaptor is closest to the USB port end of the nanoZ If using the NZA DIP16 adaptor mapping defined in electrodes ini be sure to plug the adaptor into the lower Samtec socket closest to the bottom edge of the nanoZ In the current version of the nanoZ only R1 is connected to the internal circuitry R2 and Ra are reserved for future expansion If you wish to make your own reference electrode cable be sure that it connects to R1 see Appendix C plug adaptor into the nanoZ with this end oriented towards the USB Calibration adaptor The nanoZ is supplied with a 32 channel calibration adaptor NZ CAL that comprises a bank of resistors and capacit
4. 1 10KO 15MO 1HZ 2KHZz latest model see following page 1 4nA RMS max bias current 50pA typ default 1KHz sinusoid waveform frequency range 1Hz to 4986Hz arbitrary user defined waveforms bipolar constant current 12UA 5V compliance 100nA native 5nA using dithering power operating mode device specific calibration values USB 1 1 or 2 0 compatible no additional power supply required two Samtec FOLC 110 01 S Q 3 party electrode adaptors 2 9 OZ 82 g 3 2 x 2 8 x 0 47 inches 81 x 70 x 12 mm The nanoZ electrode adaptors and all accessories are certified ROHS Compliant Software Operating systems Operating modes Matlab SDK included 34 Windows XP Vista or 7 Mac OS X v1 4 or later Matlab SDK only impedance test impedance spectroscopy DC electroplate electrode activation manual requires Matlab 2006a or later The figures below show the measurement error in A impedance magnitude and B phase as a function of the true impedance magnitude and test frequency across the working range of the nanoZ nanoZ model 1 1 after re calibration requires nanoZ software v 1 3 2 or later A 20 Z MOhm nanoZ model 1 2 A 20 15 Z MOhm 0 1000 2000 3000 frequency Hz ie 2000 3000 frequency Hz 4000 5000 20 Z MOhm 20 Z MOhm el Gebeier Wee e eebe 10F 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 frequency Hz
5. O O O O nanoZ device USB 2 0 cable St NZA DIP16 adaptor NZ CAL test adaptor 3 pin to alligator clip cable Installation CD 4 stick on feet optional lf any item is missing or appears to be damaged or faulty please contact the distributor from whom you purchased your nanoZ nanoZ User Manual Software installation 1 Connect your nanoZ to the computer using the USB cable provided Let Windows search for the driver on the installation CD in the Drivers subfolder Follow the on screen instructions to install the USB drivers Note that Windows 7 may have compatible drivers inbuilt which are fine to use instead 2 Run setup exe from the installation CD Follow the on screen instructions to install the application suite including the optional Matlab SDK if you want to develop your own nanoZ applications under Matlab 3 The software is ready for use You can run the nanoZ control program from the Windows Start Menu or Desktop Shortcut If you are re installing or updating the software and either the electrodes ini or prefs ini files already exist the installer will ask if you want to overwrite these files If 8 you select no the old files will remain unchanged If you select yes the old files will be Tip renamed with a bak extension and the new um files will take their place You can then use a text editor to copy any electrode or adaptor maps from the bak file to the new el
6. current can be adjusted from 12uA electrode negative to 12uA electrode positive in 1nA steps by moving the position of the slider or typing the desired current into the edit box The Meter has limited measurement resolution 89mV and should be considered approximate however the calibrated current reading shown in the edit box is accurate to within 5nA or 5 whichever is greater The nanoZ s electroplating circuit has a native resolution of 100nA To enable smaller currents and ensure the specified electroplating accuracy devices shipped prior to April 2012 need to be recalibrated see Appendix E A 16 C For a fixed plating time per site set the desired plating Duration If Test Z is checked the electrode impedances will be measured before and after plating at the specified test frequency The Pause setting specifies a delay between electroplating and testing the post plating impedance which may be necessary for some plating procedures where the test signal can take several seconds to settle to baseline due to charge buildup on the electrode site In most situations this delay can be set to 0 1 second Use the scope display to check that the impedance test signal is at or close to baseline and increase the delay if the test signal clipped warning is reported For match impedances mode set the desired Target impedance test frequency and plating Interval The plating interval specifies how long to apply the plat
7. nanoZ application or the signal buffers if using the Matlab SDK Moderate levels of power line noise or band limited noise outside the impedance test frequency of interest are not a problem However if the test signal is excessively noisy and the amplifier is saturated i e the cyan trace on the scope is either not visible or appears clipped then the measured impedance will not be accurate The nanoZ software will report if any part of the test signal is clipped and highlight in yellow the affected channels in the Report window clean test signal test signal clipped warning in meter display If necessary enclose the setup in wire mesh or aluminum foil to shield it from EMI and be sure to connect the shield to the reference wire Move the setup away from common sources of 50Hz noise in particular fluorescent table lamps electric motors or other lab equipment In especially noisy environments it may also help to run the nanoZ on a battery powered laptop Clipping of the test sinusoid may also occur immediately after switching channels or if an impedance measurement is made immediately after applying an electroplating current before charge on the electrode site has had sufficient time to dissipate In both cases the nanoZ will report an artifactually low post plating impedance and a warning message and attempt to re test the electrode several times before proceeding to the next channel Refer to the subsequent sections describing
8. the various automated modes of operation for how to avoid this artifact if and when it arises Finally we recommend that the electrode and reference connections are kept as short as possible Long wires may distort results due to their capacitance Avoid open ends which act as antennas nanoZ User Manual nanoZ Software Overview There are two options for interfacing with the nanoZ a Windows based nanoZ application and the Matlab SDK which runs under Matlab Refer to the Matlab software development kit section of the User Manual for detailed instructions on how to control the nanoZ from Matlab The nanoZ application can be run from the Windows Start menu or Desktop shortcut The application will connect with the first available nanoZ device If one or more nanoZs are plugged into the USB port after the application has already started they can be selected from the Device list on the main menu File Edit Device Mode View Help adaptor N wer a22 electrode KM Probe not selected v selection Ye vi virtual meter scope display mode Options selection Test frequency 10042 Hz settings for Cycles 40 Pause 0 Sms current mode D D D D D D D D a D D D D D a a D D D D a a a e i Ta Bg Eg Hg Eg Eg uu Hu a Hu Hu Hu Hu Hu Hu feele fe Eg Tg Hu Eg Wi ME ME EE ME ME EE ME ME EE ME ME EE EE EE ME NE WE ME EE EE EE WE EE EE EE EE EE EE EE device status An intuitive graphical user int
9. D 10 Report WINdOW GRAAN OE E aa ANE EEEE EEE Ge aiia i aai Eai aE 11 DoE NGS i A E 13 Manual control mode OE EE nennen ena 13 Hi ed nee enee 15 DC electroplate mode ese sesse Reese se Be sk Be Sk RR eke KG AE BEE BR BR BA RR AA AE RA BR RA Ve es ke ee KERE BA RA ae He es Ke ee AE KR HA BR DR Re ge RD 16 Impedance spectroscopy mode sesse seke ske sesse BE Sk RR BR RR AE Ke KERE ek BR ee BA RS ee ee he se Ge BR Be BA RA RR RSA ee ek BE BE Dk Ge ek 18 PACU AGI OH DOJO Me GR RNEER ge Ne EN es ee oe EN Rev el vee 19 Matlab Software Development Kit sesse sees ees REENEN Ge ENE Re Re REENEN REENEN REENEN ee ee 21 HROZNE io n EE ON N EE ER GE 21 Ni oe elke ee EE N Oe OE EE EE 22 Panc on de TI ONS AE EA DE AE EO EE EO OR 23 RE ET EE eres eee secre 23 PUVA OV OER EE EE EE EE EG 23 8 81 2 PIENET N IO A nena nso aan NE NO A O A see and E 23 EE 24 OA O AUN CLAU SION De GE ED Re ee OE eer eres 24 EE 25 Sn N EE OE EE OE EE 25 SOC OCC ie AO EO N ER EE EE TE 25 EE 26 EE 27 ea ee ILO eie AM AE EE EE 28 Eed SA L A ede AE EE eee Tne renee fee I ene rene eee eee O ree 28 erte E 29 AGO 0 OL T ee OE EE OE ER NE EE ere 30 Red ede else EE EE EE EE 31 ae EE OE EE EE EE 31 Appendix A Principle of Operation csccscsecsccsccccsccsccscsccsccececcnccecescnccscescescnceses 33 Appendix B Technical Specifications cscsscscsccscsccsccccsceccscnccccnccccsccccncescsceccececees 34 FMI OV AM ese E OE OO OE N EE EE N N 34 GRA LE T Ee OR OE N
10. ET AO EE N 34 Appendix C Channel MaDDiN8 sesse sees esse see ee Ge EG AE Ee AE GER Ee ee ee ee GE ee REENEN 36 eege te ere Le E 36 Dee een ee te E 37 Appendix D NZ CAL Component ValueS sesse sees ss ske ee Ge RE REENEN ENE Re Ge ER ee ee ee 39 Appendix E HecalbiatiD ik ss se ie GE REG de de NG ke vr ed ed rd ie ei 40 2 Year Limited Warranty EE 41 Welcome to the nanoZ Your nanoZ was specifically designed for multichannel microelectrode arrays It features extremely low test currents for measuring impedance or electrode impedance spectroscopy EIS Several inbuilt electroplating modes are provided for automated electrode impedance matching activation and cleaning e 64 channels e 1k 100MQ working range e 1Hz 5kHz test frequencies e 1kQ display resolution 1 accuracy or better for 5k 15MQ electrodes at test frequencies lt 2kHz e low lt 1 4nA test currents suitable for in vitro or in vivo testing e constant current electroplating with 12uUA range 5nA resolution 5V compliance e intuitive graphical user interface s software development kit for Matlab FEATURES if OI dd X dd tad od dd tad sl TO ad ad LI ECK probe connector The setup and operation of the nanoZ is described in this user manual including detailed information about the Matlab Software Development Kit SDK for developing your own customized nanoZ applications What s in the box Each nanoZ comes supplied with
11. Return value devs cell array of strings one string per each attached device containing the device specific serial numbers Remarks If a device is attached but already opened by this MEX file or another application it will not be enumerated An empty cell array is returned if no devices are attached or available open Opens and allocates a free nanoZ device for access by other functions Usage handle nanoz open serial number buffer transfer size Arguments serial number string device serial number which can be obtained using the enumdevs function buffer transfer size packet size in bytes for incoming data stream range 32 1024 Return value handle number handle to the opened device to be used to access all other device functions Remarks If a nanoZ device with a given serial number is not attached or is already opened by this MEX file or another application this function will fail The buffer transfer size determines the temporal resolution of the plating mode 64 is a good default value however on slower machines this may need to be increased 23 nanoZ User Manual to avoid buffer overrun errors Making it too large however will make the nanoZ less responsive in impedance mode and limit control of the plating duration The plating duration resolution is given by dividing the buffer transfer size value by the sampling rate fs adc For the recommended value of 64 the minimum plating tim
12. age or further analysis in programs like Microsoft Excel or Matlab The mode specific settings for the various automated modes of operation are described in the next chapter of the User Manual Channel mapping To support the various electrode adaptors that are available for the nanoZ the nanoZ application seamlessly translates the probe site layout to the adaptor pin mapping and from the adaptor pins to the nanoZ s internal multiplexer MUX By mapping in two stages rather than directly from the probe layout to the nanoZ it probe site layout adaptor pin nanoZ MUX mapping channel is unnecessary to construct a new probe mapping for different adaptors Both adaptor mappings and electrode site layouts are defined in electrodes ini Refer to Appendix C for information on how to configure additional probe layout and adaptor mappings Adaptor window Adaptors can be selected from the drop down list of known adaptors i e those defined in electrodes ini located in the left top corner of the nanoZ main application window Select View Adaptor from the main menu to display a window depicting the adaptor If no adaptor is attached to the nanoZ selecting No Adaptor from the drop down list of adaptors will show the layout of the 64 channels used by the native connector nanoZ User Manual When a channel is active the corresponding pin on the Adaptor window is highlighted In passive or impedance testing mode the pin is hig
13. anoZ s 8 bit DAC during waveform generation An attempt is made to produce a current waveform that is as close as possible to that requested taking into account the device calibration The application can modify the raw waveform prior to uploading it into nanoZ for example to implement dithering a technique which in some cases can overcome inaccuracies due to the 8 bit DAC quantization see startplatingdc As there is a low pass filter after the waveform generation DAC fast changes in electroplating current will be dampened startplating Starts electroplating with arbitrary waveform Usage nanoz startplating handle raw waveform interpol Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function raw waveform waveform of electroplating current to be generated in device specific units which can be obtained from the preparewaveform function interpol interpolation factor to be used during waveform generation Return value none Remarks This function uploads the user specified waveform into the nanoZ s memory and starts the electroplating mode During electroplating the voltage across the target electrode is constantly monitored To prevent a possible buffer overrun the user application must periodically call the getplatingdata function to fetch the results of this monitoring The exact moment when electroplating actually starts is not predictable Depending on the waveform length uploading
14. are of any changes to electrodes ini 38 Appendix D NZ CAL Component Values The following table shows the channel mapping for the bank of test resistors 1 tolerance and capacitors 5 tolerance on the supplied NZ CAL adaptor channel R MOhm C nF channel R MOhm C nF 1 6 8 17 short circuit 2 10 0 1 18 0 12 3 4 7 19 1 0 4 3 3 20 1 0 5 20 21 0 0051 6 2 2 22 0 51 7 1 0 23 0 010 8 SS 24 1 0 9 10 25 100 10 1 0 26 10 11 1 0 27 1 0 12 0 82 28 0 22 13 8 2 29 0 033 14 1 0 30 0 020 15 13 3 31 1 0 16 open circuit 32 0 051 R and C in parallel The measured phase angle of pure resistors should be 0 with an impedance that is independent of test frequency whereas pure capacitors should report a phase angle of 90 with an impedance magnitude that varies inversely with frequency For comparison most electrophysiology electrodes will have a phase angle between 50 and 80 depending on the electrode metal and coatings 39 nanoZ User Manual Appendix E Recalibration The nanoZ does not require routine calibrations however as of April 2012 there are two optional recalibrations available One will substantially improve the accuracy and range of the impedance testing mode for nanoZ version 1 1 and may provide a marginal improvement in accuracy for version 1 2 This calibration can also be used to compensate for errors in impedance measurement that
15. ase and electroplating results in an NA e Excel like spreadsheet E e EE 13 00 00 05 7 739 To view or hide the report Ee window select View Report ENE WENE ME EE from the main menu 1 41541 265 0 840 5 1 42021 271 1 021 0 The upper panel of the report shows information about the currently selected probe and when it was most recently tested user defined criteria for flagging whether or not an electrode site is faulty and several display options If an electrode has been selected in the main nanoZ program the probe name and description is shown This metadata is extracted from the electrodes ini file The time and date when the last impedance test or plating procedure began is also displayed The Short and Open user input boxes are editable An electrode is considered shorted when the measured impedance magnitude falls below the value entered in Short and is considered open circuit when the impedance magnitude is greater than the value entered in Open Impedances within this range are considered normal The left most column in the spreadsheet displays the electrode site index The column titles show the impedance test frequency and if applicable the plating current that was applied In electrode impedance spectroscopy mode there will be additional columns two for each test frequency The body of the spreadsheet contains the most recent site impedance measurements for all tested sites If the Phase che
16. be generated by the device This current will be applied to the selected channel Please see Appendix B for tolerances Remarks This function starts DC electroplating with a specially crafted plating waveform that achieves by means of dithering a much finer current setting resolution than what is normally possible with the device s 8 bit onboard DAC There will be a slight AC ripple on the output current However it is guaranteed that the first harmonic of this ripple current will be above 2000Hz and have the lowest possible level In practice the ripple current is so low that it is not measurable by nanoZ voltage feedback circuit even in most favorable circumstances of a high electrode impedance The exact moment when electroplating actually starts is not predictable Depending on the waveform length uploading the waveform may take some time and delay the start of electroplating When the electroplating duration must be exactly controlled the application should determine the exposure time from the number of samples returned by the getplatingdata function and stop plating when the prescribed number of samples has been acquired If for whatever reason the user application crashes during electroplating the nanoZ device will not be informed of it and will continue to supply electroplating current to the target electrode For this reason it is a good idea to encapsulate electroplating sections of the Matlab code in try catch clauses in order to e
17. ckbox is checked then both the impedance magnitude and phase are displayed If unchecked only the impedance magnitude is shown For electroplating modes the cumulative plating time is shown for each individual electrode which may vary from site to site for example if impedance matching mode was run Both pre and post plating impedances are stored in separate columns to the left and right of the cumulative plating time respectively 11 nanoZ User Manual If the Statistics checkbox is checked then the average impedance magnitude and phase standard deviation of all tested sites is shown at the bottom of each column Note that if the Condition checkbox is checked only normal sites are included in these aggregate statistics If the Condition checkbox is checked then shorted site impedance values are highlighted in red on the spreadsheet and Probe layout window Open sites are highlighted in blue Normal sites are displayed in green The report can be saved to file by clicking the ld icon in the Report window or selecting File Save report from the main menu Data are saved in tab delimited ASCII format according to the current checkbox settings i e phase information will be exported only if the Phase checkbox is checked aggregate statistics are exported according to the Statistics checkbox etc Operating Modes The nanoZ application has five separate modes of operation for performing a variety of different tasks These mo
18. des can be selected by clicking a button on the left pane of nanoZ application or via the Mode menu on the main menu The following instructions assume that a suitable electrode adaptor and probe configuration have been chosen and the electrode sites of interest have been selected in the Probe window The screenshots below were taken from Windows 7 The appearance of the user interface may vary depending on the version of Windows you are using Manual control mode This mode provides manual control of the nanoZ s channel selection impedance testing and DC constant current electroplating functions Sa nanoZ File Edit Device Mode View Help No adaptor Meter Probe not selected v Scope GP EDE d BIE dir Z en A gt 3 Off Channel Testfrea 1004 Hz Impedance E Si Ti oa Manual control ae off Current 1 350 d One shot iL Connection established 1004 Hz Selecting Impedance A will continuously measure the impedance of the currently selected channel B at the specified Test freq C The impedance in Mohms and phase angle in degrees will be displayed on the Meter If the test signal is saturated e g high levels of 50 or 60Hz noise the Test signal clipped warning message will be displayed and the Meter will show the last valid impedance measurement lf One shot is checked a single impedance measurement will be made To stop continuous impedance measurements select Off A 13 na
19. e as an example i e Z test enabled 1Hz activation frequency 25 duty cycle currents 3UA to 5uA duration 30s pause 3s the nanoZ will test the pre plating electrode impedance at 502Hz apply 30 square wave activation cycles comprising a 3uA electrode negative current for 250ms immediately followed by a 5uA electrode positive current for 750ms After a pause of as the post plating electrode impedance will be measured and the nanoZ will advance to the next selected electrode site Clicking on Activate probe again or pressing ESC at any time will pause the activation and you will be given the option of skipping the current electrode Ignore continuing or stopping The pre and post activation impedance test results in the Probe report can be saved by clicking the kd icon or selecting File Save report from the main menu 20 Matlab Software Development Kit The nanoZ Matlab SDK allows users to program customized nanoZ applications that are not supported by the bundled Windows program To use the Matlab SDK you should have a licensed copy of Matlab installed on the host PC version 2006a or later and have the nanoZ SDK installed refer to the Software Installation section of this User Manual nanoz MEN library MATLAB applications can access the nanoZ through the nanoz MEX files Four versions are provided one each for 32 and 64 bit versions of Matlab running under Windows nanoz mexw32 and nanoz mexw64
20. e increment is approximately 6ms close Closes an opened nanoZ device and releases system resources Usage nanoz close handle Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function Return values none Remarks User Matlab programs must close the device after they have finished using it to release system resources and allow other programs access If a program fails to close the device it will stay open until Matlab finishes or until the nanoz MEX file is unloaded To unload the MEX file issue the Matlab command clear nanoz which will unload the MEX file closing all open nanoZ devices getdeviceversion Gets hardware and firmware version information from an open nanoZ device Usage dev ver info nanozm getdeviceversion handle Arguments handle handle to an active device returned by the open function Return value dev ver info a Matlab structure with the following fields hardware version id nanoZ device version ID hardware version str nanoZ device model name string firmware version a vector of two elements containing the major and minor firmware revision numbers firmware version str the firmware version number string Remarks Firmware versions 1 13 and earlier do not have a feature to report their version numbers and therefore they cannot be distinguished by this function The firmware version str field of the returned structure will contain 1 13 or ea
21. ectrodes ini file There is currently no standalone application for computers running Mac OS X however there is Matlab support for Intel based Macs To use the nanoZ Matlab SDK on your Mac install the device driver by opening the D2XX 1 0 4 dmg package in the Drivers OS X subfolder on the installation CD and follow the instructions in the readme rif file Next copy the Matlab SDK folder to your hard drive This folder contains the necessary Matlab mexmaci mexmaci64 support files and the same example scripts that are installed with the Windows version of the nanoZ Matlab SDK Firmware updates The firmware version currently installed on your nanoZ can be determined by selecting the Help About box from the main menu When new versions of the firmware are released follow these instructions to update the firmware 1 Plug in the nanoZ and run the nanoZ application 2 Select Device Update firmware from the main menu 3 Click File to select the new firmware e g nanozZ firmware 1 15 nzf 4 Select the nanoZ device you wish to update by serial number If only one device is plugged in only one serial number will appear in the drop down list 5 Click Update While the new firmware is being uploaded the green LED on the nanoZ will flicker Do not unplug the nanoZ during the upload The message Firmware updated successfully indicates when the process is complete You can now click Exit and continue usi
22. els are not measured i e skipped measurements are blank and highlighted in yellow in the Report window D Click the Test probe button to begin the test Clicking on Test probe again or pressing ESC at any time will pause the test and you will be given the option of continuing the test or stopping The impedance spectroscopy results in the Probe report can be saved by clicking the icon or selecting File Save report from the main menu Activation mode This mode can be used to increase the charge capacity of all or a subset of electrodes on the selected probe Activation mode applies a bipolar variable duty cycle constant current square wave to the electrode which both lowers the impedance and increases the charge capacity two properties that are desirable for effective electrical stimulation With suitable electrodes and appropriate waveform settings the activation mode can also be used for in vivo or in vitro microstimulation File Edit Device Mode View Help NZA DIP16 v N2T A2x2 tet 3mm 150 15 ZO Seri A Mode Activating current B AE oa Fixed activation time 3 004HA to 5 028pA dices oleae Match charge capacity l d a STEE S wziputy252 estz k02 Sp Duration 30 j s Pause 35 Dae probe 502 Hz A Only the Fixed activation time is implemented in the current software version so this setting is currently ignored B Set the Activating current Both current settings can be adjusted from 12uA elec
23. eport can be saved by clicking the ld icon or selecting File Save report from the main menu 15 nanoZ User Manual DC electroplate mode This mode cycles through all or a subset of the electrodes on the selected probe applying a controlled DC constant current to each site It has two sub modes of operation fixed plating time per channel and match impedances mode whereby the nanoZ will only advance to the next channel when the electrode site impedance is lowered to the specified Target impedance The DC Electroplate mode has many possible applications such as o plating with gold or other metals to lower electrode site impedances o deposition of conductive polymers such as PEDOT to simultaneously lower the electrode site impedance and improve the site charge capacity o electrode site cleaning in vivo or in vitro rejuvenation of electrode sites o tissue lesioning and electrode track marking O nanoZ electroplating File Edit Device Mode View Help No adaptor v Meter N2T A2x2 tet 3mm 150 15 e Scope QD DC Electroplate A Mode Plating current B Aiki Regent Fixed plating time 0 025 uA Match impedances ke D Manual contre arm tan N Ta E S Manual contre Target 350 kOhmat 2000 Hz 5 runs Interval 3 s Pause B sD Autoplate 2000Hz Channel 2 t 00 00 01 A Select the plating mode either Fixed plating time or Match impedances B Set the desired DC plating current The
24. erface makes the nanoZ easy to use User programmable electrode site configurations see Probe window provide a meaningful way to visualize the integrity of the electrode array and allow subsets of channels to be tested and or conditioned by selecting the relevant sites with a few mouse Clicks A virtual digital multimeter meter displays impedance measurements or the real time plating voltage depending on the mode of operation If RIIC is checked the resistive and capacitive components of the current impedance measurement will be displayed assuming a parallel RC equivalent circuit model Clicking on Scope or selecting View Scope from the main menu will display a virtual oscilloscope with the Z test or plating waveform output in green and the measured input waveform in cyan Use the arrow icons to the right of the scope to change the horizontal time and vertical amplitude zoom To switch back to the meter display click Meter or select View Meter from the main menu The status bar displays information about the nanoZ device hardware including error conditions The LED icon on the left hand corner of the status bar reflects the mode LED on the actual nanoZ device and indicates the currently selected mode of operation off for passive mode glowing green for impedance mode and glowing red for electroplating mode Impedance data are displayed in an Excel like spreadsheet see Report window which can be saved to file for stor
25. erference Calibration will take several minutes Do not unplug the NZ CAL during this process Test freq 1004 Hz Ka Current 1 350 UA C Follow the onscreen instructions You will be prompted to save the existing calibration data including the factory calibration to a file At the end of the recalibration the new calibration data will be automatically uploaded to the nanoZ Calibrate Plating Calibrate Impedance Backup and restore Ext Backup calibration Restore calibration After recalibrating we suggest you use the NZ CAL adaptor to validate the impedance measurement accuracy To evaluate a plating recalibration observe the voltage feedback in the nanoZ program while applying current to a known resistor or run the electroplating_test_precision m sample script in Matlab To save the existing calibration to file without doing a recalibration click on Backup calibration To restore the factory calibration or revert to an earlier recalibration click on Restore calibration and select the desired calibration file 40 2 Year Limited Warranty White Matter LLC White Matter the manufacturer of the nanoZ warrants to the Original purchaser that the nanoZ will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for two years from the date of purchase White Matter will repair or replace any nanoZ product or part thereof which upon inspection by White Matter
26. es bytes long The minimum frequency that can be generated with a sampling frequency of 83333Hz and 126 samples is approximately 661Hz Waveform interpolation is used to generate lower frequencies The interpol field of the caps structure lists Supported interpolation factors Linear interpolation is used for factors of 8 or less 16x and higher interpolation is performed by 8x linear interpolation combined with 2x or higher ratio hold interpolation which effectively reduces the generator sample rate Using the maximum 1024x interpolation factor 8x linear 128x hold frequencies down to 0 645Hz can be generated E nanoZ User Manual For impedance measurement the MEX library automatically chooses the best interpolation factor and synthesizes a waveform of appropriate length to achieve a test signal frequency as close as possible to that specified by the user For electroplating arbitrary user supplied waveforms may be used which puts the responsibility of choosing waveform length and interpolation factor on the user application getplatingcaps Returns information about electroplating capabilities Usage caps nanoz getplatingcaps handle Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function Return value caps a Matlab structure with the following fields min current The minimum negative current in amperes which the nanoZ s electroplating current source can generate max current The ma
27. hape with subsequent Outlines representing the next shape For example with the NZA DIP16 adaptor shown here on the left the single rectangle requires 6 points with the last two points Outline4 Outline5 having the same coordinates as Outlined to complete the rectangle Unless you require an adaptor with a special shape it is probably simplest to just copy and paste this section from one of the existing 32 or 64 channel adaptors as required 5 the last section of the adaptor definition is the most important as it defines the mapping from the nanoZ s internal MUX to the pins of the adaptor The NumChans field specifies the number of adaptor channels to map The format for the mapping is MUX n x y where n is the nanoZ MUX channel 1 64 and x and y define the pin location on the Adaptor window The ordinal position defines the adaptor pin number So for example the first line in the NZA DIP16 definition MUX 51 75 375 means that channel 1 of the adaptor is connected to MUX channel 51 and is situated on the bottom left hand corner of the DIP16 socket Finally restart the application or click File Reload definitions from the main menu to make the nanoZ application aware of any changes to electrodes ini Electrode definitions The format for the electrode definitions in electrodes ini is similar to that used for adaptor definitions Steps 1 to 4 for defining the electrode name description site appearance a
28. hlighted in green in electroplating mode the pin is highlighted in red In Manual Control mode only left clicking on an adaptor pin will switch the nanoZ to the channel that corresponds to that pin Channels that have no connection for a given adaptor as defined in electrodes ini cannot be selected regardless of operating mode For example the NZA DIP16 adaptor uses 16 of the 64 available channels and accordingly only these 16 channels can be selected To re enable all 64 channels select No Adaptor Probe window The nanoZ application supports arbitrary probe site configurations and once defined in electrodes ini handles the channel mapping transparently Several example probes are provided with the default installation Probe definitions can be modified and new definitions can be added refer to Appendix C for a detailed description on how to do this Select View Probe from the main menu to display a window showing the probe electrode site layout with numbered sites When a channel is active the corresponding electrode site N27 A2x2 tet 3mm 150 150 312 on the Probe window is highlighted In passive channel selected or impedance testing mode the site is highlighted in green in electroplating mode the site is highlighted in red The probe layout window can be used to select a subset of electrode sites for testing or electroplating You can select and deselect one or multiple electrode sites using the mouse D
29. ing current before re testing the electrode impedance For example a setting of 5 with a pause of 3 will apply the specified current for 5 seconds wait 3 seconds before testing the impedance and alternate between these two modes every 8 seconds until the target impedance is achieved The total plating time per electrode is limited by the Runs setting Once this number of plating cycles has occurred the nanoZ will advance to the next channel even if the target impedance has not been reached Note that if the initial electrode impedance measurement is already less than or equal to the target impedance no current will be applied to that electrode D Click the Autoplate button to begin the electroplating sequence Clicking on Autoplate again or pressing ESC at any time will pause the plating and you will be given the option of skipping the current electrode Ignore continuing the sequence or stopping The pre and post plating impedance test results and cumulative plating time per site will be displayed in the Probe report window The report can be saved by clicking the ld icon or selecting File Save report from the main menu 17 nanoZ User Manual Impedance spectroscopy mode This mode cycles through all or a subset of electrodes on the selected probe measuring the impedance of each electrode at multiple test frequencies File Edit Device Mode View Help N2T A32 v Probe not selected v QD se Zf Spectroscopy Test F
30. is found to be defective in materials or workmanship The nanoZ must be returned to the Distributor from which it was bought together with proof of purchase A return authorization must be obtained from the Distributor in advance of return Please include a brief description of any claimed defect s The customer shall be responsible for all costs of transportation and insurance to the Distributor The Distributor will cover the return shipping costs This warranty shall be void and of no force of effect in the event the nanoZ has been modified in design or function or subjected to abuse misuse mishandling or unauthorized repair Water or other liquid related damage is specifically excluded from this warranty Furthermore product malfunction or deterioration due to normal wear is not covered by this warranty 41
31. may otherwise be introduced by 3 party electrode adaptors or extension cables i e the factory calibration assumes electrodes are plugged directly into the nanoZ A separate recalibration applicable to both nanoZ versions enables electroplating currents less than 100nA with a resolution of 1nA 5nA or 5 or better accuracy across the full voltage compliant current range For either calibration start by inserting the NZ CAL adaptor into the nanoZ connector closest to the USB port with the adaptor orientated so that the NZ CAL text is on the left For 3 party adaptor recalibration plug the NZ CAL into the end of the adaptor For accurate calibrations it is critical that the NZ CAL be free of dirt grease A fingerprints and moisture Clean the adaptor with ethanol and wait for it to dry completely before initiating any recalibration procedure Select Device Calibration from the main menu to open the calibration dialog Meter Scope A Select the serial number of the device you wish to recalibrate B nan c EVLCE ode MN Helg open wm Zem nanoZ calibration Select device WMUSCAIO d Instructions Ensure your NZ CAL calibration adaptor is free of grease d moisture dirt and mois Plug the NZ CAL adaptor into the nanoZ socket closest to the USB port d RIK B Click on Calibrate Plating or Calibrate Impedance Position your nanoZ away from sources of electromagnetic int
32. n Values returned by this function take into account device calibration and have units of volts stop Stops impedance metering or electroplating Usage nanoz stop handle Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function Return value none Remarks This function stops any impedance measurement or electroplating process The measurement circuit remains connected to the selected channel 31 nanoZ User Manual Consequently a new impedance measurement on the same channel may start immediately because there will not be any transient channel switching artifact The Matlab application should call this function prior to calling any function other than getimpdata or getplatingdata on the target device Calling other nanoZ library functions may also indirectly stop impedance measurement or electroplating but is not guaranteed to do so 32 Appendix A Principle of Operation For measuring impedance the nanoZ utilizes a voltage divider circuit According to Ohm s law the ratio of voltages HI and V2 in the circuit is Vi Ref e V2 Z This formula generalizes to AC sinusoidal signals where V1 V2 and Z are complex numbers whose angles represent phase relations in the circuit When a known voltage Vi is applied and V2 is measured it is possible to solve the above equation for Z which is exactly how the nanoZ measures impedance During impedance measurement test currents flow thro
33. nanod User Manual Disclaimer Information in this document is subject to change without notice No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted without the express written permission of White Matter LLC While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this document the publisher and the author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions or for damages resulting from the use of information contained in this document or from the use of programs and source code that may accompany it In no event shall the publisher and the author be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this document nanoZ is a trademark of White Matter LLC Other product and company names mentioned in this manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners April 2012 revision 2009 2012 White Matter LLC All rights reserved Table of Contents MUGICOING to the NANOS sies N EER EG ES SEE GES Eg Ee NG We ie GN ie Gin Ge ie 1 What sin the e 1 Olie MS EER EE 2 Dead ca gt WE EO A OE EO O 2 EE E aO A a E E EA E 3 Probo e oaea T E E E RE ER RE 5 Calibration ada ptoT E 5 Tips for accurate 4 measurementS sesse ses ses sesse se se se kes Ke KAK Ke Re Re Re Re ee ee Ge Bee Bee Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Be Se Be Gee Ke ek Ke 6 ist EN 8 del AE N IE EE EE AE EE RI OE ES 8 EDE od GE GE 9 EE 9 Beet slee ie ER OE EO EE N EE ER OE RE OE O
34. nd outline are almost identical except for subtle differences in the field names Step 5 is different 5 the last section of the electrode definition is the most important as it defines the mapping from the adaptor pinout to the electrode site layout The NumSites field specifies the number of electrode sites The format for this mapping is Site n x y sizeX sizeY where n is site number x and y define the site location on the Probe window and sizeX and sizeY are optional values that replace the default 37 nanoZ User Manual dimensions in SiteSizeX and SiteSizeY thereby allowing for electrode arrays with different site sizes For simplicity specify all these values in microns The ordinal position defines the mapping between the electrode site and the adaptor pin number So for example the A line in the MCS 8x8 standard electrode sites definition Site 45 50 450 means that channel 4 of the adaptor is connected to site 45 Since the mapping is determined by ordinal position n is only used for the site label in the Probe window and Probe report and can therefore use any numbering scheme This added flexibility allows for zero based vs one based electrode site numbering different data acquisition systems use one or the other or for example the row and column site numbering used by the MCS 8x8 standard MEA Finally restart the application or click File Reload definitions from the main menu to make the nanoZ application aw
35. ng the nanoZ application 6 If the update is interrupted or cancelled the nanoZ may not function properly Repeat these instructions to upload the firmware completely It is advisable to update both the firmware and the software suite to the most recent AN versions at the same time Older firmware and device drivers may not work properly with the latest software and vice versa Setting up the nanoZ The nanoZ requires no additional hardware other than a PC with a USB port probe connector LED indicators future I O some models A simple way to mount the nanoZ is with a regular laboratory retort stand and a three prong clamp Position the nanoZ over a beaker of saline or plating solution With this setup it is easier to put the beaker on a height adjustable laboratory jack and raise or lower the jack to immerse the probe in the solution rather than adjusting the height of the nanoZ on the stand nanoZ User Manual Alternatively MultiChannel Systems Inc provides an adaptor sold separately with an integrated aluminum rod that can be attached to a micromanipulator This mounting option is also suitable for in vivo applications A recalibration is recommended if you intend to use this adaptor see Appendix E To use the nanoZ with in vitro electrode arrays from MultiChannel Systems plug the MCS MEA adaptor into the nanoZ then turn the nanoZ face down and plug it into the MEA s 68
36. noZ User Manual Selecting Current A mode will apply a DC constant current to the currently selected channel B at the level indicated adjacent to the Current level slider C The current can be adjusted from 12uA electrode negative to 12uA electrode positive in 1nA steps by moving the position of the slider or typing the desired current into the edit box The voltage across the electrode site will be displayed on the Meter The Meter has limited measurement resolution 39mV and should be considered approximate however the calibrated current reading shown in the edit box is accurate to within 5nA or 5 whichever is greater The Meter also indicates if the voltage is out of compliance that is if the voltage needed to achieve the desired current is greater than the nanoZ can generate To stop applying the current select Off The nanoZ s electroplating circuit has a native resolution of 100nA To enable smaller currents and ensure the specified electroplating accuracy devices shipped prior to April 2012 need to be recalibrated see Appendix E A Impedance test mode This mode rapidly cycles through all or a subset of the channels on the selected probe measuring the impedance of each electrode The impedance results are tabulated in the Report window View Report File Edit Device Mode View Help N2T A32 v Probe not selected Y en Test Impedances QD DC Electroplate ZC spectroscop A Options L Activate
37. nsure that electroplating is stopped in all cases even if an error occurs The most 30 reliable way to stop electroplating without generating further errors is to execute a clear nanoz Matlab statement The m file examples provided with this SDK implement these safeguards N The nanoZ s electroplating circuit has a native resolution of 100nA To enable smaller a currents and ensure the accuracy of the startplatingdc function devices shipped prior to April 2012 need to be recalibrated see Appendix E getplatingdata Retrieves electroplating voltage feedback data Usage voltage nanoz getplatingdata handle Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function Return value voltage a vector of voltage values measured across the target electrode during electroplating Units are in volts Remarks During electroplating the nanoZ monitors the voltage on the target channel This voltage is sampled at the frequency that is returned by the getwaveformcaps function This function returns all samples that have been collected since electroplating was started or from the time this function was previously called It may be an empty matrix if no new values were acquired The user application should call this function every 30ms or a data overrun may result The total number of samples returned by this function since electroplating was started can be used to determine the exact electroplating duratio
38. o be lost Note that if a buffer overrun error does occur the impedance measurement test waveform is still applied to the currently selected channel until the stop function is called getwaveformcaps Returns information about waveform generation capabilities Usage caps nanoz getwaveformcaps handle Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function Return value caps a Matlab structure with the following fields fs gen generator sampling frequency in Hz Typical value is 83333Hz fs adc Sampling frequency of the A D converter Typical value is 10417Hz maxsam Maximum length of the waveform in samples interpol List of Supported interpolation factors Remarks The nanoZ generates waveforms for impedance measurement and electroplating with an 8 bit digital to analog converter clocked at a sampling frequency of 83333Hz Since this may change in future firmware upgrades user applications should not rely on the values quoted in the specifications but rather query the attached device for its actual capabilities fs gen parameter Sampling of the analog signal on the electrode is a fraction of the generator sampling frequency in this case 1 4 which also may be changed in the future The user program should rely on the fs adc parameter of the caps structure Waveforms must be uploaded into the memory of the nanoZ s microcontroller The current version has memory for waveforms up to 126 sampl
39. ors of various impedances Appendix D Use this adaptor to check the accuracy of your nanoZ across the specified working range Appendix B The nanoZ does not require routine calibrations however future firmware and software upgrades may require a device re calibration for example to extend the nanoZ s functionality or working range Impedance recalibration may also be needed to compensate for 3 party electrode adaptors or extension cables that may otherwise introduce errors in the impedance measurements nanoZ User Manual The nanoZ s electroplating circuit has a native resolution of 100nA To enable smaller currents and the 1nA electroplating accuracy offered by the nanoZ software v1 4 0 or later devices shipped prior to April 2012 need to be recalibrated see Appendix E The calibration adaptor should be orientated with the NZ CAL text closest to the USB port and the software should be set to No Adapter Probe not selected Tips for accurate Z measurements The nanoZ is capable of providing very accurate measurements across a wide range of test frequencies and impedances Appendix B Nonetheless care should be taken to protect the test setup from electromagnetic interference EMI such as 50 60HZ power line interference The nanoZ is susceptible to EMI because it uses very small test signals for measuring impedance To ensure accurate results periodically check the signal quality using the Scope display of the
40. ouble clicking the left mouse button selects or deselects all sites Selected site numbers are displayed in green deselected sites are displayed in grey The Probe window site selection applies to all automated modes of operation but not the Manual Control mode channel selector In Manual Control mode only left clicking on a site switches the nanoZ to the channel corresponding to that site taking into account the adaptor mapping This provides an easy way to test the impedance of selected sites by simply clicking on the sites of interest The Probe window can also be used to visualize impedance test results according to the probe site layout which may be more intuitive than reading tabular results Once a probe has been tested holding down the right mouse button highlights the condition of every recording site red for short blue for open green for normal according to the settings in the Report window With the right 10 mouse button held down moving the mouse pointer over individual electrode sites will display a small pop up window with the measured impedance magnitude and phase for that site Report window Probe Report Probe Condition Show When using any of the Name N2T A2x2 tet 3mm 150 150 312 Short 200 k lPhase S Description NeuroNexus 2x2 Tetrode en atistics automated modes of Operation EO Ee at 12 04 17 AM Zoe r meng the nanoZ stores impedance EE i i Mag MOhm Phase hh mm ss Mag MOhm Ph
41. pedance measurement During measurements the nanoZ applies a sinusoidal current on the target electrode and records the voltage across at the sampling frequency returned by the fs output argument startimpmetering Starts impedance measurement Usage nanoz startimpmetering handle nsam measure numdsps 25 nanoZ User Manual Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function nsam measure number of samples to measure per single impedance reading numdsps number of overlapping impedance measurements Return values none Remarks Calling this function initiates the impedance measurement process applying sinusoidal test current to the target electrode and measuring the voltage across it After a given number of samples is collected which is specified by the nsam measure argument the data are converted to a single average impedance reading Because it may take considerable time typically about a second to collect data for result conversion it is possible to perform multiple concurrent conversions partially overlapping in time with each other This allows more impedance readings per second The multiplication factor is specified as the numdsps parameter For example if one measurement lasts one second and numdsps parameter is set to 4 there will be 4 impedance readings per second While measuring impedance the user program has to poll the results by calling the getimpdata function eve
42. pin Honda socket as shown here If the probe is connected directly to the nanoZ e g a NeuroNexus A32 or A64 packaged probe use a short jumper wire to connect one of the G pins on the probe PCB to the bath electrode If using a NZA series adaptor such as the supplied NZA DIP16 connect the bath electrode to the adaptor using the 3 pin alligator cable supplied A piece of platinum or platinum iridium alloy wire immersed in the bath solution makes an ideal reference connection as does a silver silver chlorided wire or other inert metal With the MCS MEA adaptor shown above the reference connection of the bath is already connected to the nanoZ s reference input so no external reference wire is required For other 3 party adaptors refer to the documentation provided to determine the appropriate point of connection to the bath electrode Take care not to expose the nanoZ to liquids of any kind If liquid gets AN splashed on the nanoZ wipe it off with a moist cloth and allow to dry If solution gets spilled inside the nanoZ immediately unplug it and remove any attached electrodes or electrode adaptors For water spills allow the nanoZ to dry completely before resuming use For saline or other solutions remove the two screws that secure the end cap closest to the probe connector It may be necessary to remove both end caps Slide out the printed circuit board being careful not to damage the probe connector on the enclosure opening
43. requencies Options E 1 E Test cycles 40 7i 2 S sA Manual contro 5 E C Pause 0 ol ad D Test probe iL Connection established A Select the impedance Test Frequencies in Hz from the check box list or check All to test at all frequencies in the list Click the notepad icon to edit the list of test frequencies Valid frequencies are between 1Hz and 4986Hz The nanoZ will generate sinusoidal test waveforms as close as possible to the specified test frequencies The exact test frequencies used will be displayed in the status bar and in the column titles of the Probe report B Choose the number of Test cycles The default setting of 40 cycles is a good trade off between accuracy and speed Increasing the number of cycles will marginally improve the accuracy due to averaging at the expense of a longer testing duration whereas decreasing the number of cycles may lower accuracy due to insufficient localization of the test signal in the frequency domain The total testing time per site is displayed in the status bar C The Pause setting specifies a delay in millisconds after switching channels before impedance testing is begun on the currently selected electrode In most cases this delay can be set to zero however with some high capacitance electrodes the test signal may take some time to settle to baseline after switching channels Increase the pause setting if the test signal clipped warning is reported or some chann
44. respectively and Mac OS X nanoz mexmaci and nanoz mexmaci64 respectively A MEX file can contain only one Matlab function and because the nanoZ SDK provides multiple functions the actual function names are passed as the first argument when calling the nanoz gateway function The following syntax is used for all function calls lt output gt nanoz function name argl arg2 argN The function name is not case sensitive and can be one of the following Name Purpose getversion Returns the version of the nanoZ MEX file enumdevs Enumerates attached nanoZ devices open Opens a free nanoZ device for access by other functions close Closes an opened nanoZ device releases system resources getdeviceversion Returns hardware and firmware information for the open device selectchannel Selects a channel setfreq Sets the test frequency for impedance measurements startimpmetering Starts impedance measurement getimpdata Retrieves impedance measurement data getwaveformcaps Returns information about the waveform generation capabilities 21 nanoZ User Manual getplatingcaps Returns information about the electroplating capabilities preparewaveform Prepares a waveform for use with the startplating function startplating Starts electroplating with an arbitrary waveform startplatingdc Starts DC electroplating with fine control of the current setting getplatingdata Retrieves electroplating voltage feedback data Ston
45. rlier 24 selectchannel Selects a channel to perform impedance measurement or electroplating on Usage nanoz selectchannel handle channel Arguments handle handle of an opened device returned by the open function channel channel number to select from 1 to 64 or O to de select all channels Return values none Remarks This function connects the measurement circuit to a specific channel Prior to switching channels any impedance measurement or electroplating that was in progress is automatically stopped Channel switching may cause a transition on the measurement circuit that lasts about 0 5 seconds To preserve accuracy impedance measurement is not recommended during this period After switching channels the circuit is put into passive mode not applying any voltage or current to the target electrode setfreq Sets the test frequency used for impedance measurement Usage freq achieved fs nanoz setfreq handle freq desired Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function freq desired The desired test frequency in Hz Range Return values freq achieved The frequency in Hz which can be generated by the device as close as possible to the desired frequency and on which the actual measurement will be performed fs optional return value It receives the sampling frequency used for signal measurement Remarks This function prepares the device for im
46. ry 30ms or a data buffer overrun may occur Prior to measuring impedance a channel must be selected and a working frequency must be specified by calling the selectchannel and setfreq functions respectively getimpdata Retrieves impedance measurement data Usage signal samples Z nanoz getimpdata handle Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function Return values signal samples vector of integers which are raw analog signal readings from the target electrode The user application may use these readings in order to monitor for example the noise and interference levels during impedance measurement If the signal is not clean the impedance reading may be inaccurate Z vector of complex impedance readings in Ohms Remarks During impedance measurement the user program must call this function approximately every 30ms to poll for incoming data Output vectors are sized according to the amount of new data that were collected between two successive calls of this function If no data were acquired the vectors will be empty In typical situations the Z vector is empty most of the time but occasionally it has one element the impedance reading that was most recently acquired 26 Failure to call this function at regular intervals may result in a buffer overrun error Recovery from a buffer overrun requires impedance measurement to be stopped This will cause any pending results t
47. sites Test freguency 1004 2 Hz sA Manual contro RH 40 Pause 0 C ms D Test probe il Connection established 1004 Hz A Set the impedance Test frequency to the desired value The actual test frequency that will be used is shown in the status bar B Choose the number of Test cycles The default setting of 40 cycles is a good trade off between accuracy and speed Increasing the number of cycles will marginally improve the accuracy due to averaging at the expense of a longer testing duration whereas decreasing the number of cycles may lower accuracy due to insufficient localization of the test signal in the frequency domain The testing time per site is displayed in the status bar C The Pause setting specifies a delay in millisconds after switching channels before impedance testing is begun on the currently selected electrode In most cases this delay can be set to zero however with some high capacitance electrodes the test signal may take some time to settle to baseline after switching channels Increase the pause setting if the test signal clipped warning is reported or some channels are not measured i e skipped measurements are blank and highlighted in yellow in the Report window D Click the Test probe button to begin the test Clicking on Test probe again or pressing ESC at any time will pause the test and you will be given the option of continuing the test or stopping Impedance test results in the Probe r
48. the waveform may take some time and delay the start of electroplating When the electroplating duration must be exactly controlled the application should determine the exposure time from the number of samples returned by the getplatingdata function and stop plating when the prescribed number of samples has been acquired 29 nanoZ User Manual If for whatever reason the user application crashes during electroplating the nanoZ device will not be informed of it and will continue to supply electroplating current to the target electrode For this reason it is a good idea to encapsulate electroplating sections of the Matlab code in try catch clauses in order to ensure that electroplating is stopped in all cases even if an error occurs The most reliable way to stop electroplating without generating further errors is to execute a clear nanoz Matlab statement The m file examples provided with this SDK implement these safeguards startplatingde Starts DC electroplating with a dithered waveform for generating low currents and fine current setting resolution Usage achieved current nanoz startplatingdc handle desired current Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function desired current desired electroplating current in amperes Can be positive or negative within device limits see Appendix B Return value achieved current the current in amperes that is as close to the desired value as can
49. tors section Spaces are allowed but the last character must have an sign to be recognized For the DIP16 adaptor the entry is NZA DIP16 2 create a corresponding section name for this adaptor by adding the adaptor name to a new line enclosed in square brackets e g NZA DIP16 3 the next few lines define the adaptor name description adaptor pin dimensions and whether the pins are round or square The values assigned to the Name and Description fields will appear in the drop down list of known adaptors and in the Report window respectively They should be succinct yet descriptive and include version identifiers if multiple versions of the same adaptor exist The ContactSizeX and ContactSizeY determine the relative size of 36 the pins in the Adaptor window If RoundContact is zero the pins will be square otherwise they will appear round 4 the next few lines defines the shape of the adaptor as displayed in the Adaptor window Typically this will define one or two rectangles representing one or both of the nanoZ s Samtec connectors however it can be any shape The NumPoints field specifies the number of points that comprise the adaptor outline The format for these points is Outline x y where _ is an arbitrary suffix and x amp y are 2D pixel coordinates The outline must form an enclosed region Repeating the same Outline coordinates on _ two consecutive lines indicates that this is the last point in that s
50. trode negative to 12uA electrode positive in 100nA steps by moving the position of the sliders The Meter has limited measurement resolution 39mV and should be considered approximate however the calibrated current readings adjacent to the sliders are accurate to within a few nA Note that the finer 1nA resolution provided by the DC Electroplate and Manual electroplating modes is not currently available in Activation mode C Set the desired activation frequency the Duty cycle and the activation Duration per electrode The Duty cycle determines the relative time of the two current phases where the percentage refers to the first current setting in B If Test Z is checked the electrode impedances will be measured before and after electrode activation at the specified test frequency The Pause setting specifies a 19 nanoZ User Manual delay between the activating cycle and testing the post activation impedance It may be necessary for some plating procedures where the test signal can take several seconds to settle to baseline due to charge buildup on the electrode site In most situations this delay can be set to 0 1 second Use the scope display to check that the impedance test signal is at or close to baseline and increase the delay if the test signal clipped warning is reported D Click the Activate probe button to begin the activation sequence To illustrate a typical activation sequence using the settings shown abov
51. ugh the circuit The nanoZ uses a 4mV peak to peak sinusoidal waveform for V1 which yields a maximum test current through Z of 1 4nA RMS when Z is approaching zero and 0 7nA RMS when Z is 1MOhm The nanoZ has a single measurement circuit including the generator voltage V the amplifier for V2 and the reference resistor R e Different channels having different electrode impedances Z are connected to this circuit via an on board 64 to 1 analog multiplexer Here is a simplified schematic of the overall circuit Measurement circuit Attenuator AmV p p Sinusoid Magnitude and Phase detector Constant current source SW f Either the impedance measurement circuit or the electroplating constant current source can be connected to a channel via switches SW1 and SW2 The electroplating current source is programmed by a voltage coming from an 8 bit DAC yielding 256 current steps between 12uA electrode negative and 12uA electrode positive The DAC can produce both DC and alternating waveforms from the nanoZ s on board memory 33 nanoZ User Manual Appendix B Technical Specifications Hardware Number of channels Z measurement range Z accuracy amp precision Z test current Test signals Electroplate mode Electroplate range Electroplate resolution LED Indicators EEPROM PC interface Connectivity Weight Dimensions 64 1kQ to 100MQ 1kQ display resolution
52. ximum positive current in amperes which the nanoZ s electroplating current source can generate current step The minimum step size in amperes by which the requested electroplating current can be decreased or increased min voltage The minimum negative voltage which can be produced by nanoZ to maintain the requested current i e negative voltage compliance max voltage The maximum positive voltage which can be produced by nanoZ to maintain the requested current i e positive voltage compliance Remarks The values returned by this function reflect the device s calibration status not just the design specifications and can therefore vary slightly from device to device preparewaveform Prepares an arbitrary waveform for electroplating Usage output waveform achieved current nanoz preparewaveform handle desired waveform Arguments handle handle to an opened device returned by the open function waveform user supplied waveform to be generated during electroplating Units are amperes 28 Return values raw waveform device specific raw waveform which is produced on the basis of user supplied waveform taking into account device calibration achieved current values of electroplating current in amperes which are based on the raw waveform values returned by this function Remarks This function converts the user specified electroplating currents into raw values that are output by the n
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