MEAS2/1 + MEA Switch USB
Manual
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 Multi Channel Systems MCS GmbH.
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.
© 2012 Multi Channel Systems MCS GmbH. All rights reserved.
Printed: 23. 05. 2012
Multi Channel Systems
MCS GmbH
Aspenhaustraße 21
72770 Reutlingen
Germany
Fon +49-71 21-90 92 5 - 0
Fax +49-71 21-90 92 5 -11
info@multichannelsystems.com
www.multichannelsystems.com
Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Products that are
referred to in this document may be either trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective holders and should be noted as such. The publisher and the author make no claim
to these trademark.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About this Manual 1
Scope of Delivery 1
Important Information and Instructions 3
Operator's Obligations 3
Guarantee and Liability 3
Important Safety Advice 4
First Use of the MEA Switch 5
Welcome to the MEAS2/1 5
Installing the Software 6
Setting Up and Connecting the MEAS2/1 6
Operating the MEA Switch 9
Controlling the MEAS2/1 9
Toggling Channels 11
Printing the Channel Assignment 11
Troubleshooting 13
About Troubleshooting 13
No Connection 13
Problems with Single Channels 14
Appendix 15
Technical Specifications 15
Pin Layout 15
Contact Information 16
Ordering Information 16
Index 17
iii
1 Introduction
1.1 About this Manual
This manual comprises all important information about the first installation and the proper
usage of the MEAS2/1. It is assumed that you have a basic understanding of technical terms,
but no special skills are required to read this manual.
Make sure you read the "Important Information and Instructions" prior to install or to operate
the MEAS2/1 .
1.2 Scope of Delivery
1 MEAS2/1 main device
1
USB 2.0 cable, type A - B
1
CD with MEA Switch USB program
1
Manual
1
2 Important Information and Instructions
2.1 Operator's Obligations
The operator is obliged to allow only persons to work on the device, who
are familiar with the safety at work and accident prevention regulations and have been
instructed how to use the device;
are professionally qualified or have specialist knowledge and training and have received
instruction in the use of the device;
have read and understood the chapter on safety and the warning instructions in this manual
and confirmed this with their signature.
It must be monitored at regular intervals that the operating personnel are working safely.
Personnel still undergoing training may only work on the device under the supervision
of an experienced person.
2.2 Guarantee and Liability
The General conditions of sale and delivery of Multi Channel System MCS GmbH always apply.
The operator will receive these no later than on conclusion of the contract.
Guarantee and liability claims in the event of injury or material damage are excluded when
they are the result of one of the following.
Improper use of the device.
Improper installation, commissioning, operation or maintenance of the device.
Operating the device when the safety and protective devices are defective and / or inoperable.
Non-observance of the instructions in the manual with regard to transport, storage, installation,
commissioning, operation or maintenance of the device.
Unauthorized structural alterations to the device.
Unauthorized modifications to the system settings.
Inadequate monitoring of device components subject to wear.
Improperly executed and unauthorized repairs.
Unauthorized opening of the device or its components.
Catastrophic events due to the effect of foreign bodies or Acts of God.
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MEAS2/1 + MEA Switch USB Manual
2.3 Important Safety Advice
Warning: Make sure to read the following advice prior to installations of the device. If you do
not fulfill all requirements stated below, this may lead to malfunctions, breakage, or even fatal
injuries. Obey always the rules of local regulations and laws. Only qualified personnel should be
allowed to perform laboratory work. Work according to good laboratory practice to obtain best
results and to minimize risks.
The product has been built to the state of the art and in accordance with recognized safety
engineering rules. The device may only
be used for its intended purpose;
be used when in a perfect condition.
Improper use could lead to serious, even fatal injuries to the user or third parties and damage
to the device itself or other material damage.
Malfunctions which could impair safety should be rectified immediately.
This device is no medical instrument and must not be used on humans.
High Voltage
When connecting an external power supply, do not mismatch the polarity of the power supply.
A wrong connection may lead to fatal damage of the device.
Use the lowest possible input supply voltage. Do not exceed the maximum input supply voltage
of 12 V. The higher the input supply voltage, the more heat is produced by the device.
Electrical cords must be properly laid and installed. The length and quality of the cords must
be in accordance with local provisions.
Only qualified technicians may work on the electrical system. It is essential that the accident
prevention regulations and those of the employers' liability associations are observed.
Each time before starting up, make sure that the mains supply agrees with the specifications
of the product.
Check the power cord for damage, each time the site is changed. Damaged power cords should
be replaced immediately and may never be reused.
Check the leads for damage. Damaged leads should be replaced immediately and may never
be reused.
Do not try to insert anything sharp or metallic into the case.
Do not short-circuit the outputs of the device.
Liquids may cause short circuits or other damage, even could lead to fatal injuries. Keep the device
and the power cords always dry. Do not handle it with wet hands. Make sure the device and your
experiment are set up in a way that makes it impossible that any liquid spills onto the device or
flows into the device from the surface of the table.
Requirements for the installation and during operation
The device must be set up on a rigid, vibration-free base.
The device produces heat and can get hot during operation.
Do not touch the device during operation and do not store flammable materials nearby.
Do not place anything on top of device, and do not place it on top of another heat producing
device.
Do not open the case of the device.
4
3 First Use of the MEA Switch
3.1 Welcome to the MEAS2/1
The MEAS2/1 allows to acquire data from 60 single channels from two 60 channel amplifiers.
If you have a 128-channel MC_Card or an USB-ME128-System, you can even pick 128 channels in
total from two MEA pairs with the MEAS4/2 for four amplifiers. Selected channels are combined
to a single electrode raw data stream that is delivered to the MC_Card or to an USB based data
acquisition of the computer by a 68-pin MCS high grade cable. This is useful if you do not need
all 60 electrodes on a MEA, for example, because the cell culture or the slice does not cover the
whole MEA, but rather single electrodes.
The channel selection is mutually exclusive, that means, if you pick channel 21 on one MEA,
you cannot select channel 21 on the other pair. The MEAS2/1 is software-controlled by the
program MEA_Switch via USB port.
The MEAS2/1 does not replace a Signal Grounding Unit. That means, the channels that are
not selected are only removed from the input data stream, but they are not grounded. If you
have bad electrodes that produce noise, the noise can still interfere with your input signals.
You need an external power supply for operating the MEAS2/1 , for example, the PS40W.
The following pictures shows the rear panel of the MEAS2/1 with the output channels,
the USB port, and the power supply inputs.
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MEAS2/1 + MEA Switch USB Manual
3.2 Installing the Software
System requirements
Software: One of the following Microsoft Windows ® operating systems is required:
Windows 7, XP or Vista with NTFS (English and German versions supported).
Other language versions may lead to software errors.
Hardware: Free USB port
Installing the software
Please check the system requirements before installing the software. Multi Channel Systems
cannot guarantee that the software works properly if these requirements are not fulfilled.
Important: Please make sure that you have full control over your computer as an administrator.
Otherwise, is possible that the installed software does not work properly.
1. Double-click Setup.exe on the installation volume. The installation assistant will show up
and guide you through the installation procedure.
2. Follow the instructions of the installation assistant.
3.3 Setting Up and Connecting the MEAS2/1
Warning: Do not mismatch the polarity of the external power supply. A wrong connection may
lead to fatal damage of the device. Use the lowest possible input supply voltage. Do not exceed
the maximum input supply voltage of 12 V. The higher the input supply voltage, the more heat
is produced by the device.
Important: If you use a complete MEA System, the MEA amplifier will usually be powered
by the isolated power supply (IPS10W) that is integrated into the data acquisition computer.
If you are using a MEAS2/1 , you will have to connect an external power supply to the MEAS2/1
for operating the amplifiers. The power is then distributed along the 68-pin MCS high grade
cable. Please ask your local retailer for more information about the setup.
1. Connect the MEAS2/1 to a computer via the USB port with a standard USB 2.0 High Speed cable
(Type A - B).
2. Connect the MEAS2/1 output to the MC_Card in your computer or to the USB-ME data acquisition
via the provided 68-pin MCS standard cable.
3. Connect the two 60 channel amplifiers to the MEAS2/1 via the provided 68-pin MCS standard
cables (see illustration "MEAS2/1 front panel"). Make sure that both cables are oriented to
opposite sites to avoid a mechanical interference of the connectors (please see picture).
4. Connect the MEAS2/1 to an external power supply PS40W.
6
First Use of the MEA Switch
7
4 Operating the MEA Switch
4.1 Controlling the MEAS2/1
The 120 channels from two 60 channel amplifiers are reduced to 60 channels. You can decide
from which of the two amplifiers a channel should be picked. The channel selection is mutually
exclusive, that means, channels with the same channel number, for example No. 21, cannot be
picked from both amplifiers. If you use a MC_Card with 128 channels or an USB-ME128-System,
you can use a MEAS4/2 for two pairs of 60 channel amplifiers.
The operation of the MEAS2/1 is computer-controlled via USB port. You can easily make your
selection with the MEA Switch USB software program.
Double-click the MEA Switch USB.exe file.
- OR -
Double-click the MEA Switch USB icon on your desk top.
The MEA Switch USB program starts.
The main window shows:
MEA Switch: Serial number of the device.
Info.... Information about the Version of the MEA Switch USB program.
MEA 1 / MEA 2 : MEA amplifier 1 to MEA amplifier 2 to which the MEAS2/1 is connected.
Electrode fields of the amplifiers in MEA standard 8 x 8 grid.
All: Button to select all electrodes from one amplifier, MEA 1 or MEA 2 respectively.
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MEAS2/1 + MEA Switch USB Manual
Channel Settings: The electrode channels colored in green are active (On), that means, they are
detected in MC_Rack. The electrode channels colored in red are inactive (Off). The non selected
channels appear in grey (N/A).
Start data acquisition program, for example, MC_Rack.
In MC_Rack choose in the Channel Layout dialog in Source Layout: 2 dim. MEA
The MC_Rack data display shows the MEA standard grid 8 x 8.
10
Operating the MEA Switch
4.2 Toggling Channels
Each channel of the data stream is either assigned to the left or the right MEA. You cannot
select the same channel from both MEAs.
The buttons represent single channels and have a toggle function. Click a button to activate
or deactivate a channel. Non-selected channels appear in grey.
The MEAS2/1 does not replace a Signal Grounding unit. That means, the channels that are
not selected are only removed from the input data stream, but they are not grounded. If you
have bad electrodes that produce noise, the noise can still interfere with your input signals.
1. Click a button to select a single channel or click All to select all channels. A selected channel
button appears in green color. The corresponding channel on the other pair is deselected
and colored in red.
2. Click a selected channel again to deselect it. The corresponding channel on the other
pair is selected.
3. The non-selected channels appear in grey.
The function select “All” electrodes from one amplifier is useful, for example, for checking
the condition of the cell culture or of the slice placed on MEA 1 or MEA 2 amplifier. However
in this version of MEA Switch USB you have to save your channel assignment manually before
clicking "All". Please see chapter "Printing the Channel Assignment".
4.3 Printing the Channel Assignment
In the data acquisition and analysis program MC_Rack, you cannot identify from which amplifier
the data is acquired. The data is treated as if it was acquired from one amplifier. Therefore,
you should save the present channel layout, for example, via screen shot to document your
experiment. You can print the screen shot for your lab book or store it as a data file.
Later versions of MEA Switch USB will feature a print function.
11
5 Troubleshooting
5.1 About Troubleshooting
The following hints are provided to solve special problems that have been reported by users.
Most problems occur seldom and only under specific circumstances. Please check the mentioned
possible causes carefully when you have any trouble with the product. In most cases, it is only
a minor problem that can be easily avoided or solved.
If the problem persists, please contact your local retailer. The highly qualified staff will be glad
to help you. Also please inform your local retailer, if other problems not mentioned here occur,
even if you have solved the problem on your own. This helps other users, and it helps MCS
to optimize the instrument and the documentation.
5.2 No Connection
The MEA Switch USB displays the main window after starting the program without any colors
on the electrode fields and the error message "No Connection" appears.
Possible causes:
? The USB cable is not plugged in correctly to the USB port of the computer and / or to the
MEAS2/1 .
Select another USB port from the data acquisition computer and test the connection again.
? The MEAS2/1 is not connected to a power supply.
Check all cables and connections.
? The MEAS2/1 is not connected to the computer.
Check the USB cable. Make sure the MEAS2/1 and the computer are connected directly
with the provided USB cable. Make sure all cables are plugged in properly. Replace the
cable if the problem persists.
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MEAS2/1 + MEA Switch USB Manual
5.3 Problems with Single Channels
You are not able to record signals from one MEA amplifier on single channels. You may
also see wrong signals on single channels due to a crosstalk between different channels.
Possible causes:
? This can happen if the 68-pin MCS standard connectors are not carefully plugged into the
MEAS2/1. Single pins may have a bad connection. If single pins have no (or a bad) connection,
you are likely to see wrong signals due to a crosstalk between channels.
Carefully check all connections and cables. Make sure the connectors are plugged in so that both
input cables are oriented to opposite sides, avoiding that the connectors and cables mechanically
interfere with each other. See also chapter “Setting Up and Connecting the MEA Switch”.
14
6 Appendix
6.1 Technical Specifications
Operating temperature 10 - 40 °C
Storage temperature 0 - 50 °C
Dimensions (W x D x H) 220 mm x 235 mm x 52 mm
Weight 950 g
Supply voltage +/- 6 V (min +/- 5.7 V, max +/-12 V)
Supply current -2 mA to +38 mA
Number of input channels 2 x 64 (MEAS2/1), 2 x 64 + 2 x 64 (MEAS4/2)
Input voltage 5 V
Number of output channels 60 (MEAS2/1), 2 x 60 (MEAS4/2)
Output voltage 5 V
Output impedance
Interface USB port
300
MEA Switch USB program
Operating system Microsoft Windows ® 7, XP or Vista with NTFS;
Two versions are available, MEAS2/1 and MEAS4/2.
6.2 Pin Layout
English and German versions supported
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MEAS2/1 + MEA Switch USB Manual
6.3 Contact Information
Local retailer
Please see the list of official MCS distributors on the MCS web site.
User forum
The Multi Channel Systems User Forum provides the opportunity for you to exchange your
experience or thoughts with other users worldwide.
Newsletter
If you are subscribed to the newsletter, you will be automatically informed about new software
releases, upcoming events, and other news on the product line. You can subscribe to the list on
the contact form of the MCS web site.
www.multichannelsystems.com
6.4 Ordering Information
This chapter shows you a selection of MCS products. For information on the whole product range,
pricing and ordering information, please contact your local retailer.
MEA Switch
Product Product
Number
MEAS4/2 for 4 amplifiers MEAS4/2
MEAS2/1 for 2 amplifiers MEAS2/1
Spare Parts
Product Product Number Description
0.5 m 68-pin MCS high grade cable C68x0.5M
1 m 68-pin MCS high grade cable C68x1M
3 m 68-pin MCS high grade cable C68x3M
Description
The MEAS2/1 allows you to acquire data from 60 single
channels from two 60 channel amplifiers. If you have a
128-channel MC_Card (MEA-120 System), or an USB-ME128System you can even pick 128 channels in total from two
MEA pairs with the MEA Switch for four amplifiers
MEAS4/2. The selected channels are combined to one
electrode raw data stream that is delivered to the data
acquisition by a 68-pin MCS high grade cable.
For MEA- or ME-Systems
16
7 Index
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MEAS2/1 + MEA Switch USB Manual
B
Buttons
channel buttons ................................11
C
Channel Assignment
Printing ..............................................11
Channels
Toggling ............................................11
Choosing
channels.............................................11
Connecting 6
Contact Information 16
F
Failed 9
I
Installing
Hardware.............................................6
Software ..............................................6
IPS10W 6
M
MC_Card 6
O
OK 9
P
Pin Layout 15
Preview 11
Printing 11
S
Selecting
Channels ............................................11
Setting up 6
Software
Installing ..............................................6
T
Test Connection 9
Toggling
Channels ............................................11
U
USB 5, 6
W
Windows
supported versions..............................6
18
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