Support
User Manuals and Spec Sheets
Answers to many commonly asked questions can be found in the User Manual for your appropriate system.
Data sheets contain product specifications and dimensions, pictures, and detailed diagrams.
Community
Please take advantage of the growing knowledge base shared on various online collaboration platforms:
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The SpikeGLX Github, run by Bill Karsh
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The Open Ephys Github, run by Josh Siegle
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The GitHub Wiki, curated by Nick Steinmetz.
Training Courses
New users are encouraged to attend one of the regularly organized user workshops or training courses prior to using the probes.
Courses are currently offered by the Allen Institute and University College London through a grant by the Wellcome Trust and generously supported by the Sainsbury-Wellcome Centre.
Soldering Assistance
User soldering failures are one of the most common sources of noise in Neuropixels usage.
Please view this how-to article on proper soldering technique (article courtesy of Bill Karsh).
Design Files
If you want to make modifications to a Neuropixels product and would like to download the design file, you can do so here. The dimensions of metal and silicon capped probes can also be found in their respective data sheets (see above section).
Open source design files can be found below:
Product Issues
In the unfortunate event that a Neuropixels component is defective and/or non-functional, please go to the Slack channel and ask help from the community. In case the problem persists you can contact neuropixels.info@imec.be.
Imec will then contact you and discuss a suitable remedy and process to make sure that you have functional Neuropixels hardware.
Please wait until an imec Neuropixels representative contacts the person who placed the order, and please correspond ONLY with the designated person from imec who reaches out to you.
This will be the fastest and most efficient mechanism for you to resolve issues with your Neuropixels parts.
Please do not contact imec directly at any of the generic imec email contact information addresses.
F.A.Q.
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I am unsure of the type of Neuropixels system that I need for my experiment. How should I get started?Start by selecting a probe, under the Products Tab, suitable for your animal model. These are generally categorized by brain size. That determines the associated headstage, cable and mounting hardware you’ll need. The recording systems and software work with any of the probes. We also offer a Neuropixels "starter pack" for new users who work with mice or other small animals. If you are completely new to in vivo neural recording, this is a good place to start. Note that the Neuropixels 1.0 probe is suitable for small brain research only. 1 box of five Neuropixels 1.0 silicon-capped probes; 1 box of five Neuropixels 1.0 dummy (non-functional) probes; 4 Neuropixels 1.0 headstages; 4 Neuropixels 1.0 cables; 1 Neuropixels 1.0 PXIe acquisition system (includes one headstage test dongle); 1 set of two Neuropixels 1.0-Metal Cap probe holders.
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What is Neuropixels 2.0?Neuropixels 2.0 is the next generation of in vivo neural recording probes. Please see the Neuropixels 2.0 product page for more information.
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What is the purpose of the dummy probes? Are they electrically functional?Dummy probes are physically the same as functional probes but cannot record data; they are not electrically functional. We provide users with dummy probes for mechanical tests and practice surgeries. Dummy probes come in sets of 6pc/ box and can be ordered from the Order page on this website.
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What is the difference between a probe with a cap and a probe without a cap?Prior to 2022 imec provided probes either with metal caps or with “no cap.” The “no cap” style is actually the same thing as a silicon capped probe in current terminology. Either cap type serves as a light shield for the base electronics and allows accurate and well-aligned attachment of custom holders. Some labs prefer silicon caps as a starting point for custom attachment designs. Because they are lower profile, some labs prefer silicon caps to emplace probes as closely as possible. Probes ordered with the aluminum cap slide into a dovetail probe holder designed by HHMI. They readily un/attach by a set screw. Mounting the probe on a rod facilitates handling for either chronic or acute recordings. You can consult the design in the Design File section on this website. If you would like to use the HHMI holder, you must order the metal-capped probe and the probe holder separately (the metal caps themselves are not available for individual sale). Ordering information is available on the probe-specific ‘Products’ pages. Please also see further design details in the Neuropixels 1.0 Spec Sheet on page 4.
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What PXIe configuration do I use with my system?All Neuropixels probes need to be used with either the PXIe acquisition module or OneBox. More information about these options is available at Products/Systems. We suggest the following link on required PXIe hardware and computer systems. Please also consult our user manual (below on the same page) for more instructions.
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How much computing power do I need to use the Neuropixels data acquisition system?We suggest the following document on required PXIe hardware and computer systems.
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Does the Neuropixels package have application software built in?No, you have to download the application software separately. All types of Neuropixels probe systems are compatible with SpikeGLX and/or Open Ephys. This software can be downloaded free of cost. See details under Support/Software .
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What is the typical lead time on receiving a package?The standard lead time is 90 days after submitting the product order (PO). Submit a request for quotation form on this website via the Order page, download the RFQ form and fill out the details. Next, send the RFQ form to neuropixels.sales@imec.be . The sales department will send you the official quotation.
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Can Neuropixels probes be cleaned and reused?Yes, our probes are designed to be cleaned and reused. We recommend some cleaning methods in our User Manual; see Appendix A.
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Where can I find design files for Neuropixels products?If you want to make a modification to one of our products and you need the design files, you can access them through the Design Files section on this page.