Blackrock Microsystems CerePlex W User manual

Manufacturer
630 Komas Drive | Suite 200
Salt Lake City | UT 84108 | USA
P +1 801.582.5533 | F +1 801.582.1509
www.blackrockmicro.com
Revision 2.00 / LB-0805 – CerePlex W: Instructions for Use – 2019/06
©2019 Blackrock Microsystems®, LLC
CerePlex W
Instructions for Use

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Table of Contents
Warnings and Precautions ............................................................ 4
Symbols ........................................................................................ 4
What This Manual Covers ............................................................. 5
Specifications ................................................................................ 6
Overview of Hardware ................................................................... 7
CerePlex W Headstage ................................................................... 7
Basic Functions ............................................................................ 7
CerePlex W On/Off Switching ....................................................... 8
CerePlex W Battery and Charging ................................................ 8
CerePlex W Referencing .............................................................. 9
CerePlex W Receiver and Antennas ............................................... 9
Setting Up the CerePlex W ......................................................... 11
Setting up the Antennas ................................................................ 11
Assembling the Wireless System .................................................. 12
Testing and Calibrating the Wireless System ................................ 13
Wireless Data Transfer ............................................................... 14
Maximum Sampling Frequency ..................................................... 14
Up-sampled Buffering Process ................................................... 14
Automatic Wireless Data Validation ............................................... 14
Loss of Lock (LOL) ..................................................................... 14
Frame Check (FC) ...................................................................... 14
Identical Stream Logic (ISL) ........................................................ 15
Checksum ................................................................................... 15
Cleaning, Maintenance, and Disposal ......................................... 15
Troubleshooting .......................................................................... 16
Warranty ...................................................................................... 16

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Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) .................................. 17
Support ........................................................................................ 17
Manuals, Software Downloads, and Application Notes .................. 17
Complaints .................................................................................... 17
Issues or Questions ....................................................................... 17

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Warnings and Precautions
 Do not touch any exposed metal plates or input contacts of the connectors at the bottom
of the CerePlex W when in use. This may result in inducing electric charge to the neural
tissue. Irreversible damage may occur.
 Note that this product contains an internal battery. Please refer to the Cleaning,
Maintenance, and Disposal section for disposal instructions.
 Do not:
o Recharge the device with an uncertified charger
o Short circuit, crush, or disassemble the device
o Expose the device to temperatures greater than 100°C (212°F)
 When plugging in the CerePlex W device to its mating connector, please make sure the
orientations of the connectors are matched, then carefully align the pins and plug-in
gently. Excessive force during connection and disconnection can damage the
connectors and cause harm to the subject.
 Use antistatic or ESD safe gloves when using the CerePlex W or the wireless receiver.
 The CerePlex W device and its receiver system are only approved for use with
Blackrock Microsystems data acquisition systems.
 Do not use the CerePlex W device with non-approved electrodes.
 The CerePlex W must be used with a Blackrock CerePort array, or a Blackrock adaptor
approved for use with alternative arrays.
 Use the CerePlex W device in a clean and dry environment, do not use the CerePlex W
device near liquids.
 Do not drop or put excessive force on the CerePlex W device. High mechanic force can
damage the device permanently.
 Do not use the CerePlex W with other RF radiator in the 3-4GHz frequency range, which
will cause interference to and from the CerePlex W device.
 For cleaning the device, please use water and gauze to gently wipe the surface, do not
use isopropanol (IPA) for cleaning, since it will dissolve the acrylic clear surface coating
on the case.
Symbols
BS EN ISO 15223-1:2016 Medical Devices – Symbols to Be Used with Medical Device
Labels, Labeling, and Information to Be Supplied
Reference Symbol Title Meaning
5.1.1 Manufacturer Indicates the medical device
manufacturer.
5.1.3 Date of
Manufacture
Indicates date of manufacture and is
accompanied by a date.

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5.1.5 Batch Number Indicates the manufacturer's batch or
lot code, for example on a medical
device or the corresponding
packaging. The code shall be placed
adjacent to the symbol.
5.1.6 Catalog Number Indicates the manufacturer’s catalog
number so that the device may be
identified. For Blackrock Microsystems
it is called the Part Number (PN).
5.1.7 Serial Number Indicates the manufacturer’s serial
number so that a specific medical
device can be identified.
5.4.3 Consult
Instructions for
Use
Indicates the need for the user to
consult the instructions for use, which
you are currently reading.
5.4.4 Caution Indicates the need for the user to
consult the instructions for use for
important cautionary information such
as warning and precautions that
cannot, for a variety of reasons, be
presented on the medical device itself.
ISO 7000 / IEC 60417:2002 DB – Graphical Symbols for Use on Equipment
5134 Electrostatic
Sensitive
Devices
Indicates packages containing
electrostatic sensitive devices, or to
identify a device or a connector that
has not been tested for immunity to
electrostatic discharge.
5140 Non-Ionizing
Electromagnetic
Radiation
Indicates equipment in the medical
electrical area that include RF
transmitters or that intentionally apply
RF electromagnetic energy for
diagnosis or treatment.
5639 Rechargeable
Battery
Indicates rechargeable cells or
batteries
What This Manual Covers
The Blackrock CerePlex W is a fully digital telemetry system used for neural recording. The
CerePlex W was designed to be used in conjunction with either the Cerebus recording system
or the CerePlex Direct recording system for high fidelity transmission and recording of
extracellular spikes and local field potentials from the brain. The Blackrock CerePlex W converts
analog signals to digital format at the recording site. Digital transmission dramatically reduces
the mechanical noise that would otherwise be introduced through physical disruption of passive
wires.

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Specifications
Model Name
Blackrock CerePlex W
Channel Count 96
Input Frequency Range 0.3 Hz—7.5 kHz
Maximum Input Voltage
± 8.
192
mV with respect to reference
Resolution
16
-
bit ADC, 12
-
bit transmission to receiver (12 most significant
bits)
Input Impedance 1300 MΩ @ 10 Hz, 13 MΩ @ 1 kHz
Headstage connection to Receiver Both wired and wireless connection
Battery
Built
-
in 3.7 V 400 mAh Li
-
ion rechargeable battery. Life time: 3
.5
hours. Charging time: ~1 hour.
Input Connector
Blackrock CerePort pedestal
Wireless Transmission Range 3 m line of sight, 2 m free roaming (maximum)
Weight 26.4g (without battery)/33.5 g (with battery)
Size
32.5 mm x 32.5 mm x 21 mm
Noise
<3 µV
rms
Water Ingress Protection Ordinary Equipment, not fluid resistant, IP20

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Overview of Hardware
The CerePlex W system consists of two major subsystems: the headstage, and the receiver
along with the receiving antennas. Each component is described in more detail below. All the
components included with the system are:
 (1) CerePlex W (PN: 9583)
 (1) Wireless Receiver (PN: 9660)
 (8) Antennas
 (8) SMA antenna cables
 (8) SMA to N adaptors
 (1) 12 V AC-DC power supply
 (1) Micro-USB to USB A cable
 (1) 5-wire micro-USB to micro-USB cable
 (1) Magnetic wand
CerePlex W Headstage
Basic Functions
The CerePlex W headstage combines a fully digital neural recording amplifier
with a radio-frequency transmitter. The amplifier is built on the same platform as
other Blackrock CerePlex recording headstages and offers the same low-noise
performance. The digital data stream from the amplifier system is encoded and
transmitted to the receiving antennas by an on-board radio and antenna. The
battery and connection indicator LEDs, as well as the impedance mode switch
and micro USB port are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 – CerePlex W headstage.

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CerePlex W On/Off Switching
Power to the CerePlex W headstage is provided by a rechargeable lithium-ion
battery housed within the headstage. Powering the battery on and off is
controlled via magnetic reed switch inside the headstage. To turn the power on
or off to the headstage, swipe the magnetic wand provided with the system
across the area shown in Figure 2.
CerePlex W Battery and Charging
When the battery is low, the battery status LED will turn RED. The battery can be
recharged by connecting the CerePlex W headstage to the CerePlex W receiver
using the included 5-wire micro-USB cable. The battery status LED with turn
YELLOW while the headstage is actively charging and will turn GREEN when
charging is complete (Figure 3). Note: This LED will be unlit while the headstage
is in use and is not an indication of a low battery.
The same 5-wire USB cable can be used to operate the CerePlex W headstage
in “wired” mode. In wired mode, the headstage transmits data via the cable rather
Figure 3 – The battery status indicator.
Figure 2 – Turning on the power of the CerePlex W headstage using the magnetic wand.

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than wirelessly. The headstage battery will continue to charge while transmitting
in wired mode.
Use caution when removing the micro-USB cable as excessive force or twisting
can damage the connector on the headstage.
The transmission frequency is set at the time of manufacture to 3.5 GHz. The
CerePlex W receiver must be tuned to the same frequency as the transmitter.
This process is described in Setting Up the CerePlex W section below. It is
possible to use two complete CerePlex W systems together for a total of 192
channels if they are tuned to different frequencies. If you are interested in using
two CerePlex W systems simultaneously, contact a Blackrock Microsystems
representative at [e-mail].
CerePlex W Referencing
Unlike the CerePlex Elixis, the CerePlex W does not have reference-toggling
capabilities on a bank-by-bank basis. This means the connections between the
LGA pads and the electrodes in a CerePort assembly must be carefully planned
in order to properly reference your recordings. Banks A and B (channels 1–64)
use Ref 1 and Bank C (channels 65–96) use Ref 2.
CerePlex W Receiver and Antennas
The CerePlex W receiver can use up to 8 antennas to acquire data transmitted from the
CerePlex W headstage. The receiver only needs a robust signal from one antenna to
reliably receive the transmission. If the signal strength declines from one antenna, the
receiver will cycle through the remaining antennas to find a suitable signal. In this way,
the 8 antennas can be used to cover a larger operational area than would be possible
with a single antenna. If at least one antenna is close enough to the headstage
transmitter, the data link will remain intact. If an antenna input channel is receiving data,
the blue reception indicator LED for that channel on the front of the receiver will
illuminate.
The antennas provided with the CerePlex W system are rugged outdoor antennas
designed for harsh conditions (Figure
4). They have a wide beam width
(receiving angle) of over 45° to better
cover an experimental area. The
antenna cables are low-loss coax
cables specifically designed for high
performance in the frequency range
used by the CerePlex W system.
After amplifying and decoding the
wirelessly transmitted signal, the
receiver relays the data to either the
digital hub—as part of a Cerebus
system—or the CerePlex Direct for
further signal processing, display, and
storage. Figure 5 shows the CerePlex
W wireless receiver with important
features labeled.
Figure 4 – Receiving antenna used with the
CerePlex W system.

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Figure 5 – CerePlex W Wireless Receiver and connections.

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Setting Up the CerePlex W
This section describes how to connect the components of the CerePlex W system to conduct a
recording session. The Blackrock digital neural signal simulator (DNSS) is used for a signal
source in this section, but the same procedure would be used when recording from an animal.
Note: The DNSS is not included in the system and needs to be purchased separately.
Setting up the Antennas
1. Connect the SMA-N adapters to the antennas as shown in Figure 6.
2. Connect the SMA cables to the antennas and receiver.
3. Consider the 45-degree beam angle when assessing coverage of your entire
experimental area. The beams should overlap to provide the best recordings
(Figure 7).
4. Consider that each antenna is phase-dependent. Use the orientation indicator
arrows to place antennas with different orientations as shown in Figure 8.
5. The system will prioritize antennas in descending order from 8 to 1, so place
antenna 8 to cover the most likely positions/orientation of the CerePlex W.
6. Conductive materials disrupt the wireless signal and should not be placed
between antennas and the experimental area. Use plexiglass enclosures instead
Figure 7 – Antenna beams and overlap.
Figure 8 – Optimal phase orientation of
antenna pairs.
Figure 6 – Connecting the SMA adapter to the antenna.

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of metal cages, if possible. If a metal cage must be used, place the antennas
within the cage.
7. The CerePlex W has a range of approximately 1 m. Every area of the cage
should be within 1 m of at least two antennas.
8. In setups where the CerePlex W IS NOT expected to move throughout the entire
enclosure, placing two antennas near each other, pointed in the same direction,
and oriented 90° from each other allows for reliable data recording (see
Automatic Wireless Data Validation, Page 14). See Figure 9 for a model
antenna placement scheme for this condition.
9. In setups where the CerePlex W IS expected to move throughout the entire
enclosure, it is beneficial to ensure the entire enclosure gets maximum antenna
coverage. See Figure 10 for a model antenna placement scheme for this
condition.
10. Every experimental setup is unique. Adjust your antenna orientation, location,
and distance while observing the blue antenna indicator lights on the receiver to
achieve the best placement for your setup.
11. For guidance on antenna placement, contact Blackrock Support at
[e-mail].
Assembling the Wireless System
1. Connect the 12 V power supply to the receiver.
12. Connect the HDMI-A cable to the receiver as well as the digital hub or CerePlex
Direct.
13. Launch the Central Software Suite on the host PC.
14. Power on the components of the Blackrock data acquisition system—the digital
hub and NSP when using the Cerebus system, or the CerePlex Direct if using the
CerePlex Direct system. Refer to the associated data acquisition system product
manuals as needed.
Figure 9 – Wireless antenna placement scheme
for animal with restricted movement.
Figure 10 – Wireless antenna placement for animal
with unrestricted movement.

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15. Connect the CerePlex W headstage to the pedestal connector on the Blackrock
DNSS as shown in Figure 11. Caution: Do not overtighten the wheel connector
as this can cause damage to the device.
Testing and Calibrating the Wireless System
1. Place the CerePlex W headstage and DNSS in the experimental area.
2. Turn on the CerePlex W headstage using the magnetic wand as shown in Figure
2 above.
3. Turn on the CerePlex W receiver by pressing the round power switch shown in
Figure 5 above.
4. The indicator LED on the digital hub or CerePlex Direct change from RED to
either BLUE or GREEN, depending on the model, to indicate successful
communication between the CerePlex W receiver and the data acquisition
system.
5. If the receiver is properly tuned, the reception indicator LEDs on the CerePlex W
receiver should illuminate. Adjust the frequency tuning dial to maximize the
number of antenna input channels with illuminated reception indicator LEDs.
6. If tuning the receiver frequency does not cause the reception indicator LEDs to
illuminate, it could be due to range issues. Make sure the antennas are pointed in
the right direction and oriented correctly (see Figure 7 and Figure 8) and that the
CerePlex W is within 1 meter of the antenna(s) you are trying to tune.
Figure 11 – The CerePlex W headstage connected to the pedestal connector of the DNSS.

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Wireless Data Transfer
Maximum Sampling Frequency
The CerePlex W’s true sampling rate is approximately 24.5 kS/s. For this reason,
recordings using the CerePlex W system cannot record voltages at 30 kS/s even when
the sampling rate is chosen to be 30 kS/s through Central’s Hardware Configuration tool.
However, recordings from the CerePlex W collected through Central will still have data
sampled at 30 kS/s. This is accomplished through an up-sampled buffering process.
Up-sampled Buffering Process
The CerePlex W transmits recordings from up to 96 channels in a single frame.
The receiver holds this frame’s information in an output buffer that is sampled
from the NSP at 30 kS/s, and the wireless receiver will clear its output buffer
once it is sampled by the NSP. If the wireless receiver has not received a new
frame from the CerePlex W before the NSP has sampled the receiver again, the
NSP will sample the same output buffer as its previous sample, and the frame’s
information will be duplicated in the recording. This results in approximately 18%
of the data points in CerePlex W recordings to be duplicates of their
predecessors when that channel is configured to a 30 kS/s sampling rate.
Automatic Wireless Data Validation
All firmware versions of the CerePlex W and the wireless receiver have automatic
wireless data validation protocols, but these protocols differ depending on what firmware
is running on the CerePlex W and the CerePlex receiver. Contact
[e-mail] to check your firmware versions.
Loss of Lock (LOL)
The wireless data sent from the CerePlex W is Manchester Encoded, which
contains rich clock frequency components in its spectrum for better facilitating
data recovery on the receiver side. Once the data is received by the receiver, the
receiver will try to recover the clock signal from the Manchester Encoded data
received by each antenna input. The ability to recover clock from the received
wireless data stream is a key requirement and indication of good signal reception
and ensures wireless communication quality and bit error rate. If the receiver can
recover clock signal from one antenna input, that antenna input channel’s
Reception Indicator LED will illuminate blue. Otherwise, that antenna input
channel’s Reception Indicator LED will not illuminate, indicating a poor signal
reception for that antenna, and the incoming data will be discarded. Antenna data
that passed the LOL check can then move to the next Frame Check process.
Frame Check (FC)
Data frames sent from the CerePlex W begin with a 24-bit sync signal and end
with a 48-bit suffix. Once a sync signal is identified, the remaining bits are read
for the frame. An inability to read the sync and suffix messages de asserts the
“FrameCheck” flag and this specific frame of data is not buffered. In this case,

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the previous valid frame of data is re-used. Frames passing the FC check then
go on to be further validated.
Identical Stream Logic (ISL)
When two or more antenna input channels pass the LOL check, the individual
channel’s data from a CerePlex W frame are further validated. Each CerePlex W
channel is devoted 12 bits of information within a frame. The ISL compares
information from two CerePlex W channels, therefore making comparisons in 24-
bit segments. If two or more antenna input channels show identical information
between these 24-bit segments on different antenna input channels, the higher-
priority antenna input channel’s information for that 24-bit segment of the frame
goes into the wireless receiver’s output buffer. ISL occurs for all CerePlex W and
receiver firmware versions.
Checksum
Unlike the ISL protocol, the checksum protocol requires only one antenna input
channel to operate. The last 12 bits of the CerePlex W’s frame are the sum of all
previous 12-bit segments within that frame. Integer overflow is handled by
wrapping; if the checksum bits are not equal to the sum of the previous 12-bit
segments within the frame, that frame’s data is discarded and does not qualify to
enter the receiver’s output buffer. The checksum data validation step is only
utilized when the CerePlex W firmware AND the receiver have v2.0 firmware or
later.
Cleaning, Maintenance, and Disposal
The rechargeable battery used to power the CerePlex W headstage is rated for approximately
500 recharge cycles. Eventually, the battery will lose its ability to maintain its original capacity.
At such time, contact a Blackrock representative if you would like to coordinate a replacement.
The CerePlex W headstage should be kept dry and
free of debris. A gentle cleaning using small amounts
of water with gauze can clean the outside of the
headstage if necessary.
There is a conductive filament film membrane that
permits contact between pads on the pedestal
connector and pads on the CerePlex W headstage
(Figure 12). Eventually, this filament film will
compact or become soiled and fail to permit reliable
connection between the pedestal and headstage. If
this appears to be the case, contact a Blackrock
representative if you would like to purchase a
replacement by emailing
[e-mail].
All devices, both used and unused, should not be
disposed with household waste. Return to a
recycling point for electric and electronic devices.
Figure 12 – View of the CerePlex W
headstage input connector.

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Troubleshooting
Some common error states and their respective resolutions are listed below. For further
information please contact Blackrock Support at [e-mail].
Problem Symptom Failure Potential fix
CerePlex W
does not turn on
using the
magnetic wand.
There is no signal
on Central Spike
Panel and no Blue
LEDs on receiver.
This may be
caused by a
depleted
battery.
Please recharge the CerePlex W
device use the Micro-USB cable
through the computer USB port or
through the receiver.
Signal frequently
cuts out or is
very noisy.
The blue LEDs on
the receiver are
blinking frequently.
This is likely
due poor
wireless link
quality.
Retune your receiver following the
instructions in the Testing and
Calibrating the Wireless System
section above.
The antennas need to be properly
mounted to provide maximum
coverage to achieve best signal
quality. See Setting Up the
CerePlex W (Page 11).
High baseline
noise, i.e. low
signal-to-noise
ratio (SNR)
Central Single
Neural Channel
shows no spikes
and jagged
waveforms.
Blue connection
LED on CerePlex
W is off or
blinking.
Poor electrical
connections
and grounding.
Test alternative reference
selections.
Ground sources of electrical noise
near the experimental area to earth
ground. DO NOT ground the
animal to earth ground.
Verify that the CerePlex W is
plugged in correctly.
Warranty
Blackrock Microsystems (“Blackrock”) warrants its products are free from defects in materials
and manufacturing for a period of one year from the date of shipment. At its option, Blackrock
will repair or replace any product that does not comply with this warranty. This warranty is
voided by: (1) any modification or attempted modification to the product done by anyone other
than an authorized Blackrock employee; (2) any abuse, negligent handling or misapplication of
the product; or (3) any sale or other transfer of the product by the original purchaser.
Except for the warranty set forth in the preceding paragraph, Blackrock provides no warranties
of any kind, either express or implied, by fact or law, and hereby disclaims all other warranties,
including without limitation the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular
purpose, and non-infringement of third-party patent or other intellectual property rights.
Blackrock shall not be liable for special, indirect, incidental, punitive, exemplary or consequential
damages (including without limitation, damages resulting from loss of use, loss of profits,
interruption or loss of business or other economic loss) arising out of non-compliance with any

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warranty. Blackrock’s entire liability shall be limited to providing the remedy set forth in the
previous paragraph.
Return Merchandise Authorization
(RMA)
In the unlikely event that your CerePlex W needs to be returned to Blackrock for repair or
maintenance, do not send any equipment back without a Return Merchandise Authorization
Number. An RMA number will be issued to you by a Blackrock representative. If you need to
obtain an RMA number, you may contact a product support representative at [phone]
or by emailing [e-mail].
Once an RMA number has been issued, it is important to safely pack the returned item for
shipping back to Blackrock. It is preferred that you save the original boxes and packing
materials that your system arrived in for return shipment. Please address the package as
follows:
Blackrock Microsystems, LLC
ATTN: RMA#
630 S. Komas Dr., Suite 200
Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA
Tel: [phone]
Support
Blackrock prides itself in its customer support. For additional information on this product or any
of our products, you can contact our Support team through the contact information below:
Manuals, Software Downloads, and Application
Notes
www.blackrockmicro.com/technical-support
Complaints
When filing a complaint, please provide the product description, product number,
software version, lot number, complainant's name and address, and the nature of the
complaint.
Issues or Questions
www.blackrockmicro.com/technical-support
[e-mail]
U.S. [phone]
The CerePlex W is not intended for use on human subjects.