THE HABITEST SYSTEMSystem Introduction 2–3

ARENASTest Cages 4–5Shuttle Cages 6–7Hubs & Runways 8–9Running Wheel and Nest Box 10

S-R MODULESGeneral Information 11Visual Stimuli 12Auditory Stimuli 13Shockers 14–15Gustatory Stimuli—Liquid Feeders 16Gustatory Stimuli—Dry Feeders 17Olfactory Stimuli 18Ergometric Activity 19

RESPONSE SENSORSPhotocell Response Sensors 20Fixed Response Levers 20Nose Poke Operandum 20Bird Pecking Keys 21Retractable Levers 21Optical Lickometer 21Contact Sensor 22IR Ceiling Mount Activity Monitor 22Ceiling Chain 23

ACCESSORIES 23INFUSION PUMPS 24EXPERIMENT CONTROL

Control and Data Acquisition Hardware 25–26Graphic State Notation Software 27–28

READY-TO-RUN PACKAGES 29VIDEO BASED BEHAVIORAL SYSTEMS 30-31

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

We are pleased to present our latest collection of behavioral testing systems designed to meet a broad range of applica-tions.

Should you have needs not ad-dressed in this catalog, please give us a call, we’ll be glad to assist you.

Be sure to visit coulbourn.com for the very latest information on our extensive line of products.

TRU SCAN PHOTOBEAM ACTIVITY SYSTEMArenas & Rings 32Nose Poke 33Shock Floor 33Floors, Light/Dark Box & Accessories 33Tru Scan Interface 34Tru Scan Software 34-35

HOME CAGE ACTIVITY SYSTEM Activity monitoring system 36ClockLab 2 37PORTABLE PHYSIOLOGY PLATFORM - P3 38

ANIMAL ACOUSTIC STARTLE SYSTEMEnvironment & Interface 39-40Startle Software 41

ACCESSORIES FOR ALL BEHAVIORAL SYSTEMSStimulators 42Resistive Bridge Transducer Monitor 43Catheter Swivels & Harnesses 43 Tone/White Noise Generator 44Auxiliary Relay 44AC Device Controller 44Coulbourn Precision Pellets 45Cobalt Computers 46-48

TRADEMARKS

LabLinc® is a registered trademark of Coulbourn Instruments, Tru Scan® is a registered trademark of Coulbourn Instruments,

Graphic State™ is a trademark of Coulbourn Instruments, Habitest™ is a trademark of Coulbourn Instruments, Teflon® is a

registered trademark of E.I. DuPont Nemours and Company., Velcro® is a registered trademark of Velcro Industries,

B.V., Vivak® is a registered trademark of Sheffield Plastics, Inc., Windows® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

coulbourn com

Coulbourn Instruments7462 Penn Drive Allentown, PA 18106610-395-3771 telephone 610-391-1333 facsimile

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O T H E H A B I T E S T S Y S T E M

3-arm radial or “Y” maze set up for olfactory discrimination

Mouse Test Cage set up for operant conditioning

Rat Passive Avoidance cage

Feeder remotely located from the task area using a Runway and a Square Hub

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8-Arm radial maze with automated guillotine doors and feeders

I N T R O D U C T I O N T O T H E H A B I T E S T S Y S T E M

HABITEST is designed to make it possible to implement most be-havioral test protocols in a single system of modular test arenas using modular stimulus and response devices. Applications span the gamut including mazes and runways, operant conditioning, spatial activity, ergometry, active and passive avoidance, fear condi-tioning, place preference, feeding and drinking and many more.

With HABITEST you can make an endless variety of test environ-ments - from simple mazes to complex, multi-compartment feed-ing and drinking, operant, and live/work environments. You can save a lot of money with HABITEST be-cause you can take a system apart and use it for an entirely different experiment in just minutes.

Floors and drop pans slide out for cleaning

Rat Test Cage set up to simultaneously monitor feeding, drinking and activity No wiring is necessary; modules plug into

environmental connection board (ECB)

In the “take-and-replace” feeding protocol, pho-tocells on a pellet trough sense pellet removal and cause the feeder to automatically dispense a replacement and record the time

Our LabLinc Interface uses the sophisticated, user-friendly Graphic State Notation software program for experiment control and data acquisition.

Modules slip into tracks for quick installation

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A R E N A S – T E S T C A G E S

H10-11R-TC Rat Test CageH10-11M-TC Mouse Test CageMODULAR TEST CAGES

Cages include a single drop pan. Order a Shock or Non-Shock Floor Separately. Order blank modules to fill the cage.

MOUSE & other small animals: DIMENSIONS: 7” W x 7” D x 12” H

MODEL NUMBERS:

H10-11M-TC MOUSE TEST CAGE

H10-11M-TC-DP DROP PAN (extra)

H10-11M-TC-IS Infusion and Stimulation Option (includes BALANCE ARM Mod-ule H29-01M)

FLOORS (purchase separately)

H10-11M-TC-NSF NON-SHOCK FLOOR

H10-11M-TC-SF SHOCK FLOOR

RAT, Pigeon & Small Primates:DIMENSIONS: 12” W x 10” D x 12” H

MODEL NUMBERS:

H10-11R-TC RAT TEST CAGE

H10-11R-TC-DP DROP PAN (extra)

H10-11R-TC-IS Infusion and Stimulation Option (Includes BALANCE ARM Mod-ule H29-01R)

FLOORS (purchase separately)

H10-11R-TC-NSF NON-SHOCK FLOOR

H10-11R-TC-SF SHOCK FLOOR

The Modular Test Cages are designed for use in the most complex and demanding research applications. Both types feature 3 S-R module bays on each side of the cage for a total of 6. Each bay holds 8 module-height units. Modules for the mouse version are narrower than those used in the rat version. The test cages are taller than the hubs. The rat cage ac-commodates pigeons, larger rodents and squirrel monkeys.

Although originally designed for operant conditioning, these cages can also be used for feeding and drinking, lick sup-pression (Vogel procedure), general activ-ity monitoring, conditioned suppression (fear conditioning and freezing) and many other standard procedures.

Test cages may be connected to the hubs, running wheel, or other cages using run-ways. Runways may also be used to place reinforcement devices away from the rest of the S-R modules.

Both test cages may be fitted with an op-tional non-shock, expanded metal floor or a grid shock floor.

Cages accept the H20-95 photocell sen-sors to detect the animal’s presence in the cage when runways are used to connect the cage to other arenas.

For convenience in cleaning, the cage floor and drop pan are easily removed. They simply snap off and slide out. A sin-gle connector disconnects the shock cable from the shockable floors so that the floor may be removed and replaced in seconds. (Photo to the right).

S-R module connections are made quickly with telephone type connectors to the Environment Connection Boards supplied with the HABITEST Linc interface mod-ules.

Rat Test Cage set up for a complex procedure

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Non-shock floor

ISOLATION CUBICLE

MODEL NUMBER: H10-24 SERIES

These cubicles are designed to isolate the subject from distracting ambient light, sound and laboratory activity. It is of suf-ficient size to hold a cage or hub with a full complement of stimulus-response mod-ules and feeders.

These cubicles have space for up to two environment connection boards, ECBs, on the back wall for connecting the S-R modules and the Linc control cables. There is an exhaust fan in the center of the rear wall. The fan is powered by 28 Volts from the control interface.

The basic structure of the cubicle is 1-inch expanded high-density foam core sheet bonded to high-density sheet and extrud-ed stiffeners.

Inside dimensions: H10-24A - 28” W x 18” D x 19” HH10-24B - 28” W x 22.7” D x 18.5” HH10-24C - 42” W x 30” D x 33.4” HH10-24T - 23” W x 17.7” D x 24” H

Fan: 28 VDC, 70 mA, 7CFM air turnover.

Stimulus-Response modules slip into the bay tracks . . .

. . . and plug into the environment connection board (ECB)

Take-and-replace pellet setup with optical lick-ometer for automatic recording of feeding and drinking

Drop pan slides out for quick cleaning or replacement between subjects

Quick-disconnect shock floor makes cleaning a snap

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Cubicle will hold a shuttle or test cage as well as some hub and runway configurations

A R E N A S – S H U T T L E C A G E S

6

SHUTTLE CAGES

Shuttle Cages include 1 Drop Pan, 1 Shock Floor, 2 Photocell Sensor pairs and 1 barrier/doorway. Order blank modules to fill the cage (see page 11).

Passive Avoidance Cages also include a Guillotine Door, Bright Ceiling-mount Light, a blank panel set and a painted-black left compartment.

CAGES for MICE, RATS up to 300gms & other small animals: DIMENSIONS: 14” W x 7” D x 12” H (each side of the shuttle cage is 7” W)

MODEL NUMBERS:

H10-11M-PA MOUSE PASSIVE AVOIDANCE CAGE

H10-11M-SC MOUSE SHUTTLE CAGE

H10-11M-XX-DP DROP PAN (extra)

H10-11M-XX-GDA GUILLOTINE DOOR OPTION

H10-11M-XX-SF SHOCK FLOOR (extra)

The rat shuttle is of sufficient size for the largest rats; a 700-gram animal has no problem getting through the doorway. The mouse version of the shuttle cage has plenty of door clearance for average adult rats (to 350-grams) and grid spacing small enough to confine the smallest ambulatory mice.

Animal transit and position are sensed and reported by a photocell sensor system. You may select automatic shock routing to simplify programming or operate the shock transfer relays from the environment con-nection board.

Modular design extends the applications for these cages beyond simple active or passive shuttle avoidance. With the ad-dition of stimuli, feeders and response sensors, the cage is useful for many other applications. For example, you can use it as a two-compartment cage for place preference or operant studies.

Drinking monitors, pellet feeders, olfactant injectors etc. can be placed in each end wall.

H10-11M-SC Mouse Shuttle Cage H10-11R-SC Rat Shuttle Cage

CAGES for ADULT RATS, Guinea Pigs, etc.DIMENSIONS: 20” W x 10” D x 12” H (each side of the shuttle cage is 10” W)

MODEL NUMBERS:

H10-11R-PA RAT PASSIVE AVOIDANCE CAGE

H10-11R-SC RAT SHUTTLE CAGE

H10-11R-XX-DP DROP PAN (extra)

H10-11R-XX-GDA GUILLOTINE DOOR OPTION

H10-11R-XX-SF SHOCK FLOOR (extra)

The shuttle cages are patterned after the modular test cages with full 3-bay modular walls on each end. Each cage accepts the stimulus-response modules of the appropriate size (rat or mouse). The rat cage also accepts runways, so it may be joined to hubs and other cages in the same manner as the rat operant test cage and the hubs. The module bays, 3 in each compartment, each accept 8 module height-units; the same as the standard test cages.

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The optional guillotine doors replace the open door barrier (supplied with the cage) separating the two compartments. They can be installed in seconds with four screws. A 28 VDC signal opens the door and holds it open for the duration of the signal. For safety, when the signal is removed allow-ing the door to close, the operating mecha-nism de-energizes, leaving the door free to fall. Only the weight of the thin sheet metal door rests on an animal that may not have cleared the door.

For convenience in cleaning, the cage floors and drop pan are removable; they simply snap off and slide out. A connector on each end of the grid floor circuit board disconnects the shock cable from the shocker so that it may be removed and

replaced in seconds.

The Passive Avoidance models are identi-cal to the Standard Models except for the permanently blacked-out left compart-ment.

H10-19-BF SHEET of BLACKOUT FILM (3 square feet)

Standard shuttle cages may be blacked-out using a black, removable “static-cling” film which you can cut to size. The advan-tage is that you may remove this film if you want to use the cage with clear walls later on. A sheet will fully cover either of the test cages, one compartment of either shuttle cage or a long runway.

. . . to remove shock floors for cleaningQuick-disconnect cables make it easy . . .

Drop pans pull out for easy cleaning or changing between subjects H10-11M-PA Mouse Passive Avoidance Cage

The Guillotine Door replaces the open-door barrier supplied with the cage

A R E N A S – H U B S

8

HUBS

There are 4 hub styles in the HABITEST system—a square, a hexagon, an octagon and a dodecagon, all but the latter avail-able in two sizes. All are built using the same bay tracks; the vertical bars with grooves into which the modules slide. Each bay will hold 6 module height-units. The 3 smallest hubs may be fitted with either non-shock or shockable floors. A lid holds the S/R modules down. You may use an H29-01R Balance Arm for infusion and stimulation in a hub (see page 23).

The hubs are used primarily for runway intersections in radial arm, “T,” “Y,” square and other mazes. The hexagon, the octagon and the dodecagon however, are also used as test cages to provide angular intelligence arrays and to ac-commodate larger arrays of stimulus and response modules for complex operant, memory, multi-choice and other proce-dures.

Only the 8- and 12-bay models will ac-commodate the H24-61 Infrared Activity Monitor on the lid.

Hubs for RatsHubs include a single Drop Pan. Order a Shock or Non-shock Floor separately.

MODEL NUMBERS:

H10-35R-04 SQUARE HUB for RATS

H10-35R-04-NSF Non-Shock Floor H10-35R-04-SF Shock Floor DIMENSIONS: 4.3” across each bay

H10-35R-06 HEXAGON HUB for RATS

H10-35R-06-NSF Non-Shock FloorH10-35R-06-SF Shock Floor DIMENSIONS: 7.5” across each bay

H10-35R-08 OCTAGON HUB for RATS

H10-35R-08-NSF Non-Shock Floor H10-35R-08-SF Shock Floor DIMENSIONS: 10.5” across each bay

H10-35R-XX-DP DROP PAN (extra) (For -04, -06, and -08 hubs only)

H10-35R-12 DODECAGON HUB for RATS (Non-Shock floor is included; no shock floor is available.)

DIMENSIONS: 17 inches across bays.

Hubs for MiceHubs include a single Drop Pan. Order a Shock or Non-shock Floor separately.

MODEL NUMBERS:

H10-35M-04 SQUARE HUB for MICE

H10-35M-04-NSF Non-Shock Floor H10-35M-04-SF Shock Floor DIMENSIONS: 3.6” across each bay

H10-35M-06 HEXAGON HUB for MICE

H10-35M-06-NSF Non-Shock FloorH10-35M-06-SF Shock Floor DIMENSIONS: 6.1” across each bay

H10-35M-08 OCTAGON HUB for MICE

H10-35M-08-NSF Non-Shock Floor H10-35M-08-SF Shock Floor DIMENSIONS: 10.6” across each bay

H10-35M-XX-DP DROP PAN (extra) (For -04, -06, and -08 hubs only)

H10-37R-NSF-06 Rat Goal Box

Hubs may also be used for operant or other applications

8-Arm radial maze with automated guillotine doors and feeders

H10-35R-04 Square Hub

H10-35R-06 Hexagon Hub

H10-35R-08 Octagon Hub

H10-35R-12 Dodecagon Hub

Shock and non-shock floors

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A R E N A S – R U N W A Y S A N D R U N W A Y D O O R S

Runways and Doors for RatsA single Drop Pan is included with each Run-way. Purchase Terminator/Joiner and Guil-lotine Doors separately.

MODEL NUMBERS:

H10-37R-DP-09W DROP PAN (extra) (for 6” x 9” runways)

H10-37R-DP-14 DROP PAN (extra) (for 3.5” x 14.5” runways)

H10-37R-DP-29 DROP PAN (extra) (for 3.5” x 29” runways)

H10-37R-GD L RUNWAY GUILLOTINE DOOR LIFTER (for any Runway)

H10-37R-LD COUPLER w/LOCKABLE DOOR (with solid floor)

H10-37R-LD-SA01 COUPLER w/o DOOR (With solid floor)

H10-37R-MD R MANUAL DOOR (For any rat hub or terminator)

H10-37R-NSF-09W 9” WIDE RAT RUNWAY w/NON-SHOCK FLOOR (6” x 9” rat runway with non-shock floor)

H10-37R-NSF-14 14.5” RAT RUNWAY w/NON-SHOCK FLOOR (3.5” x 14.5” rat runway with non-shock floor)

H10-37R-NSF-29 29” RAT RUNWAY w/NON-SHOCK FLOOR (3.5” x 29” rat runway with non-shock floor)

H10-37R-SF-14 14.5” RAT RUNWAY w/SHOCK FLOOR (3.5” x 14.5” rat runway with shock floor)

H10-37R-SF-29 29” RAT RUNWAY w/SHOCK FLOOR (3.5” x 29” rat runway

Runways and Doors for MiceA single Drop Pan is included with each Run-way. Purchase Terminator/Joiner and Guillotine Doors separately

MODEL NUMBERS:

H10-37M-DP-09W DROP PAN (extra) (for 6” x 9” runways)

H10-37M-DP-14 DROP PAN (extra) (for 3.5” x 14.5” runways)

H10-37M-GD L RUNWAY GUILLOTINE DOOR LIFTER (for any Runway)

H10-37M-LD COUPLER w/LOCKABLE DOOR (with solid floor)

H10-37M-LD-SA01COUPLER w/o DOOR (With solid floor)

H10-37M-MD M MANUAL DOOR (For any mouse hub or terminator)

H10-37M-NSF-14 14.5” MOUSE RUNWAY w/NON-SHOCK FLOOR (3.5” x 14.5” mouse runway with non-shock floor)

H10-37M-SF-14 14.5” MOUSE RUNWAY w/SHOCK FLOOR (3.5” x 14.5” mouse runway with shock floor)

H10-37R-TJ Terminator/Joiner (for MOUSE Runways)

H10-37M-NSF-06 Mouse Goal Box

The coupler, with or without lockable door, can connect a Rat Test Cage to a Running Wheel so that both will fit in a cubicle

Guillotine Door mounts on either or both ends of any runway

RUNWAYS AND DOORSRunways are used to interconnect the hubs, modular test cages, shuttle cages, and the running wheel. The end plates are standard 4-unit high module plates. The runways can be installed in any bay track of the rat shuttle or test cages, any hub or the entry bay of the running wheel.

Runways may be joined to one another end-to-end to double the length of the runway by using the Terminator/Joiner. The Terminator/Joiner has a double set of tracks and can also accept standard mod-ules. A runway may be terminated with a feeder, cue light, or any other module.

To report animal location, runways have provisions to mount optional Photocell Sensors which may be used to detect ani-mal entries, passage, and exits from the runway. (See page 20.)

The optional GUILLOTINE DOORS may be added to one or both ends of any of the runways for program-controlled access to and from runways and other arenas.

The optional MANUAL DOORS may be added to the distal end of runways.

The coupler with lockable door has a switch to report the animal’s contact with the door. The switch report can be used to activate the latch or to report attempts at an “incorrect” or locked door.

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A R E N A S – R U N N I N G W H E E L & N E S T B O X

SHOCKABLE RUNNING WHEEL

H10-38R SHOCKABLE RUNNING WHEEL (Use H10-37R-DP-09W for extra Drop Pans)

The running wheel features a shockable grid floor, a revolution sensing circuit to count turns, and a drag brake on the axle to allow for control of the force necessary to turn the wheel. The brake is controllable for “on” or “off” by a spare stimulus output of the Habitest Linc.

Revolution counting is accomplished by a magnetic reed switch reporting to a stan-dard response switch input of the Habitest Linc.

The printed circuit board wheel carries the shock stimulus from commutators near the hub to the grid bars around the circumference of the wheel. The grids are the same as all of the rat shock floors in the system.

When the brake control input is operated, the force necessary to run the wheel is increased from approximately 7 grams to approximately 30 grams (at 30 rpm) at the circumference of the wheel. This force is not an absolute brake to stop the wheel, but represents an effective resistance (in the range of sustainable activity) that increases the effort required to turn the wheel. The resistive (drag) braking force is generated by feedback from the magnetic interaction of the motor windings of the mo-tor when it is turning. Resistance is proportional to speed, reaching about

NEST-RETREAT BOX

H10-39R NEST-RETREAT BOX

This box is constructed on a module panel and mounts in the cage bay tracks like the S-R modules. It is fabricated using a 4-unit high module panel. The closed box is a five-inch cube. It may be mounted in any hub or in either the rat shuttle or test cage. However, owing to its large size, it cannot be mounted with most other modules in the adjacent bays in either of these cages because, unlike the radial array of module bays in the hubs, the bays in the cages are in a single plane.

A composite floor stands 1/2” off of the bottom and rests on an adjustable force switch. The switch may be adjusted to ignore the weight of nest material, pups, etc. and report the presence of an animal.

The back wall / floor assembly is remov-able simply by opening two catches for access to the animal, cleaning, tending and monitoring of pups, or replacement of nest material.

The Running Wheel may be connected to any arena using the Coupler w/Lockable Door

The back of the H10-39R opens for cleaning and pup observation and removal

Rat Test Cage set up for a complex procedure with retreat option

30 grams at 30 rpm.

The running wheel may be joined to any runway or the H10-37R-LD coupler (with or without door - page 9). Access to the wheel may be controlled by using a guillotine door at either end of any runway. The coupler with the lockable door may also control access. If you use either of the couplers, you can connect a rat test cage directly to the wheel and the two will fit in a cubicle.

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S - R M O D U L E I N F O R M A T I O N

GENERAL INFORMATION

MODULE OPERATING VOLTAGE

The stimulus and response modules out-lined on the following pages all operate on 24 to 30 VDC (28 VDC nominal).

MODULE WIDTH AND HEIGHT

Rat and mouse cages, and thus the rat and mouse modules, are the same height. Modules vary only in width to fit each cage’s module bays. Mouse cages are narrower than rat cages.

1/2 unit 13/16” high1 unit 1-5/8” high2 unit 3-1/4” high4 units 6-1/2” high

All hubs have module bays the same width as rat cages.

Model numbers bear an ”M“ or “R” suffix indicating that it is the width of the mouse or rat bays.

Most types of modules are available in both widths. Mouse modules are, for the most part, scaled-down versions of the rat modules.

Most of the devices on the modules are confined to the space projected rearward by the face dimensions, thus permitting most modules to occupy any position and be adjacent to most other modules. No module, including a retreat box or runway, will interfere with any other module in any hub owing to the radial array of the module bays.

Modules slip into the tracks of the cages and hubs from the top. Blank module panels are used to space the functional modules to the desired height and to fill the bay. By installing blank panels below modules, they may be adjusted to any desired height from the floor. The bird key, for example, may be placed at 12 different elevations from the floor by using standard blank panels above and below.

Modules are made of plate aluminum ex-cept for feeders and certain other modules subject to excessive chewing; these are made of stainless steel (noted under the model number).

MODULE EXTENSION AND STIMULUS FAN-OUT ADAPTER

H91-06-18 ENVIRONMENT MODULE EX-TENSION CABLE, 18”

You’ll need these for large multi-arena environments where the distance to the ECB is great.

All electrical connections between the Habitest Linc and the S-R modules in the working environment are made via the En-vironment Connection Board (ECB). Each module has a 36-inch connecting wire with a 6-pin connector that plugs into the Envi-ronment Connection Board (ECB).

H91-16-SPLT-03 TRIPLE CUE TO 3-SPARE FAN-OUT

BLANK MODULES Don’t forget to order these!

These modules are used to fill unused spaces in hubs and cages and to close the ends of otherwise unterminated runways.

Clear plastic 2- and 4-unit high blanks are available to install in hubs (which have no clear sidewalls) to permit viewing the animal. The 2-unit high metal blanks are also available black on one side and white on the other. These may be used to make patterned, totally black or totally white walls. The digits at the end of each model number below indicate the height. Either of the “-KT01” assortment kits will fill 6 of the full height bays in a test cage or shuttle cage.

This connects to a triple cue output on the ECB and provides 3 “spare” connectors for single-stimulus devices. (If you only need to run 1 single-stimulus device, it may be plugged directly into the Triple Cue ECB connector). The Fan-Out also connects the 3 switch input connections in parallel allowing you to use it for shaping. Just plug the H21-01 Hand (Shaping) Switch (page 23) into one of the 3 connectors, the subject’s response sensor into another, and the male plug to the ECB. When either of you presses an input is reported.

MODEL NUMBERS, METAL:

MOUSE RATH90-00M-M-0.5 H90-00R-M-0.5H90-00M-M-1.0 H90-00R-M-1.0H90-00M-M-2.0 H90-00R-M-2.0H90-00M-M-4.0 H90-00R-M-4.0KITS: H90-00M-M-KT01 H90-00R-M-KT01

BLACK & WHITE METAL PANELS:H90-00M-M-2.0-BW H90-00R-M-2.0-BW

MODEL NUMBERS, PLASTIC:

H90-00M-P-2.0 H90-00R-P-2.0H90-00M-P-4.0 H90-00R-P-4.0

V I S U A L S T I M U L I

1212

H11-01M, H11-01R HOUSE LIGHTModule Height: 1 Unit Lamp Type: 1819

This module contains a lamp with a partial-ly open hood that may be installed to shine down on the cage area or directed upward to reflect indirect lighting from the top of the cage.

H11-02M, H11-02R TRIPLE CUE LAMP

H11-02M Triple Cue Lamp over a mouse lever H11-07R 7-Pattern Display over a rat lever

Module Height: 1 Unit

Contains 3 LEDs: red, green, and yellow. It is usually used in conjunction with a response lever for general cueing and discrimination.

H11-03M, H11-03R SINGLE HIGH-BRIGHT CUEModule Height: 1 UnitLamp Type: 1864

The High-Bright Cue has an incandescent bulb that produces white light. It is used where the extra brightness is required to make subject attention more probable.

H11-05 BRIGHT CEILING-MOUNT LIGHT

Module Height: N/A (for both rat & mouse)Lamp Type: 313 (250 Hrs) or 1864 (1500) Hrs

This device mounts on top of the cage and shines down into the work area. It has a very bright light and may be used as a mildly aversive avoidance stimulus. It is recommended for passive avoidance studies.

H11-07M, H11-07R SEVEN-PATTERN DISPLAYModule Height: 2 Units

This device consists of a 3 x 3 light-emit-ting diode dot matrix in a sharp, rear-pro-jected format. It offers distinct, geometric,

visual discriminanda.

Seven different dot patterns may be projected by providing a 28-volt signal to one or more of the three cue inputs in a binary code. Red is the standard color. Yellow and green are available (H11-07M-Y, H11-07M-G, H11-07R-Y, H11-07R-G) at a

slightly higher cost. It is also available with a pecking key. (See “Response Sensors”).

13

A U D I T O R Y S T I M U L I

13

Connections for audio source module alone, or an external audio source in series with an attenuator

H12-01M, H12-01R SPEAKER MOD-ULEModule Height: 2 Units

This module contains a speaker for deliv-ering audio signals or masking noise to the cage. The speaker may receive its audio signal via the pass-thru line from the back of the Linc or from one of the in-line cards on this page. The impedance is 8 Ohms.

H12-02M-2.9, H12-02R-2.9 HIGH POW-ER TONE, 2.9 KHzH12-02M-4.5, H12-02R-4.5 HIGH POW-ER TONE, 4.5 KHzModule Height: 1 Unit

These modules contain Sonalert® high amplitude tone signaling devices. We provide an attenuated drive and a direct, high amplitude drive so that they may be used for general cueing or aversive audio stimulation. A jumper on the module allows the selection of high or low amplitude.

H12-06 TONE CUEModule Height: N/A (for both rat & mouse)

This is an economical audio cueing device. It is not a module. It plugs directly onto any Environment Connection Board (ECB) and is operated via the “tone” input.

H12-07 SEVEN-TONE AUDIO CUEModule Height: N/A (for both rat & mouse)

This is an in-line PC board that connects to the H12-01M, R or other speaker. It contains a tone generator, amplifier, and shaped rise audio switch. It is controlled via one of the triple cue connectors and has an output connector for a speaker. A 3-bit binary code on the triple cue input produces 7 tones in the same way the H11-07M and R produce 7 visual patterns.

SPECIFICATIONS: Frequencies: 1KHz, 1.5KHz, 2Khz, 2,5Khz, 3KHz, 3,5KHz, 4KHz

H12-08 WHITE NOISE GENERATORModule Height: N/A (for both rat & mouse)

An in-line PC board like the H12-07, this unit contains a white noise generator, amplifier, and a shaped rise audio gate. It connects to the H12-01M, R or other speaker and is controlled via a spare connector of the environment connection board. The noise is gated on and off by the spare control line. Use it for either cueing or masking noise. There is an amplitude adjustment on the board.

SPECIFICATIONS: Spectrum: 20Hz - 20KHz +/- 3dB

H12-09 SEVEN-LEVEL AUDIO ATTENUATORModule Height: N/A (for both rat & mouse)

Also an in-line PC board like the H12-07, it attenuates any audio signal passed through it. It may be connected in series between any audio source and a speaker. By using the 3 bits of a triple cue output, it provides 7 levels of signal amplitude from either the H12-07 tone source or the H12-08 noise source as well as outside-source signals.

SPECIFICATIONS: Attenuation levels: 0, -3dB, -6dB, -9dB, -12dB, -15dB, -18dB, -21dB

Tone or Noise

External Audio or . . .

. . . Tone or NoiseAttenuator

S H O C K E R S

14

H13-16 PROGRAMMABLE PRECISION REGULATED SHOCKERWith grid floor scanner and programmable shock levels

This research grade precision feedback current-regulated shocker is totally iso-lated (floating output) for operator and subject safety, as well as isolation from other sources of electrical stimulation such as physiological stimulators that may be in use concurrently. Isolation is achieved by using an isolated transformer along with optical isolation of the inputs from the control equipment.

The unit can function as a two-pole (bipolar) current reversal “square wave” output, or as a scanner distributing the polarity rever-sal across an 8-pole output for grid floor applications. Mode selection is made by a switch on the back.

The grid outputs are direct “Form C” semi-conductor switches. The “off” grids have zero resistance so the subject receives the same current regardless of the number of grids contacted

The H13-16 may be programmed from 0 to 5 milliamps in 20 microamp increments by a 0-2.5 Volt signal via the “Prog. Input” on the back of the case. The signal is gener-ated by the Graphic State Notation con-trol program and comes from the “Prog.Output” on the back of the Habitest Linc (you may also use your own D/A converter output).

Power On/Off Switch: On rear panelRemote/Manual Operate: Up – enables an external signal to operate the shocker;Center – disables remote operate; Down – operates shocker manually for duration of depression.Remote Operate: Turns shocker on when external 5 to 30 volt signal is applied.Meter Range Switch: 5-position switch selects meter range. Manual-Set Shock: Set shock manually while reading the meter.Shock Routing: Set Test Routes shock to a dummy load for setting or to subject. Max Prog. Control V In: 5 Volts (0–2.5 volts input, 0–5 milliamps output).Maximum Output Current: 5 milliamps into 75K OhmsMaximum Output Voltage: 500 voltsCalibrate Load: 50K OhmsRegulation: At 500 microamps – 2% at 0 to 900K Ohms, at 1 milliamp – 2% at 0 to 450K Ohms, at 2 milliamps – 2% at 0 to 225K OhmsAC Switching: Zero CrossoverIndicators: Power On, Shock Test Load, Shock SubjectDimensions: 10” W x 7” D x 3-1/4” HElectrical: 110/120 VAC 50-60 Hz220/240 VAC 50-60 Hz (specify on order)

E05-15-SFM SMALL ANIMAL HOLDER WITH SHOCK FLOOR

E05-20-SFR LARGE ANIMAL HOLDER WITH SHOCK FLOOR

The E05-15-SFM Small Animal Holder with Shock Floor for mice and the E05-20-SFR Large Animal Holder with Shock Floor for rats are typically used with the Animal Startle System when a tactile stimulus is needed. The H13-15 Shocker is used with the H93-01-25 or H93-01-50 to deliver a shock stimulus to the floor of the holder. A grid bar floor is installed in these holders so the subject receives the same shock stimulus that is delivered to any of the modular test cages with shock floors installed or the shuttle cages. Ani-mal Holders without shock floors are also available for use with the Animal Startle System.

E05-15-SFM SMALL ANIMAL HOLDER WITH SHOCK FLOOR

15

SHOCKER CABLES (for H13-16)(not supplied w/ Shocker—order separately)

H93-01-25 (25 ft.) and H93-01-50 (50 ft.)

Shock connections for cages

Shock connections for hubs

8-conductor ribbon cable with a connector on one end for connection to the output of the scanner board. There is a connec-tor on the other end for the grid floors of the operant test cage, the shock transfer board on shuttle cages or the distributor circuit boards for runways and hubs.

through the cubicle to the grid floor when a cage is used in a cubicle. It is also used to connect the hub/runway distributor board (H93-30) to test-cage type grid connector (same connector as H93-01-25 and H93-01-50).

H93-19-25 (25 ft.) and H93-19-50 (50 ft.) 2-conductor cable with an 8-pin connector on one end for connection to the output of the first two pins of the H13-16 (when used in the two pole mode). The other end (the cage end) has universal clips to connect to a variety of attached cutaneous elec-trodes, cage parts, or other devices.

A grid floor shorting connector is supplied for applications where it is necessary to make the whole floor one polarity and an object in the environment the other polar-

H93-30 Distributor board for hubs and runways. Accepts H93-01-25 and –02-50 cables and distributes to runways and hubs via the H93-31-32 or to the test and shuttle cages via H93-13-32 for parallel connections of all arena and runway ele-ments in a single-subject environment.

H93-31-32 This 32” Hub/Runway Cable is used to “daisy-chain” parallel connec-tions of runways and hubs

ity. This is done, for example, when using shock for lick suppression on a water tube (Vogel procedure) or to make the module panels the other polarity to ”discourage“ leaning on the wall to avoid shock.

H93-13-32 This 32” jumper passes

G U S T A T O R Y S T I M U L I

16

LIQUID FEEDERS

(See also H24-01M, -01R Optical Lick-ometers in the ”Response Sensors“ sec-tion.)

H14-03M, H14-03R LIQUID DELIVERY RESERVOIR

Module Height: 1 Unit(delivery tip is stainless steel)

The delivery reservoir used in this module is the same as used in the H14-04M and R below. It is fitted with needle tubing on the rear to receive a catheter-sized tube from the source. It receives fluid from an infusion pump or other delivery pump. It is an alter-native to the gravity-feed model below and is used for greater precision or when small volumes of costly fluid are used. See page 24 for pumps.

H14-04M, H14-04R LIQUID SOLENOID VALVEModule Height: 4 UnitsLamp Type: 1819(delivery tip is stainless steel)

The solenoid valve is designed to dispense non-viscous fluids. It

should be used for water, drugs in water solution, but not heavy suspensions or solutions that leave a sticky residue such as sugar. The quantity delivered is con-trolled by means of a combination of the supply bottle height, valve adjustment and the duration of actuation. The delivery cup reservoir will hold fluid until consumed by the animal. A 1-liter supply bottle with a compatible fitting is supplied with the unit.

H14-05M, H14-05R LIQUID DIPPERModule Height: 4 UnitsLamp Type: 85(the rat module is totally stainless steel)

This module is designed to deliver any type of liquid from water to highly viscous fluids such as condensed milk. The dipper cup rests in the fluid. When a 28 VDC op-

erate signal is applied to the damped so-lenoid, the cup is raised to an accessible position in the bottom of the magazine. Rat opening – 1-1/4” W x 1-5/8” H. Mouse opening – 7/8” W x 7/8” H.

The solenoid provides direct, fast opera-tion with no electrical noise or delay from motors. Dashpot damping provides silent, splash-free operation.

The unit accepts the H20-94 Photocell Sensor to detect head entry.

H14-06R COMBINATION DIPPER/PEL-LET TROUGH

with both pellet and liquid reinforcements. It permits the centering of both, with the le-vers on either side. Each access opening is the same size as in the H14-01R and H14-05R. The openings are separated with the liquid to the left. The 2 magazine lights are operable independently. The unit accepts the H20-94 Photocell Sensor to detect head entry.DIPPER CUPS(For H14-05M, H14-05R and H14-06R)

Module Height: 4 Units Lamp Type: 85 (Two)(this module is totally stainless steel)

The combination dipper and pellet trough is designed for use when 2 levers are used

The dipper arm used in the H14-05M, -05R and H14-06R dippers is finished with a .01 cc volume cup machined directly into the end of the arm. For larger volumes, interchangeable cups may be ordered and attached to the end of the arm. They slip over the end of the arm and are held in place by a small, recessed set screw. The cup and screw are stainless steel. An Allen wrench is provided with the cups.

Order by volume using the following numbers:

H14-06-CP-02 (.02 cc)H14-06-CP-04 (.04 cc)H14-06-CP-06 (.06 cc)

Gaseous olfactants may be introduced into any feeder magazine opening.

H14-05-LR SPARE LIQUID RESERVOIR(For H14-05M, -05R and H14-06R)

You may order reservoirs as replacements or as spares to use while others are being cleaned.

H14-05-RE EXTENDED TROUGH

H14-05-ME EXTENDED TROUGH

H14-02 AUTOFEED TROUGH

H14-07 “Y” TUBE

DRY FEEDERS

SH14-01M, H14-01R PELLET DELIV-

17

ERY TROUGHModule Height: 2 UnitsLamp Type: 85(the rat module is totally stainless steel)

The pellet trough is a recessed cup, baffle, and chute which re-

ceives the pellet feeder delivery spout. The access openings are the same as for the H14-05 models. The height permits rodents with cranial catheter and electrode posts to enter without interference. The openings for both have a depression in the center where the pellet comes to rest for easiest access by the subject. A light is installed inside the top of the magazine cavity. The units have two locations to mount the H20-94 Photocell Sensor, one to detect entry of the subject’s head, and the other to detect pellet removal.

H14-22M-20 PELLET FEEDER, 20MG H14-23R PELLET FEEDER, 45MG

Module Height: 2 Units

The feeders may be mounted in the tracks above the H14-01M or -01R Pellet Troughs or the H14-06R Liquid Dipper/Pellet Trough Module. The delivery spout aligns to drop a pellet directly into the trough of either unit.

MONITORING FEEDER ENTRY

Provision has been made on all CI feeder magazines to mount the infrared light source and photo detector of the H20-94

Photocell Sensor (Pg. 20) in a position to detect head entry. The mounting brackets and screws supplied with the buffer are used to mount the emitter and receiver heads on any of the feeders, the optical lickometer, and other devices.

The H14-01M or -01R Pellet Troughs and H14-06 Dipper/Trough have a second set of holes in addition to those used to detect head entry. These holes direct the light path across the “V” at the bottom center of the trough where the pellet rests to report when the pellet is removed.

An olfactant injection fitting is provided on all feeder magazines (see photo to right).

H15-01M, H15-01R OLFACTORY STIMULUS INJECTION MODULEModule Height: 1 Unit

The product consists of a module plate with a small, flush-mount fitting that ac-cepts the tubing from the H15-03 on the rear of the module and allows gases to pass into the animal’s working area. It can be mounted in the bottom module position below the floor plane or in any other posi-tion. See H29-05R Fan Module on page 23 for exhausting arenas.

H20-94 Photocell Sensor mounted on a dip-per magazine to sense head entry

Olfactant injection connector is standard on all feeder magazines

H14-10R - GRAIN FEEDERModule Height: 4 UnitsLamp Type: 1819

Although designed primarily to deliver grain to birds, this unit may be used to de-liver almost any bulk food by the timed ac-cess method. The opening is 2-1/4 inches high by 2 inches wide and 2 inches deep. The hopper is molded clear plastic with no sharp edges. The solenoid operates on a 28 VDC signal and draws less than 500 milliamps. A magazine LED is installed which operates independently of the coil. The unit accepts the photo detector head of the H20-94 to detect head entry.

H15-20 INLINE OLFACTANT EVAPO-RATION CHAMBERS

These chambers have an inlet and outlet barb so that clear air (or other gas) may be passed through them. The volume is sufficient to minimize flow-through dilution gradients for typical cueing presentations.

A small amount of liquid or a swab of cotton with the proper amount of olfactant is placed in the chamber. The olfactant evaporates into the air in the chamber. When the solenoid valve is opened, air (or other gas), bearing the (solute) olfac-

18

There are 3 input tube connections and a common output that may be routed to the H15-01M or R above or to the H21-09M or R Nose Poke modules to supply gases as discriminative stimuli. The inputs and outputs can be reversed so that a single supply gas may be selectively delivered to 1, 2 or 3 locations. Ten feet of 1/8 inch I.D. tubing is supplied along with a 4-way tubing connector to connect a common gas supply to each inlet via an H15-20 chamber.

NOTE: All feeder magazines have an in-jection fitting like the one on the H15-01M or R to inject olfactants or aversive air puffs into feeder magazine openings (see below). Fittings are also available for user installation. Inquire to discuss details.

All connections for items on this page are push-on barbed nylon fittings for 1/8 inch inside diameter tubing

Operant test cage set up for olfactory discriminations

in the pellet trough

tory stimulus is delivered. With a small percentage of the total volume delivered, the concentration gradient over the flow interval is minimized.

A check valve is supplied with each chamber to prevent back-flow cross contamination of the olfactants in each chamber.

H15-03 OLFACTORY STIMULUS CONTROL(This unit can also be used to deliver aver-sive air puffs to a maximum of three loca-tions from a common supply.) The H15-03 contains a 3-unit solenoid valve manifold that permits individually gating or mixing up to 3 gases (or 2 gases plus flushing air). Low dead space in the manifold assures minimum mixing when changing flow from one line to another and permits rapid flushing. The manifold is Teflon.

O L F A C T O R Y S T I M U L I

19

E R G O M E T R I C A C T I V I T Y

LOAD-CELL PLATFORMS

The E45-Series Load-Cell Platforms as Sensors and the A24-72 Resistive Bridge Transducer Monitor

This group of products is used for ergomet-ric activity measurement. The Transducer Monitor processes the applied-force signal from the platform into a time-integrated pulse stream at the pulse-proportional out-put, each pulse representing a time-force integral (e.g.: Newton seconds). The more force, the faster the pulse rate. A separate output, the threshold output, gives a signal to report when the time-force integral is above a preselected value.

The pulse output reports event pulses representing response magnitude in the same way that the Ceiling Mount Activ-ity Monitor produces pulses representing a time-space integral. This makes each small unit of energy expenditure look like a response unit just like a lever press, nose poke and the like. It is then a simple matter to use the signals in Graphic State Nota-tion for counting, sorting, and analysis, and even complex interactive control. For example, it is a simple matter to make either a cumulative number of pulses (total

energy expenditure) or a current threshold level cause a change in stimuli such as cessation of shock, infusion of a com-pound, or even the delivery of a reinforcer in an operant schedule.

Using time-energy response units as event inputs to a behavioral software pro-gram allows the user not only to count, sort and analyze data, but also to exploit the myriad logical relationships between number of response units and time in the context of stimuli found in Graphic State Notation (though actual protocols might not be “standard” schedules).

The monitor also has an analog output so that raw signals may be sent to an analog data acquisition system like LabLinc V for more detailed analysis such as frequency band separation or FFT analysis.

Any type of cage, restrainer, or animal holder may be placed on the platform in accordance with the measurement objec-tives. Large area cages, such as plastic home (living) cages, may be used if ambu-latory behavior is to be included in the measure. Restrainers like our Startle Response Animal Holder may be used to limit response topography where desired.

The A24-72 Transduc-er Monitor converts force to pulses for input to any Linc

A24-72 RESISTIVE BRIDGE TRANSDUCER MONITOR

This unit is more fully described on page 43.

PLATFORMS AND ANIMAL HOLDERS

MODEL NUMBERS:

E45-04 LARGE LOAD-CELL PLATFORM for cage and animal to 1800 gm

E45-10 LARGE LOAD-CELL PLATFORM for cage and animal to 4500 gm

E45-20 LARGE LOAD-CELL PLATFORM for cage and animal to 9000 gm

E10-21 ACOUSTIC CHAMBER

E10-24 ACOUSTIC CHAMBER 1 to 4 subjects

E45-11 SMALL LOAD-CELL PLATFORM 1lb up to 450 gm subject

E45-12 SMALL LOAD-CELL PLATFORM 2lb up to 900 gm subject

E45-15 SMALL LOAD-CELL PLATFORM 5lb up to 2250 gm subject

E05-15SFM SMALL ANIMAL HOLDER (weighs 200 gm) for subjects up to 400gm

E05-15 SMALL ANIMAL HOLDER (weighs 200 gm) for subjects up to 400gm

E05-20SFM SMALL ANIMAL HOLDER (weighs 250 gm) for subjects up to 1 kg

E05-20 SMALL ANIMAL HOLDER (weighs 250 gm) for subjects up to 1 kg

Animal holder on large format

platform

R E S P O N S E S E N S O R S

20

RESPONSE SENSORS

20

H20-94SINGLE-PHOTOCELL SENSORModule Height: N/A (for both rat & mouse)

The single-photocell beam-break sensor connects to any switch input on the Envi-ronment Connection Boards. The board contains all the necessary circuitry to power the infrared LED emitter and receiver. Beam breaks are reported as standard switch closures.

An onboard jumper may be positioned by the user to select different modes of operation for each application. You may select a pulsed switch closure at the onset of a beam break for licks using the opti-cal lickometer or a continuous switch closure for the entire duration of the break to sense animal position. You may also select a delayed opening to detect a pellet removal while ignoring bounce upon initial delivery.

This Photocell Sensor operates in the in-visible infrared region (940 nM) and each half is enclosed in a small, grooved, cylin-drical “head” which mounts on the follow-ing CI devices:

H10-37R-XXX All RunwaysH24-01M or R Optical LickometersH14-01M or R Pellet TroughsH14-05M or R Liquid DippersH14-06R Dipper/TroughH14-10R Grain Feeder

NOTE: The H20-94 is part of the Nose Poke module and need not be ordered separately.

H20-95 PHOTOCELL SENSOR BARModule Height: N/A (for both rat & mouse)

This device consists of separate emitter and receiver bars. There are five beams on one-inch centers. The receiver bar connects to any “switch” input on the Environment Connection Boards like any switch-type response sensor. Beam breaks are reported as standard switch closures. The LED emitter (light source) bar connects to a -28 V connector.

Because this unit is used only to report animal position, it operates in a continuous mode for the entire duration of the break.

This Photocell Sensor Bar operates in the invisible infrared region (880 nM). The emitter and receiver bar are generally mounted on the opposing plastic walls of cages and runways to detect animal entry or position.

NOTE: The H20-95 is part of the Rat and Mouse Passive Avoidance Cages and need not be ordered separately.

H21-03M, H21-03R RESPONSE LEVERModule Height: 1 Unit

This manipulandum is designed for small mammals. H21-03R is suitable for rats, as well as squirrel monkeys and H21-03M for mice. The switch is a high-reliability, sealed unit. The –03R paddle extends .75-inch past the front panel and the -03M .33-inch. Both are made of rugged chew-proof stainless steel. The minimum actuat-ing force of the H21-03R is 25 G, and the H21-03M is 4 G.

H21-05R, H21-05M OMNIDIRECTIONAL RESPONSE LEVERModule Height: 1 Unit

This is similar to the H21-03R lever except that it can be actuated by pressing off-cen-ter in any direction in a full 360º circle. The actuation member is a stainless steel tube protruding .75-inch past the front panel. Actuation force is comparable to the stan-dard H21-03R lever.

H21-09M, H21-09R NOSE POKE OPERANDUM (with gaseous olfactory stimulus connection)Module Height: 2 Units(the rat module is stainless steel)

The H21-09R Nose Poke Operandum has a one inch diameter entrance hole. The H21-09M opening is 5/8 inch in diameter. Both have red, amber, and green LED cue lights recessed rearward from the front panel plane. The inside chamber is white reflective ABS plastic to scatter the cue light making it visible from a side view. Response detection is by an invisible (940 nM) infrared photo beam across the opening. A gaseous olfactory stimulus connection is affixed to the chamber.

H21-15R BIRD PECKING KEYH21-17R KEY W/ 3-COLOR CUEH21-19R KEY W/ 7-PATTERN DISPLAY (Shown)Module Height: 2 Units

These response keys are fabricated from transparent plastic and fitted with travel adjustment screws. The same module panel is used for all 3 keys listed. The H21-15R key is backed by a rear projec-tion screen. The switch is a sealed, highly reliable microswitch type. The minimum force required to actuate all keys is 13 G.

The tricolor cue lights and 7-pattern display lights both activate on 28 V from a triple cue output. Refer to the visual stimulus display on page 12 for patterns.

21

Shock connections to the drink tube and floor

Drink tube is in the light path between glass rods Patent #

H23-17M, H23-17R RETRACTABLE LEVERModule Height: 2 Units

These levers incorporate the same switch, force, and throw characteristics as their fixed counterparts. The units feature a re-traction time of less than 200 milliseconds.

H24-01M, H24-01R OPTICAL LICK-OMETER (can also be used as a free ac-cess water bottle)U.S. Patent No. 4373471

The optical lickometer is used to measure licking/drinking from a standard drinking tube. It requires an H20-94 Photocell Sen-sor (page 20). The sensor’s LED emitter and receiver are mounted on either side of the module. The light beam is ”piped“ via glass rods across a gap at the end of the tube. The animal’s tongue breaks the beam on each lick.

H24-01-TB-01 SINGLE LUMEN, CON-TROLLED-FLOW DELIVERY TUBE for the OPTICAL LICKOMETER

H24-01-TB-03 TRIPLE LUMEN, CON-TROLLED-FLOW DELIVERY TUBE for the OPTICAL LICKOMETER

These tubes replace the standard gravity flow tube and bottle. The -TB-01 model has a single, reduced diameter lumen. The -TB-03 model has three reduced lumens in a single standard-outer-diameter tube so that three different fluids may be delivered via the same tube.

They differ from the free-flow type tube

The drink tube is electrically isolated from the rest of the module. Aversive shock may be delivered through the drink tube. Licks may be measured while shock is being delivered without spurious current paths or interference.

Twenty-five licks per second can be re-corded with a formed meniscus or when the animal is sucking even in moderately dense, translucent liquids. in that they have needle tubing inside the

standard drinking tube with a very small inside diameter to prevent air-replace-ment flow. The result is that when fluid is not pumped, no fluid may be taken. The outer dimensions are the same however, to ensure that the lick topography and the counting of licks are comparable to the standard tube. Fluid can be pumped in very small quantities upon the occasion of each lick or at a low rate continuously during a licking episode. See page 24 for pumps.

H24-05 CONTACT SENSOR

The Contact Sensor is an electronic switch that senses the passage of a very low current through the subject. The current level is less than 5 microamps and is well below sensation threshold. The standard response sensor connector on the unit connects to any switch input on the ECB just as do levers etc.

R E S P O N S E S E N S O R S

22

Rat Test Cage with monitor

Monitor on cage roof

The sensing leads may be connected to any two conducting parts of the environ-ment. When the subject touches both, completing the circuit, the switch reports the response. Generally, the shock floor is one pole (all of the floor grids shorted together by the special connector supplied with the unit) and another isolated object is the other pole. This device may be used to sense animal contact with novel stimulus devices mounted on a module. You can make your own using the blank plastic module plates shown on page 11). You may also hang things from the cage ceiling, or sit them (on an isolated pad or base) on the floor.

NOTE: Other systems use a similar device for sensing contact with a drink tube to measure drinking. In the CI system we do this with photocells across the tip of the tube because contact does not work for counting licks when there is a meniscus bridge between the tube and lips or when the animal is sucking. The contact method is no longer used for accurate ”lickometer“ applications. (See H24-01M, R and H20-94)

H24-61, H24-61-MC IR CEILING MOUNTACTIVITY MONITOR

This monitor mounts on the top of stan-dard test cages, shuttle cages and hubs. It mounts in the standard ceiling hole array on the tops of these arenas. An optional suspended ceiling kit is available (H24-61-MC) for the Mouse Test Cage to lower the sensor for increased sensitivity. The kit consists of a false ceiling plate to hold the H24-61and 4 blank module plates with pins to support it. The plates, like any module, may be mounted at various elevations.

The wide field of view will detect animals while rearing or leaning on a wall. It can see both rats and mice in this posture and senses movement at any elevation in the cage. For flexibility in defining the response for program control and data acquisition purposes, a selector switch permits the user to choose either of two output modes. You may choose movement units (brief pulses representing the minimum resolu-tion of detection), or movement episodes (a continuous output for the entire duration that movement units occur with inter-event intervals of less than 400 milliseconds).

The dual element, differential detector senses the emitted infrared body-heat (13 µM) of the subject through an array of lens facets which create a field of multiple images on the two detector elements. Any relative change in the en-

ergy falling on the elements is defined as a movement unit and results in a 10 ms pulsed switch closure output (in the “unit” mode).

This design gives excellent sensitivity, lin-earity, and inter-unit consistency, because a variable pulse rate (where each pulse represents a uniformly defined movement unit) produces the magnitude measure-ment (pulses per unit of time). The Vivak in the cage walls is opaque to 13 mM radia-tion. Therefore, interference from outside moving heat sources (e.g., experimenter) is not a problem. All electronics are on board so that the unit connects to a stan-dard “switch” connector of the Environ-ment Connection Boards.

H25-01 CEILING CHAINModule Height: N/A (or both rat & mouse)

The Ceiling Chain mounts on top of the test cages, the shuttle cages, and the hexagon, octagon or dodecagon hubs. It may be used as a simple operant for es-cape or positive reinforcement.

The climbing response is ideal for escape

23

A C C E S S O R I E S

designs. Hanging on the chain to avoid floor shock is useful in fatigue and motor studies. When the animal pulls or climbs on the chain, the switch closes and reports the response. The chain is corrosion and chew-proof stainless steel and is long enough to reach the floors of cages and hubs.

ACCESSORY MODULES

H21-01 HAND (SHAPING) SWITCH

The hand switch is used for experimenter control and hand shaping. It connects to one of the switch inputs on the ECB and has a 7-foot cable so the operator may sit well back from the arena. Use this switch with an H91-16-SPLT-03 Fanout Adapter to allow either the experimenter’s switch or the animal’s response to report a closure.

H21-02R, H21-02M EXPERIMENTER’S MANUAL SWITCH MODULEModule Height: 2 Units

This switch mounts in the bay tracks of any arena like an S-R module but the switch is on the outside of the arena where it may be pressed by the experimenter. It is connected to one of the switch inputs on the ECB. Use this switch when the starting of an experiment must be accomplished as soon as the animal is placed in the arena rather than from the computer.

H25-06 UNIVERSAL CEILING MOUNT BUMP RODModule Height: N/A (for both rat & mouse)

This unit mounts on the ceiling of the test cages, the shuttle cages, and the hexa-gon, octagon or dodecagon hubs in the same manner as the chain. It reports a re-sponse any time the stainless steel rod is moved off plumb in any direction. It comes down to within one inch of the floor in the test cages and shuttle cages. It may be cut for use in the hubs.

H29-01R, H29-01M BALANCE ARM MODULEModule Height: 2 Units

These modules mount in the bay tracks like the standard S/R modules. They are used to carry electrode leads, catheters, swivels and commutators. The balance weight on the arm may be moved as a counterpoise and locked in place.

One balance arm is supplied with the Mouse/Rat Infusion and Stimulation Op-tions, H10-11M-TC-IS and H10-11R-TC-IS respectively. These options for the test cages, also include special cage roofs with cutouts providing clearance for the catheters, etc.

The balance arms are listed here with their own product numbers so that they may be ordered separately for use with Habitest Hubs. The hubs do not require a special roof because they can be used without their lids. You may also want to order them for standard Habitest Test Cages that you modify to suit your own needs.

H29-05R, H29-05M FAN MODULEModule Height: 2 Units

The fan module is used to boost air ex-haust from any runway, hub, or cage. It is generally used for olfactory studies to ”flush“ air from the arena in the vicinity of controlled olfactory stimulus delivery de-vices or to keep ”free flow“ olfactory stimuli in multi-arena environments from mixing.

I N F U S I O N P U M P S

24

INFUSION PUMPS

The E73-01 Series infusion pumps are designed to administer a fl uid/drug at a precise reproducible fl ow rate. Typical applications include drug testing, fl ushing catheters, electrolyte therapy, sucrose gradients, etc.

The rocker switch on the top of the unit provides an enable/disable function. When placed in the enable position, the pump is placed in a ready mode and will operate when turned on remotely. The in-tegral lamp will illuminate when the pump is being operated.

The knob on the front panel allows the user to limit the amount of time that the pump can be turned on. The available settings (in seconds) are 15, 30, 45, 60 & none. The time limit function prevents fatal delivery of fl uid/drug under fault or uncontrollable conditions.

The jacks on the rear panel (refer to Fig. 2) provide a remote input for external control of delivery. These inputs operate from +5V to 30VDC.

The syringe holder has been designed to accommodate various size syringes. The slide mechanism can be adjusted in and out to fi t the syringe and a thumbscrew is provided to lock the slide into place.

The plunger carriage has been designed with an integral knob and spring mecha-nism for easily re-locating the carriage to any position. This makes initial setup of the pump and syringe simple.

An adjustable limit switch is also integral to this unit. A screw on the power cord side of the unit can be turned to adjust the trip point for the switch. The limit switch will disable power to the motor when the extent of travel has been reached.

A knob is provided on the side of the unit for manually ad-vancing the plunger carriage. This can also be used at initial setup to move the plunger car-riage up fl ush with the syringe plunger.

There are several different speed infusion pumps avail-

able. Refer to the E73-01 Series Flow Rate Chart for details on available models. (available at coulbourn.com)

Specifi cations:Accuracy – ½%, ½% repeatabilityFlow Rates: .10 CC/HR to 24 CC/MINPower: 3.0 Watts @ 115/220 Volts 50-60HzTime Limit (seconds): 15, 30, 45, 60 & NoneRemote Input: +5-30VDC Dimensions: 8.75”X 3” X 3”, 2.65 lbs

The E73-02 Programmable/Selectable Infusion Pumps are designed to adminis-ter a fl uid/drug at a precise reproducible fl ow rate through either manual selection or program control using our state nota-tion program Graphic State. This pump is preferred when various fl ow rates are required or fl ow rates need to change during the course of an experiment. Typical applications include drug testing, fl ushing catheters, electrolyte therapy, sucrose gradients, etc.

The rocker switch on the top of the unit provides an enable/disable function. When placed in the enable position, the pump is placed in a ready mode and will operate when turned on remotely.

The knob on the front panel (refer to Fig. 1) allows the user to limit the amount of time that the pump can be turned on. The available settings (in seconds) are 15, 30, 45, 60 & none. The time limit function prevents fatal delivery of fl uid/drug under fault or uncontrollable conditions. The push-wheel switches allow the user to select the speed at which the motor and lead screw will turn. The speed is selectable from .02 RPM to 1.98 RPM. If larger ranges are required, please inquire. The operate indicator will light when the remote operate control is activated.

The two .080” jacks on the rear panel (refer to Fig. 2) provide a remote input for external control of delivery. These inputs operate from +5V to 30VDC. The ultra-miniature phone jacks provide a program-mable input for controlling speed. Speed can be varied from .02RPM to 1.98 RPM with a 0V to 2.5V DC input. The 4-pin DIN connector is the power input. Power is supplied to the unit with an included tabletop universal power supply.

The syringe holder has been designed to accommodate various size syringes. The slide mechanism can be adjusted in and out to fi t the syringe and a thumbscrew is provided to lock the slide into place.

The plunger carriage has been designed with an integral knob and spring mecha-nism for easily re-locating the carriage to any position. This makes initial setup of the pump and syringe simple.

An adjustable limit switch is also integral to this unit. A screw on the power cord side of the unit can be turned to adjust the trip point for the switch. The limit switch will disable power to the motor when the extent of travel has been reached.

A knob is provided on the side of the unit for manually advancing the plunger carriage. This can also be used at initial setup to move the plunger carriage up fl ush with the syringe plunger.

Specifi cations:Selectable Speeds: .02RPM (01) to 1.98RPM (99)Linear Speed: 0015 in/min to .1523 in/min Power:: 110-240 ~ 1A, 50/60HzTime Limit (seconds): 15, 30, 45, 60 & NoneProgrammable Input: 0 to 2.5VDCRemote Input: +5-30VDC Dimensions: 8.75”X 3” X 3”, 2.65 lbs

Harnesses available on page 43.

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C O N T R O L a n d D A T A A C Q U I S I T I O N H A R D W A R E

� Up to 32 Response Inputs per Station

� Up to 16 Feeders per Station

� Up to 144 Stimulus Cues per Station

� 4 Analog Control Outputs per Linc

� Up to 16 Stations per System

� Plug and Play, PCI Interface Card

The control system hardware for Habitest consists of four products. First, there is the PCI Computer Interface Card that goes in the PC. It contains the precision system clock and all the necessary communica-tion circuitry. This card connects via a cable to the System Power Base located next to the computer, on top of which the Habitest Lincs are mounted. The System Power Base contains the system power supply and the path for communications between the Lincs and the Interface Card. The Lincs contain all of the electronics to buffer the switch inputs and drive the stim-ulus devices in the environment as well as to communicate with the computer card via the power base. Finally, each Linc’s inputs and outputs connect to the arenas and stimulus/response modules via an Environment Connection Board (ECB) and a cable supplied with the board.

H01-01 SYSTEM POWER BASE

Only one power base is required for each system of up to 8 Lincs (which can run up to 16 stations). The first Linc mounts on top of the power base and each Linc thereafter mounts on the Linc below. Power is supplied via the stacking pins on each Linc. Each Linc is also provided with a short signal cable to connect to the Linc below it, or to the Power Base (for the bot-tom Linc).

SPECIFICATIONS:28V Power: 8 Amps steady state, 10 Amp surges.5V Power: 5 Amps

The power base holds up to 8, 2-station Lincs. Note that the H-series power base and modules are not compatible with the V-series.

Each Linc can accommodate two H03-04 Environment Connection Boards (ECB). A 25-foot cable is supplied with each ECB. You must order ECBs separately. They are not provided with the Linc.

H02-08 HABITEST LINC

The System Power Base accommodates up to 8 Lincs. Each Linc can operate one or two stations depending upon how many inputs and outputs are needed for each station. Lincs may also be grouped (in software) to use two Lincs or four Lincs for a single station. This gives you the option to run 16 stations with 4 inputs each, 8 sta-tions with 8 inputs each, 4 stations with 16 inputs each and 2 stations with 32 inputs each. Of course, the number of stimulus outputs is proportional to the input density selected. The specifications to the right itemize the inputs and outputs for each Linc.

Looking at the Linc’s Front Panel above, you can see that it contains two identical sections (A&B) representing the divisible inputs and outputs. The LED indicators are ON when the corresponding input or output circuit is active, giving you full infor-mation about the status of each and every stimulus and response module in the en-

H03-04 ENVIRONMENT CONNECTION BOARD (ECB) see photo page 25.(Includes 25-foot cable)

Two ECBs are required for full connection of both S/R sections (A and B) of the H02-08 Linc. If you are only going to use one half of the Linc, you need only one ECB. Each board accommodates all of the module connections for half of a Linc. Each H03-04 board includes a 25-foot cable to connect to the Linc.

H03-04-CBL-25EX ECB EXTENSION CABLE(25-foot cable)

This cable connects to, and extends the total length of cable supplied with the Linc to 50 feet. Use up to 3 extension cables for a total distance from the control room (Linc location) to the test room of 100 feet.

PCI-3-KIT PCI COMPUTER INTER-FACE CARD(Includes cable)

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vironment. Each of the two sections con-nects via one H03-04 ECB (Environment Connection Board) which is purchased separately.

The Linc contains all of the electronics (drivers with buffers) for the inputs and outputs specified below. Two ECBs are required for full connection of both S/R sections (A&B) of the Linc.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Switch Buffers: 8 - optically isolated, inte-grating type, 6 msec time constant @ 28V

Drivers: 4 - Triple cue groups (total 12 cues)4 - Feeders4 - Feeder magazine lights4 - Auxiliary (on rear of Linc module)4 – Programmable outputs (DACs) (on rear of Linc module) 4 - Spares2 - Tone cues2 - House lights

Audio: 2 - Speaker pass-through lines.

H02-01 STAND-ALONE LINC

One of these PCI, plug-and-play cards is required to control up to the full comple-ment of eight H02-08 Habitest Lincs from one computer. The card-to-power-base cable is included with the card.

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G R A P H I C S T A T E N O T A T I O N S O F T W A R E

GRAPHIC STATEControl and Data Acquisition Software

Graphic State Notation, or just Graphic State, is designed to allow experimenters to create interactive experiment-control protocols for behavioral experiments us-ing state logic. It is a conceptual extension and major improvement of state notation languages of the past. If you have used other state notation software before, you will move easily into using the Graphic State program. You’ll find a new elegance in state notation with robust power and incredible simplicity.

Graphic State uses a “point and click” screen that presents options to be se-lected by the user and represents the structure of each state graphically. It is inherently user friendly because the screen contains all of the options and acts as a universal prompt. You need not learn a language or remember what to type or how to type it for each option. It is all con-tained in each window.

Like its predecessors, Graphic State conceives of an experiment as a series of states through which an experiment moves. Each state specifies a stimulus configuration in the subject’s environment, and a set of time and/or response require-ments which cause the program to exit that state and move on to the next state.

Departing from older state notation, Graphic State features the advanced pow-er of handling concurrence by preserving accumulated responses and time. You may elect to reset or not reset any re-sponse-event or elapsed time exit require-ment upon entry into a state and you may carry or import the value left behind into any other state. You do not have to use the awkward methods of nesting or setting/copying register values and variables as with the older programs.

Graphic State experiments or protocols are created in windows that lead the user through constructing states. This is done graphically by specifying stimuli, the elapsed-time and the input-event (re-sponse) variables necessary to exit each state and make a transition to the next. Specifying which data and how to analyze

and present them is sim-ple; just point and click.

STIMULI

In old state notation pro-grams, the stimuli to be turned on when the state is active are typed-in by the user. With Graphic State, they are present-ed in an array at the top of the state graphic; you just point and click in the circles bearing the stim-ulus names. They will “light up” when selected to indicate at a glance which ones will be turned on in this state.

A feature of our Habitest Linc is that it is labeled with the names of the stimulus de-vices corresponding to the stimuli specified at the top of the state graphic.

Labels such as “Cue Lite”, “Tone”, and “Feeder” are displayed in the actual state graphic. With Graphic State, you don’t have to remember which devices are con-nected to which stimulus outputs or to set up the software with a configuration table. Each Habitest Linc has all of the drivers and switch buffers built-in from the time you purchase it. There are no driver or buf-fer cards to add or card frames to wire in order to add a stimulus or response mod-ule in the future.

RESPONSES

In state notation you specify which re-sponse event and how many of them are required to produce a state change (transi-tion to the next state). The Graphic State protocol-creation window shows by name, in a “point-and-click” list, the inputs that are available in the station you are using. The event-parameter specification box in each window allows you to make “point-and-click” selections of an input, the number of events and the probability of these events required to leave the state. “IF” this num-ber of events occurs and the probability is met, then the program will go to the state you specify with its new stimulus configu-ration and response consequences.

You may also select the number of events required from a list that you create to re-

quire a different number each time the program “uses up” a value. You may also elect to import an entire transition line from another state with the count value for the number remaining from count-down in the original state and other states along the way!

Some Habitest response sensors provide information about the magnitude (analog level) of certain types of behaviors. The threshold output of our A24-72 Transducer Monitor will detect the point at which a transducer analog signal exceeds a user preset value level and change its output signal from “OFF” to “ON”. The A24-72 Transducer Monitor also reduces the analog information to a series of pulses that vary in rate as a function of amplitude. They are handled by the Linc as event-like inputs but represent time/magnitude inte-grals such as gram/seconds.

TIME

Just as for responses, you can create a time-transition line to determine the dura-tion a state will persist by specifying an exit “AFTER” a period of time and prob-ability of occurrence. You may select any number of time-transition lines! This is a definite departure from standard state notation programs. How can you possibly use multiple times? You might think that the program will leave the state after the shortest interval has elapsed. It can, but in Graphic State, transition parameters are not automatically reset on state entry so the elapsed times of intervals may be pre-served. Since you have the option to reset

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28

or not to reset any transition-requirement line the next time you enter the state, any remaining time(s) may continue from when the state was previously used. So the next time you enter this state, it is pos-sible to exit after a different elapsed time! You can also exit a state after a cumula-tive time in the state from multiple visits to that state! As with event transitions, you may also select time from a list.

The carry/import function (the Portable Transition) is where the preservation of remaining event and time values really pays off. Accumulated events and elapsed time can be carried throughout the pro-gram flow rather than being restricted to use within the specified state. If you have used other state notation programs, you will see that this obviates many complex operations in those programs (including nesting) and opens powerful protocol cre-ation techniques.

STATE ENTRY

Many times it is desirable that “UPON” the Nth entry to a state, you change the pro-gram structure by going to a different state which may be linked to a totally different group of states representing a different stage of the experiment. Such transitions are accomplished by using the state-entry transition line. Simply specify that upon the Nth entry, the program will make a transition to another state.

All of the additions to the state graphic are made by clicking on one or more of the buttons and using the associated transi-tion–creation windows that appear. States are created automatically and added to the state selection list when they are specified as transition targets.

AUTOMATIC PROGRAM CHECKING

Graphic State can automatically resolve a protocol, that is, make sure that it is com-plete and will not “hang up” when run. It fully checks to see that all transitions are complete and that all states are linked to completed states with one or more transi-tion lines appended, and has a route to the “Finished” state.

DATA ACQUISITION

Graphic State features very robust data acquisition and analysis. You can create multiple data analysis structures com-prised of just a few or hundreds of ele-ments. Each structure may be analyzed at any time and you can create new analysis structures after some or all of the sessions have been run to reanalyze the data for items that may be of interest under a new hypothesis.

There is a filter section in the database that allows you to average records by sorting based on the session, the run, the station and the subject (by up to six subject-name attributes). Previously aver-aged data may be averaged with other previously averaged data to save com-putational time because the information necessary to recalculate standard devia-tions is saved in the database with the averaged data.

Data may be presented in tabular or graphic form. The tables and graphs may be saved and imported into your word pro-cessing program.

OTHER FEATURES

There are also many other features in Graphic State that make the program a pleasure to use.

You can create a number of subject-draw lists that can be queried as listed or at random to automatically assign the next subject to be run.

You can run the same protocol in all sta-tions, or different protocols in each. You can run master and yoked stations. Each station is independent and when one subject is finished, you may enter the next name and start it as soon as you have the animal in the box.

The session run screen shows all stations with columns below each listing response totals, the previous and current state, the elapsed time and the status of each sta-tion.

There are automatic equipment checks at session log-in.

When you log in to run a session, you

may opt to exclude the session from the database by selecting “pilot data” thereby preventing the data from being averaged with “archive data” from regular runs.

You may execute up to 99 experiment runs in each of up to 16 stations within each session, and you may run up to 999 ses-sions in each project in the database.

Protocols are protected from being changed. Once run, the state flow struc-ture cannot be changed. This protects data obtained by protocols with different structures from being averaged.

All critical functions are password protect-ed and the operator’s name is stored with the session data.

MORE INFORMATION

The information in this catalog cannot do full justice to either the elegance or to the incredible ease of use of Graphic State Notation, for more information contact Coulbourn Instruments, and speak with one of our application consultants.

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TruScan Open Field Activity System

Our TruScan Photo Beam Activity system utilizes interchangeable Sensor Rings to ensure precision tracking of your subject in up to three planes. Point-and-click user-oriented software processes data for each session and saves all raw data for new analysis protocols in the future. The options available and the TruScan software for control and data analysis meet today’s needs for the study of activity like no other system on the market.

Small Lab Habitest Interface System

The H02-01 Self-Powered Habitest Interface Linc is con-trolled by the Graphic State Notation software. It can oper-ate one or two stations depending on the number of inputs and outputs that are needed for each station. The configura-tion of the Linc per station is done via software.

ClockLab Running Wheel Data Acquisition System for Circadian Biology

The most sophisticated and easy- to-use system available for data collec-tion and analysis for Circadian Biology.

FreezeFrame System for Fear Conditioning

A video-based, 4-channel system for the Conditioned Fear Test that rivals the human observer in sensitivity. The Freeze-Frame system now includes a module for precise video analy-sis of learned helplessness (tail suspension) experiments. Up to 4 animals can be recorded at once.

C O U L B O U R N R E A D Y - T O - R U N P A C K A G E S

LIMELIGHT is a video tracking system for behavioral experiments such as open field, plus maze, radial arm maze and novel object recogn� Designed in close collaboration with users, LIMELIGHT is highly automated, easy to use and has received acclaim from our users.

Robust tracking. No special lighting is necessary. Any number of stationary objects can be placed in the arena without affecting track-ing. Track animals of any color automatically at frame rates as high as 10/sec.

Extremely flexible. Switch instantly between any of several stored setups. Specify arena size and shape with a few mouse clicks using an intuitive interface.

High throughput. Record 4 animals at once. Handle hundreds of trials easily in a single data file. The program is currently being used for a large-scale mutagenesis screen.

Extensive Batch Analysis. Export analyses directly to an open Excel spreadsheet. After data collection, animals can be sorted into user-specified groups, for which mean and stan-dard error are reported separately, along with data for individual animals.

Store video images for later review in the analysis window or for export to QuickTIme and PowerPoint presentation movies.

Analysis parameters reported by grid and zone• Distance traveled - Time spent in each region - Crossings into each region - Body length (Stretch attend) from nose to base of tail - Pointing Direction (orientation) - User specified. Contact us with suggestions…

V I D E O B A S E D B E H A V I O R A L S Y S T E M S

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DATA COLLECTION AND NUMERICAL ANALYSIS FOR FEAR CONDITIONING EXPERIMENTS

FREEZEFRAME is a unique, video-based system for the Conditioned Fear Test that combines the sensitivity of the human observer with the objectivity and high throughput of automation. While infrared beams or video tracking systems can detect gross movements of an animal from one part of the cage to another, FreezeFrame can detect the minute movements of grooming, sniffing, turning and rear-ing. And FreezeFrame monitors the animal up to 4 times per second, not once every 5 seconds, for far more objective and reproducible results.

Not a tracking system. A proprietary motion detection algorithm filters out shadows, light flicker and camera noise, and detects move-ments as small as 1 mm.

4-. 8- and 12- Channel systems allow high-throughput testing.

Fully validated. Greater than 90% concordance between FREEZEFRAME and trained human observers.

Multiple stimulus protocols can be stored and called up instantly for training and testing phas-es of the experiments.

Store images for later review in the analysis program. Export QuickTime movies of selected parts of trial.

Batch export data and analyses in spreadsheet format. % freezing, number of bouts, bout duration and intervals for specified periods.

Easy setup of hardware and software.

Sounds (white noise or 100-8000 Hz tone) are delivered through the computer’s sound card. The Shocker-scrambler is controlled di-rectly from the computer, along with additional stimuli such as lights.

VIDEO TRACKING FOR OPEN FIELD – PLUS MAZE, RADIAL ARM MAZE – NOVEL OBJECT RECOGNITION

WATERMAZE is an entirely new concept for taking the strain out of running watermaze experiments. WATERMAZE incorporates a unique� Reference memory, working-memory and other designs in which trials are interleaved in different ways can be accommodated eas-ily. Once the Project parameters are specified, each day WATERMAZE tells the user which animal to run next and to which platform. Even the most complex experiments can be run accurately and efficiently, for high-throughput experiments.

WATERMAZE’s analysis capabilities are unparalleled. Analyses can be viewed for single trials or exported for multiple trials directly to Excel� ’s

zones, Whishaw’s corridor, Gallagher’s proximity, quadrant times and crossings and more. Sug-gestions for new analyses from our users are regularly incorporated. Swim paths can be exported to standard drawing programs.

WATERMAZE’s tracking is robust and easy to set up with standard CCD cameras and video boards. No special lighting or video-processing hardware is necessary. Landmarks or other cues can be arranged in and around the pool without affecting tracking; the animal being tracked need not be darker or lighter than these objects. Multiple remote control switches can be placed around the pool, and the program can control multiple On-Demand (Atlantis) Platforms. Movies of each trial can be stored for later review or for QuickTime export to PowerPoint or other presentation software.

WATERMAZE goes far beyond existing programs in its ease of use and flexibility. Because it is designed in close consultation with users, WATERMAZE is integrated seamlessly with the experiment. It is already in use in excellent laboratories in academia and in industry, including the laboratory where the watermaze was originally developed, and is poised to become the industry standard.

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DATA COLLECTION AND NUMERICALANALYSIS FOR WATERMAZE EXPERIMENTS

VIDEO ACTIVITY RECORDING FOR CIRCADIANBIOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE

BIG BROTHER is a video-based activity monitor for behavioral neuroscience, neuropharmacology and circadian biology. BIG BROTHER tracks the distance traveled by each monitored animal using video cameras. The resulting data can be analyzed and viewed in the BIG BROTHER Analysis Program. For long-term monitoring for circadian biology, records can be imported into CLOCK-LAB, the standard analysis program for the field of circadian analysis.

Record up to 200 animals using up to 4 cameras.

Event markers for time of drug application, environmental changes, etc. Markers can be applied independently for each channel, or mark all channels at once.

Path recording. BIG BROTHER stores the complete frame-by-frame 2D path of each animal for detecting stereotypy and other behaviors.

Flexible. The image on each camera can be divided into any number of zones. The animal in each zone is tracked independently. BIG BROTHER has tracked animals from Drosophila to zebra fish to mice.

High temporal resolution. BIG BROTHER locates each animal up to 4 times per second (depending on the number being tracked). The tracker is highly sensitive, yet immune to noise.

Infrared Sensitive. BIG BROTHER’s cameras are infrared sensitive, so that tracking can be done under infrared or visible light, or on a light-dark cycle in which the lighting changes from on to the other.

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32

Drop Pan slips out for cleaning or replacing between subjects

E63-12 and E63-22 Sensor Rings

Tru Scan Photobeam Activity System

FeaturesPrecision Data TimingSmall Arenas for MiceEconomicalControlled Presentation of Audio, Visual, Electrical Stimuli and Infusion PumpsPowerful Innovative Software; Rerun Experiments Without Animals for New Data AnalysisFlat Sensor Rings; Do Nose Poke and Floor Plane Activity TogetherFloors Slide Out for Cleaning Between Animals

“Bulletproof” ConstructionRun Up to 10 StationsCE Approved

User-oriented software processes data for each session and saves all raw data for new analysis protocols in the future. The options available and the Tru Scan Data-base software for control and data analy-sis meet today’s needs for the study of activity like no other system on the market. These features, along with the exclusive physical design of the Arenas and Sensor Rings, have made the system among the lowest in cost yet the most versatile you can buy.

E63-10 MOUSE ARENA (CAGE) E63-20 RAT ARENA (CAGE)

In the Tru Scan system there are two arena sizes, one for small mouse-sized animals and one for larger rat-sized ani-mals. Other systems run rats and mice in the same arena; we provide arenas of the appropriate size and beam spacing for each. You don’t have to “make-do” with running mice in rat environments.

Our arenas feature a slide-out floor/drop pan so you don’t have to take the whole cage out of the station case to wash it. Just pull the floor out and dump it so that the next animal is not distracted or con-taminated by the droppings of the previous animal. Extra drop pans are inexpensive. You can even replace them for each run with freshly washed ones.

E63-12 MOUSE SENSOR RING E63-22 RAT SENSOR RING

Tru Scan’s photobeam sensor rings are separate from the station’s processor rath-er than being built together in a large case in which a clumsy single-piece test arena rests. There is only one type of sensor ring (sized for each arena). It senses in two dimensions (X&Y) and you use the same ring for floor plane, rearing or nose poke. You can do all 3 measures (with 3 rings) at the same time. The system logs X-Y coor-dinates instead of just a “yes or no” when monitoring nose poke or rearing. The rings are flat so that you can do nose poke and floor plane recording together.

StimuliAn exclusive feature of the Tru Scan sys-tem is that it can control up to four inde-pendent stimuli in each station to assess the effect of stimuli on behavior. Control infusion pumps, stimulators, tones, white noise, foot shock, or use relays to control other devices. Eliminate handling variables for injections during runs.

Sensor Rings are easily installed and moved

Rat Arena showing E63-91 Elevation Rods with a second ring for measure-ments in the elevated plane

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E63-13 MOUSE SHOCK FLOOR E63-23 RAT SHOCK FLOOR

The shock floor may be connected to any of our shockers (see page 14) which in turn may be controlled by one of the stimu-lus outputs of the Tru Scan Linc.

E63-14 MOUSE NOSE POKE FLOOR E63-24 RAT NOSE POKE FLOOR

The optional nose poke floors have a 4X4 array of holes with an underlying food tray. Because Tru Scan software records coor-dinates from sensor rings, it is possible to analyze through which hole and when the animal pokes its nose—great for memory protocols.

E63-16 MOUSE LIGHT/DARK BOX E63-26 RAT LIGHT/DARK BOX

The light/dark or retreat box covering 1/2 of the cage has a door to let the animal pass. Data acquisition protocols allow se-lection of any half of the cage as the “data area” so that entries, movements and time spent in the box may be recorded. This “solid black” box has no holes for the pho-tobeams so it doesn’t let in ambient light, but it is transparent to the photobeams.

E63-19 SMALL ARENA LID E63-29 LARGE ARENA LID

This option may be useful when you use a shock floor.

E27-50 STAND MOUNT TV CAMERA

E63-03 Hi Brite Cue

The Hi Brite Cue can be mounted on the arena lid to provide a visual stimlus for cued protocols. The Hi-Brite Cue consists of a single white light, T 3.25 Bulb.

E63-73 ELECTRODE/CANNULA SUPPORT ARM

A support arm to carry cannular and electrical swivels for infusion, stimulation and physiological recording is available to position over the arena on the V99-50 mounting stand.

E63-91 ELEVATION ROD KIT

These extensions allow mounting rings at higher elevations.

E63-14 Nose Poke Floor

E63-13 Shock Floor

Mouse Arena with a Nose Poke Floor and two Sensor Rings, one for the nose-poke task and one for floor-level X-Y movement measurements.

Light/Dark Box

SHOCKERS

You may use an H13-15 shocker from our Habitest system. See page 14 for details.

A69-20 TONE/WHITE NOISE GENERATOR

The Tone/White Noise Generator module is operated by the stimulus drivers on the back of the Tru Scan Linc. See page 34 for details. Use the H12-01 R speaker with an H94-00 (next item).

H94-00 WALL MOUNT BRACKET

This holds the Habitest H12-01 R speaker on the top of the Tru Scan arena wall.

INFUSION PUMPS

We offer both selectable-speed and eco-nomical, fixed-speed infusion pumps. Both types feature a safety limit timer and re-mote program control. See page 24.

STIMULATORS

Our isolated programmable stimulator and our DAC controlled stimulus isolator may also be operated by the stimulus outputs. See page 42 for details.

T R U S C A N P H O T O B E A M A C T I V I T Y S Y S T E M

T R U S C A N S O F T W A R E

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TRU SCAN INTERFACE

PCI-3 KIT INTERFACE CARD

L18-16XHS-10A EXPANDER BOX (This must be ordered when using more than one station)

E63-01HS TRU SCAN LINC

One Linc is required for each Arena. The system can control up to 10 Lincs and 10 Arenas, with 3 Sensor Rings each.

Each Linc has a microprocessor on board to control scanning, calculate the coordi-nate sets for each of the rings and report to the host computer. The Linc has LEDs to show the status of the experiment and a control switch that provides a way to start stations or resume recording after a pause when the environmental test equipment is in a separate room from the computer.

The Sensor Rings plug into the back of the Linc. The specific connector into which a ring is plugged determines its function: floor, nose poke, or rearing. There are also four stimulus output jacks on the back of the Linc; one is controlled by a timer and set on the front panel. Any stimulus device may be connected to one of the outputs and controlled by the Tru Scan software.

TRU SCAN SOFTWARE

Tru Scan Control, Data Aquisition and Analysis Software

Although the arena and other environment hardware features constitute a compelling reason to choose Tru Scan, the real power of the system resides in the software. Versatility and simplicity are the defining benefits of Tru Scan. You simply point and

click to generate experiment protocols. Once generated, protocols are simply called up by number any time you want to run them in the future. All selected data will be gathered, analyzed and presented in the same way whenever the experiment protocol is run in the future without rese-lection.

Other software features include subject, operator, and protocol I.D.s, as well as automatic data storage and stimulus pre-sentations, if desired. Fully automated data analysis is provided for each subject or across subjects with results presented in table or graph form. These type results are calculated for all of the measures you select from the “data analysis items” shown on the facing page. You can even cut and paste any of the graphic data to your publication documents.

Data

All data are stored as raw coordinate sets with real time date stamps for each of the (1 to 3) Sensor Rings used. This lets you do two very important things. First, any ex-periment can be rerun (without animals) to re-analyze data, using more and shorter histogram bins or new data elements to find other behaviors or effects that were

E63-01HS TRU SCAN LINC

CREATING A PROTOCOL AND SPECI-FYING DATA ANALYSIS - After creating your protocol and selecting the experi-ment-run histogram format for the first analysis elements in the first window, you will be presented with a second window in which to specify the data you wish to acquire. In this window you may select from the list (shown in full on the facing page), one or more data items to acquire and analyze. Most of them are predefined, but some of them, like the custom zone analysis selection, will open a third window so that you can customize the analysis element.

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missed in the original analysis protocol. All you have to do is create another pro-tocol and run the old data. You can also use the newly created protocol for future running of experiments with new subjects and even average the new data with rerun data. This feature contributes to meeting requirements for running as few animals as possible and using extant data wher-ever possible. Second, the raw data may be easily exported using Tru Scan’s au-tomatic formatting for export to a spread sheet or to a LIMS server for archiving and special statistical analysis.

32X32 Resolution

Tru Scan’s resolution is twice the Sensor Rings’ beam spacing, giving an effective 32X32 resolution. This is accomplished by calculating the center of the animal, tak-ing into account all of the beams blocked. Then the coordinate is rounded to the nearest half-beam space.

Summary Statistics

Any or all of the statistics listed to the right may be selected by pointing and clicking for each experiment. Each may be selected to be presented as a session histogram (experiment data interval) or a post-stimu-lus histogram with any number of bins and bin widths (time) desired. Each may be viewed as a list at the end of the session and may be plotted and printed if desired. Selected experiment runs, sessions, proto-cols and projects may also be averaged, plotted and printed. Graphic data can be saved to graphic files so that you can cut and paste it to your publications.

Details of the hardware and software are fully discussed in the Tru Scan User’s Guide. You may request a copy free of charge.

The following is the current standard list of data available;

The data below cannot be meaningfully averaged. They may be plotted only from raw data at the end of the session or from “review”.

X-Y Track PlotVertical Coordinate Track PlotN-P Hole-Sequence Track PlotN-P 16-Hole Task—Task Entries PlotN-P 16-Hole Task—Post-Task Entries PlotN-P 16-Hole Task—Novel-Hole Sequence

Plot

SPECIFICATIONSSensors

Scan Rate: 1 kHzSample Rates: 1 sec., 500, 250, 100 msNumber of Beams: 16Beam Spacing: Large Arena—1 inch Small Arena—0.6 inch

Arena DimensionsSmall: 10W X 10D X 16H inches Base plate—21 inches squareLarge: 16-inch cube inside Base plate—21 inches square

E63-01HS TRU SCAN LINCDimensions: 3.25 in H, 10 in W, 7 in DPower: 9 VDC (wall mount supply)Connectors:

3 Sensor Rings 1 LabLinc Cable 1 9-VDC Power Inlet 4 Stimulus control lines, 5V TTL

TOTAL MOVEMENTS (INCL. STPY)TOTAL MOVEMENTS (EXCL. STPY)TOTAL MOVEMENT TIMETOTAL MOVEMENT – DISTANCEAVERAGE DISTANCE PER MOVETOTAL MOVEMENT - MEAN VELOCITYLATENCY TO Nth MOVEMENTJUMPSREST TIMEHOME BASE CELLHOME BASE TIMEAMBULATORY MOVEMENTSAMBULATORY MOVE TIMEAMBULATORY DISTANCEMEAN AMBULATORY VELOCITYAMBULATORY MRGN DISTAMBULATORY CENTER DISTROTATIONAL MOVEMENTCENTER POINT ROTATIONS (CW)CENTER POINT ROTATIONS (CCW)STEREOTYPIC MOVEMENTSSTPY-1 MOVESSTPY-1 EPISODESSTPY-1 TIMESTPY-1 IRTSTPY-2 MOVESSTPY-2 EPISODESSTPY-2 TIMESTPY-2 IRTUSER CUSTOM ZONE TIME64-CELL ZONE TIME16-CELL ZONE TIMEMARGIN ZONE DISTANCEMARGIN ZONE TIMECENTER ZONE DISTANCECENTER ZONE TIMECENTER ZONE ENTRIESL-HALF ZONE TIMEL-HALF ZONE ENTRIESB-HALF ZONE TIMEB-HALF ZONE ENTRIESR-HALF ZONE TIMER-HALF ENTRIESF-HALF ZONE TIMEF-HALF ZONE ENTRIESL-R ZONE TIMEL-R ZONE ENTRIESR-R ZONE TIMER-R ZONE ENTRIESR-F ZONE TIMER-F ZONE ENTRIESLF ZONE CORNER TIMELR ZONE CORNER TIMERR ZONE CORNER TIMERF ZONE CORNER TIMEV-PLANE ENTRIESV-PLANE TIMEV-PLANE DISTANCE TRAVELEDV-PLANE STPY 1 - MOVESV-PLANE STPY 1 - EPISODESV-PLANE STPY 1 - TIMEV-PLANE STPY 2 - MOVESV-PLANE STPY 2 - EPISODESV-PLANE STYPY 2 - TIMEEXPLORATORY NOSE POKEN-P TASK ENTRIESN-P TASK TOTAL TIMEN-P TASK % REST TIMEN-P TASK ENTRIES

N-P TASK ERRORSN-P POST-TASK ENTRIESN-P TASK DISTANCE TRAVELEDN-P TASK NOVEL IRTN-P TASK REPEATSWORKING MEMORY RATIO

YOU MAY SELECT ONE OR MORE OFTHESE DATA ANALYSIS ITEMS:

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E61-02 Infrared Motion Sensor. Software is included with the E61-01S.

SPECIFICATIONS & MODEL NUMBERS

E61-01S ACTIVITY MONITOR INTER-FACE

Physical: 4.0 in. H x 17.6 in. W x 11.6 in. D (L18-16 LabLinc Interface Card included). Accommodates up to four (4) E61-08 interface units—8 channels each. Cable length to computer—120 inches.

Power Requirements: Line Power—115 or 230 VAC; 50 or 60 Hz; Internal— +/– 12 VDC and +5 VDC interface cards

E61-02 INFRARED MOTION SENSORPhysical: 2.4 in. H x 3.4 in. W x 1.9 in. DSpectral Sensitivity: 13µMSensor cable length: 10 ft.Sensors are removed from the cage to fa-cilitate cleaning. Sensor retainer clips are stainless steel and, once mounted, are left on through the cleaning process. Sensors are left connected to sensor terminal box and may be hung on the clip on the terminal box until the cage is returned.

E61-08S EIGHT-CHANNEL SENSOR INTERFACE(Includes one 8-sensor interconnect box and an 8-channel interface card)

Physical: 5.0 in. H x 9.0 in. W x 1.5 in. D Accepts eight (8) E61-02 sensors. Connects to an 8-channel module card mounted in the system inter-face cabinet. Cable length from interconnect box to module—25 feet (environment to control room distance). The interconnect box may be mounted on a wall separate from the cage rack so that the entire rack may be wheeled away to be washed when the sensors are removed from the cage clips and hung on the clip on the interconnect box.

Optional

E61-03 INFRARED ACTIVITY SYSTEM CALIBRATOR

� Up to 64 Channels

� High Production Screening

� Fully Automatic

� Easy Cleaning

This Infrared Home Cage Activity System is designed for activity screening using large numbers of animals. Each system interface unit accepts up to four 8-channel sensor interface modules for a total of up to 32 cages.

The data acquisition and management software separately records large (sus-tained) and small (brief) movements in three dimensions. The system maintains all raw data and a mechanical calibrator target is available to calibrate the system to meet GLP standards. Calibration is fully automatic. Simply install the sensor on the calibrator. The software runs the calibra-tion program and adjusts the individual sensor input channel for the known output of the calibrator.

Any size wire mesh home cage may be used. Stainless steel sensor mounting clips are attached permanently to the cag-es. The sensors are easily removed from the clips to facilitate cage washing.

Each sensor monitors motion in multiple zones of the cage through an array of Fres-nel lenses from a position outside of the top front of the cage. This provides full x, y, and z axis coverage. Movement in either direction on the floor, as well as rearing, is included.

The sensor head consists of paired in-frared pyroelectric detectors which mea-sure the 13µM radiated body heat of the subject’s image. The sensor’s output signal representing magnitude of the animal’s spatial movement is digitally converted, stored in raw form, and processed by the software.

A full array of statistics is available for longitudinal and across-subject analysis. Raw data are maintained on disk and may be recalled at any time for further analysis or integration with subsequent findings.

Each system requires an IBM compatible computer and an E61-01S Activity Moni-tor Interface. For each group of 8 cages, order an E61-08S 8-Channel Sensor Interface and, for each cage, order one

Home Cage Activity System and Sensor

H O M E C A G E A C T I V I T Y S Y S T E M S

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DATA COLLECTION AND NUMERICALANALYSIS FOR CIRCADIAN BIOLOGY

Data collection for circadian biology just got a lot easier! ClockLab 2 uses a new USB interface for plug-and-play simplicity. Each com-pact int�on a USB hub for 448 channels of input from virtually any signal source, including switches and infrared detectors. And as always, every system comes with the ClockLab Analysis program, the most powerful and widely-used tool for circadian analysis currently avail-able.

Data Collection:• Easy-to-install, easy-to-use USB interface, with high-density RJ-45 (Ethernet-style) connectors.• Record from up to 448 running wheels, infrared detectors or other devices.• Control light schedules in up to 64 different animal chambers with 24-hour, T-cycle and pulse protocols. • Record light levels in each animal chamber with simple photodetectors. • Access data fi les over the internet at any time, without halting data collection, to check the progress of experiments. • Windows 2000 and XP compatible.• Highly reliable. Full power-failure recovery capabilities. • Affordable cages with running wheels and long-life switches available.

Data Analysis:• Automatically identify activity onsets. Calculate phase-shifts, alpha and tau from onsets. • Click and drag to zoom actograms. Zoom in on part of the data, and click to display its periodogram or activity profi le.• Innumerable convenience features for automating repetitive tasks.• Edit actograms and graphs in any graphics program to create slides and fi gures.• Display daily light cycles recorded by the CLOCKLAB data collection program. • Extensive batch printing and analysis features. • Read fi les from Minimitter, Actiwatch, DataQuest, Stanford or any other data collection system.• Windows and Macintosh (OS-9 and X) compatible.

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A10-25Portable PhysiologyPlatform (P3) Patent Pending

The A10-25 is a portable physiology system outfitted with several biofeed-back devices. The unit is comprised of 4 Isolated Bio-amplifiers, 4 Programmable Band-pass filters, 1 Isolated Skin Con-ductance Coupler, 4 Contour following integrators, 4 remote inputs and an audio signal generator.

Isolated Bio-amplifiers:The amplifiers are fully isolated for patient safety. The gain is fully program-mable with selectable settings for 500, 1k, 5k, 10k & 50k. The amplifiers are AC coupled and the coupling is selected with the front panel 3-position switch. The available coupling settings are .1 Hz, 1Hz and 10Hz.

Programmable Band-pass filters:The programmable Band-pass filters are 2-pole Butterworth type filters with a 12dB per octave attenuation. As the description implies, these filters are fully programmable for different frequency skirts. The lo-pass filter has selectable settings for 40Hz, 150Hz, 1kHz & 3kHz. The hi-pass filter has selectable settings for open, 8Hz, 13Hz, 90Hz & 150Hz.

Isolated Skin Conductance Coupler:This section is used to measure skin con-ductance. This is the most used method of measuring electrodermal response or EDR. The output represents conduc-tance in millivolts per Siemens. A cou-pling switch is located on the front panel which allows the user to select either direct coupling (DC) for the measurement of basaltonic skin conductance level, SCL, or AC coupling to measure the skin conductance response, SCR. The SCR

time constant is 5 seconds.

An excitation switch on the front panel provides a user selectable .5 volt AC, sine signal or a .5 volt DC excitation which is applied, via electrodes, across the subject’s skin and the resulting current flow is processed by the coupler into an output voltage signal.

A 10-turn potentiometer balance control permits balancing the current subject tonic (basal) conductance level to zero when the unit is in the DC mode. A sensitivity control switch on the front panel provides 5 selectable calibrated sensitivity ranges. The available ranges are 10 mV/µS, 50 mV/µS, 100 mV/µS, 500 mV/µS & 1000 mV/µS.

Contour-Following Integrators:The contour-following integrators (CFI) are typically used to smooth out the peaks and valleys encountered when recording EMG. There is a CFI provided for each of the 4 bio-amplifiers. The CFIs are each independently selectable. If disabled, the output is raw and free of rectification and integration. When enabled, the output is full-wave rectified and integrated with a programmable integration time constant. The available time-constant settings are

10ms, 50ms, 100ms, 200ms, & 300ms. There is a DC offset control on the front panel. The negative offset allows the user to “zero out” background noise and/or unwanted baseline signal coming from the input source.

Remote Inputs:Four remote inputs are provided for user input/control. These inputs operate with a +5VDC-30VDC input. These inputs are located on the rear panel. Each input has two .080 receptacles.

Audio Signal Generator:The audio signal generator is used to provide tone and noise pulses. The most commonly used paradigm is pre-pulse in-hibition. The audio signal generator is fully programmable for frequency and ampli-tude. The onset and offset of the signal is shaped with a rise/decay time that is also programmable. The amplitude can be set from 0.00 – 100.00% and the frequency can be set from 20Hz to 99.9kHz. The selectable settings for rise/fall decay are 1ms, 2ms, 5ms, 10ms, 50ms & 100ms. The audio signal generator has a built-in amplifier for driving standard headphones. A ¼” stereo plug is located on the rear panel.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Isolated amplifiers:Amplifier Type: Precision Instrumentation, differenctialInput impedance: 109 ohmsInput Bias Current: 10nA typical: 50nA max.Maximum Input Voltage: 100mV (differential) +/- 10V (common mode)Noise (referred to input): 2µV rms typical at 10 to 1kHzFrequency response: .1 to 3kHz (-3dB)Amplifier Gain: Programmable: 500, 1k, 5k, 10k & 50kGain Accuracy: +/- 4% of selected Gain (max)Highpass Filter: Programmable settings of 8, 13, 90, 150, 1k Hz Lowpass Filter: Programmable setting of 13, 40, 150, 1k & 3k Hz Output Impedance: Less than 50 ohms. Output Voltage Range: +/- 10 Volts Notch Filter: 30dB rejection at 50/60Hz

Contour Following Integrators: Time Constants: Programmable settings of Bypass, 10, 50, 100, 200 & 300 ms Rectification: Jumper selectable settings for Full-wave, Positive & Negative Negative Offset: 0 to -5VDC adjustment with front panel control

Remote Inputs: Isolation: Optically Isolated Operate Voltage: +5V-30VDC

Audio Signal Generator: Tone SourceFrequency Range: 20Hz-99.9kHz Rise/Fall Shaping: Linear Shaping Settings: 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 & 100ms Amplitude:

P O R T A B L E P H Y S I O L O G Y P L A T F O R M - P 3

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A C O U S T I C S T A R T L E S Y S T E M

� Multi-Protocol� Screening or Research� Fully Automated� Easy-To-Use Software� Minimal Subject Handling� Automated Calibration� Full-Power Acoustic Transducer� Statistical Analysis� Tone or Noise Prepulse� Provision for Shock, Light, and other Stimuli

Our Animal Acoustic Startle System is comprised of one or eight sound attenu-ated chambers, Total Audio Throughput Capability is the most robust in the indus-try insuring that you can perform any pro-tocol. The sound output of the startle audio transducer is up to 128dB with either 20Hz to 20 KHz white noise or with program selectable tone frequencies from 10 Hz to 25.5 KHz.

There is minimal animal handling. They are simply placed in a holder and then the holder is placed on the response sensor platform in the chamber. (See page 40 for Load Cell Platforms.) When the stimulus is presented, the subject’s response is regis-tered by the platform. The signal is amplified and integrated by a transducer coupler and routed to the analog-to-digital conver-sion and transmission to the computer.

The V-series modules include a V19-16 General Purpose LabLinc Port (which is at present used only for this application), a V85-05 Audio Module and up to eight V72-25A Transducer Coupler modules. The V85-05, under control of the V19-16 gen-erates the audio stimuli. The stimuli are then routed through a special high-power, acoustic-pulse amplifier (E56-02 Startle Response Amplifier) to the high-power acoustic driver in the top of the chamber.

(Detailed information on the V-Series modules is presented in our “LabLinc V Catalog”.)

Up to 8 subjects with a single interface card,and two controllers can be run from a single computer.

For more information, please contact your sales representative or log onto coulbourn.com.

ANIMAL ACOUSTIC STARTLE SYSTEM

A10-21 ACOUSTIC STATE CONTROLLER

E10-21 ACOUSTIC STARTLE CHAMBER (SINGLE SUBJECT)E10-24 ACOUSTIC STARTLE

CHAMBER for 1 to 4 subjects

E45-11 SMALL LOAD-CELL PLAT-FORM (1lb) for subjects up to 450 gm

E45-12 SMALL LOAD-CELL PLAT-FORM (2lb) for subjects up to 900 gm

E45-15 SMALL LOAD-CELL PLAT-FORM (5lb) for subjects up to 2250 gm

E05-15 SMALL ANIMAL HOLDER (weighs 200 gm) for subjects up to 400 gm

A N I M A L A C O U S T I C S T A R T L E S Y S T E M

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E05-20 SMALL ANIMAL HOLDER (weighs 250 gm) for subjects up to 1 kg

E56-02 STARTLE RESPONSE AMPLIFIER (1 for each chamber)

PCI-3-KIT (1 for up to 8 subjects)

V15-17 MODULE POWER BASE (1 for up to 8 subjects)

V19-16 GENERAL PURPOSE PORT (1 for up to 8 subjects)

V72-25A RESISTIVE BRIDGE STRAIN GAGE COUPLER (1 for each subject)

V85-05 AUDIO SOURCE AND SIGNAL CONTROL (1 for up to 8 subjects)

MODEL NUMBERS:

The Coulbourn Instruments Animal Acous-tic Startle System provides a completely automated environment in which to imple-ment all of the commonly employed startle protocols. Procedures such as habitua-tion, pre-pulse inhibition and fear-potenti-ated startle are easily accomplished.

The system is computer-based and all stimulus parameters are specified by com-pleting entries in Windows available from a single screen. Experiment protocols are saved to disk files.

The software allows the use of either stim-ulus type (tone or noise) in either or both stimulus positions. For tone stimuli, am-plitude, frequency and duration are com-puter controlled; rise/decay time is switch selectable on the V85-05. Amplitude and duration of noise bursts are computer con-trolled. Calibration routines for noise and tone stimuli are included.

During an experimental session, the soft-ware displays both numeric and response waveform data. A post-hoc data viewer is included for critical examination of trial-by-trial response data.

Acoustic Startle Controller (for 1-4 subjects)

Acoustic Startle Response Chamber (for single subject)

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The response sensors in the platforms are strain gage load cells. This type of sensing eliminates the major problems associated with other transducers. The platforms can be easily and automatically calibrated with static weights. A calibration routine is in-cluded in the Startle System software.

In addition to acoustic stimuli, outputs are available for stimuli in other modali-ties. The software allows programming of these events in the same scheme used for acoustic stimuli, and they may be used in lieu of acoustic stimuli in startle designs.

The user also maintains complete control of such experimental details as the char-acteristics of the adaptation period, the use of the ventilation fan in the chamber, and the nature of the acquired data. The system offers a sophisticated level of control combined with an intuitive user interface.

An example of this design approach is the inclusion of a separate routine for conduct-ing the training trials needed for fear-po-tentiated startle protocols.

A13-65 Isolated Programmable Stimulator

A C C E S S O R I E S F O R A L L B E H A V I O R A L S Y S T E M S

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STIMULATORS

A13-65 ISOLATED PROGRAMMABLE STIMULATOR

The A13-65 is a general-purpose stimula-tor designed to serve a very wide variety of applications. It is suitable for uses ranging from stimulation via cutaneous, implanted and microelectrodes to tissue and large organ baths. It may be used for lesioning any tissue for destruction or histological marking. Precision feedback regulation and highly accurate timing also make it ideal for iontophoresis.

This instrument is capable of monophasic or biphasic (polarity reversal) stimulation with a constant-current (feedback regu-lated) or constant-voltage (feedback regu-lated) output. It is totally isolated from line voltage by means of a split-winding trans-former. The stimulus synthesis section is additionally isolated from the main unit output and the subject by optical isolation. The oscilloscope monitor output is also totally optically isolated from the subject, giving high accuracy in monitoring without stray signal or ground reference problems.

The stimulus protocol (timing, amplitude, and pulse relationships of the actual electrical stimulus output) may be pro-grammed via the keypad on the front of the instrument, or it may be programmed on a computer and downloaded to the stimulator.

A13-75 Stimulus Isolator

Programming is simple: the user is led through the setup of a protocol by a se-ries of prompts on the front panel display. Entry of Yes / No responses or numeric values for time and amplitude is all that ‘s required.

The unit can store up to 255 stimulus protocols, which can be recalled by a key-pad entry or by an on-line computer for instantaneous protocol change while run-ning an experiment.

A13-75 STIMULUS ISOLATOR

The A13-75 is designed to convert DAC outputs to controlled stimuli. It will also isolate and amplify any stimulus signal, square pulse, sine, ramps, etc. from other sources and control for constant current or constant voltage. A fully protected, direct-coupled output prevents damage from overloads or shorts, and the power supply is completely isolated from the stimulus signal inputs. A high-speed reed relay electrode transfer and shunt provides for stimulus presentation, recording, electrode disconnect and electrode short-ing to eliminate tissue charge buildup.

No matter what signal source is used, the isolator’s stimulus output can be controlled for either constant (feedback regulated) voltage or current. The voltage of the stimulus signal fed into the input will de-termine either the voltage or the current of the output.

In the voltage mode, the unit puts out a constant voltage at the rate of 1 volt per volt input (unity gain), 10 volts per volt (x10), or 100 volts per volt (x100). If the midrange is selected and the stimulus signal voltage is 0.5 volts, the output will be the same signal form at 5 volts.

The 3 ranges of current setting will pro-duce constant current outputs of 0 to 100 microamps, 0 to 1 milliamp, and 0 to 10 milliamps. The input voltage determines the output current in this mode. If the mid-range were selected which produces 100 microamps per volt, and a stimulus com-plex in the range of 0.5 volts were intro-duced to the input, the output would be the same stimulus configuration (“waveform”) controlled for a constant current in the range of 50 microamps.

Stimulus configuration sources may be synthesized analog signals from signal generators, oscillators, or even non-iso-lated stimulators or they can even be re-corded signals from analog tape.

For more information on either of these stimulators, ask for our stimulator bro-chure. Copies of the applications manu-als are also available free of charge on request.

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A24-72 RESISTIVE BRIDGE TRANS-DUCER MONITOR

This device allows any resistive bridge transducer to be used in the Habitest sys-tem. It has two standard response switch outputs, one for threshold detection, and a serial pulse proportional output.

The threshold output is on when the trans-ducer is above a user-selected setpoint. This function is similar to a comparator or signal level trigger. It is used for setting force, pressure, or other threshold require-ments to produce an event-type input.

The proportional output is a serial-pulse analog-to-digital converter employing time period integration. It is used to record ergometric-aspect behaviors in a time-amplitude, integrated mode. It may be used with any bridge transducer, but is most commonly used with the Load Cell Platforms for ergometric activity or with a stand-mounted transducer.

The proportional output produces a pulse stream the frequency of which is propor-tional to the magnitude of the signal from the transducer; more force, more pres-sure, etc., the faster the pulses (typically from a few per second up to a maximum of 50 per second). This is an ideal method of bringing magnitude data into a behavioral software package which is, after all, event-rate oriented for contingency structures. The output pulses represent a number of Newton/seconds of force applied (or other time integrated units for other transduc-ers).

SPECIFICATIONS

Maximum Input Voltage: ±2 Volts.Common Mode Rejection: 100 dB Min.

(DC - 60Hz).Noise: RTI - 1 Hz - 1000 Hz, 0.4mV P-P

Max. Bridge Excitation: 5.0 VoltsCoupling / Frequency Response: DC Coupled DC - 1500 Hz, +/- 3 dBAC Coupled 1 Hz - 1500 Hz, +/- 3 dBBalance Control: Auto Balance: Pressing down initiates

autobalance. Balance Precision: ±32 mV of center of

5 V range. ”Balanced“ LED: Indicates successful

autobalance.Sensitivity Control: 3 Ranges Accuracy: ±2%.Digital outputs: Switch closures to -28V.

Swivel and harness accessories

ACCESSORIES

MOUSE HARNESS A71-21M-<25 25 gm or under A71-21M-25/30 25 to 30 gm A71-21M->30 Over 30 gm

RAT HARNESS A71-21R-150/250 150 – 250 gm A71-21R-250/300 250 – 300 gm A71-21R-350/500 150 – 500 gm

The harnesses have holes to accommodate the rodent’s legs and close with hooks. The tether spring attaches to the harness with Velcro®.

A73-51 CANNULAR FEEDTHROUGH SWIVEL

The swivel mounts on either the H29-01M or H29-01R support arm, both of which mount on test cages with the “–IS” option (see page 4). Supplied with offset-arm, an Allen wrench, and screws to attach to the tether spring.

A73-59M, A73-59R CATHETER- PROTECTION AND TETHER SPRING

Attaches to the harness at one end and the swivel at the other. It transmits torque from the animal to the swivel and protects the cannula running through the center from chewing. (Length—24 inches)

A C C E S S O R I E S F O R A L L B E H A V I O R A L S Y S T E M S

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A69-20 Tone/White Noise Generator

AUDIO-VISUAL STIMULI

A69-20 TONE/WHITE NOISE GENERATOR

This unit is a self-contained tone and white noise source with an integral power amplifier to drive a speaker. It has a uni-versal 5 to 30 Volt control input so that it may be operated by Habitest Lincs, LabLinc V modules, or Tru Scan Lincs. You may manually select noise or one of 30 tone frequencies to be presented either manually or by program control. It is also useful for general masking applications in room-sized areas. It is powered by a wall-mount supply (provided). Tone frequency is set by selecting one of 15 frequencies on the rotary selector switch. A range switch allows you to select either one or ten times the set frequency. The 16th position on the switch is the white noise selection.

Available frequencies range above human hearing to 30KHz for use with rodents. At the upper end of the available spectrum you must use a high quality tweeter to deliver the stimulus.

The unit may be manually operated mo-mentarily by pressing the stimulus gating switch down, or indefinitely by placing it in the up position. When the switch is in the center position, the unit is gated on by a signal to the universal control input on the back of the case.

SPECIFICATIONSTone Source:

200 to 3KHz in 200 Hz increments, 2KHz to 30KHz in 2K increments

Accuracy: 5% Amplitude Stability: 0.5 dB Sine Distortion: 0.5%Noise Spectrum: 10 Hz to 20 KHzAttenuation settings: 0, -1, -2, -4, -6, -12, -15,

-18, and -21 dBShaped Rise/Fall Gate: 80 mS, +/– 10%Gate Control Voltage: 5 to 30 VDCOutput Power: 2.5 W (RMS) into 8 OhmsOutput Connector: RCA Phono Connector

A29-18 AUXILIARY RELAY

This is a 1-Form-C (Single-Pole, Double-Throw) relay that is operated by 5 or 28 volts from any Linc or other source. It may be used to control any device that may be controlled by a remote switch closure, or may be modified to do so. Use it to control projectors, event-mark data being gath-ered by another system, or to operate oth-er stimuli which do not operate on 5 VDC or 28 VDC. If the device is operated by110 volts A.C., use the A29-19 below.

A 25-foot control cable is supplied with the controller.

A29-19 AC DEVICE CONTROLLER, 150 WATT

This is a solid state relay that may be con-trolled by either 28 VDC or 5 VDC signals from any Linc or other source. Use it to turn on line-powered lights, motors, etc. A 25-foot control cable is supplied with the controller.

PRECISION PELLETS

Coulbourn pellets and our automatic Coulbourn Pellet Dispensers (“dry feed-ers”) are used for a variety of purposes, including

Reward & Behavior ReinforcementTreats and Enrichment Food Restriction, Portion-Controlled Feeding, and Food Intake Measurement

Coulbourn Precision Pellets™ are fi nely engineered to provide optimal perfor-mance in Coulbourn pellet dispensers, assuring consistently accurate data. These precision pellets (or “tablets”) are produced by the LabDiet® and TestDiet® divisions of Land O’ Lakes Purina Feed. Diet formulas are produced under ISO-certifi ed GMP protocols and compressed into dust-free shapes of precise weight and uniform dimension without variance from tablet to tablet.

Coulbourn Precision Pellets are available in “20 mg” and “45 mg” standard sizes in several formulas, including:• Sucrose Reward • OmniTreat™ Purifi ed Ingredient Control Diet• OmniTreat™ Purifi ed Ingredient High-Fat Diets – 45% and 60% kcal from fat

• LabDiet® 5001 Grain-Based Rodent Feed

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A complete list of products and compre-hensive specifi cations are on our web site.

Coulbourn Food Intake Monitoring Systems

Precise amounts of food can be provided to animals to restrict or measure food in-take. Precisely controlling and measuring the amount of food provided to laboratory animals is critical in many areas of study – obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, drug development, food preference, nutrition, aging and longevity, circadian rhythm, eating behavior, psychology, neu-roscience, etc.

Coulbourn Pellet Dispensers are available to fi t any standard laboratory home cage to provide accurate, effi cient, and continu-ous “24/7” cost-effective measurement of the time, duration, and amount of meal-to-meal food intake.• Monitor one, tens, or hundreds of lab animals with one integrated system.• Collect data remotely without direct hu-man intervention; an uninterrupted food supply of several days prevents disturbing study subjects. • Use multiple dispensers per animal for food preference studies.• Coordinate and synchronize animals for pair feeding studies.• Save laboratory space by using home cages in standard acks.• Integrate food intake control and/or mea-surement with other testing protocols.

Coulbourn® Liquid Diet Mixes

Liquid diets are used for a variety of nutritional studies, fetal alcohol syndrome and alcoholism being just two of them. Coulbourn® Liquid Diets are ready to use in just minutes. Simply measure the ap-propriate amount of diet powder, and add water, ethanol, and/or other liquid. Liquid diet mixes can be formulated for any spe-cies, including the most commonly-used and widely-known rodent liquid diets based on the “Lieber-DeCarli” formula. See our web site for details.

Coulbourn’s exclusive pellet feeder with manual feed option

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Servers, workstations and laptops designed from the ground up to be the best laboratory and hospital grade computers on the market today. See why even non-Coulbourn customers insist on Cobalt quality for all their data collection needs.

PURPOSE

This Systems Reliability Report is used to demonstrate the reliability of Cobalt Computers workstations and servers.

SCOPE

This Systems Reliability Report will cover the Cobalt Computers series of computers used both in-house and in our customers’ facilities. Field reliability data are based upon the technical sup-port calls and RMA issues received on any systems deployed and currently in operation.

TERMINOLOGY

Critical Problem: Condition that severely affects service, capacity, billing and maintenance capabilities and requires immediate corrective action.

Major Problem: Conditions that seriously affect system operation, maintenance and administration and require immediate attention as viewed by the customer. The urgency is lower than in critical situations because of a lesser impending effect on the system performance and customer’s operation and revenue.

Minor Problem: Conditions that do not significantly impair the function of the system and do not significantly affect service to customers.

Reliability: The ability of an item to perform a required function under stated condi-tions for a stated time period.

Availability: The probability that a system is operational when required

Unavailability: A measurement of downtime “pain index” as viewed from the end user’s perspec-tive.

EXPLANATION OF SYSTEM AVAILABILITY

A demonstrated reliability measurement of 99.999% (‘5 nines’) or 99.995% (‘4 nines’) system availability (per year of continuous operation) applies to systems that meet requirements in the areas of I) configuration, II) application and adminis-tration, III) maintenance and environment, and IV) system redundancy. These areas can strongly affect the actual system reli-ability.

CONFIGURATION

Without a doubt, one of the most im-portant aspects to a reliability rating is the physical hardware and software configuration of the server. The specific

enclosures, RAID storage, hot-swap power supplies and fans used in serv-ers all contribute to platform reliability, but merely assembling these parts is not enough to ensure our outstanding reliabil-ity. The specific hardware and operating system configuration used to create a server platform must be tested, verified and validated to perform at a given level for a certain period of time in order to es-

tablish that the platform-specific metrics meet reliability norms and standards for that platform. Cobalt Computers has our own certified standards used to approve optional components. These platform configurations have been tested and certified using a predefined procedure for all system components and for overall performance. Elements common to many Cobalt Computers certified reference platforms are:

1. Redundant, hot swappable power with failure alarming.

2. Sufficient power to provide amper-age for normal operation of all system components.

3. Industry certifications FCC, UL and CE criteria.

4. Rugged industrial rack-mount enclo-sures with proper cooling capacity.

The only computers that could match Coulbourn’s reputation for quality are the ones we build ourselves. Co-balt computers is the fastest growing computer company on the East Coast, as certi-fied by Intel®.Our never ending commit-ment to quality is summer-ized in our published and certified reliability report. Please read our published Reliability Report to see the reason more laboratories, Government agencies and acedemic institutions are making the switch to Cobalt.

C O B A L T C O M P U T E R S

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5. Load and Performance-tested RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) subassemblies that include high perfor-mance SCA SCSI hard drives, industry-leading RAID controllers, and quality SCSI ribbon cabling.

6. Component selection criteria based on qualified quality-focused manufacturers and vendors of industry-standard chip-sets, industry-leading CPU’s, memory, backplanes and peripherals.

7. Highly stable and proven operating system platforms and up-to-date patches and kernels.

Cobalt Computers only buys from direct-to-OEM manufacturers. No third-party aftermarket components have ever met our quality criteria, and we prefer to get answers directly from a component en-

gineer, rather than a sales representative.

II) APPLICATION AND ADMINISTRA-TION How a server is being used and inher-ently, how its downtime is being mea-sured, will affect the reliability rating. Server downtime is measured according to the definitions and rules outlined in the Revision 3.0 of the TL9000 Measure-ments Handbook for supplier attributable outages.

System outage would correspond to a server with a “Critical Problem” as defined in the Cobalt Computers Reli-ability Report. Critical problems are recorded by Technical Support and the IT departments. These types of failures

are directly related to the particular ap-plications installed on systems, the major function of the server and the administra-tion of those applications. For example, if a system administrator installs a non-certi-fied 3rd party defragmentation utility on a server, it may cause the operating system to fail. This would be an example of how misadministration of a server might ad-versely affect system reliability. In general, installing untested applications or utilizing those applications in an unapproved man-ner can adversely affect system reliability. System failure due to misadministration is not considered when calculating reliability. The following is a list of sound administra-tive tasks for insuring reliability:

1. Do not install untested, uncertified, or unsupported applications on a server that has been pre-configured. Servers that have not been pre-configured by Cobalt

Computers or approved VARs (value-added resellers) are still subject to the requirement for certified applications. Applications that are untested may be submit-ted for reliability testing in certain situations. Data from technical support incidents involving applica-tion compatibility may be used to

determine whether an application is consid-ered tested, certified, or sup-ported for use with a particular platform. Technical Support can be contacted if there is a concern about supported applications.

2. Do not install third party utili-ties, programs, or device drivers that directly affect hardware, es-pecially in operating systems that employ a hardware abstraction layer (e.g. Windows NT.) Operat-ing systems that utilize hardware abstraction and other means of controlling memory addressing do so to maintain operational stabil-ity. Installing untested software of this nature can violate the ab-

straction layer and cause system failure.

3. Do not install multiple applications on a server for the purpose of utilizing that server for multiple major functions (a major function being one by which reliability is calculated.) Cobalt Comput-ers industrial servers are multi-functional, configurable and scalable but in a server environment, a single system generally has a single purpose. The more major functions a server has, the more likely it becomes that the server may have a sys-tem outage in a major functional area. It also increases the likelihood that a single critical failure of a system component (i.e. operating system, video card, etc.) would cause a system outage for multiple major functions.

4. Perform sound administrative tech-niques to minimize server downtime. Ac-tions like reviewing applications log files and system event logs for errors or ap-plication status are very important when the continued performance of a server application is critical. It’s also a good idea to keep reports of available disk space, memory and CPU utilization during peak operational hours in order to track overall system performance.

III) MAINTENANCE AND ENVIRON-MENT

Good server maintenance is crucial towards maintaining the overall reliability of the unit. If a redundant power supply or RAID drive fails and is not replaced,

systems are in-house at our Allentown, PA facility and in two remote facilities used for off site back-up and monitoring. These systems are monitored constantly for system downtime and outages.

Cobalt Computers’ in-house systems averaged 11.5 minutes downtime per system per year, not due to scheduled maintenance or upgrades.

AVAILABILITYThe availability for Cobalt Computers servers and workstations can be calcu-lated using the following formula:

A = (Total time – Downtime) / Total timeA = {{365}{24}{60} - [Downtime] / {365}{24}{60}}A = {{525,600 - DT} / {525,600}}

Availability (Field):A = {{525,600 - DT} / {525,600}}A = {{525,600 – 1.0} / {525,600}}A = 99.9998%

Availability (In-house):A = {{525,600 - DT} / {525,600}}A = {{525,600 – 11.5} / {525,600}}A = 99.9978%

As you can see, Cobalt Computers is proud to have a less than one half of one percent failure rate for our systems both in our customers’ and in our own facili-ties. As we are fond of saying…”it’s not that we don’t love every system we build, we just never want to see them at our facility again after the sale”.

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then the possibility of system failure will increase. This would be an example of how poor maintenance of a server would adversely affect the reliability rating of a server. The physical environment in which the server will reside is also extremely important. Demonstrated system reli-ability is an estimate of the potential and likely performance of a system based on prior performance. Data contributing to a system reliability rating from prior performance assumes good maintenance habits and an approved server room en-vironment. System failure due to misuse of equipment is not considered when reliability is calculated. The following is a list of some actions administrators and users can take to maintain the operational health of a system:

1. Quickly diagnose hardware alarms and affect repairs ASAP. (i.e. power supplies, hard drives, fans, etc.)

2. Quickly diagnose alarms reported by software agents (i.e. voltage drop, CPU fan speed, etc.)

3. Refer to system manual for environ-mental requirements of server. Do not operate the server in a poor computing environment (i.e. rooms with warm ambi-ent temperature, very high humidity, and insufficient power for system, etc.) Many times, a site survey may be conducted to insure that the environment is suitable for system operation.

4. Regularly change or clean enclosure filters.

5. Call technical support before making major modifications to the configuration or when replacing key system components.

6. Observe all requirements for handling ESD sensitive equipment including sys-tem components and the enclosure itself.

7. UPS, battery backup and/or industrial surge protection are strongly recommend-ed for continued system performance. Force Majeure (lightning damage, flood) are not considered when calculating sys-tem reliability.

IV) SYSTEM REDUNDANCY

System redundancy refers to both a philosophy and a hardware / software pre-configuration designed to ensure that

any single point of failure has a back-up system in place to handle normal opera-tions until a replacement component can be installed. Forms of redundancy include but are not limited to clustering, RAID control of all hard drives, multi-processor architecture and separate memory planes - all designed to pick up functionality where a failed component left off.

FIELD DATA

Cobalt Computers measures problem reports and system outages using a Quality Control and RMA database. Problem reports are categorized as “critical”, “ma-jor”, and “minor” in accordance with TL9000 standards. The following tables show the average values for problem reports and outage duration for May 2004 through May 2005.

During the year of May 2004- June 2005, Cobalt Computers had 3465 systems built, deployed and in the field. Cobalt had one critical problem (system returned for repair), 4 major problems (motherboard replacements) and 116 minor problems (DVD drives, floppy drives and monitors arriving DOA) .

For this period, then, the calculated failure rate is ten systems out of the almost four thousand produced, for a failure rate metric of 0.2% (10 / 3465). What this serves to illustrate is not that our selected components never fail, it’s that we fail them in-house with rigorous burn-in, test-ing and cycling. This allows us to send out systems that, statistically-speaking, have already experienced most of the failures that they are likely to see over a standard lifetime.

COBALT COMPUTERS’ IN-HOUSE DATA

Cobalt Computers maintains over 10 servers for its corporate network and communications infrastructure. These