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Tutorials
MultiClamp 700A Theory and Operation, Copyright 2000, 2001 Axon Instruments, Inc.
Note that with a filter setting of 2 kHz the peak-to-peak noise on Scaled Output is
about 0.5 pA, which is adequate for most single-channel recording. (See Chapter 4
for practical hints on how to reduce the noise further.)
6. This section of the MultiClamp Commander displays three other adjustable
parameters: Output Gain, AC and Scope.
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Use the glider to adjust Output Gain. Note the changes in the scaling factor at
Scaled Output: Membrane Current, as well as the change in signal amplitude
on the oscilloscope. Unlike changing the feedback resistor, altering the Output
Gain has no effect on the noise.
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AC: allows you to send the Scaled Output through a high-pass filter. This may
be desirable if you wish to remove a DC offset in the output, although in
practice it is best to avoid doing this, on the principle that all aspects of a
biological signal are potentially interesting.
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Scope is used to filter the signal provided by the SCOPE BNC on the front
panel of the MultiClamp 700A. In the default configuration, this BNC simply
duplicates the signal available at the SCALED OUTPUT BNC. However, in
some circumstances you may wish to filter the SCOPE signal, being viewed on
an oscilloscope, more heavily than the SCALED OUTPUT signal being sent to
a computer. The Scope parameter in the MultiClamp Commander allows you
to do this.
7. Open the Options panel and set the feedback resistor to 500M. Close this panel,
then reset the Bessel filter to 10 kHz, the Output Gain to 1 and the Seal Test
frequency to 200 Hz. Check the Seal Test checkbox; a train of ~1 Volt transients
will appear on the Scaled Output trace. (These are more easily seen if the
oscilloscope is triggered using the SYNC output of the MultiClamp 700A, as
described in Tutorial 1.)