Reference Section
•
75
Chapter 5
oscillations seem imminent. It is usually prudent to reduce the Pipette Capacitance
Neutralization setting slightly from the optimal, in case the capacitance changes during
the experiment.
Limitations of Capacitance Neutralization
Use of capacitance neutralization is less desirable than physically minimizing C
in2
,
since the neutralizing circuit adds noise to the voltage signal. This noise has been
minimized in the CV-7A headstage of the MultiClamp 700A by using low-noise
amplifiers and small injection capacitors, but it is still significant.
It is important to recognize that the capacitance neutralization circuit is not more than
90% effective even for ideal microelectrodes. This is because of the finite frequency
responses of the headstage amplifiers and the capacitance neutralization circuit, and
also because C
in2
does not behave ideally as a linear lumped capacitor. Consequently,
the amount of C
in2
that the circuit must neutralize should be kept as small as possible.
(See Chapter 4,
SHARP MICROELECTRODE RECORDING
.)