
BC-535 Preliminary, Rev. 060126
18
INITIAL TEST
This section describes the basic setup for incorporating the amplifier and headstage into the BLM
workstation. Procedures for testing the performance of the
BC-535
immediately follow.
Amplifier setup
The headstage connects to the amplifier via a 1.8 meter cable. It is a good idea to route the cable
through a short shield (anti-wave guide) prior to its entering the Faraday cage. The presence of the
shield will have no effect on the signal received by the amplifier but can help reduce the amount of
electromagnetic interference entering the Faraday cage through the opening.
Since movement of the headstage can appear as a fluctuating stray capacitance at the headstage
input, the headstage should be rigidly mounted to a fixed support. The headstage is shipped mounted
to a platform that can be attached to various holders or micro-manipulators. In addition, the
headstage should be placed as close to the preparation as possible to reduce noise due to increased
input capacitance.
Overview
The procedures described here are provided to verify the functionality of the
BC-535
. These
procedures should be performed when you first acquire the amplifier and can also be used re-assess
the performance of the amplifier at a later time.
To perform these tests you will need:
•
BC-535
Bilayer Clamp amplifier
•
included headstage
•
included model membrane
•
Faraday cage
•
an oscilloscope (storage scope if available)
•
2 BNC connector cables
Initial conditions
Verify that the amplifier is disconnected and the power switch is off.
Place the
HEADSTAGE
into the Faraday cage. If using a small (1 cu ft or less) Faraday cage, then
connect the cage to the
GROUNDING JACK
(green plug)
on the
HEADSTAGE
. If using a larger Faraday
cage, then make a ground connection from the cage enclosure to the coupled
CHASSIS
/
CIRCUIT
GROUNDS
on the rear of the
BC-535
.
Connect the headstage to the amplifier via the input on the rear panel. Connect the provided
power cable from the amplifier to your line source. You are now ready to begin the functional check of
the
BC-535
.
CAUTION
: Connection of the
BC-535
to the wrong line voltage could result in severe damage to
the instrument. Therefore, before connecting the amplifier to the power source, check the serial
number label on the rear of the amplifier for its voltage rating. Prior to turning on the
BC-535
for the
first time, verify that the line voltage is correct for the instrument. If the instrument voltage rating is
incorrect for your area, contact our Service Department.
Warner
Instruments
A Harvard Apparatus Company .