ETH-256: Two Channel Combination
03,
Bridge/Biopotential Amplifier
Overview
The ETH-256 is a combination transducer and biopo-
tential amplifier. Its controls, filter settings and gains
were selected with these applications in mind, thereby
making it well suited for the student physiology and the
research lab. The ETH-256 is powered by a wall trans-
former (12 Volts AC 1000mA). It connects to the ETH-
256 with a standard 3.0mm phono plug through a
receptacle on the rear panel. The ETH-256 uses an
optically isolated pod and cable (C-ISO-255) for
recording biopotentials (ECG, EMG, EEG, EOG) from
human subjects.
Note: Under no circumstances should human subjects be
connected to the ETH-256 without employing a C-ISO-255
iolated pod and cable.
With the C-ISO-255 pod and cable and the ETH-256
any of the twelve ECG lead positions can be recorded,
one at a time by manually changing the lead wires to
the appropriate connectors.
Figure 1-1: ETH-256 Front Panel
Front Panel and Controls
The ETH-256 is divided into two units or channels
with identical functions that are capable of making low
noise, AC-coupled recordings of bioelectric potentials
or DC-coupled transducer recordings (Figure 1-1 on
page 1). Each channel has three push-buttons and one
knob for controlling the functions described below. The
DIN8 and BNC input connectors for each channel are
also found on the front panel.
High-Pass Filter
The high-pass filter has four positions. Each time the
button is pushed, the filter advances, in step-wise
fashion, to the next position as indicated by a LED.
The DC position directly couples the input to the
amplifier and is used for measuring from wheatstone
bridge-style transducers or other ground-referenced
sensors requiring impedance conversion, such as pH
electrodes or ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). There
iWorx Amplifiers
are three AC-coupled, high pass filter settings: 0.
0.3, and 3 Hz. For ECG and EEG and EOG, 0.3 Hz is
normally used; for EMG, 3 Hz is commonly used. The
result of using a high-pass filter with a higher value is
the creation of a more stabile recording baseline; more
signal contributions from body movement or breathing
are removed with higher high-pass filter settings.
Input Offset
The position of the recording baseline, in either
Bridge (DC) or Bio (0.03, 0.3 and 3Hz) mode, can be
moved up (positive direction on Y-axis) or down
(negative direction on Y-axis) by using the Input
Offset knob. This control is very important in Bridge
mode where the output of a transducer may need to be
zeroed, or the maximum height of the recording display
area may need to be set.
Gain
The gain of each channel on the ETH-256 can be
adjusted independently. This allows very small signals
to be amplified before presentation to the display
device. The gain control allows you to select among
eight preset multipliers: x1, x5, x10, x50, x100, x500,
x1k, and x5k.
Low-Pass Filter (Hz)
The low-pass filter control sets the upper limit of
frequencies measurable by the ETH-256. The setting
labeled 10k offers a maximum frequency response of
about 10kHz. Other settings may be chosen to limit
noise. For example, the 50 filter removes all signals
above 50 Hz. Powerline noise at 60 Hz, the most
common source of electrical interference, would be
filtered from the recording along with any other
frequencies above 50 Hz with the use of this low-pass
filter setting. For very slow (low frequency) signals,
such as the output of a force or pressure transducer,
the 5Hz setting will provide the quietest recording.
Input
The input connectors are: either, BNC for single-
ended devices; or, DIN 8 for transducers, isolation
pods, head stages, and current to voltage adapters.
Figure 1-2: ETH-256 Rear Panel
1
Rear Panel and Connectors
The BNC output connectors for the ETH-256 are
located on the rear panel. It can be cabled to your data
acquisition system using a common BNC-BNC cable.
The power transformer input and the power switch are
also found on the rear panel of the ETH-256.
Operation in Bridge Mode
Input
On the ETH-256, the input for transducers, pods, and
adapters is a standard eight-pin DIN socket located on
the front panel of the unit. This socket provides a rapid
and reliable connection of these devices to the amplifier.
The connector on the transducer or other device that will
mate with the DIN8 socket of the amplifier is a male
eight-pin DIN plug available from Preh (p/n 71408). The
pin configuration for the DIN8 connectors used on iWorx
devices is illustrated in Figure 1-3 on page 2. A list of
wiring schemes for common transducer types is found in
the User Area of the iWorx website: www.iworx.com.
Figure 1-3: Pin configuration for DIN8 socket on front of ETH amps and
iWorx A/D.
Offset
Use the 10-turn Offset knob on the front panel of the
ETH-256 to control the precise position of the baseline,
while allowing inherent offsets of the transducer to be
nulled.
Operation of devices with excitation voltages
Once transducers, pods, or adapters are wired for the
correct configuration of the input of the ETH-256, these
devices will be supplied with excitation voltages (+5V),
inputs (+, -) for the differential amplifier, and a circuit
ground.
iWorx Amplifiers
The output of the transducer can now be viewed (at
the selected gain) from the BNC connector of the output
on the rear panel. Adjust the offset as necessary.
Using a strain gauge transducer with the ETH-256:
1 After the transducer has been correctly fitted with an eight-
pin DIN connector and attached to the appropriate input
socket on the amplifier, connect the output BNC on the
ETH-256 to the input of your recording device.
2 Set the ETH-256 gain to x1, the low-pass filter to 5Hz, and
the high pass filter to DC.
3 Observe the output of the ETH-256 on your recording
device. Confirm that the baseline position can be affected
by turning the input offset knob for this channel. Adjust the
baseline to zero Volts.
4 If you cannot see the baseline move when you turn the input
offset knob, try increasing the gain. A word about increasing
gain its possible that your recorder will also amplify and/
or position a signal. To avoid confusion, use only one set of
controls to adjust gain or offset once the signal is
positioned.
5 Continue to increase the gain until you can easily position
the line with the input offset control. If you cannot see a
signal on your recorder or if the signal is pegged all the
way to the top or bottom of the recorder range, disconnect
the transducer immediately and refer to the troubleshooting
section of this manual.
6 Now that you have your signal positioned, deflect your
transducer by an amount appropriate to your experiment.
For example, if you have connected a blood pressure trans-
ducer, apply approximately 250mmHg, or if you have
connected a force transducer, hang a weight from it which is
approximately equal to the maximum force you expect to
see.
7 Does the trace go off the screen or paper? If so, reduce the
gain. If the deflection on the screen appears small (less
than 20% of the full screen or paper), increase the gain.
Your ETH/transducer is now ready to calibrate. Refer to the
manual that came with your recorder for the best procedure
to accomplish this.
Operation of devices without resistive bridges, or
excitation voltages
The high input impedance of the ETH-256 in bridge
mode makes it useful for transducer types other than
resistive bridges. Piezoelectric, pH or any device with a
signal output less than 5V can be applied to the inputs
in differential or single-ended modes. Be careful to
shield the cable and source when using high impedance
devices.
Using a pH sensor with ETH-256:
Set the ETH-256 gain switch to x1 and the low pass filter
setting to 50Hz.
Put the electrode in pH 7.0 buffer. Observe the output of the
ETH-256 on your recording device. Use the input offset to
adjust the output to zero.
2
 Use a pH 10 buffer to do the second measurement. Select a
gain on the ETH-256 that allows the deflection from zero
produced by the change of buffer to be seen. Refer to the
manual that came with your recorder for the best procedure to
accomplish this.
Operation in Bio Mode
With the LED of the 0.03, 0.3, or 3 Hz high-pass filter
illuminated, the amplifier is ready to record biopotentials.
Any of these three settings will AC-couple the input to
the amplifier. AC-coupling selectively removes the DC
component of signals being recorded. For example,
when recording ECG, the electrodes placed on the
surface of the skin will generate a relatively small
galvanic (steady state) potential between them. This
small galvanic potential is many times the amplitude of
the ECG signal being recorded. In DC-coupled mode,
the gain applied to the ECG signal is also applied to the
galvanic potential. In most cases in DC mode, a gain
large enough to see the ECG will saturate the amplifier
with the signal of the galvanic potential.
If the input is AC-coupled to the amplifier, the galvanic
potential is selectively removed from the complete signal
and the ECG signal remains. All the gain required to
record the ECG can now be used. In addition to DC
signals, the 0.03, 0.3, or 3Hz filters will remove low
frequency AC signals, like the artifacts due to breathing
or movement.
Control/Setup
Advance the high pass selection so that the 0.3 Hz
LED is illuminated and set the gain to x10. As with the
bridge mode, it is a good idea to use the gain or the
offset adjustments of the ETH-256 to adjust the size and
position of the signal appearing on the screen. Select
the 150Hz low pass filter if you are recording ECG, or
10kHz if you are recording EMG.
Isolated Pod and Patient Cable
The ETH-256 comes with a 3-lead isolated pod and
cable (C-ISO-255). This cable may be used on either
channel of the ETH-256. The C-ISO-255 contains a x50
amplifier and an optically isolated output stage. When
this pod is connected to the ETH-256, the gains set on
the front panel are multiplied by 50.
Attache the three color-coded lead wires to the
isolation block on the pod.
Connecting the Leads
Attach surface electrodes to the subject. These leads
should have a snap connector to be used with the
supplied lead wires.
iWorx Amplifiers
Operation
With the described settings, you should now see the
trace slowly approach zero as the recording begins. This
event can take 10 to 15 seconds if the amplifier circuit
has been open for any length of time. Be patient and let
the trace settle before you attempt to adjust offset. If the
trace is noisy or wanders, see the troubleshooting
section of this manual. Assuming the trace is stable and
quiet, increase the gain until you can see an acceptable
signal. When used with the isolated pod, a gain of x10
set on the front panel will produce an electrocardiogram
of between 0.5 and 1 Volt.
The ETH-256 can be used to record signals such as
ECG, EMG, EOG and EEG. It can also be used to
measure potentials directly from muscles and nerves. It
is ideally suited for extracellular recordings from animal
tissue with hook, pin, or suction electrodes.
Recording an ECG with the ETH-256:
1 Plug the supplied isolated pod and cable into the input
socket for channel one.
2 Using an alcohol prep or alcohol soaked cotton ball, lightly
abrade the skin on the underside of each forearm and on
the back of the calf near the ankle. After the skin dries,
attach a disposable, adhesive-backed electrode to each of
the sites.
3 Connect the green lead (ground) to the electrode on the
right leg. Connect the red lead (+) to the right arm and the
black lead (-) to the left arm.
4 Start recording. The output seen on Channel 1 is a Lead 1"
ECG. Increase the gain until the form of the ECG can be
clearly seen. Other ECG lead configurations are given at
the end of this chapter.
Recording an EMG with the ETH-256:
5 Plug the supplied isolated pod and cable into the input
socket for channel one.
6 Using an alcohol prep or alcohol soaked cotton ball, lightly
abrade the skin on the underside of each forearm at the
locations indicated in Figure 1-4 on page 4. After the skin
dries, attach a disposable, adhesive-backed electrode to
each of the sites.
7 Connect the green lead (ground) to the electrode on the
wrist. Connect the red lead (+) to the upper portion of the
forearm with the greatest diameter and the black lead (-) to
the middle of the forearm.
8 Have the subject sit quietly in a chair with his or her
forearm resting on a table with palm turned upward
and finger flexor muscles relaxed,
9 Start recording. After five seconds, the subject should
gently contract his or her finger flexor muscles to
make a fist. The subject should hold this clench for
two seconds, then relax again for five seconds.
3
10 Continue to record, as the subject alternates periods
of a progressively stronger contractions with relax-
ation. Stop recording when the contraction reaches a
maximum
. the mains frequency. Use the 50Hz low-pass filter on the ETH-
Figure 1-4: Placement of electrodes to record an EMG from the subjects
forearm.
In the DC mode, when using the ETH-256 with data
acquisition devices sampling at low speed, a slow
sinusoidal drift appears. Sinusoidal drift observed when
using digital recording devices is almost always due to aliasing
of higher frequency noise. The most likely culprit in this case is
256 and any mains frequency or line filters that may be
available on your recorder to minimize or remove this artifact.
\When using a high pass filter other than DC, the signal
is noisy and wanders. Noise in the recording of biopotentials
is frequently from the power lines in the room. Normally the
differential properties of the amplifier can remove it, but this
becomes difficult if the electrode connection to the subject is of
high or variable resistance. Make sure that surface electrodes
are securely fastened to the subject by gently abrading the skin
surface where the electrode will be attached with some nylon
scrubbing material. Be sure to use enough electrode gel if you
have German silver (reusable) electrodes.
The offset works, you can see the trace, but there is no
signal. Make sure that you are using enough gain to see the
changes produced by your transducer or by an ECG/EMG.
Remember these signals can be just a few millivolts. If you use
the 10V scale you won't see much.
Check the obvious. Are the amplifier and recorder
connected to a working outlet? Are you turning the switches
and knobs on the correct channel? Are you sure about the
connection to your recorder?
Specifications
Number of Channels: 2

Operational Modes: Bridge (Transducer) or

Biopotential (ECG, EMG,
EEG, EOG, AP)

Gain: x1, x5, x10, x50, x100,

x500, x1k, x5k

Filters: High Pass (Hz): DC, 0.03,

0.3, 3.0

Low Pass (Hz): 5.0, 50,

150, 2K, 10K

Power Source Wall Adapter: 12 VAC,

1 Amp

Ground Isolation: Optical with C-ISO-255

Figure 1-5: Electromyogram (EMG) from the muscle of the forearm as the
isolated cable
subject is clinching his fist. Lower trace is the absolute integral of the EMG.
Input Impedance: 10 GOhm
Troubleshooting Output Impedance: 100 Ohm
In DC mode, trace remains maxed to one side, offset has Input Connectors: DIN 8 or BNC
no effect. Check that the transducer is not overloaded and that
the gain is not set too high the ETH-256 and your recorder Output Connectors: BNC
may be accurate. If your transducer is not reacting to a large
pressure or force, there are only two explanations for a large Offset Range: 5V
offset. The first is that one of the inputs to the differential
amplifier on this channel is not connected. The second is that Excitation Current: 50 mA per channel
one of the power leads that supply the transducer may have
shorted to the input or directly to ground. In either case, open Excitation Voltage: 5V
the connector on the transducer and confirm that the wiring is
correct and that there are no shorts. CMR 85dB up to 200 Hz

iWorx Amplifiers 4
ETH-401: Four Channel Transducer
Interface
Overview
The ETH-401is a dedicated bridge amplifier that
provides four channels of excitation power, gain, and
noise filtration. It exhibits low system noise and offset,
making it suitable for high resolution data acquisition
systems. The ETH-401 is an ideal solution for interfacing
low bandwidth transducers, such as those used to
measure force, blood pressure, and displacement to
data acquisition systems such as the IWX-118.
Gain control on the ETH-401 is very straightforward. A
programming resistor in the DIN-8 connector of the
transducer is used to set the gain of the input amplifier.
Transducers from iWorx set the gain of the ETH-401 to
the optimal value for that transducer. This does not limit
the ETH-401 to use with iWorx transducers. Many non-
iWorx transducers can be modified to work with the ETH-
401.
The ETH-401 is an inherently low offset device. This
fact, together with the low offsets produced by bridge-
style transducers and the high resolution of the iWorx
118 data acquisition system, dramatically minimizes the
need for offset control. Therefore, the ETH-401 user
experience is simplified.
The ETH-401 is packaged in a low profile aluminum
enclosure that provides both durability and increased
noise immunity. The device has a small foot print and
multiple units are easily stacked to save bench space.
Setting Up
1 Ensure the Line Power Selection Switch on the rear panel is
set properly.
2 Connect the power cable and switch the hardware On.
3 Connect the BNC output cable to the data acquisition input.
4 Connect the transducer input to the ETH-401 DIN8 input.
Front Panel
Figure 1-6: Front panel of the ETH-401.
iWorx Amplifiers
Rear Panel
Figure 1-7: Rear panel of the ETH-401.
Line Power Selection
The ETH-401hardware can be powered from either 120
or 220 VAC by switching the Voltage Selector switch on
the rear panel. Either 50 or 60-Hz power is acceptable.
The switch itself displays the selected voltage. By
selection of an appropriate input power cable, it is
possible to power the ETH-401 from virtually any supply
worldwide. It is critical that the Voltage Selector switch
be in the position appropriate to the local mains power.
This should be done before powering the device to avoid
damaging it.
Fuse Replacement
The ETH-401 is fused with a 100 mA, 250 VAC,
5x20mm style, slow-blow fuse. The fuse is the only user
serviceable part on the ETH-401and should only be
replaced with the line power cable unplugged. Replace-
ments may be found at many electronic suppliers
(LittleFuse Inc. P/N: 218.100 or equivalent) or contact
the sales representative if a replacement is required.
Because the ETH-401 is line powered, it presents a
safety hazard if opened. If your service problem is not
resolved by a fuse replacement, contact the service
department at iWorx or a qualified service technician.
Excitation Power
Each channel on the ETH-401can deliver up to 100mA
of 5 V excitation to power a transducer. Each channel
provides separate excitation power so that problems on
one channel will not affect the operation of other
channels. If the transducer on a given channel draws in
excess of 100 mA the fault is detected thermally, and
power is shut down to protect both the transducer, and
the ETH-401. Typically, this will cause a slow pulsing of
the ETH-401 output as the channels excitation power
regulator heats, is turned off, cools to its reset point,
then begins heating again.
5
Gain Selection
Gain control of the ETH-401 is programmed by a gain
set resistor in the input transducer. To minimize noise,
the gain set resistor is housed in the transducer cable
connector so that it is as close to the ETH-401 input as
possible. For Iworx transducers, gain values are preset,
and are selected so that the ETH-401 output will be
large without exceeding 5 Volts to maintain compati-
bility with data acquisition systems with that input range.
For non-Iworx transducers, a gain set resistor can be
inserted in the input connector. As a rule of thumb, to
determine an appropriate gain value, multiply the input
voltage range of the device following the ETH--401 by
0.7, then divide the result by the transducers maximum
peak to peak output signal including its offset. If the
input voltage range of the device following the ETH-401
is greater than 10 Volts, then substitute in 10 Volts to
ensure that the ETH-401 amplifier is never saturated.
For simplicity, Table 1 lists resistor values used to
program common gain values. For gain values other
than those listed, choose the resistor by the equation:
49.4k
R G ainSe t = -------------
G1
Tab l e 1-1 : Re s i st or Va l u es N ee d ed to S et
N om i n a l G ai ns .
Gain (Nominal) Resistor(1%)
1 Open
2 49.9k
5 12.4k
10 5.49k
20 2.61k
50 1.00k
100 499.00
200 249.00
500 100.00
1000 49.90
Frequency Response
Each ETH-401 channel contains an 8-pole, Besssel
style, low-pass filter with a fixed cut-off frequency set at
40 Hertz.
In general, a filter is used to reduce noise content,
where noise content refers to any energy in frequency
bands outside of the signal of interest. A low-pass filter
is used to remove energy content with frequency greater
than the signal of interest. An ideal low-pass filter would
pass all frequencies up to the cut-off frequency while
iWorx Amplifiers
removing all energy above that frequency. Figure 2
shows the frequency response of an ideal filter--it has 0
dB or unity gain for frequencies up to 35 Hertz, then cuts
off all frequencies beyond that. Real filters roll off
around the cut-off frequency such that signals at the cut-
off frequency are reduced to 70% of their input value,
and signals with greater frequency content are reduced
in direct proportion with frequency.
Ideal Filter
5.0000
Magnitude(dB)
-15.0000
-35.0000
-55.0000
-75.0000
0.001 0.01 0.1 1 10 100
Frequency
Figure 1-8: Frequency response of an ideal filter
Filter characteristics are easily shown with Bode-plots,
graphs that show amplitude, usually in dB, plotted on the
y-axis, against frequency, usually plotted logarithmi-
cally, on the x-axis. Viewing a Bode-plot of a filter shows
the steepness of the filter roll-off, and that steepness is
directly related to the number of poles of the filter. Filters
are also characterized by their style. Some commonly
used filter implementations are Butterworth, Bessel, and
Chebyshev. The filter implementation will also affect the
roll-off steepness.
The filter in the ETH-401 limits noise with frequency
content greater than 40 Hertz, while passing signals with
frequency content less than 40 Hertz. The Bessel style
filter is chosen to minimize ringing that results in other
filter configurations when the filter input has a step, or
sudden change, such as might occur when a
displacement transducer is moved quickly, or when a
force-transducer measures a striated muscle twitch.
Figure XXX shows a Bode plot of the frequency
response of a typical ETH-401 amplifier channel. There
are three things to note about this graph. The first is that
the cut-off frequency at 35 Hertz. The second is that the
graph ends at 335 Hertz, showing an attenuation of 81.6
dB, which is the limit of the resolution of the IWX-118
data acquisition system used to measure the ETH-401
frequency response. The third is that 60 Hertz noise is
attenuated by about 7.5 dB. From a practical stand-
point, 60 Hertz noise due to mains power supplies is the
most common and largest noise observed on bridge-
6
style transducers, and most of it will be eliminated by the
common-mode rejection of the ETH-401input amplifier.
What remains will be more than cut in half by the filter.
Consider a worst case example where a particular
ETH-401 is configured for unity gain and has the
guaranteed worst case common-mode rejection ratio of
80 dB. The transducer is powered by the ETH-401, and
thus cannot produce more than 5 Volts of noise at any
frequency. Again assuming the worst case, this trans-
ducer produces a 1 Volt signal at 10 Hertz, but has 5
Volts of common mode noise at and above 60 Hertz. The
common-mode rejection ratio of the amplifier attenuates
the common-mode noise by 80 dB, presenting the filter
with noise of 5 mV at and above 60 Hertz. The 60
Hertz noise is the least attenuated by the filter, but is
still cut in half, presenting the data acquisition system
with 2.5 mV of noise or less at and above 60 Hertz,
and a signal of 1 Volt. This results in a signal to noise
ratio of 400:1. Furthermore, when used with an IWX-118
data acquisition system, any noise with magnitude less
than 1 mV will fall below the resolution of the analog to
digital converter. For this example, that means that noise
with frequency content at or above 90 Hertz cannot be
observed. Typically, the common-mode noise will be
much less than the 5 Volts shown in this worst case
example, meaning that almost all noise will fall below the
resolution of the data acquisition system.
System Noise
System noise is the noise attributed to the ETH-401
amplifier itself, and is measured by shorting its inputs to
ground through 10 kOhm Resistors and measuring the
output. The system noise is specified with reference to
input (RTI), because this is a good indicator of the
appropriateness of the amplifier to an application. The
ETH-401 is specified to have system noise that does not
exceed 10 uVolts, though it typically is less than 2 uV
RTI. The ETH-401 with appropriate gain, is a good
choice for transducers that provide a full-scale output
signal of at least 100 uVolts, though typically it will
remain a good choice even for transducers with a full-
scale output as low as 20 uVolts.
Input Signal
The ETH-401 has differential inputs, meaning that
each channel measures the difference between two
signals. The inputs are the four DIN8 connectors located
on the front panel. The input range is 10 Volts,
extending its useful range to signals other than those
derived from its excitation power. The input impedance
of each channel is 10 GOhm so that high output
impedance transducers such as pH or ion-selective
electrodes can be used without loading.

ETH-401 Frequency Re spons e

Input Connector
10 Iworx transducers are configured to work with the ETH-
0 401, but other transducers can be built or modified to
-10 work with it as well. In most cases the modification will
-20 consist replacing the existing cable connector with a
-30
DIN8 male connector and inserting an appropriate gain
-40
set resistor in the connector shell. Figure 4 details the
-50
pin designations for the ETH-401 input connector--note
-60
-70 that the view is from the solder-side of the connector
-80 pins.
-90
0.00001 0.001 0.1 10 1000
F re que nc y

Magnitude -3dB

Figure 1-9: Bode plot of the frequency response of an ETH-401 amplifier

channel.

iWorx Amplifiers 7
 Figure 1-10: Pin configurqation of male DIN 8 connector used for devices
comapatible with iWorx units.

Output Signal Output

The output impedance of the ETH-401 is typically less Number Of Outputs 4 Single Ended BNC Connector
than 1 Ohm, and is specified to be less than 10 Ohms at
Frequency Response 100Hz (+/- 10%) 8-Pole Low
all frequencies up to 50 Hertz.
Pass Bessel Filter

Gain 1 to 10k (Set By Transducer)

Specifications
Output Impedance <10 Ohm (Maximum) / < 1 Ohm
Input
(Maximum) (Typical)
Number of Inputs 4 Differential DIN8 Connector

Excitation Power 5 Volt (10%) Power Line-- 120/220 V AC, 60/50 Hz

(Switched)
Input Impedance 10 GOhm

Input Range 10 Volt

CMR

Gain =1 >80 dB (Minimum) / >92 dB (Typical)

Gain = 10 >95 dB (Minimum) / >110 dB (Typical)

Gain = 100 >110 dB (Minimum) / >120 dB (Typical)

Gain = 1K >112 dB (Minimum) / >135 dB (Typical)

Noise <10 uVolt (RTI) / <2uVolt (RTI)

iWorx Amplifiers 8
DHS-300: Differential Head Stage Figure 1-11: DHS-300 connected to iWorx 214 for recording.

Amplifier
Overview
The DHS-300 is a high CMR, low noise differential
amplifier designed especially for use with the ETH-256.
It can be placed close to the preparation, eliminating
long lengths of wire that can act as a pick-up antenna for
line current frequencies and other sources of electrical
noise. This head stage is the best solution for the extra-
cellular recording of biopotentials in situations where it
is not possible to use the differential capability of the
amplifier to reduce common mode noise.
Equipment Setup
1 Plug the DIN8 connector of the DHS-300 into one of the DIN
inputs of an iWorx data acquisition unit or amplifier (Figure
1-11 on page 9).
2 Attach the recording and ground electrodes to the inputs of
the DHS-300: positive (+) electrode to the red input socket;
negative (-) electrodes to the black input socket; and, the
ground electrode to the black alligator clip and lead wire
coming from the back of the head stage.
Start the Software
When using an iWorx data recording unit with DIN
inputs (104, 114, 204, 214), or an IWorx data recording
unit (118) and an iWorx amplifier:
1 Click the Windows Start menu, move the cursor to
Programs and then to the iWorx folder and select
LabScribe; or click on the LabScribe icon on the Desktop.
2 When the program opens, select Preferences from the Edit
menu.
3 Select the Channel preferences dialogue window. Name
the channel to which the DHS-300 or the amplifier
supporting the DHS-300 is connected. Set the Mode and
Function for this channel to Record and Raw Data,
respectively. Also, set the sampling rate and display time.
Click OK.
4 If you plan to use these settings again, click on the Settings
menu and select the Edit Group to add this setting file to
your group of settings.
Specifications
Input Impedance >10 GOhm

CMR 100dB @ 60 Hz

Noise (input shorted

at 1x gain) <2uV p-p, DC-100 Hz
<10uV p-p, DC-1KHz
(input shorted at 1x)

Gain at Head Stage Output x10

Input Mode Differential

Output Mode Single ended

iWorx Amplifiers 9
GSR-200: Galvanic Skin Response Adapter
Overview
The GSR-200 applies a constant voltage across two
electrodes. The current flowing between the electrodes,
which is proportional to the skin conductance, can be
measured after the current is converted to voltage. It is
the voltage seen at the output of the unit that can be
recorded and converted to units of conductance.
The GSR-200 presents a voltage of 200mV across the
resistance being measured, so that the Current (I)
flowing across the skin from one electrode to the other is
equal to applied voltage divided by the resistance:
200mV
I = ------------------ = 200mV G
R
In the GSR amplifier, the Current (I) flows through a
1megOhm feedback resistor to produce the Output
Voltage (Vout ), so that:

1
V out = ----------------------- = I 1megoOhm = 200mV G 1megoOhm
R feedback

Solving for Conductance (G):

V out
G = -------------------------------------------------
0.200V 1meg O hm

Since 1 megOhm is the reciprocal of 1 Siemen, the

Conductance (G), in Siemens, is equal to 5 times the
Output Voltage:

G ( Siem e ns ) = 5 V out

Figure 1-12: Layout of GSR-200

Therefore, for the GSR-200, 1 Volt of output equals 5

Equipment Setup
1 Plug one end of a male DIN-DIN cable into the GSR
amplifier. Connect the other end of the same cable to DIN
input of an iWorx data acquisition unit or amplifier (Figure 1-
11 on page 9).
Siemens. This relationship along with the calibration
function of the recording device can be used to convert
the voltages recorded from the subject to Siemens of
conductance.

2 Affix the two electrodes attached to the input cable to the

first and second finger of the subjects hand. Changes in
skin conductance can now be measured as the subject
experiences various levels of stress.

Conductance and Output

The purpose of the GSR is to provide a measure of
skin conductance to record. Conductance (G), as
expressed in units known as Siemens, is the inverse of
Resistance (R):

1
G = ----
R
Figure 1-13: The equipment needed to record GSR.

iWorx Amplifiers 10
Start the Software
When using an iWorx data recording unit with DIN
inputs (104, 114, 204, 214), or an IWorx data recording
unit (118) and an iWorx amplifier:
1 Click the Windows Start menu, move the cursor to
Programs and then to the iWorx folder and select
LabScribe; or click on the LabScribe icon on the Desktop.
5 Select one person from your group to be the subject. Ask
the subject to go to the sink, wash his or her hands with
soap and water, and dry them thoroughly. Washing the
hands insures that surface oils or other substances, which
might lower skin conduction, are removed. Do not use
alcohol to clean the fingers, alcohol dehydrates the skin.
6 Connect the GSR electrodes to the BNC connector on the
GSR amplifier.

2 When the program opens, select Load Group from the
Settings menu.
3 When the dialog box appears, select IPLMV3.iws. Click
Load.
4 Click on the Settings menu again and select the GSR-A or
GSR-B settings file.
7 The subject will be sitting with his or her back to the
monitor, so use the hand closest to the iWorx
equipment. Attach the GSR electrodes to the palmar
surface of the distal finger segment on two non-adjacent
fingers, usually the index finger and the ring finger. Attach
the electrodes with the Velcro straps so that the straps are
snug, but not overly tight.

5 After a short time, LabScribe will appear on the computer

screen as configured by the GSR-A or GSR-B settings.
Experiments
Calibration of GSR Amplifier Experiments using the GSR-200 amplifier and
electrodes can be found in the iWorx Physiology Lab
1 Pull down the Window menu on the LabScribe Main
window and select Preview. Click the arrows at the top of Manual (IPLM) which is available from the iWorx Users
Preview window to select the on-line display of the GSR website: www.iworx.com/users/default.htm.
channel (CH 4). Use the offset knob on the GSR amplifier to
move the observed output to zero. Click the OK button on
the Preview window.
Specifications
2 The GSR-200 amplifier is factory calibrated so that an
output of 1 Volt is equal to 5 microSiemens (S). Input impedance: 10 GOhm

3 To enter this conversion factor into the recording settings, Input connector: BNC
pull down the Edit menu in the Main window, and select
Working voltage: -200 mV
Preferences and go to the Channels window.
Output connector: DIN8
4 Under the Calibration section of the Channels window, the
following settings should be used: Output voltage swing: + 4.0 Volts
Calibration Bandwidth: DC to 3Hz
Raw Cal Unit Power: From DIN8 input of
1 => 5 S iWorx amplifier or A/D
0 => 0
Noise: 1.0mV p-p
These settings mean that 1 Volt (raw unit) is set equal
to 5 S (calibrated unit), and 0 Volt is set equal to 0 S.

iWorx Amplifiers 11
SI-100: Stimulus Isolator
Overview
The SI-100 is an isolated constant current generator
with 100 Volt compliance. It is specifically designed for
safe transcutaneous stimulation of muscles.
Front Panel
The amplitude of the stimulating pulse from the SI-100
is controlled by a single knob on the front of the unit
(Figure 1-14 on page 12). This control is a ten turn
potentiometer which is attached to a dial counter (with
integral lock) that shows the number of turns from 0.0 to
10.0. When turned fully clockwise, this Amplitude
control can command a current output of 10 milliam-
peres.
Figure 1-14: Front Panel.
The front panel of the SI-100 also contains two status
lights; Power, and H.V. Ready. A glowing Power light
indicates that the SI-100 unit is properly powered up,
and the H.V. Ready light indicates that the high voltage
power supply is ready to deliver a stimulus.
The last items on the front panel of the SI-100 are the
positive and negative jacks of the H.V. (high voltage)
Output. The stimulus electrodes are connected to these
outputs.
Rear Panel
Figure 1-15: Rear panel.
The rear panel (Figure 1-15 on page 12) of the SI-100
contains the Power on/off switch, the power receptacle,
and the BNC connector of the Trigger input. The Trigger
input is connected to a stimulator or a digital-to-analog
converter (DAC), which can provide TTL level trigger
pulses that drive the SI-100.
iWorx Amplifiers
Control of SI-100
The SI-100 is controlled by any stimulator or DAC that
is capable of delivering TTL input pulses. TTL input
pulses are nominally 5V in amplitude and at least 100
microseconds (s) in duration. The frequency and
duration of the stimulus pulses from the SI-100 are
designed by programming the TTL level pulses of the
stimulator or DAC. When the output of the stimulator or
DAC is connected to the Trigger input of the SI-100 and
activated, the SI-100 will generate stimulus pulses of the
same frequency and duration as the TTL level pulses
from the stimulator or DAC.
The amplitude of the stimulus pulses from SI-100 is
still under the control of the single knob on the front of
the SI-100.
Power Setup
The SI-100 can draw power from either an AC or a DC
output wall transformer with an output greater than 9
Volts and less than 15Volts, at 1000mA. A wall trans-
former with an output of 12VAC and 1000ma is supplied
with the SI-100.
Stimulation
Electrical stimuli are delivered by the SI-100 to the
preparation through a set of leads with either snaps or
alligator clips. Each lead set connects to the SI-100
through high voltage safety connectors. The safety
connectors on each lead are plugged into H.V. Output
jacks on the front panel of the SI-100, so that the red
lead is plugged into the red high voltage safety jack
labeled Positive and the black lead is plugged into the
black high voltage safety jack labeled Negative.
The stimulator or DAC driving the SI-100 determines
the durations and the frequencies of the stimuli delivered
to the preparation. However, the SI-100 limits the
duration of its stimulus outputs pulses to a maximum of
10ms and their frequency to a maximum of 50 Hz.
The SI-100 is a constant current device, which means
it will develop whatever voltage is necessary to maintain
the current flow set from the knob on the front of the SI-
100. The high voltage power supply in the SI-100 has a
100 Volt compliance. This means that 100 Volts is the
maximum voltage that the SI-100 can develop while
trying to deliver the set current. In constant current
devices like the SI-100, more voltage is required to
deliver the set current to the subject, if the electrical
resistance increases where the stimulating electrodes
connect to the subject.
12
 Constant current devices differ from constant voltage
devices. When presented with an increase in resis-
tance, like dehydration of the gel under the electrodes, a
constant current device increases its output voltage to
maintain delivery of the set current to the subject. On the
other hand, a constant voltage device still delivers the
set voltage to the subject with an increase in the resis-
tance at the electrodes, but the current delivered to the
subject decreases if it is limited by the power supply of
the constant voltage device.
Note: Although the high voltage supply can deliver up to 100
V, it is at very low current and then only for very brief periods
(fixed maximum of 10 milliseconds). The amount of power
delivered to the subject is not sufficient to cause injury or tissue
damage.
Equipment Setup
1 Place the SI-100 on the bench near the subject. Plug the
cable of its power supply into the unit. Then, plug the power
supply into the outlet. Turn the SI-100 on.
2 Attach one end of a BNC-BNC cable to Trigger input on the
back panel of the iWorx SI-100 (Figure 1-15 on page 12).
Figure 1-16: Equipment used to measure muscle twitches from a subjects
little finger.
3 Connect the other end of the BNC-BNC cable to the output
of the stimulator that will be used to drive the output of the
SI-100:
if the A/D unit is an iWorx 104 or 118, the BNC-BNC cable
can be connected directly to the stimulator output of the unit.
iWorx Amplifiers
If the A/D unit is an iWorx 114, 204, or 214, the BNC-BNC
cable needs to be connected to a BNC-double banana adapter
that is placed into the positive (red) and ground (green) banana
jacks on the stimulator of these units. This is the side of
adapter, embossed with the letters GND, goes into the ground
(green) jack of the stimulator.
Additional Setup for use with SMT-100, Striated
Muscle Transducer
1 The subject should remove all jewelry from his/her right
hand and wrist.
2 Obtain two disposable electrodes.
3 Peel the protective shield off one of the electrodes. Attach it
slightly above the lateral edge of the right palm, about 3/8
onto the back of the hand and half way between the knuckle
of the little finger and the wrist (Figure 1-17 on page 13).
This electrode is the negative stimulating electrode. It is
being placed where the stimulus usually elicits a large
response from the little finger. Connect the black lead from
the Negative High Voltage Output of the SI-100 to this
electrode.
Figure 1-17: A. Placement of the stimulating electrodes on the back of the
right hand. B. Placement of weight (10) across the inside of the hand and
sensor on the outer edge of little finger.
4 Peel the protective shield off the other electrode and attach
it in the center of the back of the right hand, half way
between the knuckle of the middle finger and the wrist
(Figure 1-17 on page 13). This is the positive stimulating
electrode and functions as a current sink or reference
electrode. Connect the red lead from the Positive High
Voltage Output of the SI-100 to this electrode.
5 Attach the twitch sensor along the side of the little finger.
Use a velcro strap or piece of surgical tape to attach the tip
of the sensor to the end of the little finger. Use a longer
velcro strap or piece of surgical tape to attach the base of
the sensor along the lateral edge of the palm of the hand.
Be sure the marked side of the transducer faces away from
the skin (Figure 1-17 on page 13).
13
Start the Software
1 Click the Windows Start menu, move the cursor to
Programs and then to the iWorx folder and select
LabScribe; or click on the LabScribe icon on the Desktop.
2 When the program opens, select Load Group from the
Settings menu.
Experiments
Exercises using the SI-100, Stimulus Isolator, and the
SMT-100, Striated Muscle Transducer, can be found in
the iWorx Physiology Lab Manual (IPLM) which is
available from the iWorx Users website:
www.iworx.com/users/default.htm.

3 When the dialog box appears, select IPLMV3.iws. Click

Load. Specifications
4 Click on the Settings menu again and select the Human- Output Current 0-10 mA
MuscleTwitch settings file. Compliance Voltage 100V

5 After a short time, LabScribe will appear on the computer Isolation Rated to 5300V RMS
screen as configured by the HumanMuscleTwitch settings. Power 9-15VAC/VDC 1000mA
Trigger input External TTL signal
Frequency Range Externally driven 0.1 to 50 Hz
Pulse Width Minimum 100uS
Pulse Width Maximum 10mS
Coupling Capacitance <=5pF

iWorx Amplifiers 14
Amplifier Tables
Use these tables to select the iWorx products that are
suitable for your applications.

Table 1: Cardiovascular System

Typical Parameter
Physiological Measurement Sensing Devices Appropriate Accessories/
Parameter Frequency
Parameters Required Used Amplifier Sensors
Amplitude (Hz)

Heart Potentials Electrocardiogram Surface Electrodes 2mV 0.05-80 ETH-256 Surface Elec-
trodes

Heart Electrodes 50mV 0.05-80

Vector cardiogram Surface Electrodes 2V 0.05-80 ETH-256 Surface Elec-

trodes

Fetal Electrocar- Surface Electrodes 10V 2-100 ETH-256 Surface Elec-

diogram (mother) trodes

Blood Pressure Direct Arterial Pressure 120mmHg DC-20 ETH-401 BP-100

Pressure at Bra- Transducer ETH-256
chial Artery

Direct Arterial Mercury Manometer 120mmHg DC-20 ETH-401 BP-100

Pressure at Fem- ETH-256
oral Artery

Direct Venous Pressure Transducer 9mmHg DC-20 ETH-401 BP-100

Pressure ETH-256

Indirect Arterial Sphygmomanometer 120/80mmHg ETH-401 Cuff

Pressure ETH-256 BP-100

Korotkoff 150mV 30-500 ETH-256

Microphone

Table 2: Respiratory System

Typical Parameter
Physiological Measurement Sensing Devices Appropriate Accessories/
Parameter Frequency
Parameter Required Used Amplifier Sensors
Amplitude (Hz)

Breathing Pneumogam Thermistor 500cc/breath 0.05-2 ETH-401

Pneumograph ETH-256

Respiratory Flow Pneumot- Pneumotachograph 20,000cc/mL DC-2 ETH-401 SP-304

achogram w/Pressure ETH-256 Flow Heads
Transducer

Respiratory Vol- Spirogram Spirometer 4,000cc DC-0.5 ETH-401 SP-304

ume ETH-256 Flow Heads

iWorx Amplifiers 15
Table 3: Brain Functions

Typical Parameter
Physiological Measurement Sensing Devices Appropriate Accessories/
Parameter Frequency
Parameter Required Used Amplifier Sensors
Amplitude (Hz)

Electrical Activity Electroencephalo- Scalp Electrodes 50V 0.5-100 ETH-256 Electrocap Mon-
graph tage

Intracranial Elec- 500V 0.5-100 ETH-256

trodes

Evoked Intracellular Microelectrodes 100mV 1-10,000 ETH-256

Responses Potentials

Extracellular Needle Electrodes 50V 1-1,000 ETH-256 DHS-300

Potentials

Eye Response Electroretinogram Contact Lens Elec- 100V 0.5-20 ETH-256

trode

Table 4: Muscular Functions

Typical Parameter
Physiological Measurement Sensing Devices Appropriate Accessories/
Parameter Frequency
Parameters Required Used Amplifier Sensors
Amplitude (Hz)

Muscle Strength Myogram Needle or Surface 1mV 10-5,000 ETH-256 Surface

Electrodes Electrodes

Muscle Electromyogram Needle or Surface 1mV 10-5,000 ETH-256

Potentials Electrodes

Electromyogram w/ ETH-256
Needle or Surface
Electrodes

Stimulation Stimulate w/Surface ETH-256

Electrodes

Nerve H Reflex Electromyograph w/ ETH-256

Conduction Response Reduced
Stimulation

Conduction Veloc- Electromyograph 10-50,000 ETH-256 NBC-200

ity

Smooth Muscle Electrogastro- Surface Electrodes 20mV 0.05-2 ETH-256

Activity gram

Organ Bath Stud- Force Transducer 5gms DC-4 ETH-401 FT-100

ies ETH-256 FT-302

iWorx Amplifiers 16
Table 5: Autonomic Nervous System

Typical Parameter
Physiological Measurement Sensing Devices Appropriate Accessories/
Parameter Frequency
Parameters Required Used Amplifier Sensors
Amplitude (Hz)

Sweat Gland Galvanic Skin Lead Surface Elec- 50kOhms DC-5 GSR-200
Activity Response trodes

Electrical Skin Lead Surface Elec- 50kOhms DC-5 GSR-200

Resistance trodes

Body Temperature Thermistor Probe 98 F DC-0.1 ETH-401 TM-100

Temperature ETH-256

Table 6: Oxygen Measurements

Typical Parameter
Physiological Measurement Sensing Devices Appropriate Accessories/
Parameter Frequency
Parameters Required Used Amplifier Sensors
Amplitude (Hz)

Dissolved Oxygen Change in Oxy- Clark Style Electrode 1-20nA DC-1 ETOX-M Oxygen
gen Concentration Electrode

iWorx Amplifiers 17
iWorx Amplifiers 18