Gizmo Categories

Analysis Gizmos

Perform powerful real-time analysis on incoming signals.

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	Signal Accumulator	Collect a sum of an incoming signal over a user-defined window. Optionally compute the average as well. Can also perform thresholding of accumulated signal for further processing	Use this gizmo to calculate the total power of a signal over a specified time span, or to compute average signal power over many trials	Inputs any single or multi-channel data stream. Outputs the sum of the accumulated signal and optionally the average.

Logic Gizmos

Combine logical signals originating from external hardware or other gizmos into meaningful logic states.

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	State Maker	State Maker is an interface for performing logical tests on single-channel inputs and combining results into output states for storage and controlling/ triggering other gizmos for further signal processing	Use this gizmo when receiving bit codes from external devices, and to make decisions/ process gizmo output values. Used often to trigger store events or strobing other gizmos	Digital I/O inputs from RZ gizmo, or inputs from other gizmos, such as integer values from a Selector reading sort codes. Output variable duration logic triggers based on a combination of keys and marks
	Timer	Measures time between or duration of logical events from primary and secondary inputs	Use this gizmo to calculate event frequency or time logical events. Can be used to measure response time to stimuli, calculate heart rate, and time other physiologic intervals	Inputs any logic signals. Outputs smoothed or instantaneous measurements of period or frequency.
	Pulse Generator	Creates user-defined pulse trains based on milliseconds or Hz. Control duty cycle, period, number of pulses, and trigger pulse trains internally or from other gizmos	Use this gizmo for directly controlling optogenetic stimulation or driving the timing of other connected gizmos or devices	Inputs logic strobe signal for other gizmos or digital I/O. Output TTL or floating-point pulses to be routed to other gizmos or I/O
	User Input	Create dynamic stores and logic outputs based on inputs from digital I/O bits or a software button	Use this gizmo to store I/O inputs with values defined by user or another gizmo and create fixed-duration, toggled, or edge logic outputs based	Input from digital I/O bits or software button. Output logic as an edge, fixed-duration TTL pulse, or toggled output. Output can be a counter, a user-set value, or gizmo input
	Pulse Train Generator	Create simple or complex user-defined pulse train waveforms based on a number of configuration options that include stacked or parallel trains. Control whether trains are strobed or triggered, and define waveform characteristics with a parameter table.	Use this gizmo for directly controlling optogenetic stimulation or other connected gizmos or devices. Pulse Train is especially useful when you want to create complex pulse trains where one signal is gating another, or if you want to inform waveform parameters dynamically from other gizmos.	Input from logic strobe signals, parameter values, or scalar inputs. Output a TTL or floating point train signal to driver connected gizmos or devices.

Neural Gizmos

Combine logical signals originating from external hardware or other gizmos into meaningful logic states.

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	PCA Spike Sorting	Real-time filtering, spike detection, and principal component-based spike sorting with selectable algorithms	This is the most common method for online spike sorting. Cluster units in PCA space and identify spikes automatically or manually cut	Input any multi-channel neural stream (raw amplifier stream). Output integer sort codes.
	Tetrode Spike Sorting	Real-time filtering, cross-channel tetrode spike detection and classification in a fully customizable 2D feature projection	Use this gizmo for sorting spikes using tetrodes. Commonly used for cell isolation, tetrode sorting provides high spatial localization of nearby units	Input any multi-channel neural stream (raw amplifier stream), often from a mapper to organize tetrode channels. Output integer sort codes.
	Box Spike Sorting	Real-time filtering, spike detection, and discrimination of neural signals using time-voltage windows	Use this gizmo to sort neuronal spikes on individual channels using time-voltage discrimination windows	Input any multi-channel neural stream (raw amplifier stream). Output integer sort codes
	Sort Binner	Compress sort code output from spike sorting gizmos for fast viewing and further processing. Optionally output to RZ UDP interface for external processing	Use this gizmo to count the number of sort codes that occur on specific channels within a user-specified time window	Input from sort code outputs of spike sorting gizmos. Output 32-bit integer words that are a count of sort codes per channel.
	Neural Stream Processor	Easily visualize, filter and store real-time multichannel neurophysiology signals. Includes built in, optimized settings for the most common biologic signal types	Use this gizmo for easy filtering and storage of common signal types: LFP, EEG, EMG, Single-Unit, EKG	Input any neural stream (typically the raw signal). Outputs filtered signal, and also saves the filtered signal by default.
	Neural Signal Referencer	Digitally subtract common signals from multi-channel stream. Single or multi-channel referencing on all channels or independent sub-groups of channels	Use this gizmo to eliminate common mode noise across channels or to perform digital re-referencing. Multi-channel referencing won’t create artificial waveforms on your signal	Input any multi-channel neural stream (typically pre-filtered). Output multi-channel re-referenced signal, and save reference signal itself.

Specialized Gizmos

Specialized gizmos encapsulate a specific application all in one gizmo.

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	Fiber Photometry (RZ10)	Real-time control and acquisition of demodulated locked-in amplification signal from any combination of up to 3 light drivers and 2 photosensors on a Lux bank. Can also monitor light power from PM1 from any Lux bank	This is the primary gizmo used in fiber photometry setups using RZ10 or RZ10x processors. Record up to 6 demodulated signals with raw photosensor output and dFF calculations, too.	Input from the RZ #enable line or other logic strobe signals. Output calculated Driver x Sensor signals or dFF signals
	Fiber Photometry (Legacy)	Real-time control and acquisition of demodulated locked-in amplification signal from any combination of up to 4 light drivers and 2 photosensors	This is the primary gizmo used in fiber photometry setups using processors other than an RZ10 or RZ10x. Record up to 8 demodulated signals with raw photosensor output too	Input from the RZ #Enable line or other logic strobe signals as master LED control. Output demodulated Driver x Sensor signals
	MRI Recording Processor	Suppress MRI recording artifacts using controllable signal gate. Titrate gating tightly around artifact to clean up online signals	Use this gizmo to eliminate gradient switching artifact in an MRI recording environment. Can automatically detect artifacts or be triggered using timing signal from the magnet	Input any multi-channel neural stream. Output multi-channel filtered and artifact-free single unit and LFP signals
	Python Coding Gizmo	The Python Coding Gizmo ("Pynapse") tightly integrates Python coding into your Synapse experiment	Use this to control your experiment flow, build and deliver stimuli, run complex behavioral paradigms, do custom analysis and visualization	Input up to 8 logic or number signals for logic testing, output logic or custom waveforms

Routing Gizmos

Work with single or multi-channel signals in the Synapse framework. Control signal flow.

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	Mapper	Create user-defined channel maps to reroute electrode sites to different amplifier channels	Use this when you want to create ordered spatial maps with unordered electrode sites	Input any multi-channel stream, typically right from the amplifier. Output a reordered multi-channel stream
	Selector	Pick off individual channels from a multi-channel stream, or isolate specific channel and sort code combinations from Sort Binner	Use this gizmo for routing individual channels for monitoring or further processing, or for reading Sort Binner outputs of single channel + sort code information	Input any multi-channel signal or Sort Binner. Output the isolated channel for further processing or the Sort Binner count of sort code occurrences on the specified channel
	Merger	Combine up to eight single or multi-channel streams into a single multi-channel stream	Use this gizmo to send separate data into a single multi-channel stream for processing in other gizmos or storage	Two or more single or multi-channel data streams. Must be of the same single or multi-channel type. Output the merged data streams
	Injector	Insert a single channel input into a multi-channel data stream at specific user-specified channels	Choose a channel for electrical stimulation. Can also be used to route audio signal to a speaker array (channel in DAC Montage).	Input a single channel input such as eStim or aStim. Output into a multi-channel signal with channel routing information
	Delay	Adds a fixed or dynamic delay to any input signal	This gizmo is useful for triggering optogenetic, auditory, or other stimuli a programmed time after an event of interest occurs	Input from any signal. Output the same signal at a specified time later
	Parameter Manifold	Control multiple stimulation gizmo parameters simultaneously	Use this gizmo when needing to share parameters between multiple stimulation gizmos, such as duration or pulse count. Often used in conjunction with Parameter Sequencer	Strobe signal input from other gizmos. Output shared parameter values to multiple gizmos

Signal Conditioning Gizmos

Perform signal conditioning and processing on incoming data.

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	Unary Processor	Implement series of mathematical operations to incoming signals	Use this gizmo to perform interesting signal processing on incoming data, such as power in band, RMS, or scaling. Can also perform complex thresholding or type conversion on signals	Input any single or multi-channel data stream. Outputs the processed data stream or a converted signal type
	General Purpose Filter	Create filters with user-defined parameters that include high/ low pass corners up to 8th order and notches with varying cut depths and bandwidths	Use this gizmo to design a filter with higher orders or more notches than the Neural Stream Processor can provide	Input any single or multi-channel data stream. Outputs the filtered data stream
	Artifact Blocker	Suppress artifacts associated with triggered events. Includes gate timing parameters for control of gate shape	Use this gizmo to remove large artifacts during events like electrical stimulation or motion artifact	Any single or multi-channel data stream. Outputs the same signal, but with the data removed around the artifact event

Stimulation Gizmos

Stimulation gizmos generate precisely sequenced audio, electrical, or optical stimulation.

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	Parameter Sequencer	Control stimulus parameters with complex timing and presentation sequences (rolling, repeated, random, manual)	High-level parameter control and stimulus presentation	Root or strobe input from another gizmo. Outputs Parameter value and strobing logic
	Audio Stimulation	Generate fully customizable tone, noise, and other audio stimulation types	Use this gizmo for audio neurophysiology, stimulus-response protocols, hearing screening protocols, and psychoacoustics	Strobe inputs; parameter inputs from Parameter Sequencer. Output the audio signal and a stim sync logic signal
	Electrical Stim Driver	Create up to four stimulation voices for single-ended or bipolar stimulations outputs on a target device, such as an IZ2 or IZV. Create monophasic or biphasic waveforms with charge balancing options.	Use this gizmo for design of interesting electrical stimulation waveforms	Strobe inputs; parameter inputs from Parameter Sequencer. Output voices to target stimulation devices
	File Stimulation	Play custom waveforms from a list of files on disk, which includes WAV files and MAT files	Use this for speech studies, psychoacoustics, or for custom audio or electrical stimulus presentations	Strobe inputs; parameter inputs from Parameter Sequencer. Output stimuli and a stim sync logic signal
	Ultrasonic File Stimulation	A streamlined version of File Stimulation for creating custom stimuli at ultrasonic frequencies	This gizmo is useful for audio neurophysiology and stimulus response protocols for animals that can hear in the ultrasonic frequency range	Strobe inputs; parameter inputs from Parameter Sequencer
	Ultrasonic Stimulation	A streamlined version of Audio Stimulation for creating stimuli at ultrasonic frequencies	This gizmo is useful for audio neurophysiology and stimulus response protocols for animals that can hear in the ultrasonic frequency range	Strobe inputs; parameter inputs from Parameter Sequencer

Storage Gizmos

Precisely timestamp and store any type of real-time data to disk.

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	Stream Data Storage	A general-purpose gizmo used to store single or multi-channel data streams. Includes data formatting and scaling options	Use this gizmo to store raw data directly from your amplifier. Use on the output of other gizmos that do not have storage options, like Unary Processor	Input any single or multi-channel data stream. No outputs
	Strobed Data Storage	Store single values or short segments of data (including pre-trigger data). Includes heat maps and bar plots	Use this gizmo to store streaming data asynchronously or store values/ segments of data around events of interest	Input any single or multi-channel data stream and a strobe input. No outputs
	Epoch Event Storage	Timestamp and store single or multi-channel data when triggered	Use this gizmo to capture behavioral inputs or stimulus parameters to filter and align neurophysiological data	Input any data input and a strobe input. No outputs

Visualization Gizmos

View incoming signals in dynamic ways and perform interesting processing on them

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	Oscilloscope	Has all the functionality of a hardware oscilloscope and more. View up to four channels at user-defined ranges and domains, and perform complex signal testing for creating trigger outputs	Use this gizmo to visualize signals on a more refined time scale, or to perform thresholding or hysteresis tests for complex triggering paradigms like phase-locked stimulation off LFPs	Input any single-channel signal. Outputs logical triggers and delayed signal

Custom Gizmos

Create your own custom real-time signal processing function

Icon	Name	About this Gizmo	When to Use	Common Inputs & Outputs
	User Gizmo	Use the RPvdsEx coding environment to make a custom gizmo with any component in the RPvdsEx library	When you can’t find a standard gizmo to do what you want	Any single or multi-channel data stream