Hardware device types

Type-specific details of hardware devices in the shared catalog.

Table of contents

Data acquisition

Catalog entries for products that record neural, physiological, behavioral or environmental signals and images, from amplifiers, cameras and sensors to complete recording systems and imaging scanners.

Amplifier

An amplifier product for electrophysiological signals, described by its nominal specifications such as channel count, gain range, bandwidth, input impedance and noise level. Individual units in a lab’s setups are documented as equipment that refers to this entry.

FieldDescription
Product IDText. A unique product identifier for the amplifier as defined by the supplier.
Number of ChannelsNumber. Number of input channels supported by the amplifier. Range: ≥ 1.
Gain RangeText. Amplification gain range (e.g., ‘1x - 10,000x’, ‘1000x’).
BandwidthText. Frequency bandwidth of the amplifier (e.g., ‘DC - 10 kHz’, ‘0.1 Hz - 7.5 kHz’).
Input ImpedanceText. Input impedance specification (e.g., ‘>10 GΩ’, ‘1 MΩ’).
Noise LevelText. Noise level specification (e.g., ‘<3 µV RMS’, ‘2.4 µV RMS’).
Power SupplyText. Power supply requirements (e.g., ‘+/- 15V’, ‘5V USB’, ‘Battery’).

Camera

A camera product used for behavioral video or scientific imaging, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Data acquisition system

A data acquisition product, such as a DAQ board or multichannel recording system, that digitizes analog and digital signals, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Electroencephalography system (EEG)

An EEG system product for recording electrical brain activity from scalp or skull-surface electrodes, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Electromyography machine

An EMG system product for recording the electrical activity of muscles, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Ephys rig

An integrated electrophysiology system sold as one product, such as a complete patch-clamp or extracellular recording rig, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Fiber photometry system

A fiber photometry system product that delivers excitation light through optical fibers and records fluorescence from genetically encoded indicators, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Force plate

A force plate product that measures ground reaction forces, for example for gait or startle analysis, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Humidity sensor

A humidity sensor product for monitoring relative humidity in experimental or housing environments, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Light sensor

A light sensor product, such as an ambient light sensor or optical power meter, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system

An MRI scanner model for structural or functional imaging, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) system

An MEG system model for recording the magnetic fields generated by neural activity, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Magnetometer

A magnetometer product for measuring magnetic fields, for example for head-orientation tracking, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Microphone

A microphone product for recording sound, including ultrasonic vocalizations, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Miniscope

A head-mounted miniature microscope product for imaging neural activity in freely moving animals, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Motion tracking system

A motion tracking system product that records the position or posture of subjects, for example with infrared cameras and markers, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Ophys rig

An integrated optical physiology system sold as one product, such as a complete imaging rig, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

An optical coherence tomography system product for depth-resolved, label-free tissue imaging, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Oscilloscope

An oscilloscope product for displaying and measuring electrical signals, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Photodetector

A photodetector product, such as a photodiode or photomultiplier tube, that converts light into an electrical signal, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Signal processing unit

A signal processing product that filters, conditions or processes signals, for example in real time for closed-loop experiments, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)

A SPECT scanner model for imaging the distribution of gamma-emitting radiotracers, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Temperature sensor

A temperature sensor product for measuring body, bath or enclosure temperature, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Ultrasound imaging system

An ultrasound imaging system product, used for example for functional ultrasound or anatomical imaging, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Behavioral and stimulation tools

Catalog entries for products that deliver sensory, optical or electrical stimuli or support behavioral tasks and locomotion.

Behavior rig

An integrated behavioral apparatus sold as one product, such as an operant chamber or commercial task system, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Floating air platform

An air-lifted platform or homecage product that floats on a cushion of air for locomotion under head fixation, with its nominal specifications and supplier. Vibration isolation tables are Anti-vibration tables.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Iontophoresis stimulator

An iontophoresis current source product for applying drugs or tracers through micropipettes, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Laser

A laser product used for optogenetic stimulation, photostimulation or imaging, with its nominal specifications, such as wavelength and output power, and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

LED driver

An LED driver product that powers and modulates LEDs, for example for optogenetic light delivery, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Light emitter

An LED or other non-laser light source product used for optogenetic stimulation, visual stimulation or illumination, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Running wheel

A running wheel product on which subjects run, often with an encoder for measuring locomotion, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Speaker

A speaker product for delivering auditory stimuli, including ultrasonic sounds, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Stimulation device

A stimulator product, such as an electrical stimulus generator or stimulus isolator, with its nominal specifications and supplier. Use it for stimulation hardware that no more specific hardware type describes.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Treadmill

A treadmill product, motorized or freely driven, on which subjects walk or run, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Environmental controllers

Catalog entries for products that control or isolate the experimental environment, such as temperature, humidity, vibration and acoustic noise.

Anti-vibration table

An anti-vibration or optical table product used to isolate setups from floor vibrations, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Humidity controller

A humidity controller product for regulating humidity in housing areas, setups or enclosures, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Noise isolation chamber

A sound-attenuating chamber product that shields setups from external acoustic noise, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Thermal controller

A temperature controller product, such as a feedback-controlled heating pad or bath heater, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Surgical equipment

Catalog entries for products used during surgery and other invasive procedures, including anesthesia, stereotaxic positioning, injection, perfusion and drilling.

Anesthesia system

An anesthesia system product, such as an isoflurane vaporizer or complete inhalation anesthesia station, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Injection system

An injection system product, such as a nanoliter injector or microsyringe pump, for delivering viral vectors, tracers or drugs into tissue, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Micromanipulator

A micromanipulator product for positioning electrodes, pipettes or optical fibers with micrometer precision, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Perfusion system

A perfusion system product for transcardial perfusion or superfusion of tissue preparations, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Stereotaxic frame

A stereotaxic frame product that holds the subject’s head in a fixed coordinate system for targeting brain regions, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Surgical power tool

A powered surgical tool product, such as a dental drill used for craniotomies, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Miscellaneous

Catalog entries for general laboratory, computing and support products that belong to no more specific group.

Biosafety cabinet

A biosafety cabinet product for handling viral vectors, cell cultures and other biological materials, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Computer

A computer model used to run acquisition, stimulus-control or analysis software, with its nominal specifications and supplier. Single-board computers and microcontrollers have their own types.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Electronic component

An electronic part or module, such as a connector, relay, filter or circuit board, with its nominal specifications and supplier. Use it for electronics that no more specific hardware type describes.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Fume hood

A fume hood product for working with volatile chemicals such as fixatives and solvents, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Glass micropipette puller

A micropipette puller product for fabricating glass pipettes for patch clamp, sharp-electrode recording or microinjection, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Microcontroller (e.g., Arduino)

A microcontroller board, such as an Arduino model, used for task control, triggering or sensor readout, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Microscope

A microscope product, such as a widefield, confocal, two-photon or dissection microscope, with its nominal specifications and supplier. Head-mounted miniature microscopes have their own type.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Monitor

A display product used for presenting visual stimuli or operating acquisition software, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Single-board computer (e.g., Raspberry Pi)

A single-board computer model, such as a Raspberry Pi, with its nominal specifications and supplier.

This type has no type-specific fields. The record’s own fields and its material rows describe it.

Other types

External Identifiers

Add external identifiers from databases like NCBI, JAX, DOI, etc. Include URLs when available.

FieldDescription
SourceRequired. Choice. Options: DOI, PubMed, Manufacturer, Model Number, Serial Number, Custom, Other.
IdentifierRequired. Text.
URL (optional)Text.

API access

The same types are documented for API users, with property codes, versions and payload examples, on the HardwareDevice schemas API page.