DAQ Chip
The application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) embedded in a headstage or DAQ system that amplifies, filters, and digitizes neural signals on-chip.
A DAQ chip (also called a neural recording ASIC) is the semiconductor integrated circuit at the heart of a headstage or recording system. It performs multi-channel signal conditioning — amplification, bandpass filtering, and analog-to-digital conversion — directly on silicon, before data leaves the headstage.
Why it matters: Performing amplification and digitization on-chip dramatically reduces analog cable length and susceptibility to electromagnetic interference. The chip's noise floor (input-referred noise), ADC resolution, and sampling rate directly set the quality ceiling of recorded neural signals.
Chip families used in NeuroNexus products:
| Chip | Channels | Modality | Interface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intan RHD2116 | 16 | Record | SPI |
| Intan RHD2132 | 32 | Record | SPI |
| Intan RHD2164 | 64 | Record | SPI |
| Intan RHS2116 | 16+16 | Record + Stimulate | SPI |
| Neuropixels 1.0 | 384 | Record | LVDS |
| Neuropixels 2.0 | 384 | Record | LVDS |
| SiNAPS-1 | 256 | Record | SiNAPS DAQ |
Key specifications to compare: Input-referred noise (µV RMS), ADC resolution (bits), sampling rate range, channel count, and power consumption (mW).
Relationship to headstages: Each headstage is built around a specific DAQ chip. The chip choice determines channel count, noise floor, and whether stimulation is supported.
See the Neural Recording Chips Guide for a full comparison and selection guidance.