The Nixel 512™ chip is composed of the Nixel Array, Analog Drive, and Digital Drive.

The Nixel Array

The Nixel Array is a 2D array of 256 neural recording elements, called nixels, which can each record from two electrodes simultaneously. The nixels are arranged in four identical panels, with each panel containing 128 active electrodes and 4 reference electrodes. All four panels can operate in parallel to record from all 512 electrodes at once. Every nixel has an input switch matrix, a capacitively coupled fully-differential low-noise amplifier (LNA), an analog sample and hold (S/H) circuit, and an analog comparator.

The Analog Drive generates the required currents and voltages, as well as the static and dynamic reference and test signals used by the Nixel 512 chip. The Digital Drive generates all the control and timing signals used to configure and operate the chip using a 4-wire serial programming interface (SPI).