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Electrophysiology Recording Planner.

Calculate data rates, storage requirements, and file counts for electrophysiology recording sessions with probe presets for Neuropixels, tetrodes, silicon probes, EEG, and EMG.

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Validated2026-04-08
CitableMethods and citation included

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Load example Ephys Recording Planner data to see the full workflow

When to use

  • Estimate storage requirements before purchasing drives for a new ephys rig
  • Calculate data rates to verify your acquisition system can sustain continuous recording
  • Plan file management for multi-session, multi-day recording experiments
  • Check electrode impedance against expected ranges for your probe type
  • Compare storage requirements across different probe configurations

Do not use for

  • For spike sorting or signal processing — use Kilosort, MountainSort, or SpikeInterface
  • For real-time impedance measurement — use your acquisition system's built-in impedance tester
  • As a substitute for manufacturer specifications — always verify with your hardware documentation

Account for metadata overhead

Raw data rate calculations reflect only the continuous signal data. Actual disk usage is 5-10% higher due to timestamps, event markers, auxiliary channels (accelerometer, sync pulses), and file headers. Plan for 10% overhead on top of calculated estimates.

Compression ratios vary by signal content

Lossless compression (e.g., Mtscomp for SpikeGLX) typically achieves 40-60% reduction for neural data. However, noisy channels or high-amplitude artifacts compress poorly. Use 0.5 as a conservative estimate; measure your actual ratio on pilot data.

NVMe SSDs are required for high-channel recordings

Neuropixels data at ~22 MB/s per probe exceeds the sustained write speed of many SATA SSDs when multiple probes are recorded simultaneously. Use NVMe SSDs rated for sustained sequential writes, and verify with CrystalDiskMark before recording.

Impedance varies with frequency and electrode age

Impedance at 1 kHz (the standard test frequency) may differ from impedance at your actual recording frequencies. New electrodes may have higher impedance that decreases after initial use. Re-check impedance before each recording session.

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Method

Data rate is computed as channels x sample rate x (bit depth / 8) bytes per second. Storage estimates apply a user-defined compression ratio and scale by session count and recording days. File counts follow the Open Ephys convention of ~1 GB per file segment. Impedance ranges are based on manufacturer specifications for each probe type.

2

Validated

Last validated 2026-04-08. Calculations are designed for planning and documentation support; verify procurement decisions against manufacturer specifications or institutional SOPs.

3

How to cite

How to Cite

ConductScience Electrophysiology Recording Planner (v1.0). ConductScience, Inc. 2026. Available at: https://conductscience.com/tools/ephys-recording-planner

Jun JJ, et al. Fully integrated silicon probes for high-density recording of neural activity. Nature. 2017;551(7679):232-236.

Siegle JH, et al. Survey of spiking in the mouse visual system reveals functional hierarchy. Nature. 2021;592(7852):86-92.

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