General Notes:

To design a custom stimulation protocol, select the "Advanced" configuration in NIC. This mode allows you to define key parameters such as current intensity, phase, and frequency.



tDCS Protocol:


To apply tDCS, assign a positive current to the desired stimulation channel.

Example in picture: Channel 13 set to +600 µA


To define the return channels, assign negative currents.

Example in picture : Channel 14 and Channel 24 set to -300 µA each.


Important: The sum of all stimulation and return currents must equal zero to ensure current balance in every moment.






tACS Protocol:


To apply tACS, assign an amplitude to the stimulation channel and specify the desired frequency.

Example in picture: Channel 13 set to +600 µA and 10Hz


To configure the return channel, set the same amplitude but assign a phase shift of 180°.

Example in picture Channel 14 and Channel 24 set to 300 µA, 10 Hz and a phase shift of 180º each.



For every current signal with a given frequency and no phase shift, there must be one or more currents of the same frequency but with a 180° phase shift, whose sum exactly cancels out the amplitude of the original signal all the time.



As with tDCS, ensure the total current across all channels equals zero.



tACS and tDCS protocol simultaneously.

If a protocol combines both direct and alternating currents, the previously described steps must be followed. The most important rule is that the total sum of currents must always equal zero at every moment in time.


For example, if 300 µA of direct current and 200 µA of alternating current at 80 Hz are applied to the active electrode, then the return electrode must have –300 µA of direct current and 200 µA of alternating current at 80 Hz with a 180° phase shift, to ensure electrical balance.



tRNS Protocol: 


In tRNS, you can configure two main parameters:

  • Standard Deviation (STD) of the noise signal, which can go up to a maximum of 650.

  • tRNS filtering, which defines the frequency range of the random noise.

The current values will fluctuate within approximately ±3 times the STD.
 For example, if the STD is set to 650, the current will randomly vary between –1950 µA and +1950 µA.

If no bandpass filter is configured, the device will deliver random current fluctuations across the full default frequency range of 0–500 Hz.

You can modify this range by selecting a specific filtering option in the tRNS filtering settings, where four modes are available:

  • None – Full spectrum (0–500 Hz)

  • Low – Low-pass filter

  • Band – Band-pass filter

  • High – High-pass filter

Each option allows you to tailor the frequency content of the noise according to your stimulation protocol.