Universal multifunctional IBM PC I/O board for clinical examinations and experimental research in neuroscience

The PC is and will remain a basic instrument in the laboratory arsenal in the next few years. The key role of the IBM PC and its clones prompted us to develop a universal multifunctional I/O board (UNIMUL) for this computer. The board will make it possible to use the IBM PC for a wide range of tasks from a simple interface for laboratory processing of data to complex IBM PC-based instruments, e.g. a stimulator, signal analyzer, chart recorder. The present article summarizes the experience gathered during the design and application of the described I/O board in more than 10 different IBM PC-based laboratory and clinical systems listed in the Appendix. An example of the application of the I/O board is presented in the conclusion of this report together with the discussion of the future role of new Application-Specific Integration Circuits (ASICs) and single chip processors in this domain.