Upgrading from V4.4 to V4.5 – what changed?

[Naoki Tomita]

Hi all,

We are currently using Miniscope V4.4 and are considering purchasing additional units. While checking the Open Ephys store, I noticed that the version has been updated to V4.5.

From the product page, it seems that a voltage detection circuit may have been added, possibly related to DAQ compatibility. However, I couldn’t find detailed release notes or a clear summary of the changes compared to V4.4.

Since we already have V4.4 systems in use, we would like to understand whether there are any hardware, firmware, or compatibility differences that we should be aware of before ordering.

Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

In particular, we are interested in whether mixed use of V4.4 and V4.5 within the same experimental setup would cause any issues.

  Thanks!  

[Daniel Aharoni]

Hi there,

From my understanding, the V4.5 should be fully compatible and interchangeable with previous V4.* Miniscope versions. That said, the V4.5 was solely pursued by Open Ephys and I do not know all the details. I would suggest reaching out to OEPS support and asking. If you happen to do so and get a clear answer, posting that here too would be great for the future.

[Naoki Tomita]

Thanks for the clarification, Daniel.
I’ll contact OEPS directly and will share any information here once I hear back.

Thanks!  

2026年2月18日水曜日 6:05:29 UTC+9 dbah...@gmail.com:

[Naoki Tomita]

Hi all,

I contacted  Open Ephys   support regarding the differences between Miniscope v4.4 and v4.5.

According to their response:

Version 4.5 adds voltage detection circuitry to monitor the voltage reaching the miniscope.
This feature is intended for compatibility with an upcoming DAQ revision.
With the new DAQ, the system will provide active protection against high voltage and regulate power delivery.
When used with the current DAQ, v4.5 is fully compatible, but the voltage detection/protection feature is not accessible.
In terms of imaging hardware characteristics, component configuration, and assembly requirements, there are no changes compared to v4.4.

So for current DAQ users, v4.5 behaves essentially the same as v4.4.

  Thanks!  

2026年2月18日水曜日 14:46:36 UTC+9 Naoki Tomita:

[Daniel Aharoni]

Thanks for the update!