RASPUTIN

RASPUTIN (Real-time Acquisition System Programs for Unit Timing in Neuroscience) is a suite of software tools that work with the Plexon Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP) hardware.

This combination of software and hardware enables users to view waveforms, acquire action potential waveforms around a voltage-threshold crossing, sort them in real time according to their shape, record continuous analog signals, such as field potentials, eye position, blood pressure, as well as capture external digital-event data, such as individual TTL lines of multi-bit strobed word data.

RASPUTIN can record analog signals and spike and digital-event data in a single data file.

RASPUTIN utilizes a client/server architecture on a Microsoft Windows™ operating system. As defined in this case, the server program runs the MAP box and distributes the data among a set of cooperating client programs.

Plexon offers RASPUTIN software packages for 16-, 32, 64, 96, and 128-channel systems. Plexon also offers RASPUTIN upgrade packages to upgrade a 16-channel system to a 32-, 64-, 96-, or 128-channel system, a 32-channel system to a 64-, 96-, or 128-channel system, a 64-channel system to a 96- or 128-channel system, and a 96-channel system to a 128-channel system

The following illustration shows the relationship between the various RASPUTIN components and the Plexon MAP:

Sort Client

Sort Client is the primary control program for the Plexon Multi-channel Acquisition Processor (MAP) system hardware (the Harvey Box). The MAP system provides real-time spike sorting based on digital signal processors (DSP). Sort Client may be used to adjust the MAP operating parameters (amplification, filtering, etc.) and to set the specific sorting parameters for each channel. If a NI DAQ subsystem is installed in the PC, Sort Client also enables viewing of continuous signals. With Sort Client, the user can:

• Adjust the MAP operating parameters - automatic gain, thresholding, and cluster identification - in a three-dimensional principal component space
• Set the specific sorting parameters for each channel
• Visualize spike waveforms
• Display simple raster plots
• Record spikes and continuous data (e.g. field potentials) to a file
• Control the MAP system to threshold and sort spikes with time-amplitude window discriminator boxes or by template matching
• Easily export data files to NeuroExplorer, Matlab, or C++ programs

MAP Server

MAP Server is the low-level interface for configuring the MAP. MAP Server transfers commands such as gain and filter changes or parameter settings from the various clients to the MAP box. MAP Server also accumulates data coming from the MAP box in a circular buffer memory. The client programs connect to MAP Server to gain access to that data. MAP Server also mediates communication between the clients, keeping them informed of commands sent to the MAP from other clients.

Ref2

Ref2 is channel-connection control software. With Ref2, the user can:

• Designate up to seven reference channels for each preamp
• Control programmable referencing in up to four Plexon PBX preamplifiers
• Connect spike channels to the connectors on the MAP system OUT board

PlexUtil

PLX files are Plexon data files containing spike timestamps and waveforms, event timestamps, and continuous waveform data. PLX Utilities (PlexUtil) is a program for merging and extracting portions of PLX data files.

PlexNet

PlexNet broadcasts MAP data in real time to other computers within a TCP/IP (Ethernet) network. This allows running clients or NeuroExplorer (NEX) in real time on a remote computer. With PlexNet, the user can also remotely analyze data using MATLAB* or a custom client program.

Graphical Activity Client

Graphical Activity Client (GAC) is a real-time observation tool for monitoring spike activity or continuous waveforms. With GAC, the user can:

• View up to six different displays:
  • Raw events
  • Activity graph Slow rate
  • Integrated activity graph
  • NI DAQ wave
  • MMEP activity grid
• Visualize each display in real time in a different graphical or statistical manner, or both
• View multiple displays simultaneously at different time scales with different channels in each. It is also possible to pause or unpause each display independently of one another

PeriEvent Client

PeriEvent Client (PEC) is a tool for displaying histograms and perievent rasters in real time. With PEC, the user can:

• Automatically view updated histogram and raster data immediately on the specified event channel when an event occurs
• Display perievent rasters for a specified number of previous trials beneath the PST histogram
• Control histogram limits, bin size, number of raster rows, etc.
• Display events in single or multichannel views

Grid Monitor

Grid Monitor (GridMon) displays spike-rate activity in real time as an animated color grid. With GridMon, the user can:

• Display smoothly flowing spike activity
• Control the color scale and temporal integration
• View spike activity on a regularly-spaced array of electrodes, such as a multi-microelectrode plate (MMEP)

Client Development Kit

The Client Development Kit contains sample code that can be used to develop custom applications. The kit also includes information on sample C programs for the MAP and MATLAB® Extensions. The Event-triggered Field Potential GUI (graphical user interface) is a MATLAB extension to the MAP software that plots a field potential signal around a spike, or external event, in real time.