title: Ephus: multipurpose data acquisition software for neuroscience experiments.
abstract: Physiological measurements in neuroscience experiments often involve complex stimulus paradigms and multiple data channels. Ephus (http://www.ephus.org) is an open-source software package designed for general-purpose data acquisition and instrument control. Ephus operates as a collection of modular programs, including an ephys program for standard whole-cell recording with single or multiple electrodes in typical electrophysiological experiments, and a mapper program for synaptic circuit mapping experiments involving laser scanning photostimulation based on glutamate uncaging or channelrhodopsin-2 excitation. Custom user functions allow user-extensibility at multiple levels, including on-line analysis and closed-loop experiments, where experimental parameters can be changed based on recently acquired data, such as during in vivo behavioral experiments. Ephus is compatible with a variety of data acquisition and imaging hardware. This paper describes the main features and modules of Ephus and their use in representative experimental applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Suter
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Iyer
authors.forename: Leopoldo T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Petreanu
authors.forename: Bryan M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hooks
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiritani
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Svoboda
authors.forename: Gordon M G
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Shepherd