What follows are some random topics on RELACS.
Macros control the execution of RePros, other Macros, and shell scripts. Several RePros with specified parameter settings can be executed one after the other by combining them in a macro. Macros can be easily customized. Read Macros for more on this topic.
Whenever a recording is started, a new directory is created in which all recorded data are stored. By default the directories are named yyyy-mm-dd-aa, where yyyy is the year, mm the month, dd the day, and aa is aa, ab, ac ... az, ba, bb, ...
RELACS itself creates the following files:
traces.sw?: The raw data from the data acquisition board.
*-events.dat: Text files with the events.
stimuli.dat: Text file with information of each stimulus and indices into the traces.sw? and *-events.dat files.
repros.dat: The executed repros.
info.dat: The data from the meta-data dialog.
metadata.xml: The main metadata file in odML format.
stimulus-metadata.xml: The main metadata file containing the stimulus descriptions in odML format.
Each RePro may write its own files. Those files are usually used for further data analysis. See the documentation of the RePro for further information ( in the RePro's submenu).
RELACS plugins are C++ classes compiled as shared libraries which are automatically loaded into the RELACS program during startup. They can be compiled independently of the RELACS program and reloaded into the running RELACS program. All parts of RELACS which code something specific for a setup are plugins:
RePro(Research Program): Analyses the acquired data, generates and puts stimuli out.
Filter: Filters or detects events (e.g. spikes) in the acquired data.
Control: Control some hardware, analyze data independently and in parallel to the RePros, or provides some usefull general information about the recording.
Model: Simulate data.
AnalogInput: Communication with a data acquisition driver for reading analog data.
AnalogOutput: Communication with a data acquisition driver for writing analog data.
DigitalIO: Controls digital input and output.
Attenuate: Sets the right attenuation level for a requested output intensity.
Attenuator: Sets the attenuation level of an attenuator device.
Device: Any other device.