User manual

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CHAPTER 7 – Protocol Builder – Circular Scripting
The Protocol Builder enables complicated protocols to be built using ‘building blocks’ pulled down from
User Interface buttons. These building blocks include Loops, Delays, Runs and Sweeps (with various
stimulations).
WinLTP protocol flow of execution can be easily changed during runtime by checking and unchecking the
check boxes beside the Run, Loop, Delay and Sweep lines, and by changing the number of loops.
Furthermore, Sweep and Delay Periods can be changed during runtime, as can all sweep stimulation
values.
There has been some confusion and hesitancy about the use of the ‘scripting’ in the Protocol Builder.
The Protocol Builder works by pulling down ‘building blocks’ from the User Interface Insert buttons, and
then certain check boxes and numerical fields in the Loop, Delay, Run and Sweeps lines can be edited.
This is somewhat similar to the Protocol Editor ‘scripting’ in HEKA’s PatchMaster. WinLTP’s ‘scripting’ is
very different from another type of ‘scripting’ that involves using a text editor to essentially write out
programming code and have it interpreted and then run, such as with Cambridge Electronic Design’s
Signal.
Protocol Builder scripting has been touched on before concerning its capabilities in the Basic versus
Advanced Modes (Section 2.12 and Fig. 2.12.1), and how to write simple scripts for basic LTP
experiments with and without signal averaging which essentially involves clicking on an Initialize Button
(Section 4.4 and Fig. 4.4.1.1).
Chapter 7 deals with circular scripting with the Protocol Builder in contrast to sequential scripting (Chapter
8). Circular scripting means that the outermost Loop in the MainProtocol has an extremely large number
of loops (usually presented as 99999), and that the outermost loop will continue looping as long as the
MainProtocol is running (Fig 7.1.1). The program flow is circular, always going back to the first line after
the outermost loop. This means that stimulations (usually inclosed in the Run event) can be evoked at
essentially any time. Circular scripting is valuable when you don’t know at the beginning of the
experiment what stimulation you will need and when. It is best used for exploratory, ‘freewheeling’
experiments. Once you know when you will be stimulating and changing perfusion solutions, switching to
sequential scripting is best because non-exploratory experiments are sequential.
7.1 The Protocol Builder in Basic, Standard and Advanced Modes
As already discussed in Section 2.12, when you enter the WinLTP program for the first time in the
Demotrial Period you are running in the Advanced Mode with a fully functioning Protocol builder (Fig.
7.1.1, left). In this mode you can write any number of advanced protocols including this automated
perfusion protocol using ‘Slow0’ and ‘Slow1 Perfuse’ events. All the Protocol Builder events can be used
and are shown in green, including the ‘Run’, ‘ElseRun’, ‘AvgLoop’, and ‘Loop’ events, the ‘Slow0’, ‘Slow1’,
‘Fast0’ and ‘Fast1’ Perfuse events, the P0, P1, T0 and T1sweep events, and the Delay event. If you have
ordered an Advanced Mode license you will continue with the fully functional Protocol Builder (Fig. 7.1.1,
left).