User manual

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CHAPTER 9 – Protocol Linking
9.1 Using Protocol Linking to extend Circular and Sequential
Scripting
We have developed Protocol Linking to extend MainProtocol scripting and to fix three current limiations of
MainProtocol scripting:
1) There are not enough different PxSweep stimulations available in one MainProtocol run.
This is a particular problem for using Automated Perfusion Control Using Single-Line Fast Switching
Perfusion (Section 10.3). In WinLTP 2.10 there are only four different PxSweep stimulations in each
MainProtocol run, and this means that only four different perfusion solutions can be delivered during
each MainProtocol run. However, patch-clamp automated single-line perfusion changes can
realistically involve delivering at least 16 different perfusion solutions. With Protocol Linking, once a
protocol has finished, WinLTP can now load and start a second protocol containing 4 more different
solution changes, and then load and start a third protocol containing 4 further different solution
changes, and WinLTP can do this, ad infinitum using Protocol Linking.
3) Extend the running time of the MainProtocol
Currently there is a 14 hr, 54 minute limitation running a MainProtocol with National Instruments M-
series boards.
2) Save the gap-free Continuous Acqusition ABF files in smaller, reasonable lengths
By either a) loading and starting a subsequent protocol and so forth, or b) restarting the
MainProtocol, Continuous Acqusisiton files can be acquired and saved in say 1 hour seqments
rather than the whole MainProtocol run of say 6 hrs.
The Protocol Linking panel is located on the Link tabsheet (Fig. 9.1.1). This Protocol Linking panel adds
three capabilities to WinLTP:
1) After the current MainProtocol has self-terminated, iif the Load/Run check box is checked, link to
another protocol file (in this case ‘FastPerfusion2.pro’) to load it, and automatically start it if the
AutoStart checkbox is checked, or
2) Automatically repeat and restart the MainProtocol after it has self-terminated if the ‘AutoRepeat’
checkbox is checked, or you can
3) Immediately load the protocol file in the Load/Run edit field by clicking the ‘Load ProtocolFile.pro’
button, and automatically start this new protocol if the Immediate AutoStart checkbox is checked.
Also, before the loading of a new linked protocol file or restarting the auto-repeating MainProtocol, you
can automatically save the AmpFile and clear the spredsheet if the ‘AutoSave AmpFIle, Clear
Spreadsheet’ checkbox is checked.