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NSL

Name

NSL 2.0.2 (Neural Simulation Language Version 2.0.1)

Source

Alfredo Weitzenfeld (Brain Simulation Laboratory Center for Neural Engineering University of Southern California)

Price

public domain

Target usage

education, experimentation, research; beginners, advanced, experts

Model

Network Architecture

Designed for Leaky-Integrator Neural Networks. Neuronclusters can be generated (single Units, Vectors, Layers) and linked by specification of dynamical equations in mathematical form (easy to do within C++). One set of equations serves for a hole layer of anny type (very nice!). The form of equations is restricted to polynomials and various kinds of sigmoid functions. Learning may be implemented in the same way: define weightlayers and a dynamical learning equation (Differential equation). Missing: - No way to introduce noise into a model. - No spiking neurons.

Paradigms

Limitations

Restricted to Leaky Integrator Units. No noise. No welldefined interface to other Applications (Input/Output). No interface for user defined functions (These must be placed directly at different locations of the source code.) In principle the user may implement all the features he likes (inluding other than differential equation dynamics) by adding appropriate code but this needs an advanced programming course in C++.

Implementation

Display

values of units as area-level-graph, temporal graph or 2/3d-graph; further informations about layers,units & links as text; Possible to visualize large arrays of neurons as quasicontinous fields (3-d-graph). Window dump possible (Rasterfile,PostScript)

User Interface

shell, script (batch), GUI, mouse

Execution

interactive command interpreter or scripts (batch) batch proccessing mode somewhat restricted if large series of expermiments required.

Data Format

special purpose

Evaluation

Performance

Something happens on the screen if you start a 200-unit application. (Is this accurate enough ?)

System Requirements

Hardware

Sun

Operating System

UNIX

Display

mono (SunView only)

Language

C++

Installation and Documentation

Installation

executable, makefile (easy)

Sources available

yes

Implementation language

C++ (nearly without comments !!)

Documentation

no online help, incomplete manual, examples (most without comments)

Support

no

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