Summary

Since neurobiologists are concerned with what may be thought of as living electrical circuits, they are more dependent than most researchers in biology on external electronic devices and at the same time are perhaps better prepared by outlook to approach the basic principles of electronic circuit theory than are most of their colleagues. Nevertheless, this book assumes no prior background in electronics whatever, requiring only basic training in early undergraduate physics and mathematics, and although its illustrative applications are to neurobiology, it will be useful in related disciplines as well, such as bioengineering. Beyond its use as an undergraduate text, Electronics for Neurobiologistsis also designed to serve as a handbook of principles and useful circuits for active researchers. Far more than in any comparable work, the emphasis here is on integrated circuits and modules. These make possible a new simplicity of design and an ease of construction, maintenance, and modification that renders other approaches obsolete. Although other manuals employ electron tubes but not transistors, or transistors but not integrated circuits, this one does not make use of any tubes (except the cathode ray tube) and gives to discrete transistor design principles only teh passing attention that they now require. It is also the only book to present a number of applications, such as fluidics, from the neurobiologist's point of view. The reader's technical skill is developed to such an extent that he will be able to design and build every piece of laboratory electronics equipment that he needs for modern neurological research (excluding certain recording, display, and calibration devices), and he will also be able to modify commercially available circuits to adapt them to his own changing needs. Theory and practical applications are presented in parallel, which tends to reinforce cerebral competence with manual confidence, although somewhat more theory than is strictly required is introduced to enable the reader to consult other sources in the bioelectronics literature. The material treated includes basic principles of passive networks, semiconductor theory, and the more common discrete component configurations; the use of operational amplifiers and digital logic, and waveform generation; modern construction techniques and modular design methods; testing and maintenance techniques; power supply design and construction; fluidics; stimulation techniques; recording and signal conditioning techniques; and data analysis methods.