Neural Network Simulation Environments, J. Skrzypek, ed., Kluwer, 1994, pp. 29-45.



Nexus: A Neural Simulator for Integrating Top-Down and Bottom-Up Modeling

Paul Sajda, Ko Sakai, Shih-Cheng Yen, and Leif H. Finkel

Department of Bioengineering and
Institute of Neurological Sciences
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104, U. S. A.

sajda@neuroengineering.upenn.edu
ko@neuroengineering.upenn.edu
syen@neuroengineering.upenn.edu
leif@neuroengineering.upenn.edu

Abstract

We have developed the NEXUS simulation environment as a tool for modeling large-scale neural systems. The software is written in C and runs under UNIX. A unique aspect of NEXUS is that it is particularly suited for simulating hybrid neural models (i.e. systems integrating different modeling paradigms and/or architectures.) NEXUS is designed for large-scale simulations, and to facilitate model development, testing and analysis it incorporates several major features: network architectures based on topographic maps, programmable neural units, scalable and modular simulation, support for common learning paradigms including the generalized Hebb rule and backpropagation, and a user-friendly interface. These features make NEXUS a useful environment in which to study the ``perceptual'' properties of various network architectures.

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