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SummaryandsuggestedSoIutions
The Stim Project performed mostly favorably; however before the Stim Project
can be a viable product the fast settle feature of the NSA must be made accessible. This
could be doneeither by introduction of new software or altering the current software of
the Cerebus system to allow software control (however it appears that this would also
involve reprogramming the FPGAs of the NSA's WERM boards, as they are currently
programmed to hold the fast settle switch permanently open); or by modifying the NSA
so that it included a port for hardware control. Additionally, if the cross-talk could be
reduced in some way, possibly by using a grounded metallic casing for the switching
board to provide shielding, or by adding a ground plane to the PCB, it would make for a
more robust and user-friendly system. One last suggestion not discussed previously in
this document would be to reconsider using a serial port to control the system; the
delays inherent with serial port transmission could very easily make the fine temporal
control that some types of electrophysiological experiments require very frustrating to
implement.