Basic electronics for neuroscience
This course aims to give students the fundamental knowledge and practical know-how to set up and troubleshoot measuring instruments used in experimental neuroscience, ranging from patch-clamp rigs to 2-photon microscopes. It is intended for those lacking a physics or engineering background, but needing to be able to resolve technical issues they encounter by reasoning from first principles.
Specific Learning Objectives:
The overall objective is to learn the fundamental electronic theory and practice necessary to use, with confidence and understanding, electronic instrumentation to measure electrical and optical signals in biological preparations; to combine instruments for synchronized measurements, and to interpret signals and noise correctly. Students will design, build and test a minimal but useful piece of laboratory equipment.
Specifically, on completion of the course students should be able to:
1. Describe the electrical properties of electronic components (resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors) and explain how they are used in electronic circuits. Solve problems involving voltage, current, power in direct current and alternating current circuits.
2. Explain principles of measurement of electrical or optical signals; nature and adjustment of detectors, amplifiers, signal processors in neuroscience equipment such as patch-clamp amplifiers, stimulators (electrical and optical), sensors such as photomultipliers and imaging techniques (confocal and multiphoton microscopes, photometry, electrochemical measurements)
3. Design, build, and test a basic analog or digital circuit using diodes, transistors, and digital and analog integrated circuits
4. Use Boolean logic, logical operators, coding schemes, to understand parallel and sequential digital circuits and communication ports
5. Use standard test instruments (multimeters, oscilloscopes) to make measurements and diagnose faults
The course will cover fundamentals of electronics components and circuits and their integration into measurement systems used in neuroscience. The approach will involve theory lectures and seminars, and a project that will enable students to conceive, design, build and evaluate a minimal piece of laboratory equipment (such as electrometer for electrochemistry, photometer for fiber photometry, optical stimulator for optogenetics, etc.). The course will follow closely the structure of The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill. No prior knowledge will be assumed but students will be expected to learn basic theory and practical techniques. It is hoped that this course will fill a gap in many neuroscience student's knowledge and increase their confidence to use advanced instrumentation, to communicate with technologists, and to customise their equipment effectively.
A student with interest in experimental neuroscience (neurophysiology, behavior, neurochemistry, imaging) but lacking knowledge of electronics should take this course. This will help them understand instrumentation and measurement in neuroscience, develop appropriate interface hardware and software to integrate measurement instruments with each other, and do basic design and construction of custom devices for research. Students with advanced knowledge of electronics should not take this course.
1. Foundations: Voltage, current, resistance; Signals; Capacitors and AC circuits
2. Inductors and transformers; Impedance and reactance
3. Semiconductors: Diodes; Junctional Transistors
4. Feedback and Operational Amplifiers
5. Active filters and oscillators, basics of signal processing
6. Voltage regulators and power circuits
7. Field effect transistors
8. Precision and small signal circuits
9. Digital electronics
10. Digital meets analog
The major assessment item is completion of a hands-on project (60%). This is assessed in 4 stages, each worth 15%: concept and specification (written aims), design (written plans), construction (physical construction and oral presentation), testing and evaluation (written report). Participation and presentations in seminars (20%). Written tests of topics covered in lectures (20%).
No prerequisites
The Art of Electronics (any edition OK as the fundamentals are unchanged, but the 2026 4th edition is new and up to date)
New for AY2026