NEST 2.20.0
WARNING: This version of NEST is affected by issue #1394, which can lead to incorrect simulation results under certain circumstances. Please double-check all simulation results obtained with this version and if in doubt, re-run using a different split between MPI processes and threads. The description of the issue contains more details and will be updated when new information becomes available.
NEST 2.20.0 is the result of 454 commits in 77 pull requests by 25 developers since NEST 2.18.0 which was released on June 7, 2019.
This release wraps up the 2.x series of NEST and contains many improvements and bug fixes. Highlights are the addition of the generalized leaky integrate-and-fire neuron models by the Allen Institute, STDP synapses with nearest-neighbor spike pairing schemes and improved documentation, available on Read The Docs. Following is a list of all merged pull requests:
Enhancements
Models
- Add STDP synapses with nearest-neighbor spike pairing schemes
- Add generalized leaky integrate-and-fire (GLIF) neuron models by Allen Institute
- Add iaf_psc_alpha_ps neuron model
Installation
- Add conda-forge installation documentation for Linux and MacOSX
- Add Fugaku platform CMake file
- Clean the build process for the NEST Debian packages
- More informative compiler information in CMake summary
Documentation
- Added initial membrane potential options to microcircuit example
- Add initial membrane potential options to microcircuit example
- Add new options for installation and improve instructions for NEST
- Updated/extended macOS install instructions
- Update DOI and release buttons in README; add Zenodo reference to NEST 2.18.0
- Add link on website to new PyNEST templates and update citations
- Provide guidelines to writing to mailing list in documentation
Kernel
- Introduce time-driven spiking connections
- Add support for sending secondary events to and from devices
- Add warning about invalid connection descriptors when new connections are created
- Use an unsigned data type for thread in spike data
Infrastructure
PyNEST
- New templates for pynest examples and api
- Allow specifying arrays of values in the synapse specification when connecting with fixed_total_number
Bug fixes
Models
Documentation
Kernel
- Fix multiple definition of rho build complain observed on AArch64 with FCC
- Fix GetConnections to correctly get connections where the target is a global receiving device
- Fix logical error in elseif-statements in connect functions
- Check variables of GSL binomial random generator where they are set
- Ensure number of connections for fixed total number is properly set
- Fix MyModule by incorporating modelsmodule refactoring from #1069
- Avoid segfault when using a weight recorder with a probabilistic synapse
Infrastructure
Maintenance
Models
Installation
- Fix nest_vars in case of undefined PYTHONPATH
- Cleanup for the K computer specific CMake file for v2.18
- Fix up dependencies in Ubuntu install instructions
- Files needed to build Debian packages (.deb)
- Fix extraction of version number if sources are inside another Git repository
- Let uninstall of NEST Debian package also delete script in profile.d
Documentation
- Convert topology user manual to ReStructuredText
- Update links to model directory in docs
- Fix PyNEST installation instructions
- Update download page for 2.18 and conda-forge
- Correct typo in random number documentation
- Fix PyNEST API generation for documentation using mock
- Add updated NEST examples to Read The Docs
- Replace iaf_neuron by iaf_psc_alpha in MUSIC tutorial
- Autogenerate PyNEST examples from source with sphinx_gallery
- Update syntax formatting for terms in documentation
- Fix broken CSS style
- Update mailing list email address
- Small typographical updates to user documentation
Kernel
- Refactor registration of models in modelsmodule
- Increase maximum line length in source code formatting style from 80 to 120
- Unify coeffarray_as_d and coeffarray_as_uint via union
- Add missing include of sys/time.h
- Fix threading issue when connecting
- Remove spurious thread_local_connectors update
- Fix rounding issue when setting small resolution
- Improve information given by error messages typically triggered by Connect
Infrastructure
- Add tests for libnestutil/streamers.h
- Make version information consistent
- Update FindLibNeurosim to take Python version into account
- Remove the remaining markdown config in docs
- Skip deployment in Travis CI testsuite when not running a build
- Deploy build artifacts only when the build flag is set in the reply section
- Change the deployment branch to master
- Fix cppcheck usage in Travis CI testsuite
- Switch to GCC8 as default in continuous integration tests on Travis
- Fix formatting in test_stdp_nn_synapses.py
- Add security guidelines
- Moving to Python3.x on OsX
- Replace Python version by newest available on Travis