AL - In Netlab, the term "Axon Level" is the preferred label for the
value, or
level conveyed on the output of a
neuron. The term is generally not used in neurobiology texts.
An
Axon Level in Netlab is a representation of the analog value (or "level") represented by the FM encoded streams of
action potentials that are produced by biological neurons.
In other words, the value on an
axon in Netlab loosely represents the output values of biological neurons after the pulse-streams they emit are frequency and pulse-shape demodulated.
In the first version of Netlab the term "Axon Potential" (not "action...") was synonymous with Axon Level as described here. It is recommended that the use of the term Axon Potential to describe Axon Levels in Netlab be avoided though, since the term Axon Potential has a slightly different meaning in the biological literature (see
action potential). Using the term
Axon Level will avoid any confusion between the one-shot, full-force pulses that are biological
Action Potentials, and the analog-level representation conveyed on the output of a Netlab neuron.
It might also be acceptable to refer to the analog level represented in biological neuron outputs by a frequency modulated stream of Action Potentials, as an Axon Level, but you may want to check with the good professors Levitan and Kaczmarak first :-).