Bifurcations in a new two-cell spiking map: a numerical and experimental study

In this paper, a new nonlinear discrete-time map is presented. The map is based on a second-order dynamics that, despite the limited number of parameters, is able to produce a rich dynamical behavior, including the onset of spiking trends. This latter case will be particularly emphasized, since it allows to consider the introduced system as a novel discrete-time model for spiking neurons. The study is performed by using a numerical bifurcation approach. Moreover, the possibility to obtain a spiking behavior using noise is also shown. The implementation of the map using advanced microcontroller units and the obtained experimental results are discussed.