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Fig. 11.1. Architecture of the PGLISSOM model. The cortical network consists of two layers (or maps). The lower map (SMAP) has short-range lateral excitation (dotted square) and long-range lateral inhibition (dashed square), and drives the self-organization of the model. In the upper map (GMAP), both excitation and inhibition have very long range, establishing perceptual grouping and segmentation. The two maps both receive afferent input directly from a model retina, representing the ON channel like the reduced LISSOM model (Figure 6.3). The neurons in the vertically corresponding locations on the two maps are connected via excitatory intracolumnar connections in both directions, tying such neurons together into a functional unit (i.e. a cortical column). All neurons are spiking neurons (Figure 11.2); their firing rate is visualized in gray-scale coding from white to black (low to high).