FAQ

In this section, we cover frequently asked questions and show you how to resolve them. These are issues users often encounter in day-to-day use, especially when working across multiple datasets or returning to a project after a break.

I loaded a file, but nothing appeared. What happened?

  • This often happens if you closed the plugin configuration dialog without confirming. Make sure you clicked OK (not Cancel) after selecting your file and settings.

  • Confirm you’ve selected a valid channel and clicked Update Trace to display the signal.

I’m fitting my events, but it shows the fit from a previous dataset.

This usually means the wrong reader or event fitter plugin is selected.

Make sure that:

  • The event fitter instance you just created is selected in the dropdown.

  • The reader you want to apply the events to is active.

  • You aren’t mixing configurations from a different session.

Otherwise you may apply one dataset’s events to another, leading to mismatched results.

I clicked Analysis -> New Analysis Tab -> EventAnalysisController or RawDataController, but nothing changes.

Poriscope lets you use the top menu to open a plugin tab the first time only. After it’s opened, switch back to any analysis view from the left sidebar:

All Analysis Tabs → select the tab you want.

I’m trying to load a database into Metadata View or Event Analysis View, but it says the format is unsupported.

You may be loading the wrong type of .db file for that tab. Both databases use .db but serve different purposes:

  • Raw Event database — created in Raw Data View via Commit Events. Contains unfitted events. Load this in Event Analysis View for fitting.

  • Fitted Event database — created in Event Analysis View via Commit. Contains fitted events and metadata. Load this in Metadata View or Clustering View.

In short:

  • Use Raw Event ``.db`` → Event Analysis

  • Use Fitted Event ``.db`` → Metadata / Clustering

Tip

Name databases clearly to avoid confusion, e.g.:

my_sample_events_raw.db      # created in Raw Data View
my_sample_events_fitted.db   # created in Event Analysis View

You can also adopt a suffix system that matches your workflow (e.g., .db for raw, .sqlite for metadata).

I’m entering SQL in the Metadata View filter box, but it says the format is invalid.

Poriscope’s filter fields use a simplified, SQL-like expression, not full SQL. The text you enter is appended to a larger query the app builds internally. The GUI does not execute raw SQL in this field.

Examples of valid expressions:

duration > 200
max_blockage < 800 and num_sublevels >= 3
voltage = -200 or sublevel_stdev > 4

You do not need SELECT, FROM, or WHERE—just the condition.

Note

To run full SQL directly on your database, use Scripting mode (outside the GUI filter). See the Poriscope documentation for supported operators and additional examples.