In evaluating ion channel function, patch clamping, provides the highest information content but every electrophysiologist knows the draw back of the size and complexity of a patch clamp rig. We present here patch clamp recordings in the whole cell con- figuration performed with planar patch clamp chips, which are micro- structured from borosilicate glass substrate. The chips are used in the Port-a-Patch, a simplified and miniaturized patch clamp setup that enables automated patch clamp experiments on a single cell. The PatchMaker software performs the experiment by executing user-determined protocols for cell positioning and in communication with the PULSE software also protocols for electrical stimulation and current readout. In various electro- physiological experiments, the high quality of recordings and the versatility of the perfusion of the recorded cells are demonstrated.