The electrophysiology of action potentials is usually studied in neurons, through relatively demanding experiments which are difficult to scale up to a defined network. Here we pursue instead the minimal artificial system based on the essential biological components-ion channels and lipid bilayers-where action potentials can be generated, propagated, and eventually networked. The fundamental unit is the classic supported bilayer: a planar bilayer patch with embedded ion channels in a fluidic environment where an ionic gradient is imposed across the bilayer. Two such units electrically connected form the basic building block for a network. The system is minimal in that we demonstrate that one kind of ion channel and correspondingly a gradient of only One ionic species is sufficient to generate an excitable system which shows amplification and threshold behavior.