ANT21:
Analog Neuromorphic Tools and Techniques

Topic Leaders

Invitees

  • Kwabena Boahen

Team

  • Suma George, Sandia Laboratories

  • Tara Hamilton

  • Giacomo Indiveri

  • Scott Koziol, Baylor University

  • Aishwarya Natarajan (GT)

  • Andreas Stöckel

  • Aaron Voelker

Tutorials

  1. FPAA History, Dev, Classification, and Directions: href="https://youtu.be/2lsz9gi8Oz8"

  2. Historical perspective on FG for Neuro Eng: href="https://youtu.be/R8iV01KZch4”


  1. FPAA Enabling Physical Computing: href="https://youtu.be/IGzinnykZIw"

  2. Open-Source FPAA tools: href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SVdhztVroc"

  3. Starting point on anlaog standard-cell libraries: href="https://youtu.be/m6DAQwgt_yA"


  1. Simple Semiconductor Barrier: href="https://youtu.be/jk5hP4QXbq0"

  2. MOSFET basics: href="https://youtu.be/vH7Z7niKzd8”

  3. MOSFET Subthreshold Equations: href="https://youtu.be/tNWV4ajz8SI"

  4. Physics for Current-Voltage Relationships: href="https://youtu.be/4dO_x-9z1FE

  5. Subthreshold MOSFET Current-Voltage Derivation: href="https://youtu.be/gRCmR4O2r2M"

  6. MOSFET DIBL and Early Voltage: href="https://youtu.be/ZbeIWClaZ9Io"


  1. MOSFET = Current Source: href="https://youtu.be/F1BQ0RVQSmw"

  2. Building Dependent Sources: href="https://youtu.be/mavjcYctJwQ

  3. One Transistor Circuit Basics: href="https://youtu.be/8Onyv-88t0M"

  4. High-Gain Single MOSFET Transistor Amplifiers: href="https://youtu.be/aXRVmdzHCYM"

  5. MOSFET Cascode Circuit: href="https://youtu.be/HFtIjso8__s"

  6. Small Signal MOSFET Modeling: href="https://youtu.be/Hawh6OBAnjY"


  1. MOSFET Differential Pair Circuit: href="https://youtu.be/7zsWVxuTcqs"

  2. Differential Voltage MOSFET Amplifiers href="https://youtu.be/6w2YjNdwAtc"

  3. Tuning Transconductance Amplifier (TA): href="https://youtu.be/iFlFjPkBPDQ"

  4. Nonlinear TA Dynamics: href="https://youtu.be/r3-0GbHPSU0"


  1. Introduction on SOS Concepts: href="https://youtu.be/hmAJqlaHhZc"

  2. Diff2 SoS Introduction: href="https://youtu.be/jnhqMSLYeLw"

  3. C4 SOS Introduction: href=https://youtu.be/HVfBjxjTKZI"

  4. Linear Analysis for 1st-order device: href="https://youtu.be/B4xS4sr_0CU"

  5. Floating-Gate Circuit Intro: href="https://youtu.be/tfHqGfRR77M"

  6. Basic Physical FG devices: href="https://youtu.be/1pS9Q6AkbJA"

Goal

This topic area starts with the low-level principles of analog neuromorphic design, and works its way up to high-level tools.


Our goal is to build an analog neuromorphic hardware community fully immersed in developing the tools and infrastructure needed to develop mature analog neuromorphic systems.


We start with lectures on the underlying theory of analog neuromorphics. Then, we go to hand-on work with existing analog systems, via remote access to FPAAs and Braindrop, plus simulating analog systems using SPICE. These existing tools will cover both low-level access and high-level programming (for example, using Nengo to program Braindrop).



Projects

  • Text classification using FPAA / Braindrop / SPICE simulation

  • Characterizing the space of functions that can be well-approximated with different hardware (and how adjusting that hardware would affect that space of functions)

  • Expanding an analog standard cell library

  • Developing higher level abstraction tools for FPAA and Braindrop programming

Sessions

  • Underlying theory of analog design through the neuromorphic design history.

  • Tools enabling design applied towards the design, synthesis, and verification of neuromorphic systems

  • Interactive (mostly virtual) sessions enabling hand-on work with existing analog systems, via remote access to FPAAs and Braindrop, low-level access and high-level programming (e.g. Nengo to program Braindrop), as well as access to simulating these analog systems.

Equipment

  • FPAA Boards (remote access)

  • Braindrop boards (remote access)

  • Python/LTspice (software for IC simulation)

  • Nengo and Nengo-Braindrop (high-level software and neuromorphic emulators)