Communicating postsynaptic neuron fires to neuromorphic cores

• US 10,417,559 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hosokawa, Kohji, Kim, SangBum, Lam, Chung H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rifkin, Ben M
• Application Number:
  US14/746,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20160371583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/049 Temporal neural networks, e.g. delay elements, oscillating neurons or pulsed inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/063 using electronic means

Abstract

A system for communicating postsynaptic neuron states. The system includes a first neuromorphic core and a second neuromorphic core. The first neuromorphic core includes a first array of synaptic memory cells and postsynaptic neuron circuits. Each of the postsynaptic neuron circuits is coupled to a row of synaptic memory cells in the first array of synaptic memory cells. Each of the postsynaptic neuron circuits is configured to fire when voltage sensed from the row of synaptic memory cells exceeds a threshold. The second neuromorphic core includes a second array of synaptic memory cells. A neuron bus is configured to serially transmit indications of a postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first neuromorphic core to the second neuromorphic core.

Claims

1. A method for communicating postsynaptic neuron states to a neuromorphic core, the method comprising:

storing, in a first transmit buffer, indications of a postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from postsynaptic neuron circuits in a first neuromorphic core, each of the postsynaptic neuron circuits sums output current from a plurality of synaptic memory cells over a period of time, the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire identifying which of the postsynaptic neuron circuits fired;

serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to a neuron bus;

receiving the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus at a plurality of presynaptic neuron circuits in a second neuromorphic core.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer when one or more of the postsynaptic neuron circuits at the first neuromorphic core fires;

determining if a second transmit buffer at the first neuromorphic core is serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the neuron bus;

transmitting the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first transmit buffer to the second transmit buffer when the second transmit buffer is not serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the neuron bus and there are one or more indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer;

clearing the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer after transmitting the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the second transmit buffer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising serially shifting the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus to a first receive buffer at the second neuromorphic core.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining if the first receive buffer is serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus;

transmitting the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first receive buffer to a second receive buffer at the second neuromorphic core when the first receive buffer is not serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus and there are one or more indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first receive buffer; and

clearing the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first receive buffer after transmitting the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the second receive buffer.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising firing one or more presynaptic neuron circuits at the second neuromorphic core after receiving the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire by the first receive buffer from the neuron bus.

6. A system for communicating postsynaptic neuron states, the system comprising:

a first neuromorphic core including a first array of synaptic;

memory cells and postsynaptic neuron circuits, each of the postsynaptic neuron circuits sums output current from a row of synaptic memory cells in the first array of synaptic memory cells over a period of time, each of the postsynaptic neuron circuits is configured to fire when voltage sensed from the row of synaptic memory cells exceeds a threshold;

a second neuromorphic core including a second array of synaptic memory cells; and

a neuron bus configured to serially transmit indications of a postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first neuromorphic core to the second neuromorphic core.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a first transmit buffer coupled to postsynaptic neuron circuits, the first transmit buffer configured to store indications of a postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from each of the postsynaptic neuron circuits, the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire identifying which of the postsynaptic neuron circuits fired.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a second transmit buffer coupled to the first transmit buffer and the neuron bus, the second transmit buffer configured to serially shift the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the neuron bus.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first transmit buffer is configured to:

update the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer when one or more of the postsynaptic neuron circuits at the first neuromorphic core fires;

determine if the second transmit buffer at the first neuromorphic core is serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the neuron bus;

transmit the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first transmit buffer to the second transmit buffer when the second transmit buffer is not serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the neuron bus and there are one or more indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer; and

clear the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer after transmitting the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the second transmit buffer.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a first receive buffer coupled to the neuron bus, the first receive buffer configured to serially shift the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus to the second neuromorphic core.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second receive buffer coupled to the first receive buffer, the second receive buffer configured to:

determine if the first receive buffer is serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus;

receive the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first receive buffer to the second receive buffer at the second neuromorphic core when the first receive buffer is not serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus and there are one or more indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first receive buffer; and

clear the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first receive buffer after receiving the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the second receive buffer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second neuromorphic core includes a plurality of presynaptic neuron circuits configured to receive the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the second receive buffer.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the second neuromorphic core includes a plurality of presynaptic neuron circuits configured to receive the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus.

14. A system for communicating postsynaptic neuron states, the system comprising:

a first neuromorphic core including a first array of synaptic memory cells and postsynaptic neuron circuits, each of the postsynaptic neuron circuits sums output current from a row of synaptic memory cells in the first array of synaptic memory cells over a period of time and is configured to fire when voltage sensed from the row of synaptic memory cells exceeds a threshold;

a plurality of second neuromorphic cores, each of the second neuromorphic cores including a second array of synaptic memory cells; and

a neuron bus configured to serially transmit indications of a postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first neuromorphic core to the second neuromorphic cores.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a first transmit buffer coupled to postsynaptic neuron circuits, the first transmit buffer configured to store indications of a postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from each of the postsynaptic neuron circuits, the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire identifying which of the postsynaptic neuron circuits fired.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a second transmit buffer coupled to the first transmit buffer and the neuron bus, the second transmit buffer configured to serially shift the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the neuron bus.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first transmit buffer is configured to:

update the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer when one or more of the postsynaptic neuron circuits at the first neuromorphic core fires;

determine if the second transmit buffer at the first neuromorphic core is serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the neuron bus;

transmit the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first transmit buffer to the second transmit buffer when the second transmit buffer is not serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the neuron bus and there are one or more indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer; and

clear the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first transmit buffer after transmitting the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the second transmit buffer.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the second neuromorphic cores includes a first receive buffer coupled to the neuron bus, the first receive buffer configured to serially shift the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus to a respective one of the second neuromorphic cores.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the second neuromorphic cores includes a second receive buffer coupled to the first receive buffer, the second receive buffer configured to:

determine if the first receive buffer is serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus;

receive the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the first receive buffer to the second receive buffer at the second neuromorphic core when the first receive buffer is not serially shifting the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the neuron bus and there are one or more indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first receive buffer; and

clear the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire at the first receive buffer after receiving the indications of the postsynaptic neuron circuit fire to the second receive buffer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the each of the second neuromorphic cores includes a plurality of presynaptic neuron circuits configured to receive the indications of postsynaptic neuron circuit fire from the second receive buffer.