A Memcomputing Pascaline

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates an electronic memcomputing version of the Pascaline calculator using memristive systems, showcasing multi-digit arithmetic and multi-level memory capabilities that highlight the potential for high-density computing architectures.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental realization of a memristive-based Pascaline, enabling multidigit arithmetic with multi-level memory devices.

Findings

Successful experimental demonstration of memristive Pascaline

Multi-digit arithmetic performed with multi-level memristive elements

Highlights potential for high-density, massively-parallel computing architectures

Abstract

The original Pascaline was a mechanical calculator able to sum and subtract integers. It encodes information in the angles of mechanical wheels and through a set of gears, and aided by gravity, could perform the calculations. Here, we show that such a concept can be realized in electronics using memory elements such as memristive systems. By using memristive emulators we have demonstrated experimentally the memcomputing version of the mechanical Pascaline, capable of processing and storing the numerical results in the multiple levels of each memristive element. Our result is the first experimental demonstration of multidigit arithmetics with multi-level memory devices that further emphasizes the versatility and potential of memristive systems for future massively-parallel high-density computing architectures.