A tool for emulating neuromorphic architectures with memristive models and devices

TL;DR

This paper introduces a flexible software tool that emulates neuromorphic architectures using memristor models, enabling research on online learning, classification, and device validation in neuromorphic computing.

Contribution

The paper presents a versatile, user-friendly software infrastructure for emulating neuromorphic systems with memristors, supporting parameter customization and practical device interfacing.

Findings

Successful MNIST classification demonstration

Ability to validate memristor-based concepts in-silico

Flexible parameter tuning for memristor and neuron models

Abstract

Memristors have shown promising features for enhancing neuromorphic computing concepts and AI hardware accelerators. In this paper, we present a user-friendly software infrastructure that allows emulating a wide range of neuromorphic architectures with memristor models. This tool empowers studies that exploit memristors for online learning and online classification tasks, predicting memristor resistive state changes during the training process. The versatility of the tool is showcased through the capability for users to customise parameters in the employed memristor and neuronal models as well as the employed learning rules. This further allows users to validate concepts and their sensitivity across a wide range of parameters. We demonstrate the use of the tool via an MNIST classification task. Finally, we show how this tool can also be used to emulate the concepts under study in-silico with practical memristive devices via appropriate interfacing with commercially available characterisation tools.