A bio-inspired two-layer mixed-signal flexible programmable chip for early vision.

A bio-inspired model for an analog programmable array processor (APAP), based on studies on the vertebrate retina, has permitted the realization of complex programmable spatio-temporal dynamics in VLSI. This model mimics the way in which images are processed in the visual pathway, what renders a feasible alternative for the implementation of early vision tasks in standard technologies. A prototype chip has been designed and fabricated in 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS. It renders a computing power per silicon area and power consumption that is amongst the highest reported for a single chip. The details of the bio-inspired network model, the analog building block design challenges and trade-offs and some functional tests results are presented in this paper.

CMOS realization of a 2-layer CNN universal machine chip.

Some features of the biological retina can be modelled by a 2-layer cellular neural network (CNN) composed of locally connected elementary nonlinear processors. In order to explore these complex spatiotemporal dynamics for image processing, a prototype chip has been designed and fabricated in a 0.5 microm CMOS technology. Design challenges, trade-offs, the building blocks and the tests results for this system with 0.5 x 10(6) transistors, most of them operating in analog mode, are presented in this paper.