BRIGE: Minimum-Energy Bio-Inspired Analogic Computing Devices with Stochastic Switching Transistors under Ultra-Low VDD

摘要智力优势：该bridge项目旨在利用CMOS数字电路中观察到的随机开关行为，在接近数字开关极限的超低电源电压驱动下，实现鲁棒的超低功耗计算。这一目标是由两个观察得出的。首先，概率推理和随机学习是传感器数据处理的基础。其次，新兴设备将展示复杂的物理特性，可能会计算概率算法。本文将首先对超低VDD （Ö 50mV）下的最小能量CMOS晶体管的随机开关行为进行建模和实验分析。随后，它将开发一种场论方法来优化用这种随机开关器件构建的大规模逻辑电路，以提高其鲁棒性。最后，它将利用随机开关行为原生设计和实现模拟电路（模拟和逻辑电路之间），模拟基于光流提取的苍蝇眼启发的鲁棒自运动算法。更广泛的影响：利用场效应器件的物理特性来执行计算任务，这项提出的研究可能会为具有严重器件可变性和开关不确定性的新兴纳米级器件技术激发一种完全非常规的设计范式。此外，提出的场论方法提供了丰富的数学结构，因此可以拓宽现有的数字电路设计理论。最后，所提出的方法可以更准确地理解现有的逻辑电路设计方法，特别是当直接应用于由超低VDD驱动的未来器件技术时，它们的局限性。除了通过新课程和基于硬件的随机逻辑电路仿真来传播其研究成果外，该项目还将在自下而上（公共STEM教育）和自上而下（博士生招聘）的方向上扩大代表性不足的少数群体的工程参与。PI将制定专门的指导和推广计划，吸引女性、非裔美国人、拉丁裔和第一代大学生加入他的团队，从而为计算机行业准备一支新的多元化劳动力队伍。此外，奥兰多科学中心将成为激发公众对计算机STEM教育兴趣的主要平台。通过创新的展览和吸引人的迷你讲座，这一教育努力的成功将由UCF计算机工程博士的入学人数以及与奥兰多科学中心合作展览的公众观众人数来判断。

ECCS-1342225Lin, MingjieUniversity of Central FloridaBRIGE: Minimum-Energy Bio-Inspired AnaLogic Computing Devices with Stochastic Switching Transistors under Ultra-Low VDDABSTRACTIntellectual Merit: This BRIGE project aims at achieving robust ultra-low power computation by exploiting the stochastic switching behavior observed within a CMOS digital circuit that is driven by an ultra-low supply voltage approaching the digital switching limit. This objective is motivated by two observations. First, probabilistic inference and stochastic learning are fundamental in sensor data processing. Second, emerging devices will exhibit sophisticated physical property that may natively compute probabilistic algorithms. This proposed effort will first model and analyze the stochastic switching behavior in minimum-energy CMOS transistors under ultra-low VDD (¡Ö 50mV) both analytically and experimentally. Subsequently, it will develop a field-theoretic methodology to optimize a large-scale logic circuit built with such stochastic switching devices in order to improve its robustness. Finally, it will exploit the stochastic switching behavior natively to design and implement AnaLogic circuits (between analog and logic circuits) that emulate a robust self-motion algorithm inspired by fly eye based on optical flow extraction.Broader Impacts: Leveraging the physics of field-effect devices to perform computational tasks, this proposed research could potentially inspire a totally unconventional design paradigm for emerging nanoscale device technology with severe device variability and switching uncertainty. Furthermore, the proposed field-theoretic approach offers a rich mathematical structure, therefore can broaden the current digital circuit design theory. Finally, the proposed methodology can enable more accurate understanding of existing logic circuit design methods, especially on their limitations when directly applied to future device technologies driven by ultra-low VDD. Besides disseminating its research findings through new curricula and hardware-based stochastic logic circuit emulations, this project will approach the challenge of broadening the engineering participation from underrepresented minority groups in both bottom-up (public STEM education) and top-down (PhD students recruiting) directions. The PI will create mentoring and outreach programs specifically designed to attract female, African-American, Latino, and first-generation college students to join his group, thus preparing a new diverse work force for the computing industry. Additionally, the Orlando Science Center will be used as the main platform to stimulate public interests in STEM education of computing. The success of this educational effort, through innovative exhibits and engaging mini-lectures, will be judged by the PhD enrollment of computer engineering from underrepresented groups at UCF and the size of public audience to its collaborative exhibit efforts with the Orlando Science Center.