Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userImplementation of Ternary Weights with Resistive RAM Using a Single Sense Operation per Synapse
121
0
0.0
(
0
)
Added by
Damien Querlioz
Publication date
2020
fields
Informatics Engineering
and research's language is
English
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
The design of systems implementing low precision neural networks with emerging memories such as resistive random access memory (RRAM) is a significant lead for reducing the energy consumption of artificial intelligence. To achieve maximum energy efficiency in such systems, logic and memory should be integrated as tightly as possible. In this work, we focus on the case of ternary neural networks, where synaptic weights assume ternary values. We propose a two-transistor/two-resistor memory architecture employing a precharge sense amplifier, where the weight value can be extracted in a single sense operation. Based on experimental measurements on a hybrid 130 nm CMOS/RRAM chip featuring this sense amplifier, we show that this technique is particularly appropriate at low supply voltage, and that it is resilient to process, voltage, and temperature variations. We characterize the bit error rate in our scheme. We show based on neural network simulation on the CIFAR-10 image recognition task that the use of ternary neural networks significantly increases neural network performance, with regards to binary ones, which are often preferred for inference hardware. We finally evidence that the neural network is immune to the type of bit errors observed in our scheme, which can therefore be used without error correction.
rate research
Read More
The design of systems implementing low precision neural networks with emerging memories such as resistive random access memory (RRAM) is a major lead for reducing the energy consumption of artificial intelligence (AI). Multiple works have for example proposed in-memory architectures to implement low power binarized neural networks. These simple neural networks, where synaptic weights and neuronal activations assume binary values, can indeed approach state-of-the-art performance on vision tasks. In this work, we revisit one of these architectures where synapses are implemented in a differential fashion to reduce bit errors, and synaptic weights are read using precharge sense amplifiers. Based on experimental measurements on a hybrid 130 nm CMOS/RRAM chip and on circuit simulation, we show that the same memory array architecture can be used to implement ternary weights instead of binary weights, and that this technique is particularly appropriate if the sense amplifier is operated in near-threshold regime. We also show based on neural network simulation on the CIFAR-10 image recognition task that going from binary to ternary neural networks significantly increases neural network performance. These results highlight that AI circuits function may sometimes be revisited when operated in low power regimes.
Ternary logic system is the most promising and pursued alternate to the prevailing binary logic systems due to the energy efficiency of circuits following reduced circuit complexity and chip area. In this paper, we have proposed a ternary 3-Transistor Dynamic Random-Access Memory (3T-DRAM) cell using a single word-line for both read and write operation. For simulation of the circuit, we have used Carbon-Nano-Tube Field Effect Transistor (CNTFET). Here, we have analyzed the operation of the circuit considering different process variations and showed the results for write delay, read sensing time, and consumed current. Along with the basic DRAM design, we have proposed a ternary sense circuitry for the proper read operation of the proposed DRAM. The simulation and analysis are executed using the H-SPICE tool with Stanford University CNTFET model.
Resistive random access memories (RRAM) are novel nonvolatile memory technologies, which can be embedded at the core of CMOS, and which could be ideal for the in-memory implementation of deep neural networks. A particularly exciting vision is using them for implementing Binarized Neural Networks (BNNs), a class of deep neural networks with a highly reduced memory footprint. The challenge of resistive memory, however, is that they are prone to device variation, which can lead to bit errors. In this work we show that BNNs can tolerate these bit errors to an outstanding level, through simulations of networks on the MNIST and CIFAR10 tasks. If a standard BNN is used, up to 10^-4 bit error rate can be tolerated with little impact on recognition performance on both MNIST and CIFAR10. We then show that by adapting the training procedure to the fact that the BNN will be operated on error-prone hardware, this tolerance can be extended to a bit error rate of 4x10^-2. The requirements for RRAM are therefore a lot less stringent for BNNs than more traditional applications. We show, based on experimental measurements on a RRAM HfO2 technology, that this result can allow reduce RRAM programming energy by a factor 30.
Uncertainty plays a key role in real-time machine learning. As a significant shift from standard deep networks, which does not consider any uncertainty formulation during its training or inference, Bayesian deep networks are being currently investigated where the network is envisaged as an ensemble of plausible models learnt by the Bayes formulation in response to uncertainties in sensory data. Bayesian deep networks consider each synaptic weight as a sample drawn from a probability distribution with learnt mean and variance. This paper elaborates on a hardware design that exploits cycle-to-cycle variability of oxide based Resistive Random Access Memories (RRAMs) as a means to realize such a probabilistic sampling function, instead of viewing it as a disadvantage.
The brain performs intelligent tasks with extremely low energy consumption. This work takes inspiration from two strategies used by the brain to achieve this energy efficiency: the absence of separation between computing and memory functions, and the reliance on low precision computation. The emergence of resistive memory technologies indeed provides an opportunity to co-integrate tightly logic and memory in hardware. In parallel, the recently proposed concept of Binarized Neural Network, where multiplications are replaced by exclusive NOR (XNOR) logic gates, offers a way to implement artificial intelligence using very low precision computation. In this work, we therefore propose a strategy to implement low energy Binarized Neural Networks, which employs brain-inspired concepts, while retaining energy benefits from digital electronics. We design, fabricate and test a memory array, including periphery and sensing circuits, optimized for this in-memory computing scheme. Our circuit employs hafnium oxide resistive memory integrated in the back end of line of a 130 nanometer CMOS process, in a two transistors - two resistors cell, which allows performing the exclusive NOR operations of the neural network directly within the sense amplifiers. We show, based on extensive electrical measurements, that our design allows reducing the amount of bit errors on the synaptic weights, without the use of formal error correcting codes. We design a whole system using this memory array. We show on standard machine learning tasks (MNIST, CIFAR-10, ImageNet and an ECG task) that the system has an inherent resilience to bit errors. We evidence that its energy consumption is attractive compared to more standard approaches, and that it can use the memory devices in regimes where they exhibit particularly low programming energy and high endurance.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
