NeuroComputers 
  • Neurocomputers are defined here as standalone systems with elaborate hardware and software.

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  • They are intended for large scale processing applications such as high throughput OCR, e.g. forms processing.

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  • Expensive and complex.

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  • Examples:

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    • Siemens Synapse 1 Neurocomputer:

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      • Uses 8 of the MA-16 systolic array chips. 
      • It resides in its own cabinet and communicates via ethernet to a host workstation.
      • Peak performance of 3.2 billion multiplications (16-bit x 16-bit) and additions (48-bit) per sec. at 25MHz clock rate.

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    • Adaptive Solutions CNAPServer VME System

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      • VME boards in a custom cabinet run from a UNIX host via an ethernet link.
      • Boards come with 1 to 4 chips and up to two boards to give a total of 512 PE's. 
      • Software includes a C-language library, assembler, compiler, and a package of NN algorithms.
 

Lecture B:
Neurocomputers
6-3-98