Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!jhunix!ins_atge
From: ins_atge@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Thomas G Edwards)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.neural-nets
Subject: Re: Analog VLSI design tools for neural nets
Keywords: analog VLSI, neural nets
Message-ID: <7615@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU>
Date: 20 Feb 91 03:19:01 GMT
References: <1522@fs1.ee.ubc.ca>
Organization: The Johns Hopkins University - HCF
Lines: 22

In article <1522@fs1.ee.ubc.ca> kpl@fs0.ee.ubc.ca (k. p. Lam) writes:
>I am looking for information
>on available (both public domain or commercial) CAD tools for designing
>analog VLSI circuits for neural nets. Carver Mead's book seems to indicate
>that some powerful design packages are now available in the field -- but
>I wonder whether someone in the newsgroup have more details on their
>sources and availability.

I am unaware of any CAD tools especially designed to create standard
neural computational systems in analog VLSI.  Most of the "neuromorphic"
chips being made currently are custom designed.

If you mean more precisely "what CAD tools are available to create
any kind of analog VLSI," LEDIT is available for PC's, and the
much more extensive MAGIC system is available for workstations.

If you are interested in "neuromorphic" chips, I recommend reading up
on current-mode circuits (the best way to get signals across a large
area of a chip operating in subthreshold mode), and also check out the
article by Bohanen in a recent _Neural_Computation_.

-Tom