Multi-compartment neurons with neural cores

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a neural core circuit comprising a synaptic interconnect network including plural electronic synapses for interconnecting one or more source electronic neurons with one or more target electronic neurons. The interconnect network further includes multiple axon paths and multiple dendrite paths. Each synapse is at a cross-point junction of the interconnect network between a dendrite path and an axon path. The core circuit further comprises a routing module maintaining routing information. The routing module routes output from a source electronic neuron to one or more selected axon paths. Each synapse provides a configurable level of signal conduction from an axon path of a source electronic neuron to a dendrite path of a target electronic neuron.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A Clos network, comprising:
 one or more sets of neural core circuits of a first type; and   one or more sets of neural core circuits of a second type;   wherein each neural core circuit of the second type interconnects a neural core circuit of the first type to the same neural core circuit of the first type or another neural core circuit of the first type;   wherein each neural core circuit of the first type comprises a pair of core modules logically overlaid on one another, and each core module comprises electronic neurons, electronic axons, and electronic synapses interconnecting the electronic neurons with the electronic axons; and   wherein each neural core circuit of the second type comprises a bi-directional crossbar switch.   
     
     
         2 . The Clos network of  claim 1 , wherein firing events propagate between outgoing electronic axons in the one or more sets of neural core circuits of the first type to incoming electronic axons in the one or more sets of neural core circuits of the first type via the one or more sets of neural core circuits of the second type. 
     
     
         3 . The Clos network of  claim 2 , wherein each set of neural core circuits of the second type interconnects outgoing electronic axons and incoming electronic axons in a set of neural core circuits of the first type to incoming axons and outgoing axons in the same set of neural core circuits of the first type, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The Clos network of  claim 2 , wherein each set of neural core circuits of the second type interconnects outgoing electronic axons and incoming electronic axons in a set of neural core circuits of the first type to incoming axons and outgoing axons in another set of neural core circuits of the first type, respectively. 
     
     
         5 . The Clos network of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sets of neural core circuits of the second type enable bidirectional propagation of firing events in the Clos network.