title: Development of a Multi-Compartment Neuron Model Emulation
creator: Millner, Sebastian
subject: 500
subject: 500 Natural sciences and mathematics
subject: 530
subject: 530 Physics
subject: 570
subject: 570 Life sciences
subject: 620
subject: 620 Engineering and allied operations
description: This work describes the design of an analog circuit emulating a multi-compartment neuron model on a microchip. Initially, the single-compartment adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire neuron model is implemented as a hardware model. Therefor, the differential equations describing the model dynamics are directly translated into an electronic circuit based on operational transconductance amplifiers. Consequently a close correspondence between model and circuit is achieved enabling references to experiments done with computer simulators. 512 of these neurons are implemented on a single micro-chip. Individual control of each neuron’s biases is achieved by the use of analog floating-gate memory. In most cases, these biases directly correspondent to parameters of the model, hence simple translations are possible.  The single neuron implementation has been verified on a prototype chip in several experiments. Inter alia, its capabilities of reproducing biological neuron’s behavior and the influence of fixed-pattern noise on the circuit are analyzed.  To step over to a multi-compartment circuit, the neuron has been enhanced by a resistive element and a routing network to build complex dendrite structures. Furthermore, the parameterization allows compartments of different sizes covering large somatic and small dendritic compartments. A dedicated test chip has been designed for the verification of the new model. Several simulations show the enhanced behavior of the multi-compartment emulation including dendritic attenuation and active spike propagation.  The neuron circuits are dedicated for a new kind of computer based on the cortex.
date: 2012-11
type: Dissertation
type: info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserverhttps://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/13979/1/Dissertation%20Sebastian%20Millner%20Disputation%2006112012.pdf
identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00013979
identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-139796
identifier:   Millner, Sebastian  (2012) Development of a Multi-Compartment Neuron Model Emulation.  [Dissertation]     
relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/13979/
rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html
language: eng