Neural Flip-Flops IV: Lamprey Locomotion

<p>The lamprey is one of the most ancient of extant vertebrate species. It has changed relatively little in 450 million years and is considered a prototype for all vertebrates. Its primitive nervous system has been studied extensively, and the basic architecture of the central pattern generator (CPG) that produces its anguilliform swimming motion is well known. Here it is shown that each segmental component of the lamprey's CPG is a JK flip-flop, with additional excitatory inputs and feedback that cause all of the neurons' states to oscillate. The JK flip-flop is the most widely used flip-flop design in electronic computational systems because of its advantageous features. This is apparently the first discovery that a known network of neurons functions as a logic circuit. The lamprey's oscillator can be implemented with electronic hardware, and the design is apparently unknown in engineering. A simulation based on simple neuron responses to excitation and inhibition illustrates the common period, phase relationships, and burst durations of the segmental cells' oscillations. Simulation software for electronic logic circuits verifies the simulated neuron responses, on vastly different time scales. The simulation methods presented here may aid in further study of CPG neurophysiology. The architecture of the oscillating JK flip-flop may aid in the development of artificial neural network applications such as robotics.</p>

Neural Flip-Flops IV: Lamprey Locomotion

<p>The lamprey is one of the most ancient of extant vertebrate species. It has changed relatively little in 450 million years and is considered a prototype for all vertebrates. Its primitive nervous system has been studied extensively, and the basic architecture of the central pattern generator (CPG) that produces its anguilliform swimming motion is well known. Here it is shown that each segmental component of the lamprey's CPG is a JK flip-flop, with additional excitatory inputs and feedback that cause all of the neurons' states to oscillate. The JK flip-flop is the most widely used flip-flop design in electronic computational systems because of its advantageous features. This is apparently the first discovery that a known network of neurons functions as a logic circuit. The lamprey's oscillator can be implemented with electronic hardware, and the design is apparently unknown in engineering. A simulation based on simple neuron responses to excitation and inhibition illustrates the common period, phase relationships, and burst durations of the segmental cells' oscillations. Simulation software for electronic logic circuits verifies the simulated neuron responses, on vastly different time scales. The simulation methods presented here may aid in further study of CPG neurophysiology. The architecture of the oscillating JK flip-flop may aid in the development of artificial neural network applications such as robotics.</p>

Neural Flip-Flops IV: Lamprey Locomotion

<p>The lamprey is one of the most ancient of extant vertebrate species. It has changed relatively little in 450 million years and is considered a prototype for all vertebrates. Its primitive nervous system has been studied extensively, and the basic architecture of the central pattern generator (CPG) that produces its anguilliform swimming motion is well known. Here it is shown that each segmental component of the lamprey's CPG is a JK flip-flop, with additional excitatory inputs and feedback that cause all of the neurons' states to oscillate. The JK flip-flop is the most widely used flip-flop design in electronic computational systems because of its advantageous features. This is apparently the first discovery that a known network of neurons functions as a logic circuit. The lamprey's oscillator can be implemented with electronic hardware, and the design is apparently unknown in engineering. A simulation based on simple neuron responses to excitation and inhibition illustrates the common period, phase relationships, and burst durations of the segmental cells' oscillations. Simulation software for electronic logic circuits verifies the simulated neuron responses, on vastly different time scales. The simulation methods presented here may aid in further study of CPG neurophysiology. The architecture of the oscillating JK flip-flop may aid in the development of artificial neural network applications such as robotics.</p>

Electro-Thermal Simulation of Vertical VO2 Thermal-Electronic Circuit Elements

Advancement of classical silicon-based circuit technology is approaching maturity and saturation. The worldwide research is now focusing wide range of potential technologies for the “More than Moore” era. One of these technologies is thermal-electronic logic circuits based on the semiconductor-to-metal phase transition of vanadium dioxide, a possible future logic circuits to replace the conventional circuits. In thermal-electronic circuits, information flows in a combination of thermal and electronic signals. Design of these circuits will be possible once appropriate device models become available. Characteristics of vanadium dioxide are under research by preparing structures in laboratory and their validation by simulation models. Modeling and simulation of these devices is challenging due to several nonlinearities, discussed in this article. Introduction of custom finite volumes method simulator has however improved handling of special properties of vanadium dioxide. This paper presents modeling and electro-thermal simulation of vertically structured devices of different dimensions, 10 nm to 300 nm layer thicknesses and 200 nm to 30 μm radii. Results of this research will facilitate determination of sample sizes in the next phase of device modeling.

Ternary Electronic Logic Systems Automation: A Novel Study Based on VHDL Language Third Part: Ternary Non-Combinational (Sequential) Logic Components

In this scientific paper, the third part of the software library for the Ternary non-combinational (Sequential) logic components (the components that store information) will be built based on VHDL language starting by the Ternary D Latch (TDL) and ending by the Ternary RAM (TRAM).

Ternary Electronic Logic Systems Automation: A Novel Study Based on VHDL Language – Second Part: Ternary Combination Logic Components

In this paper, the second part of the software library for the Ternary combinational logic components will be built based on VHDL language starting by the TXOR (Ternary XOR gate) and ending by the TPA (Ternary Parallel Adder). This second part is an extension to the library given in the first part of the study which was about the basic Ternary Logic Gates [1]. Keywords: Ternary logic, Ternary combinational logic components, VHDL language.