Luigi Occhipinti

Reaction-diffusion CNN design for a new class of biologically-inspired processors in artificial locomotion applications

The problem of artificial locomotion is known to represent a difficult task when coping with multiactuated systems controlled by one (central) or more (distributed) digital processors. Nevertheless, the studies carried out from biologists revealed that the underlying mechanism in natural locomotion can be revisited in terms of complex dynamic phenomena such as the generation and propagation of autowaves in active media. The paper describes the work carried out in the laboratories of STMicroelectronics with the aim of generating, on-the-silicon, the same dynamics found in nature. It will be shown how a 2-layer CNN architecture, so-called Reaction-Diffusion CNN (RD-CNN), can be effective in this task, and how it can be programmed and reconfigured to reproduce a variety of complex phenomena.

Embedded fuzzy control on monolithic dc/dc converters

Several fuzzy control applications have been proposed for nonlinear control of nonlinear power supply devices. Some control problems in fact will arise in DC/DC converters due to their intrinsic nonlinear nature and, in some case, of instabilities and tendency to oscillate, lying with some particular topologies. The work presented reports a monolithic approach implementing an embedded fuzzy controller within classical DC/DC converter boost topology, with current-mode direct PWM control. It will be demonstrated, as well, how the proposed approach will solve the intrinsic instability of such topology, when acting under continuous operating mode. Finally the IC implementation will be briefly introduced, referring to ST mixed technology.

Reaction-diffusion CNN chip. II. Applications

For pt. I, see ISCAS 2000 - IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems, May 28-31, 2000, Geneva, Switzerland. The problem of artificial locomotion is known to represent a difficult task when coping with multiactuated systems controlled by one (central) or more (distributed) digital processors. Nevertheless, the studies carried out from biologists revealed that the underlying mechanism in natural locomotion can be revisited in terms of complex dynamic phenomena such as the generation and propagation of autowaves in active media. The paper describes the work carried out in the laboratories of STMicroelectronics with the aim of generating, on-the-silicon, the same dynamics found in nature. It will be shown how a 2-layer CNN architecture, so-called Reaction-Diffusion CNN (RD-CNN), can be effective in this task, and how it can be programmed and re-configured to reproduce a variety of complex phenomena.

Extended CNN topologies and VLSI implementations

Summary form only given. The work carried out is oriented to extend classical topologies of Cellular Neural Networks (CNN) to more general cellular processors, and their implementation, in order to build universal machines able to perform complex tasks and nonlinear dynamic generation. More precisely, State-Controlled CNNs and Fuzzy Cellular Processors are briefly introduced. The former are implemented in mixed-signal CMOS technology.