Integrating a SpiNNaker 2 prototype on an embedded platform : Hardware design and firmware modification

Abstract: The field of neuromorphic computing concerns simulating the information processing of a brain in software or hardware on a computing platform. One neuromorphic platform that uses specialized hardware is SpiNNaker. It is an integrated circuit consisting of multiple general purpose processing cores that can run simulations of neurons. A custom on-chip network mimics the high level of neuron interconnectedness in a brain. The second generation of this chip is currently in development and a prototype, JiB 2, is used in this thesis. This chip has a Ball Grid Array (BGA) footprint and requires several supply voltage levels to operate making implementation more complex. To use such a chip in an autonomous robot, the hardware needs to be in a small form factor. It is beneficial to use an intermediary platform with support for many actuators and sensors to avoid having to develop new drivers (and because the processing power of individual blocks in JiB 2 is not well suited to these tasks). This thesis shows how a platform for autonomous use in robots can be designed with the current prototype chip. It details the design decisions made for the power supply and using the footprint. The existing software is explained and modifications made are shown. Some performance metrics (memory requirements, power and cost) are characterized. A simple program running on the prototype chip with input and output from a microcontroller development board using STM32 is demonstrated. This project suggests a path to deploy software on the JiB 2 and let it interact with the physical world.