17,917 research outputs found
Power Optimizations in MTJ-based Neural Networks through Stochastic Computing
Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have found widespread applications in tasks
such as pattern recognition and image classification. However, hardware
implementations of ANNs using conventional binary arithmetic units are
computationally expensive, energy-intensive and have large area overheads.
Stochastic Computing (SC) is an emerging paradigm which replaces these
conventional units with simple logic circuits and is particularly suitable for
fault-tolerant applications. Spintronic devices, such as Magnetic Tunnel
Junctions (MTJs), are capable of replacing CMOS in memory and logic circuits.
In this work, we propose an energy-efficient use of MTJs, which exhibit
probabilistic switching behavior, as Stochastic Number Generators (SNGs), which
forms the basis of our NN implementation in the SC domain. Further, error
resilient target applications of NNs allow us to introduce Approximate
Computing, a framework wherein accuracy of computations is traded-off for
substantial reductions in power consumption. We propose approximating the
synaptic weights in our MTJ-based NN implementation, in ways brought about by
properties of our MTJ-SNG, to achieve energy-efficiency. We design an algorithm
that can perform such approximations within a given error tolerance in a
single-layer NN in an optimal way owing to the convexity of the problem
formulation. We then use this algorithm and develop a heuristic approach for
approximating multi-layer NNs. To give a perspective of the effectiveness of
our approach, a 43% reduction in power consumption was obtained with less than
1% accuracy loss on a standard classification problem, with 26% being brought
about by the proposed algorithm.Comment: Accepted in the 2017 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Low Power
Electronics and Desig
Thirty Years of Machine Learning: The Road to Pareto-Optimal Wireless Networks
Future wireless networks have a substantial potential in terms of supporting
a broad range of complex compelling applications both in military and civilian
fields, where the users are able to enjoy high-rate, low-latency, low-cost and
reliable information services. Achieving this ambitious goal requires new radio
techniques for adaptive learning and intelligent decision making because of the
complex heterogeneous nature of the network structures and wireless services.
Machine learning (ML) algorithms have great success in supporting big data
analytics, efficient parameter estimation and interactive decision making.
Hence, in this article, we review the thirty-year history of ML by elaborating
on supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning and deep
learning. Furthermore, we investigate their employment in the compelling
applications of wireless networks, including heterogeneous networks (HetNets),
cognitive radios (CR), Internet of things (IoT), machine to machine networks
(M2M), and so on. This article aims for assisting the readers in clarifying the
motivation and methodology of the various ML algorithms, so as to invoke them
for hitherto unexplored services as well as scenarios of future wireless
networks.Comment: 46 pages, 22 fig
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