Reprogrammable Time-Domain RRAM Based Vector Matrix Multiplier for In-Memory Computing

Bipul Boro, Rushik Parmar, Ashvinikumar Dongre, Gaurav Trivedi
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati


Abstract

Architectures utilizing Resistive Random-Access Memory (RRAM) for In-Memory Computing (IMC) have exhibited considerable potential in enhancing the performance metrics of neural networks (NNs). However, IMC configurations that incorporate Vector-Matrix Multipliers (VMMs) necessitate the incorporation of peripheral circuits such as Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC) and Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC). This, in turn, results in higher power consumption as compared to RRAM-based circuits. Therefore, we propose a power-efficient RRAM-based Time-Domain VMM (TDVMM). Using Time-Domain implementation, traditional ADC and DAC are replaced with a Digital-to-Time Converter (DTC) and a Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC), thereby conserving substantial hardware resources. The proposed DTC and TDC exhibit power consumptions of 25 µW and 38 µW and delays of 2 ns and 530 ps, respectively. Furthermore, by employing a 4T − 1R structure with a RESET stop block (RSB), we enable the implementation of a reprogrammable RRAM with four resistive states (2-bit) and a latency of 1.65µs and energy/cell of 0.11pJ, expanding the system's versatility for diverse applications. The overall energy efficiency of the proposed TDVMM is 217.6 GOP S/W, surpassing the SRAM-based TDVMM by a factor of 2.33×. This higher energy efficiency makes the proposed TDVMM a compelling candidate for IMC applications.