Memristive dot product engine for vector processing

A memristive dot-product engine for vector processing, comprising:

• a crossbar array comprising a number of memory locations, each memory location comprising a memory element to store information corresponding to a value contained in an N×M matrix and a transistor to control current flow through the memory element, the transistor receiving a plurality of different gate voltages corresponding to conductance levels of the memory element;
• an input register comprising N voltage inputs, each voltage input corresponding to a value contained in a vector having N values;
• and
• an output register comprising M voltage outputs.

A method for vector-processing using a memristive dot product engine, comprising:

• providing a crossbar array comprising M columns, N rows and N×M memory locations, each memory location comprising a memristor and a transistor, an input register comprising N voltage inputs, and an output register comprising M voltage outputs, the memristor of each memory location programmable via a plurality of different current levels controlled by a corresponding plurality of different gate voltages of the transistor of the memory location;
• setting memristance values at the N×M memory locations within the crossbar array, the memristance values corresponding to row and column values of an N×M matrix, wherein the memristance value at memory location Ni,Mj is set by applying a programming voltage across the memristor at memory location Ni,Mj;
• setting input voltages at the N voltage inputs, the input voltages corresponding to values of an N×1 vector to be multiplied with the N×M matrix;
• determining output voltages at the M voltage outputs, each output voltage corresponding to the current output at each of the M columns of the crossbar array;
• and
• representing the M×1 vector result of the multiplication of the N×M matrix and the N×1 vector.