Electronic Device and Methods for Assigning Bits to Memristive Devices

A method for assigning a first number of bits of a binary representation of a value to a second number of memristive devices within a crossbar array, wherein the second number is two or more and the first number is larger than the second number, wherein the method is performed by an electronic device and comprises:

• obtaining an assigning priority of each bit of the binary representation of the value;
• and
• for an unassigned memristive device of the second number of memristive devices within the crossbar array, assigning an unassigned bit (b2) of the first number of bits to the unassigned memristive device based on the following:
• an assigning priority of the unassigned bit,
• a third number of remaining unassigned memristive devices after the assignment of the unassigned bit, and
• a fourth number of unassigned slices of one or more consecutive unassigned bits (b7b3, b1b0) remaining after assignment of the unassigned bit (b2),
• wherein assigning the unassigned bit (b2) of the first number of bits to the unassigned memristive device is performed iteratively and comprises:
• selecting an unassigned bit having a highest assigning priority as a candidate bit, from among unassigned bits which have not previously been selected as a candidate bit;
• updating the fourth number of remaining unassigned slices based on the selected candidate bit to be assigned;
• updating the third number of remaining unassigned memristive devices by subtracting one from the third number;
• and
• when the updated fourth number is less than or equal to the updated third number, assigning the selected candidate bit to the unassigned memristive device;
• wherein the method further comprises, in response to the third number of remaining unassigned memristive devices being equal to the fourth number of remaining unassigned slices, assigning the remaining unassigned memristive devices to the remaining unassigned slices.

An electronic device configured to assign a first number of bits of a binary representation of a value to a second number of memristive devices within a crossbar array, wherein the second number is two or more and the first number is larger than the second number, wherein the electronic device comprises a processing circuitry configured to:

• obtain an assigning priority of each bit of the binary representation of the value;
• and
• for an unassigned memristive device of the second number of memristive devices within the crossbar array, assign an unassigned bit (b2) of the first number of bits to the unassigned memristive device based on the following:
• an assigning priority of the unassigned bit,
• a third number of remaining unassigned memristive devices after the assignment of the unassigned bit, and
• a fourth number of unassigned slices of one or more consecutive unassigned bits (b7b3, b1b0) remaining after assignment of the unassigned bit (b2),
• wherein the processing circuitry is configured to iteratively assign the unassigned bit (b2) of the first number of bits to the unassigned memristive device based on the following operations:
• select an unassigned bit having a highest assigning priority as a candidate bit, from among unassigned bits which have not previously been selected as a candidate bit;
• update the fourth number of remaining unassigned slices based on the selected candidate bit to be assigned;
• update the third number of remaining unassigned memristive devices by subtracting one from the third number;
• and
• when the updated fourth number is less than or equal to the updated third number, assign the selected candidate bit to the unassigned memristive device;
• wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, in response to the third number of remaining unassigned memristive devices being equal to the fourth number of remaining unassigned slices, assign the remaining unassigned memristive devices to the remaining unassigned slices.