Systems technologies for silicon auditory models

Presents a low-power analog integrated circuit which implements a biologically inspired algorithm for the spectral analysis of sound. The chip features an efficient interface to digital systems; preserving analog processing´s low-power, high-density advantages requires careful attention to interface issues. To send the spectral representation off chip, it generates a sparse coding of the output spectrum, and communicates the code as an asynchronous stream of events. We store parameters for the spectral analysis algorithm as charge on floating nodes, and support the modification of these parameters via Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, under the control of a digital interface. A prototype system uses this chip as a preprocessor.<>