System Design for Computation-in-Memory

Abstract

In recent years, we are witnessing a trend moving away from conventional computer architectures towards Computation-In-Memory (CIM) based on emerging memristor devices. This is due to the fact that the performance and energy efficiency of traditional computer architectures can no longer be increased at the same pace as before. The main barriers which limit the performance and energy improvement are the memory and power walls. Thus far, the main effort from researchers is toward enabling CIM as an accelerator for specific applications. Consequently, this current application-specific nature/approach has put less emphasis on the potential general-purpose applicability of CIM, i.e., merging several accelerators into one that is less than the sum of the parts. In this paper, we demonstrate the CIM concept using a broader and generalized model. Considering this model, the state-of-the-art CIM-based logic and arithmetic primitive functions, which can be the building blocks for complex functions, are investigated. Besides, we present potential applications of CIM which provides insights into the challenges and opportunities of a generic CIM system design. Finally, we highlight the future directions regarding the construction of CIM-based systems.