US 11,775,779 B2
Hybrid analog-digital matrix processors
Tyler J. Kenney, Boston, MA (US); Martin B. Z. Forsythe, Jamaica Plain, MA (US); Tomo Lazovich, Cambridge, MA (US); and Darius Bunandar, Boston, MA (US)
Assigned to Lightmatter, Inc., Boston, MA (US)
Filed by Lightmatter, Inc., Boston, MA (US)
Filed on May 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/246,892.
Application 17/246,892 is a continuation of application No. 16/995,674, filed on Aug. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,023,691.
Application 16/995,674 is a continuation of application No. 16/800,998, filed on Feb. 25, 2020, granted, now 10,803,258.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/810,851, filed on Feb. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0279432 A1, Sep. 9, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06J 1/02 (2006.01); G06F 17/16 (2006.01)
CPC G06J 1/02 (2013.01) [G06F 17/16 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An accelerator comprising:
a plurality of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) configured to generate a plurality of input analog signals based on a data vector;
an analog processor arranged to perform matrix-vector multiplication and comprising inputs and outputs;
a plurality of n-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) coupled to respective outputs of the analog processor, where n is equal to or less than 16;
a plurality of analog amplifiers, coupled between the plurality of DACs and respective inputs of the analog processor, configured to generate a plurality of amplified input analog signals based on the plurality of input analog signals; and
a controller configured to:
receive a set of parameters representing a matrix;
set a first gain of a first analog amplifier of the plurality of analog amplifiers and a second gain of a second amplifier of the plurality of analog amplifiers, wherein the first gain is different from the second gain;
control the analog processor to generate a plurality of output analog signals based on the plurality of amplified input analog signals and the set of parameters; and
control the plurality of ADCs to digitize the plurality of output analog signals.