Open-source asynchronous periphery for mixed-signal neuromorphic chips

Mixed-signal neuromorphic systems combine analog neural dynamics with event-driven asynchronous digital communication. Designing the asynchronous digital periphery for these systems is often a major practical barrier however, in part due to the lack of available reusable, silicon-verified components. This forces many research groups to re-design core components from scratch, increasing development time and risk. To address this, we present an open-source library of silicon-verified asynchronous peripheral circuits designed for mixed-signal neuromorphic processors, using the Asynchronous Circuit Toolkit (ACT) with Quasi-Delay-Insensitive (QDI) design methodology and Dual-Rail (DR) encoding. We describe the circuit templates, outline a multi-level verification methodology from behavioural simulation through post-fabrication testing, and present timing measurements from fabricated silicon.