![]() The SpiNNaker 1 million core machine assembled at the University of Manchester | |
Developer | Steve Furber |
---|---|
Product family | Manchester computers |
Type | Neuromorphic |
Release date | 2019 |
CPU | ARM968E-S @ 200 MHz |
Memory | 7 TB |
Successor | SpiNNaker 2 [1] |
Website | apt |
SpiNNaker (spiking neural network architecture) is a massively parallel, manycore supercomputer architecture designed by the Advanced Processor Technologies Research Group (APT) at the Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester. [2] It is composed of 57,600 processing nodes, each with 18 ARM9 processors (specifically ARM968) and 128 MB of mobile DDR SDRAM, totalling 1,036,800 cores and over 7 TB of RAM. [3] The computing platform is based on spiking neural networks, useful in simulating the human brain (see Human Brain Project). [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]
The completed design is housed in 10 19-inch racks, with each rack holding over 100,000 cores. [13] The cards holding the chips are held in 5 blade enclosures, and each core emulates 1,000 neurons. [13] In total, the goal is to simulate the behaviour of aggregates of up to a billion neurons in real time. [14] This machine requires about 100 kW from a 240 V supply and an air-conditioned environment. [15]
SpiNNaker is being used as one component of the neuromorphic computing platform for the Human Brain Project. [16] [17]
On 14 October 2018 the HBP announced that the million core milestone had been achieved. [18] [19]
On 24 September 2019 HBP announced that an 8 million euro grant, that will fund construction of the second generation machine, (called SpiNNcloud) has been given to TU Dresden. [20]