title: A Spiking Neural Simulator Integrating Event-Driven and Time-Driven Computation Schemes Using Parallel CPU-GPU Co-Processing: A Case Study.
abstract: Time-driven simulation methods in traditional CPU architectures perform well and precisely when simulating small-scale spiking neural networks. Nevertheless, they still have drawbacks when simulating large-scale systems. Conversely, event-driven simulation methods in CPUs and time-driven simulation methods in graphic processing units (GPUs) can outperform CPU time-driven methods under certain conditions. With this performance improvement in mind, we have developed an event-and-time-driven spiking neural network simulator suitable for a hybrid CPU-GPU platform. Our neural simulator is able to efficiently simulate bio-inspired spiking neural networks consisting of different neural models, which can be distributed heterogeneously in both small layers and large layers or subsystems. For the sake of efficiency, the low-activity parts of the neural network can be simulated in CPU using event-driven methods while the high-activity subsystems can be simulated in either CPU (a few neurons) or GPU (thousands or millions of neurons) using time-driven methods. In this brief, we have undertaken a comparative study of these different simulation methods. For benchmarking the different simulation methods and platforms, we have used a cerebellar-inspired neural-network model consisting of a very dense granular layer and a Purkinje layer with a smaller number of cells (according to biological ratios). Thus, this cerebellar-like network includes a dense diverging neural layer (increasing the dimensionality of its internal representation and sparse coding) and a converging neural layer (integration) similar to many other biologically inspired and also artificial neural networks.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Naveros
authors.forename: Niceto R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Luque
authors.forename: Jesús A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: Richard R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Carrillo
authors.forename: Mancia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anguita
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ros
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D019985:Benchmarking; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003203:Computers, Hybrid; D008838:Microcomputers; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results