A/D and D/A converters by spike-interval modulation of simple spiking neurons

This paper studies A/D and D/A converters based on spiking neurons. The neurons repeat integrate-and-fire behavior between threshold and base signals and can output a variety of spike-trains. For the A/D conversion, an analog dc input is applied as an initial value and the spike-train is transformed into a digital output via spike-interval modulation. For the D/A conversion, a digital input is applied to switch base level and an analog output is given as phase of final spike within a given time limit. We then present a reconfigurable circuit that can realize both A/D and D/A converters by changing shape of base and threshold waveforms. The circuit operation is confirmed by PSPICE simulation