Patent ID: 11880769
Assignee: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 9:
10. A method for performing training operations for a neural network in a system that includes a processor, a memory, and an analog circuit element functional block with an array of analog circuit elements, the method comprising:
performing, by the processor, initial iterations of a neural network training operation, each initial iteration including using neural network data acquired from the memory for processing a corresponding instance of input data through the neural network to generate an output of the neural network;
monitoring error values computed using the outputs from the initial iterations of a neural network training operation;
when one or more error values are less than a threshold, switching from using the processor to using the analog circuit element functional block for performing remaining iterations of the neural network training operation, the switching including setting conductances of programmable elements in the array of analog circuit elements based at least in part on a value of respective neural network data; and
performing, in the analog circuit element functional block, the remaining iterations, the performing including, for each remaining iteration, using the conductances of the programmable elements for computing an output of the neural network and updating the conductances of the programmable elements based on the output of the neural network.