HNPU: An Adaptive DNN Training Processor Utilizing Stochastic Dynamic Fixed-Point and Active Bit-Precision Searching

This article presents HNPU, which is an energy-efficient deep neural network (DNN) training processor by adopting algorithm-hardware co-design. The HNPU supports stochastic dynamic fixed-point representation and layer-wise adaptive precision searching unit for low-bit-precision training. It additionally utilizes slice-level reconfigurability and sparsity to maximize its efficiency both in DNN inference and training. Adaptive bandwidth reconfigurable accumulation network enables reconfigurable DNN allocation and maintains its high core utilization even in various bit-precision conditions. Fabricated in a 28-nm process, the HNPU accomplished at least 5. 9 higher energy efficiency and 2. 5 higher area efficiency in actual DNN training compared with the previous state-of-the-art on-chip learning processors.