Towards analog implementations of PWL two-dimensional non-linear functions

This paper deals with the circuit implementation of non-linear algebraic bivariate functions. The synthesis procedure is based on a piecewise-linear approximation technique and on a corresponding circuit architecture, whose basic element is a circuit block with the input/output function y(x) = max(0; x). Some known CMOS circuit structures that can be used to obtain such a block are considered, and their main advantages and drawbacks are pointed out. The static and dynamic features of both the single circuit block and the overall architecture for two-dimensional PWL functions are illustrated by way of examples.