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Designing Digital Systems Using Cartesian Genetic Programming and VHDL

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Inspired by Nature

Part of the book series: Emergence, Complexity and Computation ((ECC,volume 28))

Abstract

This chapter describes the use of biologically inspired Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) to create designs for implementation on a reconfigurable logic device. Previous work on Evolvable Hardware (EHW) is discussed with a focus on timing problems for digital circuits. An EA is developed that describes the circuit using a Hardware Description Language (HDL) in a Cartesian Genetic Programming (CGP) framework. The use of an HDL enabled a commercial hardware simulator to be used to evaluate the evolved circuits. Timing models are included in the simulation allowing sequential circuits to be created and assessed. The aim of the work is to develop an EA that is able to create time dependent circuity using the versatility of a HDL and a hardware timing simulator. The variation in the circuit timing from the placement of the logic components, led to an environment with a selection pressure that promoted a more robust design. The results show the creation of both combinatorial and sequential circuits.

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Acknowledgements

This work is part funded by the EPSRC PAnDA project (EP/I005838/1) and the EPSRC Platform Grant: Bio-inspired Adaptive Architectures and Systems (EP/K040820/1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Communication Technologies Group, Department of Electronic Engineering, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Benjamin Henson

  2. The Digital Centre, School of Engineering and Computer Science, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK

    James Alfred Walker

  3. Intelligent Systems and Nanoscience Group, Department of Electronic Engineering, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Martin A. Trefzer & Andy M. Tyrrell

Authors
  1. Benjamin Henson
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  2. James Alfred Walker
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  3. Martin A. Trefzer
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  4. Andy M. Tyrrell
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to James Alfred Walker .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of York, York, United Kingdom

    Susan Stepney

  2. Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom

    Andrew Adamatzky

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Henson, B., Walker, J.A., Trefzer, M.A., Tyrrell, A.M. (2018). Designing Digital Systems Using Cartesian Genetic Programming and VHDL. In: Stepney, S., Adamatzky, A. (eds) Inspired by Nature. Emergence, Complexity and Computation, vol 28. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67997-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67997-6_3

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67997-6

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