This body of work as whole has the theme of using floating-gates and reconfigurable systems to explore and implement non-traditional computing solutions to difficult problems. Various computational methodologies are used simultaneously to solve problems by mapping pieces of them to the appropriate type of computer. There exists no systematic approach to simultaneously apply analog, digital, and neuromorphic techniques to solving general problems. Typically, this is a very difficult task, and one that few attempt to undertake. However, when done right, solutions can be found with orders-of-magnitude improvement over existing solutions restricted to using only one type computational domain. To that end, I have helped build large and complicated reconfigurable systems (and software tools for helping to use these systems) capable of implementing solutions to problems in all three of those domains simultaneously. These systems are used to explore and implement these cross domain solutions to difficult problems. The earlier work was involved with simply applying floating-gate technology to improving the building blocks of digital systems. Through that early work a new logic family built from floating-gate transistors was discovered, a Logical Effort compatible power analysis technique was developed, and low power floating-gate based FPGA was implemented. This work was then merged with existing research in the group involving solving problems using reconfigurable analog, and neuromorphic techniques. Thus converging on the mentioned systems that allow one to solve problems using techniques from all three domains: analog, neuromorphic, and digital.

An analog circuit for beamforming in a mobile Ku band satellite TV antenna array has been implemented. The circuit performs continuous-time gradient descent using simultaneous perturbation gradient estimation. Simulations were performed using Agilent ADS circuit simulator. Field tests were performed in a realistic scenario using a satellite signal. The results were comparable to the simulation predictions and to results obtained using a digital implementation of a similar stochastic approximation algorithm.

An analog circuit for beamforming in a mobile Ku band satellite TV antenna array has been implemented. The circuit performs continuous-time gradient descent using simultaneous perturbation gradient estimation. Simulations were performed using Agilent ADS circuit simulator. Field tests were performed in a realistic scenario using a satellite signal. The results were comparable to the simulation predictions and to results obtained using a digital implementation of a similar stochastic approximation algorithm.