Hodgkin-Huxley Verilog-A Electrical Neuron Membrane Model

This paper presents the complete design and electrical characterization of a SPICE model emulating the neuron membrane electrochemical behaviour. This constitutes an easy-to-use and compact tool that predicts action potential time-domain evolution, identifying the minimum input charge/second threshold that induces neuron electrical firing. Specifically, the cell membrane ionic channels are described by custom components in the Verilog-A Hardware Description Language. By stimulating the model using fast electrical charge pulses, it is possible to obtain action potentials signals perfectly consistent with the mathematical model based on Hodgkin-Huxley equations (or with electrochemical behaviour of the neuron cell membrane). The neuron circuit was validated by extensive transient simulations in Cadence. This tool, therefore, allows developing custom hardware for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence by easily integrating and simulating the biological environment in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software.