超高效神经元模拟器,让普通电脑也能跑百万级脉冲网络。
SuperNeuroMAT: An Efficient Matrix-based Simulator for Spiking Neural Networks

- 用矩阵方法模拟脉冲神经元,支持密集与稀疏两种运行模式。
- 在普通电脑上实现10万神经元稀疏模拟,速度和内存均优于现有工具。
- 兼容机器学习与类脑计算任务,适合算法研究与教育入门。
脉冲神经网络(SNN)为能效友好的人工智能和类脑计算提供了前景,但其广泛应用受限于缺乏快速、易用且通用的仿真框架。本文提出 SuperNeuroMAT,一个开源、可扩展、高效的 Python SNN 模拟器。我们设计了一种基于矩阵的新方法来建模漏积分-放电(LIF)神经元动力学,并原生支持密集与稀疏执行模式。该框架可在标准笔记本与台式机上实现约 10,000 个神经元的密集模拟和 100,000 个神经元的稀疏模拟,无需专用硬件。实验表明,SuperNeuroMAT 在两个性能指标(执行速度与峰值内存占用)上持续优于 NEST、Brian2、BindsNET 与 snnTorch,覆盖多种网络规模与连接概率。此外,它适用于多样化任务:可高效处理 Digits 与引文网络等传统机器学习基准,以及 N-CARS 与 ASL-DVS 等类脑事件视觉任务;还能拓展至通用计算,我们验证了其在类脑最短路径算法及加法、乘法算术原语上的可行性。SuperNeuroMAT 可通过 PyPI 安装,降低类脑计算门槛,加速类脑算法发展。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Spiking neural networks (SNNs) offer a promising pathway to energy-efficient AI and brain-inspired computing. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by a lack of fast, accessible, and versatile simulation frameworks. In this paper, we introduce SuperNeuroMAT, an open-source, scalable, and highly efficient Python-based SNN simulator. We devise a novel matrix-based approach to model the leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neuron dynamics and natively support dense and sparse execution modes. This enables fast simulation of approximately 10,000 neurons in dense mode and 100,000 neurons in sparse mode on standard laptops and desktops without requiring specialized hardware. We demonstrate that SuperNeuroMAT consistently outperforms four established SNN simulators---NEST, Brian2, BindsNET, and snnTorch---on two performance metrics (execution speed and peak resident memory) and across various network sizes and connection probabilities. Furthermore, we demonstrate SuperNeuroMAT's applicability across a diverse set of problems. SuperNeuroMAT can efficiently handle conventional machine learning benchmarks such as the Digits and citation network datasets as well as neuromorphic event-based vision tasks such as N-CARS and ASL-DVS. Moreover, it can be extended beyond machine learning workloads and facilitate general-purpose workloads. We validated this by implementing the neuromorphic shortest path algorithm and two arithmetic primitives (addition and multiplication). SuperNeuroMAT can be installed via the Python Package Index (PyPI), thereby lowering the barrier to entry into the field of neuromorphic computing and accelerating the broader development of neuromorphic algorithms.
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