CNTFET-Based Ternary Multiply-and-Accumulate Unit

Abstract

Multiply-Accumulate (MAC) is one of the most commonly used operations in modern computing systems due to its use in matrix multiplication, signal processing, and in new applications such as machine learning and deep neural networks. Ternary number system offers higher information processing within the same number of digits when compared to binary systems. In this paper, a MAC is proposed using a CNTFET-based ternary logic number. Specifically, we build a 5-trit multiplier and 10-trit adder as building blocks of two ternary MAC unit designs. The first is a basic MAC which has two methods to implement, serial and pipeline. The second is an improved MAC design that optimizes the number of transistors, offers higher performance and lower power consumption. The designed MAC unit can operate up to 300 MHz. Finally, a comparative study in terms of power, delay, and area variations is conducted under different supply voltages and temperature levels.