Hardware implementation of the ring generator with tunable frequency based on electronic neurons

Abstract

Constructing electronic models of neurons has several applications including reproducing dynamics of biological neurons and their networks and neuroprosthetics. In the brain, most neurons themselves are in a non-oscillatory mode, and brain rhythms arise due to their collective dynamics. In this case, very small ensembles of neurons can act as rhythm generators. such ensembles can be constructed and study within the framework of a radiophysical experiment. In this work, a circuit of a ring rhythm generator was created from several (from two to eight) FitzHugh--Nagumo electronic oscillators with electronic synapses (sigmoid coupling function and delay were implemented). Oscillatory modes were shown to be possible in this circuit as a result of collective dynamics, with the frequency being controlled by means of a delay in the synapse and/or changing the number of elements in the ring. For some parameter values, there were multistability modes, when the implementation of a specific oscillatory regime was determined by initial conditions or could be achieved by a short-term external driving. The constructed generator well models the switching of the main frequency in brain local field potentials at limbic epilepsy, but can be used independently as well.