The first-generation of BrainScaleS, also referred to as BrainScaleS-1, is a neuromorphic system for emulating large-scale networks of spiking neurons. Following a "physical modeling" principle, its VLSI circuits are designed to emulate the dynamics of biological examples: analog circuits implement neurons and synapses with time constants that arise from their electronic components' intrinsic properties. It operates in continuous time, with dynamics typically matching an acceleration factor of 10000 compared to the biological regime. A fault-tolerant design allows it to achieve wafer-scale integration despite unavoidable analog variability and component failures. In this paper, we present the commissioning process of a BrainScaleS-1 wafer module, providing a short description of the system's physical components, illustrating the steps taken during its assembly and the measures taken to operate it. Furthermore, we reflect on the system's development process and the lessons learned to conclude with a demonstration of its functionality by emulating a wafer-scale synchronous firing chain, the largest spiking network emulation ran with analog components and individual synapses to date.

翻译：第一代BrainScaleS系统（亦称BrainScaleS-1）是一种用于模拟大规模脉冲神经元网络的神经形态系统。遵循"物理建模"原则，其超大规模集成电路（VLSI）设计旨在模拟生物范例的动态行为：模拟电路实现的神经元和突触具有由其电子元件固有特性决定的时间常数。该系统在连续时间中运行，其动态特性通常以生物机制的10000倍加速因子运行。容错性设计使其能够在模拟异质性与元件故障的必然存在下实现晶圆级集成。本文介绍了BrainScaleS-1晶圆模块的调试过程，简要描述了系统的物理组件，阐述了组装过程中的关键步骤及运行维护措施。此外，我们反思了系统开发流程及经验教训，并通过模拟晶圆级同步发放链（迄今规模最大的基于模拟元件与独立突触的脉冲网络仿真）来验证系统功能。