In this paper a new class of Cellular Neural Networks (CNNs) is introduced.
The peculiarity of the new CNN model consists in replacing the traditional
first order cell with a noninteger order one. The introduction of fraction
al order cells, with a suitable choice of the coupling parameters, leads to
the onset of chaos in a two-cell system of a total order of less than thre
e. A theoretical approach, based on the interaction between equilibrium poi
nts and limit cycles, is used to discover chaotic motions in fractional CNN
s.