Hi
For some reasons, fundamentally, I think if a VLSI or hardware training doesn't result in a tapeout or IP, it's half-baked knowledge (feel free to differ). In-fact, that was one of the prime reasons we had to start-up from first-principle, about 11 years back. We had to build every training content from scratch, as personally, I wasn't happy and
satisfied
Fast-forward 11 years. Efabless Corporation and SkyWater Technology Foundry teamed up with support from Google to opensource 130nm PDKs. VSD took great advantage of the opportunity. Converted all programs to SKY130, so training is silicon-proven
Today, very happy to say another VSD-HDP participant @Darío San Martín Molina successfully tapeout 3GHz High Speed VCO project using SKY130. This might be our 19th+ tapeout with Efabless Corporation MPW shuttle and 50th+ IP developed as a part of training program. 3 more SoCs and 2 more IPs are getting ready for next shuttle as a part VSD-HDP
Really proud to mention about @Darío San Martín Molina for more reasons that he has beautifully acknowledged @Dr G S Javed and VSD, which is very rare in our industry. But those who do, opportunities are limitless
Please find HDP details here
New Projects on HDP (starting on 27th March)
Project Name (Digital design and Synthesis) - Enabling SDC switches in Yosys (Project code - ESSY)
Project description - Yosys is an open source logic synthesis tool . Unfortunately there is no support for the regular SDC in Yosys. The aim of the project is to take certain specific constraints in SDC like set_max_delay , set_input_delay , set_input_transition , etc and
enable the equivalent features in Yosys by creating custom synthesis scripts. The scope of this project gives a very good exposure to Verilog coding skills, Working of synthesizer, Logic optimization knobs in logic synthesis, Design constraints
Project Name (analog design) - High Frequency analog VCO design and implementation using Sky130 (Project code - KCEDVCO)
Project description - 200MHz, 400MHz and 915MHz VCO design using Sky130nm - from specification to tapeout
Project Name (analog design) - Circuit Design for Capacitive Sensing - Touch/Pressure (Project code - CDCST)
Project description - The capacitance to digital converter (CDC) are being extensively used in Biomedical diagnostics, Water and level sensing applications in Industrial sector, MEMS sensor interface and plenty of hobby projects by young engineers. The basics of
capacitance sensors, types of cap sensors - Floating and Grounded and their construction is discussed. Learn about the interdigitated Capacitor platform for many Gas Sensing applications and pressure sensing applications.
--
Thanks & Regards
Kunal P Ghosh
"A pessimist always sees difficulty in every opportunity, An optimist always sees opportunity in every difficulty"
