In this conversation with Matt Venn, a key figure behind the Zero to Asic Course and Tiny Tapeout, the duo dives into innovative chip design and manufacturing techniques. They discuss the evolution of analog ASIC design and the newfound accessibility through projects like Tiny Tapeout. Matt highlights exciting developments, including a workshop at SuperCon 2024 and an upcoming course focused on analog design. The discussion also touches on the economics of chip production and the importance of collaboration in the semiconductor landscape.
The lengthy timeline for chip manufacturing presents significant challenges, with complex processes extending design materialization to six to nine months despite advancements.
Tiny Tape Out has grown to accommodate more complex designs on single dies, showcasing a successful collaborative, crowd-sourced approach to prototyping.
Efforts to integrate chip design education into curricula aim to address future workforce needs by familiarizing students with the design process early on.
Deep dives
The Long Design Cycle of Chip Manufacturing
The timeline for chip manufacturing remains lengthy, often taking six to nine months for new designs to materialize. Factors such as complex fabrication processes and capacity issues contribute to this drawn-out timeline. Manufacturers like Global Foundries can achieve turnaround times of around three months if they have existing masks, yet this is still perceived as slow in the fast-paced tech industry. The discussion highlights the ongoing challenges in reducing the manufacturing time despite advancements in technology.
Advancements in Tiny Tape Out Projects
Tiny Tape Out has evolved significantly from its initial phase, expanding the number of designs it can accommodate on a single die. The latest iteration allows for complex projects involving multiple small designs, enabling participants to prototype on a more affordable scale. This collaborative environment allows designs to be divided among numerous individuals, resulting in a successful crowd-sourced approach to chip production. The logistics of managing these designs and ensuring that each one meets production standards have also improved, leading to higher quality outputs.
Educational Impacts on Chip Design
Efforts are underway to incorporate chip design education into high school and college curricula, with moves towards hands-on learning experiences like tape-outs being introduced early in the educational journey. Projects have emerged in collaboration with educational institutions, aiming to demystify the chip design process for students. This initiative seeks to address future workforce needs in microelectronics, anticipating a shortage of skilled professionals as demand continues to grow. By familiarizing students with fundamental design concepts early, educators hope to stimulate interest in chip design and engineering careers.
Challenges in Analog Design
Analog design poses its own set of challenges, primarily due to its manual nature and dependence on meticulous specifications. Designers must be aware of how small variations in fabrication processes can affect component performance, often relying on ratios rather than absolute values. This care in planning is essential, as errors can lead to significant issues during production. As developments in analog chip design proceed, tools and methodologies are evolving to make this complex area more accessible to beginners and those transitioning from digital design.
The Role of Open Source Tools in Chip Development
Open source tools are playing a pivotal role in democratizing chip design, allowing a broader audience to engage in ASIC development. These tools enable users to automate various aspects of the design process, making it easier for novices to navigate complex workflows. Continuous integration and formal verification processes are now standard, helping to ensure that designs meet established specifications before production. This shift is fostering innovation, as both professional designers and amateurs can more readily contribute to the field without the constraints of expensive proprietary software.
(Due to illness and some life stuff happening, my recording setup was crap. Apologies. I also leaned heavily on Matt’s notes, so some of the following links will be out of order. Think of it like an ad hoc scavenger hunt…fun!)
Matt was last on the show on episode 616, about 18 months ago
Tiny Tapeout has continued, now working on it’s 8th run. the 5th run is shipping soon.
Uri Shaked made Wokwi compatible with making chip designs and then compiling them to verilog for later processing by open source tools
