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Introduction to VLSI Design

Landmarks
Moores axiom Some more funda Free CAD tool Parting notes

Moores Law
Gordon Moore: co-founder of Intel Predicted that the number of transistors per chip would grow exponentially (double every 18 months) Exponential improvement in technology is a natural trend:

e.g.

Steam Engines - Dynamo - Automobile

Moores Law Transistors


Microprocessors
10M 1M 100K 10K 1K 100 10 1
[Keutzer] 4004 8086 8080 80386 68020 68000 PPC603 Pentium 80486 Pentium Pro PPC601 MIPS R4000 68040

10x/6 years

IC Products

Processors

CPU, DSP, Controllers RAM, ROM, EEPROM

Memory chips Analog

Mobile communication, audio/video processing


PLA, FPGA

Programmable

Embedded systems
Used in cars, factories Network cards

System-on-chip (SoC)
Images: amazon.com

IC Product Market Shares

Source: Electronic Business

Silicon Process 1.5m Technology Intel386TM DX Processor Intel486TM DX Processor

Example: Intel Processor Sizes


1.0m 0.8m 0.6m

0.35m 0.25m

Pentium Processor Pentium Pro & Pentium II Processors


Source: http://www.intel.com/

Heterogeneity on Chip

Greater diversity of onchip elements


Processors

Heterogeneity

Software
Memory Analog

More transistors doing different things!

[Keutzer]

Stronger Market Pressures


Decreasing design window Less tolerance for design revisions

Time-to-market

Exponentially more complex, greater design risk, greater variety, and a smaller design window!

[Keutzer]

VLSI Design Styles


Full Custom Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) Programmable Logic (PLD, FPGA) System-on-a-Chip

Full Custom Design

Each circuit element carefully handcrafted Huge design effort High Design & NRE Costs / Low Unit Cost High Performance Typically used for high-volume applications

ASIC

Constrained design using pre-designed (and sometimes pre-manufactured) components Also called semi-custom design CAD tools greatly reduce design effort Low Design Cost / High NRE Cost / Med. Unit Cost Medium Performance

Programmable Logic (FPGA)

Pre-manufactured components with programmable interconnect CAD tools greatly reduce design effort Low Design Cost / Low NRE Cost / High Unit Cost Lower Performance

System-on-chip (SOC)

Idea: combine several large blocks


Predesigned

custom cores (e.g., microcontroller) intellectual property (IP) ASIC logic for special-purpose hardware Programmable Logic (PLD, FPGA) Analog

Open issues
Keeping

design cost low Verifying correctness of design

The Inverted Pyramid


Electronic Systems > $1 Trillion

Semiconductor > $220 B

CAD $3 B

[Keutzer]

Where is the money?

Gaps to be filled:
System-semiconductor

gap Semiconductor-CAD gap

A free CAD flow for all who care!


Alliance CAD tools "Architecture des Systmes intgrs et Micro lectronique" department of LIP6 875 000 Transistor design done Limit is your processor power and your design abilities!

Scenario in India???
HUGE outsourcing Loads of startups (WHY?) VLSI design is nowhere a single nation job Fabrication labs (fabs) in USA getting sold out India getting 4 fabs by next year!

Thank You
Best of Luck for End-Sems and Internships

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